Grip on Sports: Let’s have some appreciation for snow – and Luke Falk
A GRIP ON SPORTS • There is no reason to dawdle. You are busy. We are busy. Let’s get right to your Saturday morning reading. Read on.
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• There is a little nugget in Theo Lawson’s advance of today’s game in Pullman. Stanford, Washington State’s opponent in a crucial North Division game, hasn’t played a football game in snow since 1936. In New York City.
Let that sink in.
The Cardinal play in the Pac-12, a conference with, now, Utah, Colorado and Washington State, three schools that play the last third of their home schedule under the threat of the white stuff.
But Stanford, through the luck of the draw, hasn’t played in it in more than 80 years. Yet. Today might be the day.
There is a chance for some snow in Pullman today. It came down yesterday throughout the Inland Northwest, making the footing a bit treacherous and covering up way too many leaves.
Today is supposed to be a bit warmer and drier, so we’ll see if the white stuff falls on the Cardinal and their Heisman-candidate running back Bryce Love.
It would be something of a record.
• No matter the weather conditions, both teams must win to keep their Pac-12 North hopes alive. The loser can basically forget about playing in the conference title game.
It’s also Senior Day in Pullman, with one of the more productive senior classes in school history being honored. There will be loud cheers for all, sure, but the loudest will probably be reserved for the winningest quarterback in school history, Luke Falk.
And rightfully so. The numbers say one thing about Falk, ie., he is the most productive passer the school, and soon, the conference, has ever had. But there is more to Falk than the numbers, things that say even more about him as a person.
First off, he’s spent five years in Mike Leach’s quarterback room, listening to story after story. Imagine that. Then there are the hits he’s endured on the field. In his four years in the shotgun for WSU, he’s been sacked well over 100 times. And that total doesn’t include the even more times he’s been crushed after letting go of the ball.
He gets beat up from the first snap of the season until the last one. And yet he deals with the aches and pains each day stoically, never complaining, never using them as an excuse. He leads by example.
Today he will lead for the last time at Martin Stadium. He will be cheered. He deserves it.
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WSU: Besides Theo’s attempt to play weatherman, he also has the news Love is expected to play after missing last week’s squeaker at Oregon State with an ankle injury. … Theo also makes his pick for the game, passes along the report about a USC football player and gives us his keys to victory. … Not only will the Cardinal have Love, the nation’s leading rusher, today, they will also have a new starting quarterback. … Elsewhere in Pac-12, the weekend began last night with Utah running all over a Josh Rosen-less UCLA team, 48-17, in Salt Lake City.
Gonzaga: The Zags begin the season, sort of, with an exhibition game with the College of Idaho. There are plenty of important connections between the schools, but one big one. Jim Meehan explains what that is. … The women suffered a blow this week, losing center Emma Wolfrum to another season-ending knee injury. It’s the second time it has happened to the 6-foot-4 Wolfrum in her five years at GU.
EWU: The 11th-ranked Eagles face a crucial Big Sky Conference test today in Cheney. Nineteenth-ranked Weber State comes to town, hoping to stay in the conference championship hunt. Jim Allen has a preview of the game. … The soccer team is in the conference tournament finals again. … The volleyball team picked up a win.
Whitworth: The Pirates travel to Oregon for the second consecutive week, this time to play Lewis & Clark. Whitney Ogden has an advance.
Chiefs: Spokane’s power play failed a bit last night and, as a result, the Chiefs fell to Portland 4-1. Whitney has that story as well.
Preps: It’s playoff time in fall sports, with games throughout the area. Dave Nichols was in Coeur d’Alene to document the Viks’ 66-22 rout Madison in a 5A quarterfinal. … Gonzaga Prep handled visiting Chiawana 28-7. Steve Christilaw has that story and James Snook adds the photos. … GSL 4A champion Central Valley had little trouble with Hanford in a 43-17 win. … We also can pass along more football games in this roundup as well as a soccer roundup.
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• We’ll be back this afternoon with our thoughts on the Washington State game and back here tomorrow morning with our usual column. Until then …