Spirit runs high

The glamour of the orient (or was it giant sumo wrestlers Central Valley High School administrators Mike Hittle and Butch Walter?) won over the judges during annual Stinky Sneaker spirit competition.

Central Valley won its second straight trophy during the contest at the Spokane Arena. The cheers were loud throughout the night and the two schools entertained between boys and girls basketball games.

The sumo suited school principal and activities coordinator were part of the exotically costumed Kung Shoe Fighting Asian routines that won out over U-Hi’s festive “Shoe-esta” Hispanic musical theme.

During their game CV’s girls and coach Judy Walters came out donned in martial arts attire. U-Hi coaches Mark Stinson was a matador and Mark Kuipers the bull.

The Titans girls and Bears boys won easily during the games played in front of nearly 4,200 fans.

U-Hi’s 80-35 victory was a prelude to Tuesday’s second-place Greater Spokane League home showdown between the Titans and Mead (both with 11-2 records). Angie Bjorklund scored 27 points and Dara Zack 24 in leading the win.

“Our passes were crisp and we hit the boards hard, which we didn’t do against Lewis and Clark,” said Zack.

University lost to LC 50-49 on Tuesday, rallying from a 14-point deficit to nearly create a first-place tie with the unbeaten Tigers.

“We dug ourselves a deep hole and almost crawled out of it,” said Stinson. “Eliminate one turnover or one offensive rebound and we have a better shot at winning the game.”

CV’s boys (5-8) moved ahead of a four-team pack vying for two district playoff berths with their 64-46 win over the Titans (4-9). A 38-21 advantage in the middle two quarters put the game away, six players scoring between seven and 17 points. Nick Ambrose scored 17 and William Davis 10.

U-Hi had won in overtime 64-62 against Lewis and Clark on Tuesday.

The Titans scored 40 of 54 regulation points in the first and fourth quarters to send it into overtime after the Tigers scored 38 in the middle two quarters to rally from a 17-point deficit and take a 10-point lead.

U-Hi’s bookend surges were mirrored by the efforts of Mason Johnson who scored 17 points in the first and fourth quarters and was scoreless in the middle two. He had 20 points against CV.

West Valley goes for lead

West Valley’s boys host Pullman today in a game between Great Northern League unbeatens.

The Eagles (6-2 overall, 3-0 in league) have the best overall record among GNL teams and defeated Medical Lake 59-52 most recently.

Casey Sherrill, Bryan Peterson and Parker Flynn combined for 40 points and Glen Akers pulled down 14 rebounds. Peterson leads the team in scoring with a 17.3 average.

WV’s girls (3-5, 2-1) continue to benefit from the move into the GNL. They’ve topped 50 points four times this year and beat the Cardinals 55-48 most recently.

Krystal McCarthy scored 19 points, leading three players in double figures. She had a total of 30 in the team’s last two GNL contests and leads Eagles scorers with an 11.9 average.

Marissa Alexander is averaging 10.4 points per game and three others are hovering at 8.0 per game.

Stage set for wrestlers

Two weeks remain in Greater Spokane League wrestling and the showdown series is set to begin among Central Valley, East Valley and University.

The Bears and Titans improved to 7-0 and Knights to 6-0 with Wednesday victories.

CV beat Shadle Park 45-20 and U-Hi won the night’s feature, 40-21 over Mead. The Titans host EV Wednesday of next week in the first of the three-team round robin that will determine this year’s league title.

The Knights continued their dominance of late, winning 60-11 over Rogers.

“U-Hi will be a proving ground for us,” said Knights coach Craig Hanson. “We have one kid with (state) credentials. Not having individual stars, sometimes there’s no better way to get success other than for kids to work together. It hasn’t been our goal to win everything, but to get better and I think that’s happening.”

The Titans won five of six matches between 125 and 152 pounds, including unbeatens Brian Owen, Elliott Nay and Nick Bickley, and three straight between 215 and 103 near the end of the night to beat visiting Mead.

University has jockeyed at least two, often four and as many as five different wrestlers through its weight classes in compiling a perfect record.

EV won the first eight matches and 12 of 14 overall in beating Rogers. Its strength continues in the weight classes from 160 pounds through 285 where five wrestlers are a combined 26-0.

“Donny (Owen) has a couple good kids in the upper weights, too” said Hanson.

The potential 215-pound match between league unbeatens Jimmy Martin of the Knights and U-Hi’s Billy McGlasson could be pivotal if EV is to unseat the defending champions.

The following week, Jan. 24 and 25, CV faces EV and U-Hi in succession.

The Bears won four straight from 171 through 285 after falling behind Shadle 6-0. They followed with another four-win string from 112-through-130.

Sam Neumann and Tanner Teeples remained unbeaten and Justin Walker cracked the lineup for the first time after going 5-2 in the GSL last year. Jeff Croskrey, at 140, also remained perfect in league.

Bears sweep gymnastics

Central Valley scored 155.6 points to sweep a four-way meet with Ferris, North Central and Rogers.

Maria Alderman finished first all-around with a 33.65 score winning uneven bars and floor exercise and finishing third on balance beam and bars.

Jenny Dimmler won balance beam and was third on vault, while Courtney Sexton finished third all-around with second places on bars and floor.

Season ends next week when the Bears host University for positioning. The Titans competed Friday against Shadle Park, Lakeside and Lewis and Clark.