Mead’s Reser sets record for TD passes

Overlooked in Mead ‘s victory over Mt. Spokane was Panthers quarterback Glen Reser‘s single-season record for passing touchdowns.

Reser threw two TD passes in the game giving him 21 for the season. That topped the previous record of 20 by University’s Brian Sherick, set back in 1992.

Tonight at 6, the Panthers play a Kansas tiebreaker against Central Valley for the right to play at Columbia Basin League champion Wenatchee Saturday in the 4A state qualifying playoffs.

Ferris QB Jeff Minnerly, incidentally, threw for 18 TDs which ties him for sixth all-time among GSL single-season quarterback efforts, one behind such luminaries as Bill Etter of LC back in 1967 and Mark Rypien, Shadle in 1979.

On the receiving end of Minnerly was Jared Karstetter who wound up with 104 catches, second most all-time. His 1,464 yards over three seasons is fourth for a GSL career, in between a couple other Saxons, Jonathon Parker, 1,710 between 1995-97 and Jamie Buenzli, 1,362 in 84-85.

Saturday, 1 p.m., unbeaten Ferris hosts Moses Lake for the second straight year in a state qualifier. The Saxons lost last season 14-13, when a two-point conversion on the final touchdown failed.

Lewis and Clark will be at Richland at 4 p.m. in a game between league second-place teams.

Lost amid the weird

Last week’s CV-University football game had its share of unusual circumstances. Not only were there the nine interceptions among 11 turnovers (six interceptions by the Bears), but twice Titan return man Elliot Lindley had kickoff runs approaching 70 yards and U-Hi couldn’t score.

The first was down to CV’s 23-yard line where the defense pushed the Titans backwards twice then picked off a pass. The second reached the 11 where the series died with a fourth-down incompletion from the five.

Speaking of records

West Valley’s 33-0 home victory over Deer Park last weekend assured the Eagles a football postseason game for the first time since 1987.

The Eagles share third place with Colville, behind Pullman, and finish the season at second-place Clarkston. They are assured one of four Great Northern League playoff spots, the top two qualifying for state, third and fourth place finishers in state preliminary games against counterparts from the CWAC league.

For a 13-year period the Eagles were a state playoff staple, reaching the finals three times and winning a state title. Since reaching the second round in ‘87, they’d been in an extended drought.

Not as long as North Central, which is in the playoffs for the first time since 1977, but the fact the team gets an 11th contest is a milestone for coach Craig Whitney.

“The postseason will be huge for our program,” he said a few weeks ago. “The kids have done nice job working hard every day.”

Eagles quarterback Bryan Peterson got his start in the GSL where he once threw for 354 yards in a game, and has passed for 3,564 yards and 37 touchdowns the last two seasons in the GNL. He has 4,901 yards and 45 touchdown passes in his career so far, 21 TDs this season.

First for Mt. Spokane

Mt. Spokane last weekend qualified the Wildcats for their first girls state soccer tournament.

They defeated Southridge 3-0 in a match between teams who had never reached the state playoffs before. Both previously were 4A schools playing their second season in the 3A classification.

The Wildcats host state perennial West Valley (Yakima) on Wednesday for seeding into the tournament’s first round.

•In 4A, Gonzaga Prep and Shadle Park play tonight to determine the Greater Spokane League’s representative in a match against the Columbia Basin League Saturday for the second berth at state. District champion Mead has already qualified for state and plays Saturday against the CBL champion for seeding.

•District 2A competition also begins today with loser-out matches pitting Riverside versus Deer Park and Pullman against Clarkston.