Boys soccer: Gonzaga Prep, Mead carry top seeds into District 8 playoffs

It has been more than a decade since Mead won the Greater Spokane League boys soccer title.

This season, under first-year head coach Tanner Wilburn, the Panthers are back to their winning ways.

Mead is 9-2-2 overall, its best record in at least a decade, while winning a share of the GSL title with Gonzaga Prep at 25 points. G-Prep finished 9-0 in league, handing Mead (8-1) its lone league loss on April 21 in a shootout.

The Panthers play Mt. Spokane in a District 8 3A first-round game on Thursday at Union Stadium at 7 p.m. in a loser-out matchup.

In the previous matchup between the rivals, Mead edged Mt. Spokane 1-0 on March 24.

Wilburn, a 2014 Mead graduate, was on the Panthers’ last league-title team in 2012, featuring many upperclassmen. The current Panthers roster has many younger players.

Expectations were high for Mead coming into the season, but Wilburn went with a bulletin-board approach with his team.

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“I kind of went a little off the rails and I told them that all the coaches said that they were going to finish fifth place,” Wilburn said. “It’s been 10-plus years since we’ve even been relevant, and if you talk to any older soccer guy in the area, Mead used to be the soccer powerhouse and we’ve gotten away from that. We still had great players come through and great teams, but just can’t put it together and come together for one common goal.

“There was definitely some motivating factors at play there.”

The Panthers are headed to the postseason with one of the best defensive seasons in school history.

Mead allowed no goals in league games from open play and only two goals via penalty kick.

In nonleague play, the Panthers allowed three goals, one on a PK.

“We defend well as a team. We communicate,” Wilburn said. “And we’re fast – we’re not a very physical team. We’re small and fast. So we do well with quick movements. Not really bruising.”

When they play at Union Stadium on Thursday, it will be against the team “up north” – as the Panthers have nicknamed them – not the Wildcats.

“We’re excited to play them,” Wilburn said. “That’s a matchup that we felt we had a bad taste in our mouth after the first game. We didn’t really create many scoring opportunities. And any scoring opportunity we did, we just didn’t capitalize.”

Panthers to watch include Kye Welch, first-team All-GSL defender; Wes Starley, their leading goal scorer; Ryan Taigen, their senior leader up top; and freshman Rocky Wells.

“(Rocky’s) been great for us,” Wilburn said. “He’s played everywhere. … He’s a jack of all trades. He is a great asset to our team.”

The winner will advance to play No. 3 Walla Walla or No. 6 North Central on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Bullpups top dog in 4A

For the first time in school history, Gonzaga Prep won at least a share of the GSL title.

“Going into the season, I knew we had a quality team,” head coach John Petrinovich-Bartich said. “But to pull it out, not to have a hiccup, not to have a down game. It’s just really a testament to the guys.”

On the heels of an undefeated league season and a GSL title, the Bullpups will host No. 7 Hanford (6-10) at 1 p.m. Saturday in a District 8 4A loser-out matchup.

“You kind of have to give your hats off to Mead,” Petrinovich-Bartich said. “Out of a total of 27 points, two teams getting 25 – as I look back past 10 years – that’s never happened before. So that’s kind of an odd thing. But, good for them. They were a really good, tough team. And we ended up taking them into a shootout and beat them in a shootout. So, really close.”

The Bullpups gave up just two goals in nine league games.

“(Goalkeeper) Noah Jordan played out of his mind,” Petrinovich-Bartich said.

Against Ridgeline, Jordan saved four of five PK attempts, which Petrinovich-Bartich said he had never seen at the varsity level.

G-Prep relied on the senior midfield of Andre Layman, Sam Garabedian and Aidan Sanders. The trio played almost every minute of every game this season.

“Those guys are really kind of the motor of the team and really gets everybody going,” Petrinovich-Bartich said.

Hanford has a minus-11 goal differential but a decent defense, according to Petrinovich-Bartich.

“It looks like their defense and their goalkeepers are kind of their strong suit, but they might have some trouble scoring goals,” Petrinovich-Bartich said. “We’re hoping we can capitalize on that in the high school game, it’s kind of first team to two. If you get two goals, you have a pretty good chance.”

All games loser-outs.

4A

No. 6 Richland (7-9) vs. No. 3 Lewis and Clark (11-4), noon Saturday: The Tigers host the Bombers at Spokane Falls Community College. LC has six shutouts this season and defeated Mt. Spokane 3-2 in its final regular-season match.

Richland focuses on limiting scoring chances, which in turn slows down its attack. The Bombers conceded 24 goals while scoring 22.

No. 5 Central Valley (7-7) at No. 4 Chiawana (13-3), 7 p.m. Friday: Chiawana has dropped two of its past four matches, both against playoff teams, but the Riverhawks have outscored opponents 47-14.

Central Valley has lost four of its past five games.

3A

No. 7 Ferris (8-5) at No. 1 Southridge (9-7), 5 p.m. Thursday: Ferris’ season featured losses to the best teams in the league, with wins over just about everyone else.

Southridge, the Mid-Columbia Conference top seed, won its final four regular-season matches, outscoring opponents 7-1 .

No. 6 North Central (5-7) at No. 3 Walla Walla (9-8), 4 p.m. Thursday: It was an up-and-down season for the Wolfpack, who allowed 34 goals and scored 24.

Walla Walla went 1-3 in its final four regular-season games .

No. 5 Hermiston (6-10) at No. 4 Ridgeline (9-4), 5 p.m. Thursday: For the second consecutive season, the Falcons made it to the postseason. Ridgeline dropped its final two games of the season to the co-champs, Mead and G-Prep.

Hermiston allowed 41 goals in its 16 games.

2A

No. 6 Clarkston (0-10) at No. 3 Shadle Park (7-8), 4 p.m. Thursday at Merkel Sports Complex: The Highlanders defeated the Bantams 8-0 on March 28 and 5-1 on April 21.

The winner advances to semifinal at No. 2 West Valley (11-4) on Monday.

No. 5 East Valley (6-10) at No. 4 Rogers (6-8), 4 p.m. Thursday: Rogers defeated the Knights 1-0 on April 13, but EV won the second matchup 3-0 on May 2.

The winner plays at top-seeded Pullman (14-1) Monday.