High school fall sports set to begin this week
The kids have gone back to school, and that means another year of high school sports is upon us.
And it starts Friday night with the first week of the football season. Volleyball opens with jamborees Friday and Saturday and girls soccer opens up next week.
Football
The football openers will be dominated by a series of border clashes.
East Valley heads north to play at Deer Park in the area’s only in-state opener. Last year at East Valley, Conner Ramm threw a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes to help the Knights pull out a 27-20 victory.
West Valley opens at home against Lakeland. The Hawks were humbled at home in their opener last week, falling to Lewiston 49-7.
The Eagles return two-way All-Great-Northern-League pick Tevin Duke, a first-team pick at wide receiver and defensive back. Senior Johnny Sage was a first-team All-GNL linebacker a year ago.
Coeur d’Alene was stung by Skyline in its opener last week, getting shut out 22-0 in the University of Idaho’s Kibbie Dome. It was the first time a Coeur d’Alene team has been blanked since September 17, 2004, when the Vikings lost to Sandpoint at home, 17-0.
This week the Vikings cross the border to face Central Valley.
Central Valley will be led by All-Greater Spokane League quarterback Tanner Sloan, son of the Bears offensive coordinator, Rick Sloan.
University heads across the border to face Sandpoint in the Titans’ opener.
The Bulldogs trailed Post Falls, 19-7, going into the fourth quarter of last week’s opener at the Kibbie Dome, but rallied behind a pair of Davon Norris-to-Wyatt Cox touchdown passes to take a 20-19 victory.
University has some large holes to fill. All-GSL lineman Tate Orndorff graduated, as did last year’s GSL Most Valuable Player, Bryce Williamson.
Freeman opens the season with a pair of interesting home games. This week the Scotties play host to Timberlake, which held off Frenchtown (Montana) 20-14 in last week’s season opener. Next week Pullman travels north to continue an interesting rivalry that the Class 1A Scotties have dominated in recent years.
Freeman graduated quarterback Preston Hoppman and standout running back Marus Goldbach, but all-Northeast A League lineman Sebastian Hyta returns to anchor both sides of the football.
Volleyball
East Valley, which won its first state volleyball trophy a year ago, opens the season at the Scottie Jamboree at Freeman High on Friday.
The Knights return a pair of All-GNL first team selections from a year ago in libero Brooklynn Juris and league MVP Jordan Phelan while the host Scotties return All-NEA picks Alisha Straw and Hayley Damon.
West Valley opens the season about as far from home as it can get, traveling across the state to play in the Puyallup Invitational.
Central Valley earned its first state trophy for volleyball a year ago with an eighth-place state finish, but the Lady Bears graduated three starters from that squad in Sasha Montgomery, Jade Rockwood and GSL MVP Kazlyn Rollier, and coach Amanda Bailey resigned after the season.
First-year coach Laurie Quigley, daughter of former Lewis and Clark football coach Tom Yearout and West Valley volleyball coach Julie Yearout, takes over a team that will be lead by returning All-GSL pick Keann White.
The Bears make their debut Saturday at a jamboree at Ferris and open league play at home Tuesday against Rogers.
University, which lost to the rival Bears in the GSL title game a year ago, saw its season end one game shy of a state trophy a year ago. Three senior leaders from that squad graduated, outside hitter Sydney Schlect, setter/hitter Alex Douglas and middle blocker Brooklynn Tacke.
Girls’ soccer
East Valley kicks off the girls’ soccer season at Joe Albi Stadium Saturday against Shadle Park. The Knights home opener is Tuesday when they play host to North Central.
West Valley opens Tuesday at home against Mt. Spokane.
Both teams open Great Northern League play next Thursday. EV is at home to face Cheney while WV opens league play at Pullman.
Two-time defending state Class 4A champion Central Valley opens its season Saturday in Kennewick with a match at Southridge.
University gets underway with back-to-back matches Tuesday at home against Lake City and Wednesday at Mead.
Freeman, which lost to rival Lakeside in the District 7 1A championship game last year, opens the season a week from Saturday when the Scotties play host to North Central.