G-Prep’s Sonneborn to walk on at WSU

Jerred Sonneborn wants to spend the next four years of his life looking through his legs.

Sonneborn, a Gonzaga Prep center, turned down scholarship offers from Colorado and Weber State to accept a preferred walk-on opportunity at Washington State.

A second team all-Greater Spokane League selection last fall, Sonneborn’s future isn’t as an every-down center but as a long snapper. He’s attended camps put on by nationally reknown clinician Chris Rubio the last four years.

“I am a strong competitor,” Sonneborn said. “I want to earn my scholarship, earn my job. It’s tough to turn down a lifetime dream.”

The 6-foot-2 Sonneborn weighed 305 pounds nearly a year ago but has tapered down to 250.

Rubio, who lives in Lewiston, said about 75 of 750 athletes he instructs annually go on to earn scholarships.

“He’s big, strong, smooth, very coachable,” Rubio said of Sonneborn. “He’s got all the attributes you’re looking for. Now he can solely focus on long snapping. It’ll help him advance very quickly.”

He took a visit to WSU last weekend, visiting with coach Mike Leach and special teams coach Eric Russell.

G-Prep coach Dave McKenna sees a good future for Sonneborn.

“It’s been a dream of his,” McKenna said. “I’m proud of him because he’s worked so hard to get to this point. He’s going to work hard and give them his best effort every day.”

Special honor

Jade Redmon and Aaliayah Johnson haven’t played basketball together since seventh grade.

They’ll get one last chance to be together on the court – albeit briefly – tonight when Mead plays host to Gonzaga Prep in a game that will decide the Greater Spokane League championship. Tipoff is at 7.

It’s Senior Night at Mead and Panthers coach Quantae Anderson plans to start Johnson, who has served as the team’s manager for four years.

Anderson said Johnson came down with a career-ending illness in seventh grade.

“She’s been so selfless for four years,” Anderson said. “As a kid, it’s tough to lose something you love at such a young age. I talked with (G-Prep coach Mike) Arte about this at the beginning of the year. Who knew everything would come down to this game? Crazy. But we’re still going to start Aaliayah.”

Anderson said everything has been done to make sure Johnson is eligible. She’s participated in the minimum required practices, had a physical and turned in the paperwork.

“We’re good to go,” Anderson said.

Final night

The 18th and final games in Greater Spokane League boys and girls basketball tonight will settle the balance of postseason seeding.

The only things that were decided Tuesday was the Central Valley boys (18-1, 16-1) capturing a second straight league title and Gonzaga Prep (15-4, 14-3) locking up the second seed. The teams will meet Saturday at CV to decide the district championship.

Ferris (14-5, 12-5) is No. 3 and will entertain No. 4 Mead (10-9, 8-9) in a loser-out game Saturday.

In 3A, the seeds are set for the subregional with the Mid-Columbia Conference. The 3A teams will not stage a district tourney. University (13-6, 12-5) locked up the top seed last week while Shadle Park (10-9, 9-8) is second, Mt. Spokane (7-12, 6-11) is third and Rogers (3-16, 2-15) is fourth.

In the girls, multiple ties can occur in 4A and 3A – so much so that space here doesn’t allow specific explanation.

No. 3-ranked G-Prep (18-1, 16-1) visits No. 1 Mead (18-1, 16-1) to decide the league title tonight. The winner will turn around and host the loser in the district final on Saturday.

There’s a three-way tie for the third and fourth seeds among Central Valley (10-9, 8-9), Ferris (10-9, 8-9) and Lewis and Clark (8-11, 8-9). LC is at Ferris and CV visits Mt. Spokane tonight.

In 3A, Shadle Park (11-8, 10-7) leads Mt. Spokane (11-8, 9-8) and University (10-9, 9-8) in chase for the top seed. North Central (1-18, 1-16) is No. 4. Shadle visits U-Hi tonight.

All the boys games are at 5:30 with the girls following at 7.