Darnell, Henderson power LC

Greater Spokane League boys soccer can be divided into three eras: the long reign of Mead, the rise of Ferris, and the emergence of Lewis and Clark.

Skye Henderson and Brandon Darnell have witnessed LC’s turnaround from front-row seats.

The Tiger seniors are four-year varsity members and major contributors to this year’s 18-1 team.

“Both of them have shown steady improvement every year, saying they’ll be better individually and make the team better,” said LC coach Kenny Krestian.

Before Henderson and Darnell were born, Mead began ruling the GSL with an iron-clad fist. The Panthers shared the first two GSL titles with University, and won the next 11 outright.

Henderson and Darnell were students at Roosevelt Elementary when Ferris became the league’s team to beat. The Saxons won or shared four titles from 1997-2001.

The duo entered LC in the fall of 2000, the same time that Ferris graduate Krestian took over as Tigers girls and boys soccer coach. Since Krestian arrived on the scene, LC has developed into a nationally ranked power.

Few could have predicted this when LC was a GSL also-ran during Mead’s extended dominance. From 1985-94, LC recorded three winning seasons and was 59-70-31 overall.

In the last three seasons, the Tigers have won 51 of 56 matches. They played for the 2002 State 4A championship; lost in last year’s state quarterfinals to ultimate champion Richland; and enter today’s semifinal at Camas against Juanita as a favorite to qualify for Saturday’s final.

Henderson, a co-captain, said the genesis of LC’s phoenix-like story can be traced back to the 2001 playoff team.

“After that, we got our confidence and started playing more,” he said. “We got together under the freeway during the winter and got used to each other.”

The state runner-up team of two years ago included eight current players, with Henderson, Darnell and co-captain C.J. Moe logging their share of playing time. Those three, plus Trevor Cross, Tim Olson and Erik Kvamme, have played soccer together since grade-school years.

But Darnell watched the championship match from the bench.

“That’s why I’ve been waiting for this all year,” Darnell said. “Since I haven’t played that much the other three years, I’m just hoping to make a difference (at Camas).”

Henderson, whose first name derives from the Isle of Skye near Scotland, recalls the aftermath of the 2002 semifinal win in Everett. The team had breakfast together on Saturday and pored over newspaper accounts of the semis.

The Tigers came up one win shy of last year’s semifinals, losing at Richland 1-0 to wash away an undefeated record. This year’s squad also had an unblemished record until a 1-0 loss to Ferris in the district final.

“Last year we had the bull’s-eye on our back and lost at the wrong time,” Krestian said. “This year we had the bull’s-eye on our back and lost at the right time. It gave us a chance to say, look, we can lose, so let’s get going and take care of this.”

LC’s state contests have been back-to-back, 2-1 overtime wins over Wenatchee and Pasco. Darnell scored the game-winning goal against Wenatchee and set up the winning play against Pasco with a corner kick.

Henderson scored the winning goals in league-OT wins over Gonzaga Prep and Mt. Spokane. The Tigers are 5-0 in OT this season.

Henderson and Darnell will continue as teammates at Whitworth. They promise to return as fans next season, when LC needs three season-opening wins to break Mead’s record of 39 consecutive GSL wins.

“I’ve talked to some of the younger guys and they said we (seniors) made it good for them, trying to help them along and help them get better,” Darnell said.

Said Krestian: “Skye and Brandon are two guys who really exemplify what LC’s all about, what this program’s all about.”

State 3A

Cheney’s first state semifinal appearance may not have happened without a few quality losses along the way.

The Blackhawks (17-5) lost to University, Central Valley, Ferris and LC, all of which qualified for the District 8 4A tournament. Cheney defeated the other 4A district competitors, Mt. Spokane and East Valley.

“There’s no question, the better the competition, the greater the chance you have to improve,” said veteran Blackhawks coach Steve Davis. “Our league challenges us and forces us to play stronger.”

Cheney could have its hands full with semifinal opponent Mount Rainier (15-4-1). The Rams, of Des Moines, have won 13 consecutive matches while allowing just four goals. The streak began when Dustin Epler became the team’s goalkeeper because previous keepers were lost to injury and ineligibility.

Mount Rainier opened state play by ending the 38-match unbeaten streak of Newport (Bellevue).

Senior Steve Pirotte and sophomore Ruben Orosco have scored 16 goals apiece for the Rams.

“They’re strong,” Davis said. “They’re good outside and up front.”

Cheney’s leading scorers are senior Chad Thornton, with 18 goals; senior Patrick Folsom, nine; sophomore Jesse Retan and freshman Adam Brock, six apiece; and junior Jeff Davis and sophomore Devin Merrill, five apiece.

“We set our goals at the beginning of the year,” Davis said. “One was to be at our best for the last game of the season.”