Two players quit teams
A pair of Spokane Valley high school boys basketball teams are soldiering on without two of their regulars.
University’s Tyler Olson and West Valley’s Bryan Peterson, each the second-leading scorers on their teams at the time, both have quit their teams.
Olson played at U-Hi as a freshman and sophomore before spending last year in California. Peterson was WV’s leading scorer (16.2 points per game) and All-Great Northern League for last year’s league champions and state qualifiers. Both have signed to play college baseball.
“It came as a surprise,” said WV coach Jamie Nilles. “It’s unfortunate Bryan made the decision with the season already started.”
The Titans (3-3) have since defeated Mead 85-78 and Rogers 54-50 in contrasting games and have moved to within range of fourth place in the Greater Spokane League. Andrew Pirttima scored 32 points in the two wins to improve his season average to 10.0 per game. Mason Johnson leads Titan scorers with an 11.8 average.
Olson was averaging 10.5 points per game when he left.
The Titans were at Mt. Spokane on Friday, then host Central Valley the Friday following Christmas.
West Valley (4-2, 1-0) opened Great Northern League with a 50-46 victory over Medical Lake, sans Peterson who was averaging 13 points per game. His replacement, James Cahalan, scored a dozen points behind season scoring leader Jordan Lupfer-Graham‘s 17. Graham is averaging 15.7 per game.
CV girls denied
Central Valley’s girls started the GSL season 6-0 before dropping Tuesday’s first-place showdown at Lewis and Clark 54-40.
West Valley (5-0) remained perfect following Tuesday’s 57-48 GNL victory over Medical Lake.
The Bears (6-1) have been led all season by senior point guard Justine Bowman who is averaging 16.4 points per game. But the team fell behind 13-0 to open the game at unbeaten LC and trailed by as many as 18 points after closing to within eight.
Bowman had 14 points in that game and Kelsey Matthews added 12.
The Eagles got 18 points from Melissa Mauro and 14 from freshman Hannah Love in the victory over the Cardinals. They are among three double figures scorers. Shaniqua Nilles leads at 13.0 per game, followed by Mauro (12.4) and Love (12.0).
In the GSL, University (4-3) is fifth behind the Tigers, Bears, Mead and Shadle. Riki Schiermeister (10.1 ppg) and Zoe Scott have been offensive constants for the Titans.
Freeman (7-0) is the lone Northeast A League team unbeaten in non-league games. The Scotties have three double figures scorers, led by Carley Heinen. Valley Christian (0-9, 0-7) remains winless.
Wrestlers contend
Wrestlers take a Greater Spokane League break until January with all three Valley schools in the thick of a taut five-team Greater Spokane League title race.
East Valley (4-0), by virtue of an earlier one-point victory over Central Valley, clings to the lead. The Bears (5-1) and University (3-1) are locked-in behind along with Ferris (5-1) and Mead (4-1).
The Panthers lost to CV but beat U-Hi. The Titans escaped the Saxons. The EV-U-Hi bout scheduled for last Wednesday has been moved to Jan. 15. Obviously, it is one of several major bouts still to be wrestled before a champion can be crowned.
It begins Jan. 3 with the Knights at the Panthers and Saxons at the Bears. EV wrestles at Ferris on Jan. 9 and the Titans host the Bears in the Battle of the Bone to complete the season on Jan. 23.
Middle school sports
Mountain View completed its annual appointed round as Spokane Valley Middle School wrestling champion.
The Lancers went undefeated and captured first place in the end-of-season tournament. They had four individual champions, the same as second-place Evergreen, among nine finalists. All told, Mountain View had 15 top-four finishers in 17 weight classes.
The Grizzlies had eight finalists and 13 placers.
•In volleyball, Centennial won eighth-grade with an 8-0 league record and was 9-1 overall. Freeman was perfect in seventh-grade. Evergreen teams finished second to both.