Tonani recovering at good time for Ferris

Ferris linebacker and running back Nate Tonani had missed five football games, including the first Central Valley encounter, with an ankle and foot ligament injury before returning to intermittent action last week.

Saturday against Jackson in his second game back and full-time on defense, Tonani was in and around the action all day.

Friday night, the Saxons are at CV for the second time, with the winner advancing to the State 4A semifinals. Both teams are 10-1 and shared the Greater Spokane League championship. In their first meeting, the Saxons won a 27-23 thriller.

“Nick makes us a lot better just getting him back on defense, so that’s a big help,” Saxons coach Jim Sharkey said.

Tonani played middle linebacker on the Washington team sponsored by the Seattle Seahawks that won the NFL national seven-on-seven championship. He figured to be a major factor at running back for Ferris this year as well until being injured.

The malady was a high ankle sprain that was slow to respond and added fear, he said, that the foot ligament was torn.

“I decided to play on it,” Tonani said. “Obviously, it was not (torn). The last two weeks it’s improved a lot.”

He played the bulk of the game against Jackson and, for the first time in five weeks or so, he said, he felt good.

“It was fun,” Tonani said. “No offense though – maybe I’ll be back (this) week. I’ve definitely gotten a lot of speed back, but I’m not 100 percent by any means.”

Sharkey had said earlier Tonani at 85 percent is as good as most.

GSL secretary Randy Ryan, following inspection of CV’s playing facility, said via e-mail that the field is playable and approved as site for the game.

“They are bringing in portable seating, will designate areas for overflow crowd to view the game and will have added ticket pre-sale and sales people the night of the game,” Ryan said.

The Bears are hosts by virtue of their win over Southridge, which gave them the No. 1 seed in the state quarter bracket.

Move pays dividends

The move by Colfax from Class 1A to 2B has been successful this year.

Sue Doering’s Bulldogs made a smooth transition by winning another volleyball state title. The unbeaten football team is the deepest into the state playoffs it has been in half a dozen years.

“Would I have thought at the beginning of the season if this team would go 33-3?” Doering said. “I would have said probably not.”

“We asked her, will you rub some of that (success) off on us, please?” football coach Mike Morgan said. “She’s the anointed one. It’s amazing the things she does.”

Erin Scholz and Kayla Johnson were the only truly experienced volleyball returnees, Doering said. Last year’s seniors, which included her daughter, had grown up in their house and known nothing but state titles.

“That was probably one of my high points,” Doering said. “This year there was nothing to lose.”

What set this group apart, she said, was its ability to rise to the challenge after being in the shadows of last year’s group.

“These kids had been playing behind them for quite a long time,” she said. “Sometimes that’s a hard step to make.”

The Bulldogs struggled at this year’s Crossover Classic. It required a little tinkering, which included putting Taylor and Scholz opposite each other so they each played middle and outside with the other in the back row.

“We had to be more diversified to we could have a good attack every rotation,” Doering said.

Libero Carli Herman, setters Rachel Johnson and Mackenzie Link and middle Abby Erickson also played key roles.

Colfax’s passing success rate out of serve/receive at state was an exceptional 75 percent, she said. Scholz made only five errors on 69 hits with 28 kills and Johnson one error on 33 hits and 17 kills.

Morgan assisted the Bulldogs’ second-place football finish in 1997 and had a run of three straight state appearances, including a championship in 2001.

“I thought we were on the plateau and staying there,” he said. “ ‘I don’t think so, Mike.’ It’s been a tough six years.”

They are 10-0, and as young Colfax has matured in its offense, the team has gotten stronger.

Now they need some of volleyball’s magic to rub off on them.

Elite eight

Joining the Saxons and Bears in the state quarterfinals, local teams from all other football state classifications have local representation in the round of eight. East Valley represents 3A, Pullman 2A, Freeman 1A, Colfax 2B and in 1B the teams are Cusick, Odessa and LaCrosse-Washtucna-Kahlotus.