Prep notebook: Potential Greater Spokane League football ties exist; State slowpitch matchups

In Sunday’s paper, we wrote in absolutes about some of the seedings for the Greater Spokane League football postseason, but we didn’t have all the information we needed to do so.

According to GSL director Ken VanSickle, at the start of the season the league decided that a team would not be “punished” due to missing a game due to COVID. He also said the league decided that losses would determine a team’s record for playoff purposes, not winning percentage.

With those details taken into consideration, this Friday’s Week 9 games could still impact which teams qualify for the postseason from the GSL.

4A

The 4A seeds are set. Gonzaga Prep is the GSL No. 1 seed followed by Central Valley and Lewis and Clark.

LC will play the MCC fourth-place team (Pasco or Hanford) on Nov. 2 at 6:30 p.m. at Union Stadium, with the winner facing MCC champion Kamiakin on Nov. 6. G-Prep hosts MCC No. 3 Chiawana and CV takes on Richland at a neutral site in the battle of No. 2 seeds.

3A

Mt. Spokane (6-1) is the GSL No. 1 seed. University’s season is complete at 4-4 and as of now, the Titans hold the second seed.

Mead is 2-4 in league and if the Panthers beat LC on Friday, the league will consider them tied with the Titans with the same number of losses, necessitating a tiebreaker between the teams to be played Nov. 2 at 5 p.m. at Union Stadium if necessary in a “mini-game” of two 10-minute halves.

2A

Here’s where things can get messy. Shadle Park (5-0 in league) is in regardless if they beat Clarkston (4-1) on Friday or not. If Clarkston wins, the Bantams are in.

If Clarkston loses, it will be tied at two losses with East Valley (3-2, finished in league) and West Valley (1-2) – if the Eagles beat winless Rogers. If it’s a three-way tie, the valley schools will play a mini-game on Nov. 5, with the winner facing Clarkston. Location and time for 2A tiebreakers are TBD due to turf stadium availability next week.

State slowpitch matchups

Three teams from the GSL qualified for the two state slowpitch softball tournaments, starting Friday in Yakima.

In 4A, the GSL’s top seed Central Valley lost to Chiawana in the District 8 championship on Thursday, but turned around and beat Lewis and Clark 15-5 in the district second-place game to earn a berth to state. The seventh-seeded Bears face No. 2 seed Bothell on Friday at noon in a first-round game.

In 3A/2A, Mt. Spokane beat Hermiston 13-3 in the district title game on Saturday, and University beat Walla Walla 26-0 to claim third place. The top-seeded Wildcats face eighth-seeded Cleveland, while fourth-seeded U-Hi plays No. 5 R.A. Long, both games Friday at 10 a.m.

Semifinals and loser-outs will be played later in the day, with the championship/third place games on Saturday.