Bears, Knights start off season hot

East Valley and Central Valley’s boys soccer teams took up where they left off, atop the Greater Spokane League, but with tough foes awaiting this week.

The Bears played Cheney and the Knights faced Mead in matches Wednesday among the league’s remaining unbeatens.

All were 2-0 before their showdowns. The Knights, who earlier edged Mead 2-1 in a nonleague contest, beat University 3-1 and Gonzaga Prep 6-1 in GSL counters.

East Valley’s Cole Abramson has six goals already this year, including four against the Bullpups. Ben Funkhouser scored all three in the win over U-Hi, and Matt Eatock had two against Prep.

CV has had 8-0 and 4-0 league wins. Its only loss in four contests is a nonleague 1-0 overtime setback against defending state runner-up Pasco, which was encouraging for coach Brandon Deyarmin.

“We had five guys out (for varying reasons) who normally would start,” he said. “I thought we played extremely well.”

Nine different Bears have scored, five with two goals, in their three victories to date.

Both Valley teams are similar – strong up front, replacing graduates on defense. But so far they have shown no letdown in a league that has produced some inordinately high scores.

Still, there are teams to fear, including Ferris, University and North Central, before their end-of-season showdown at East Valley.

“Every game is going to be difficult,” Knights coach Jeff Rose said. “I don’t know if we can do what we did last year when the breaks and bounces went our way. But I expect we’ll be there when all is said and done.”

Early track wins for EV

East Valley’s boys and girls track team tested the waters at last weekend’s Banana Belt Invitational in Clarkston and both came home victorious.

The boys scored 138 points and the girls 125 for relatively easy wins.

Among the top male performers were Anthony Laborin who won the 400 in 52.35 and distance star Nick Atwood who timed 4:27.73 in the 1,600 at 9:41.61 at 3,200, finishing second twice.

A pair of EV throwers, Austin Wardsworth at 51-0 1/2 in the shot put and Tyler Jolley at 150-6 in the discus, had good early season marks.

Much of EV’s girls success came in the field events. Lyndzie Johnson won the shot put in 36-8 1/2 and discus at 114-1.

Megan Como led a 1-2 javelin finish in 117-8, and the Knights had a total of three placers. Eleaya Schuerch won both long jump, where EV went 1-2, and triple jump in 16-8 3/4 and 34-10.

Quick start for Titans

The system is in good working order as perennial GSL softball title contender University took up where it left off.

U-Hi utilized offense to win its first two league games, including a rain-delayed makeup at Mead and key early-season shutout victory at Mt. Spokane.

The Wildcats were considered a team to reckon with this year, but the Titans won 8-0, Mandy Mikelson pitching a one hitter, going 3-for-4 and driving in three runs.

She also had three hits a day earlier and struck out nine during a season-opening, 8-6 over Mead.

The Titans banged out 20 hits in the two wins, including four each by Tonya Schnibbe and Riki Schiermeister.

Against Mead, U-Hi led 6-1 into the bottom of the sixth inning, but needed two seventh inning runs, including Schnibbe’s double to pull out the win.

The other three Spokane Valley GSL schools have won a game apiece.

Central Valley (1-2), outscored Gonzaga Prep 11-6, scoring six times in the fifth inning. In two earlier games the Bears managed just four total hits in 7-0 and 4-2 losses to league favorite Shadle Park and Mt. Spokane. Mickenzie Alden doubled and tripled to drive in four runs against the Bullpups.

East Valley (1-1) outscored Cheney 7-4 getting two his each from Alison Bucher and Marissa Ragan. The Knights lost 11-1 to Mead.

West Valley (1-1) beat Lewis and Clark 10-4, scoring three times in the fourth inning and five more in the fifth. Earlier the Eagles lost 12-4 to Rogers which scored seven sixth-inning runs to break open a close game.

Eagle Haley Bauman had five hits in the two games, two of them doubles.

Frostbite Saturday

Valley Christian School will host the small school Frostbite Invite track meet Saturday on the school track at the former University High.

Fourteen Class B schools, including the Panthers and 1A Freeman will compete in the newly named event.

Besides the meet, which begins at 11 a.m., there will be a “Fun-Mile Run” at 10:20 in which the winner will be the one who most closely predicts his or her time. No time keeping devices will be allowed for the runners.

Also, an open elementary-age track meet will follow the high school event for interested participants.

Painted Hills in April

Golf play will begin April 3 for Painted Hills Ladies Club with starts in the morning and at 3 p.m.

New owner and golf pro Tim McElhinny will offer four free clinics to members during the season.

For information, call 922-8392 or Painted Hills Golf Course at 928-4653.

MeadowWood women begin

Opening day for MeadowWood Women’s Golf Club is Wednesday. Continental breakfast at 7:30 a.m. will be followed by golf.