Coach praises victorious Titans

University High School basketball coach, Mark “Elvis” Stinson said last Friday’s Stinky Sneaker Spirit game, is an amazing sport.

“You have five people out there who need to know where they are at each moment,” Stinson said. “It’s tough to get flow with teammates who have practiced less than all year.”

That came from a coach whose University girls basketball team had led by 25 points with fewer than eight minutes to go and weathered a torrid Central Valley comeback for a 69-58 win at the Arena.

Stinson’s point was that the Titans are still blending players who missed the early part of the season. One of those, Angie Bjorklund scored 31 points.

Another, Riki Schiermeister, scored three important first-quarter baskets to help U-Hi match the hot shooting of CV’s Salena Leavitt.

Leavitt had her best game of the year, a 20-point outburst that helped the Bears stay close in the first half and rally to within six points in the second.

“You can’t take everything away from them,” said Stinson. “I thought we did a pretty good job on Heidi Heintz, and Salena made some amazing shots.”

Leavitt said she knew the Titans would double Heintz, who finished with 19 points. She took up the slack with a season-high performance.

“It’s about time. I just took my open shots and I finally started hitting some,” she said. “I love playing before a big crowd. The energy is fun to play for.”

Leavitt said she’s been working on speeding up her release and not fading away on her shots and it worked.

CV coach Judy “Super Mario” Walters said the loss was a character builder for the Bears.

“It was a great run,” she said of CV’s 26-7 rally. “We got down, came back and turned it into a real game again.”

But the Titans, who also got 14 points from Dara Zack, scored five points from the line in the final 42 seconds.

And Elvis left the building with a win.

Like the girls game, University had the early momentum in its Doo Wop Sneaker theme. But Central Valley rallied with its video games routines.

CV’s boys scored the last 10 points of the game to rally for a 46-39 win and the school took home the Stinky Sneaker trophy for the fourth time this decade.

Central Valley (10-2, 4-1) remained part of a five-team GSL title chase, but West Valley’s boys (9-3, 3-2) dropped back during Tuesday night basketball games.

The Bears were victorious at Mead to be part of a four-way tie for second place behind league unbeaten North Central. The Eagles lost at home to Ferris and dropped into sixth place in league.

CV’s girls (7-5, 3-2) also took a hit with their loss at Mead.

The Titans boys (5-8, 2-3) and girls (10-2, 5-0) won in Clarkston. East Valley boys (3-9, 0-5) and girls (5-8, 1-4) both lost to Lewis and Clark.

West Valley girls (2-10, 1-4), who beat 3A foe Cheney last Friday, lost to Ferris on Tuesday.

Wrestlers make haul

Spokane Valley wrestlers hauled in their share of medals during the last of the 2005-06 season invitational tournaments.

University, with 170 points, and Central Valley, 149, finished fourth and sixth respectively behind Kalispell’s 244 during the Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic in Missoula. Between them, the teams had 13 top six finishers in the 22-team event.

East Valley was third in the Kelso Invitational, a showcase of 3A state contenders with a dozen top-six finishers. The Knights scored 165 points, just 31/2 points out of second behind winner Sedro-Woolley’s 224.

The Bears flashed tournament potential in Missoula. They had champions at 160 and 140 pounds in Camren Ebat and Lucas Chesher and two other finalists, Jeff Croskrey at 135 and Nick Cambron at 105.

Other CV placers were Nick Severns, fifth at 171 and Jeremy Savage, sixth at 130.

Titan champion was Chase Fish at 125 with Mike Malsam taking second at 119.

Also placing for U-Hi were Pat Belknap at 98 pounds, Andrew Peterson, 171, and Dono Totten, 275, in third, Nick Zumwalt, 160, in fifth and Elliott Nay, 140, in sixth.

EV’s Tyler Jolley won 8-1 over returning state third placer Travis DeLong of Aberdeen at 275 pounds.

“I’ll tell you what, it wasn’t a close 8-1,” said coach Craig Hanson. “He just pounded the kid.”

Jimmy Martin won 6-4 for the 215 pound title.

Finishing second were Clete Hanson, 171, Foster Orton, 160, Caleb Alvarado, 152, and Bryce Fisher, 145.

Orton won by injury default against nationally ranked Brandon Sitch of Kelso, who sprained an ankle. Fisher lost to defending state champ Michael Lomsdalen of Sedro Woolley 2-1.

Third placers were Anthony Rivera, 119, and Sonny Tran, 130. Jordan Biltoft was fourth at 171. Matt Melbrech, 119, Aaron Start, 135 and Josh Sporn, 140 were fifth.

Sixth-place Eric Eagleburger broke his arm and defaulted. He’s lost for the year.

The Knights wrestled Mead Wednesday night for the American Division championship of the Greater Spokane League.

Tonight, National Division champion Titans and Bears wage war in the annual divisional crossover Battle of the Bone, as the league dual match season ends.

Saturday the three Valley schools are involved in the Washington Dream Duals at East Valley. Next week is the league playoffs.