4A regional teams begin play tonight

The first night is always big when 4A Eastern regional basketball begins. Winners have a leg up for state and the top two teams from the District 7 and 5 tournaments get home-court advantage.

Ferris and Shadle Park boys, Lewis and Clark and Shadle girls have the Greater Spokane League hammer when games begin tonight.

But there can be upsets, as the Highlanders are well aware.

The fourth-seeded Shadle girls upset Columbia Basin League district champion Pasco on the road for a berth in an all-GSL regional semifinal round a year ago.

The boys lost at home to ultimate state placer Pasco and had to work their way back when the tournament moved to Kennewick.

“We didn’t get it done last year, but you always want to stay home,” said Shadle boys coach Tim Gaebe. “So, obviously, we’re happy.”

Shadle ultimately lost to Eisenhower in last year’s regional for the third berth to state. Its opponent Tuesday, of all teams, is the Cadets again. It’s déjÀ vu for the girls as well, who open against Pasco.

“I don’t know if that’s ironic, or what,” said Gaebe.

•Unbeaten Ferris, with 51 straight wins, is gearing up for a second straight boys title challenge with a game in its gym after winning district last weekend.

“It’s a big deal,” said coach Don Van Lierop of the title, “because you never know when the next one’s going to come. And it means you’re playing pretty good basketball at the right time.”

Opponent Walla Walla is led by sophomore point guard Gary Winston, a 15.3 per-game scorer who, said Van Lierop, is given freedom to shoot. He’s one of three double-figures scorers, including 6-foot-6 sophomore Michael Weisner (12.2 ppg), whose dad Darcy, the Wa-Hi principal, once coached Shadle.

“Walla Walla was one win away from being league champion,” said Van Lierop.

•Eisenhower graduated its leading scorer but not much else and is led by Taylor Elmo, a junior post averaging 16.2 points per game, and his older brother Jordan, a 13.6 scorer.

“They are a strong, quick, physical team from what I saw the other night,” said Gaebe.

•University and Central Valley boys travel to Wenatchee and Richland, respectively, in games pitting teams with similar styles. The Panthers’ leading scorer, 6-4 Austin Bryan (17.1 ppg), recently underwent an appendectomy and is playing in stretches. Seth Tagge averages 12.7. Third in league but district champion, the Bombers, led by Jake Haworth (11.6 ppg), are not big but physical.

“It looks like top to bottom there was more parity in their league,” said Van Lierop. “I know that No. 6 Davis beat the league champion twice.”

Can girls sweep again?

Last year the GSL won all four first-round regional girls games and claimed all three state berths. It might be a stretch to expect it again.

But LC coach Jim Redmon said last week he stands by this league’s ability to prepare teams for the postseason.

His two-time defending state champion and unbeaten Tigers will be favored against a Richland team led by Lindsay Roberts (13.8 ppg) and Jamie Arthurs (10.9) but with a losing overall record.

Pasco doesn’t have a double-figures scorer, but was second during the regular CBL season and would like to turn the tables with a road victory in a game between teams with identical records.

Moses Lake will pose a task for the visiting Bears. The Chiefs return tall post Carly Noyes, who led the CBL with a 19.1 average, and has upgraded its team with freshman Jordan Loera, who gives them a backcourt presence and 13.8 points per game. Kelly Sutherland also scores in double figures.

But Mead defeated Moses Lake on the road last year and again in Kennewick when it finished fourth in state. This year the young Panthers head to Walla Walla to face the potent scoring tandem of Melissa Eastman (13.4 ppg) and Jennifer Keyes (13.3).

State horde

Ten area teams descend upon Yakima en masse Wednesday to kick off the state basketball season with the Class 1B tournament.

Five girls teams – two fewer than last year – from Districts 7 and 9 are part of 16-team fields.

Among them are returning third-place finisher and this year’s district champion Colton (20-3), seventh-place Curlew (14-10) and eighth-place Garfield-Palouse (20-4). Newcomers to the second-year tournament are District 7 champion Almira/Coulee- Hartline (11-11) and St. John-Endicott (12-12).

ACH opens against Taholah at 9 a.m., followed by Colton vs.Trout Lake-Glenwood. If both win or both lose they’ll meet on the second day.

Curlew plays St. John- Endicott at 7:30 p.m. followed by Gar-Pal against Lummi. They, too, could meet on the second day.

Four of five area teams are new to this year’s boys tournament, although some have rich state tourney histories. Last year Odessa (11-10) was eliminated in two straight games. Others in the field are Rosalia (17-8) for the first time since 1981, District 9 champion Garfield-Palouse (19-4), District 7 champion Cusick (17-5) and Tekoa- Oakesdale (16-9).

Rosalia plays North River at 12:30 p.m., followed by Odessa vs. Sunnyside Christian. Garfield-Palouse plays Klickitat at 4 p.m. and Tekoa-Oakesdale plays Cusick at 7:30.