State-bound Ferris has yet to peak, says coach
Greater Spokane League boys basketball, as young as it is, figured to be pretty tough.
The Columbia Basin League was considered perhaps weaker because of its inconsistency.
But in the final analysis, Ferris proved head and shoulders over them all and is Spokane’s lone boys representative to the State 4A tournament.
Shadle Park or Mead could just as easily have qualified, but the Panthers may have fatigued themselves in the high-energy semifinal loss to Ferris and fell the next day to Shadle.
The Highlanders appeared to let Eisenhower dictate a patient tempo a little too much and at times fell asleep on defense.
Now the question is, how did the GSL really rate in terms of strength compared with the rest of the state?
“I thought last weekend was good. We got what we wanted,” Ferris coach Don Van Lierop said. “But I don’t think we’ve peaked yet.”
Baffling draw
Never let it be said that the WIAA had a flair for the dramatic. The potential dream finals matchup between the state’s top-two ranked teams Franklin and Ferris is not to be.
If things go as drawn, the two would meet in the semifinals on their side of the State 4A bracket draw instead for the championship.
State girls strong
The State 4A girls tournament is loaded with one of its more talented overall groups.
As Jim Redmon of Lewis and Clark put it, “(The 4A tournament) is so loaded, some good teams are going to get knocked out. There was a ton of young talent at the tournament last year and a lot of those have returned. But you have to go through good teams to get to the semis or championships anyway.”
There are seven teams with three or fewer losses and just as many with 20 or more wins – three of those from the GSL.
If LC, University and Mead have an advantage it is that traditionally the overall competition has better prepared it for state.
“I think regionals proved that our league has been a benefit to us,” said Redmon. “I feel we had an extremely tough league this year and think that should help us.”
Eye-opening quarter
Check out this eye-popping statistic: the 32 points scored by Mt. Spokane in the fourth quarter of its game against North Central in the District 8 3A championship game.
The Wildcats posted those gaudy numbers yet lost!
The visiting Indians scored 21, enough to preserve a big three-quarter league and 64-59 victory, which put last year’s state fifth-place 3A finisher into the regional as a No. 1 seed and home game (tonight) in its bid for a state return.
The irony is that District 8 secretary Randy Ryan on Saturday morning said that next season only two 3A Greater Spokane League teams will make districts for a seeding contest.
Had that playoff format been in place currently, third-seeded NC wouldn’t even have qualified for district. The Indians are peaking. They knocked off East Valley and Mt. Spokane in their opponents’ gyms to take another state run.
Eerily prophetic
Observations made by University coach Mark Stinson when we were chatting prior to the Greater Spokane League’s sweep of the first round of regional playoffs, proved spot-on.
Stinson proved prophetic when he said, “(Mead coach) Regan (Drew) wins by 15. Looking at what we saw, she’ll do just fine.”
Mead defeated Moses Lake by 15 points and ultimately beat the Chiefs again to qualify for state.