Quick hits

Here comes Highlander

The annual Highlander Invitational Cross Country meet, Saturday’s September tradition at Shadle Park, will pit two of the nation’s top three ranked teams, Ferris and Mead, head-to-head for the first time this season.

The Panthers are ranked No. 1 nationally by one publication and the Saxons – three-time defending state champion – are third.

They finished 1-2 at state last year and between them return 10 runners, which should make for an interesting senior race to complete a day that begins at 9:30 a.m.

In last year’s junior race, eight of the top 10 finishers were either from Ferris or Mead, including Ferris winner Steven Olsen.

There are seven races: freshman boys, freshman girls, sophomore boys, junior varsity girls, junior boys, varsity girls and senior boys. Some 30 schools are entered.

“As far as a Zoe Nelson (from Montana) or Megan O’Reilly (ex-Mt. Spokane) we don’t have the (individual big) names that we’ve had,” said co-director and Shadle girls coach Bob Isitt. “But we have Columbia Basin and Greater Spokane League schools and we have a lot of 2A schools coming.”

Last year, Colville’s Justin Rose won the sophomore race over Shadle’s Dan Renz. The top two in the freshman boys race were Jordan Curnutt of Mead and Anthony Brown of University.

Mead and Mt. Spokane’s girls finished 1-2 in the varsity girls race. The state runner-up Wildcats return all but O’Reilly, including top-20 state team finishers Courtney Zalud and Jessica Klier.

South Hill biggie

Friday Night Lights may be shining on the Ferris and Lewis and Clark football teams (see below), but there’s another sporting event between the Saxons and Tigers for South Hill bragging rights.

Ferris, with nearly its entire team back and which won last weekend’s Puget Sound/Adidas Invitational tournament, hosts LC tonight in volleyball.

It’s the culmination of a rugged introduction to the Greater Spokane League for the Saxons, who opened the season with a loss to defending champion Mead on Tuesday.

Expanded softball begins

Slowpitch softball in the GSL enters its fifth season today with an expanded schedule.

Central Valley, East Valley and University have joined the league for a 14-game double round-robin schedule which will culminate with a three-game playoff tournament featuring six of seven teams.

The first four league games are scheduled today through Tuesday, with the remainder of them to be played Monday, Tuesday and Thursday through Oct. 12.

Football GSL Game of the Week

Ferris vs. LC (both 2-0): In the battle for South Hill supremacy and first place in league, the upstart Ferris Saxons try to make it three in a row for new coach Jim Sharkey. Big-play guys have carried the Saxons on offense, and linebacker Erick Cheadle, end Pat Parham, plus two-way performer McKenzie Murphy have been defensive stalwarts. LC has survived two major battles early in the season, beating Central Valley and Mead for an early advantage. Tyler Nanny and Alex Shaw, linebackers and fullbacks, have been among those instrumental in the hot start. Both teams are extremely young, with a dozen or more underclassmen each, including a total of seven sophomores on the field.

Other GSL games: Tonight, 3A foes North Central (0-2) and East Valley (1-1), 6:15 at Joe Albi Stadium. Friday, Central Valley (1-1) is at Gonzaga Prep (2-0, 1-0), Mt. Spokane (1-1) at University (1-1, 1-0), and Mead (1-1) plays Coeur d’Alene (2-1) at CV, all 7 p.m.; Rogers (0-2) meets Shadle Park (0-2), 5:45 at Albi.

Area games of the week

Colfax (2-0) at Lakeside-Nine Mile Falls (1-1): After a couple of down years, Northeast A League power Colfax returned to the playoffs and has been impressive to date. Are they all the way back? Friday’s game will tell a lot against a team that has played .500 in league since its move down from the Great Northern League.

St. John-Endicott (2-0) at Colton/Pullman Christian (1-0): A state playoff team last year, SJE has won twice and Colton won 58-12 in its opener against Liberty Christian.