District meet troublesome for GSL cross country

Central Valley’s girls cross country team won its third straight league championship with a victory over Mead last week. But the triumph only serves to show how complicated things are these days for Greater Spokane League 4A runners.

“It’s almost to the point where it’s harder to qualify for regionals than state,” Lewis and Clark coach Mark Vandine said prior to the start of the season.

Earlier this year Mead defeated his Tigers, who in turn beat Central Valley a week later. Then it became CV’s turn against Mead. When the three compete Wednesday in the district championships at Wandermere Golf Course, only two can qualify for the 4A regional meet on Nov. 1 and have a chance at making state.

“We’ve got to get out of this town, which is tough,” CV coach Dennis McGuire said last week, following the triumph. “It is sad to have to leave a team home.”

The scenario was dictated by the Columbia Basin Big Nine’s insistence that it be assured at least one team to state by virtue of having 11 4A teams to the GSL’s six.

But those rules created unintended consequences for GSL cross country. Distance running is about base building, speed training and tapering. In past seasons when all teams were given a chance to compete at regional, as the GSL’s five 3A schools will do, there was no need for district. It was easier to build for regional and peak at state.

This year, with opportunity reduced dramatically, Wednesday’s meet at Wandermere is an all-or-nothing proposition for GSL 4A teams.

Before the season, Panthers coach Dori Robertson said it goes against the nature of their sport.

“What’s cool about cross country is we can do things, unlike basketball,” she said. “It costs a little more, obviously, but (we can) throw them all together and let the cream rise to the top.”

She theorized that past area girls teams may have not done as well at state because they beat each other up in league, then regional, just to get there.

Adding a district meet has only added pressure now that only two teams advance.

•Unbeaten North Central (10-0 in the GSL) is the favorite to win the district boys race, and fellow 3A team Mt. Spokane (7-3) is in the mix. Mead (9-1) and Lewis and Clark (9-3) are favored to advance to the 4A regional meet, although University is up and coming and the Titans, Ferris and Gonzaga Prep have three of the league’s better individuals. The girls meet is a four-team battle among CV, Mead (both 9-1), LC and Mt. Spokane (both 8-2).

New players, no sweat

Mt. Spokane’s volleyball team returned no starters and only four players from its initial roster of last year. But the Wildcats (5-2) entered this week in third place in the GSL, following their upset victory in five games Thursday over East Valley (5-3), which has been ranked No. 1 among state 3A schools.

“We’re kind of the dark horse right now,” coach John Reid said. “I like that.”

Dark horses no more. In a back-and-forth thriller that went five games, the Wildcats rallied from a two games to one deficit, finally ending the marathon 18-16.

Because there is no set go-to player, Mt. Spokane becomes difficult to plan for, Reid said. And what’s been fortunate about the program, he continued, is that with no powerhouse hitter, the Wildcats rely on a system that rewards team consistency.

Upcoming this Thursday is a home match against another 3A foe, Shadle Park (4-3).

How do they compare?

When Cusick quarterback Spencer Shanholtzer passed for 498 yards and seven touchdowns and Tyler Edwards caught 14 of those footballs for 322 yards, setting school records, they placed themselves among the all-time Class B-8 single-game bests, according to the State B football Web site.

Shanholtzer’s 25 completions ties for sixth for one game behind Pateros’ Scott Worsham (36) and the seven touchdowns tie for second behind Lummi’s Andrew Jefferson (10). The yardage is fourth behind Odessa’s Drake Costlow (558 in 2006).

Edwards’ yards are second behind LaCrosse-Washtucna’s Derek Henley (325) and his catches are fifth highest, behind Tri-Cities Prep’s Rafael Magana, who caught 16 last year in a playoff game against Odessa.

Cusick (7-0) beat Inchelium 78-30 after falling behind for the first time this year and is one win away from winning the Northeast 1B League championship.

“For so long we’ve had a lot of great kids go through this school, but they’ve never meshed like it has this year,” coach Sonny Finley said. “We’re a good team, but we can improve.”

Panthers near title

Two days of matches remain in Greater Spokane League soccer (Wednesday and Friday) and if the current standings hold, Mead and Lewis and Clark would finish first and second for 4A district seeding purposes.

This year’s district format has changed with the No. 5 and No. 4 finishers playing a loser-out match and the winner advancing against the league champion, also in a loser-out, for a regional berth. The GSL runner-up will play the third-place finisher for the second regional spot. Victors then meet for regional seeding. District begins Oct. 29.

The top four league placers from the five GSL 3A teams advance directly to regional.

Mead rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat the Tigers 5-2 last Friday. Both teams are 7-1 in league, two points ahead of Gonzaga Prep (7-2).