Wrestlers, gymnasts face weekend tournaments
Basketball teams still have four regular season games to play. Wrestlers and gymnasts, however, begin the post-season journeys that lead to state.
The three-step process starts with this weekend’s district or sub-regional tournaments.
Defending 4A state wrestling champion University and Central Valley are competing for top-four finishes in 14 weight classes during Friday and Saturday’s district meet at Mead.
The Titans won’t be as dominant as a year ago, and lost Chase Fish and Codee Allen to injury. But they should still advance eight or more to the regional tournament and likely have five state medal prospects. Included are defending champion Brian Owen (112 pounds), Mike Malsam (119), Trevor Robb (152), Nick Zumwalt (171) and Dono Totten (275).
Central Valley is one of several GSL schools with tournament talent that will make U-Hi’s tourney road tougher.
The Bears can advance at least five to regional, led by Camren Ebat (160), whose only losses have been in the Tri-State tournament, defending state champion Lucas Chesher (140) and Nick Cambron (103).
Last year’s 3A state second-place finisher East Valley will lead the charge during sub-regional wrestling in Sunnyside.
Though strong in the four weights from 171 through 275 pounds with Clete Hanson, Dan Michalski, Jimmy Martin and Tyler Jolley, the Knights also have state-placers Bryce Fisher (145) and Shelby Lawson (112) and five other regional hopefuls.
Young West Valley may be pointing toward the future, but the Eagles have half a dozen regional hopefuls, including Tim Pring, Zach Thomas and Tony Valente. None are seniors.
Freeman advanced six out of the Northeast A League tournament to this weekend’s 1A/B District at Reardan, including defending state champion Danny Mathews at 112 pounds and 119-pound league tourney champion Levi Evans.
Last Saturday the Titans defeated the Knights 38-23 for the Greater Spokane League championship. The two Valley schools have won the last five league titles and, with three apiece, six of the last seven.
District gymnastics: Both U-Hi and CV gymnastics teams should move on from Friday’s district tournament with aspirations of qualifying one full team to state.
Central Valley hosts both district and regionals this year.
Kayla McGahey, seventh all-around at state last year for U-Hi and Maya Morgan, 12th from CV are among the five state veterans hoping to return.
McGahey also was fourth during individual uneven bars finals, and Morgan medaled in seventh place during vault last year.
The Throne is golden
There’s a pattern here. Since the Golden Throne spirit game was renewed by East Valley and West Valley in 2003, the schools have divided the coveted-toilet competition.
It wasn’t always so. EV kept the trophy for four of five years from 1995 through 1999, when the competition took a hiatus following the Knights’ move into the Greater Spokane League.
Last weekend was an even year and West Valley’s turn as its creative takeoff on the Austin Powers movies and crowd participation was judged the winner over EV’s equally innovated skit based on “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”
As usual the noise was deafening and the EV gym packed for the competition with a little basketball thrown in.
“This is one we always like to keep,” said Eagles Coach Jamie Nilles. “It’s a nice tradition.”
West Valley’s boys and East Valley’s girls were victorious in the games as both work for playoff position as the season hurtles to its Valentine’s Day conclusion.
“We hit some timely threes to keep them at bay,” said Nilles of the win. “When our other perimeter guys weren’t shooting well, Casey (Sherrill) did a great job of stepping in.”
Sherrill, teammate Tyler Hobbs, East Valley’s Kelsey Hentges (a career high 27 points) and Kylee Williamson rose to the occasion in the spirit pressure-cooker.
After Tuesday night’s games, the Eagles remained a game behind GSL first-place North Central in the battle for top 3A district seed.
The Knight girls are also second among 3A teams, two games behind Clarkston whom they host tonight.
EV ended a streak in which it lost eight of nine games with its victory over West Valley.
“Lake City was the one that set the girls back,” said coach Freddie Rehkow. “It was an even game with four minutes left and we lost by 17 points. The girls kind of spiraled from there.”
But Rehkow saw signs of rebirth following a players’ meeting. The Knights played well in a loss to Gonzaga Prep and have won twice since.
WV girls and EV boys continued to struggle.
“They play hard,” said first-year head coach Lorin Carlon of his Eagles. “Playing hard has never been the issue. It’s just getting something out of playing hard. It’s kind of obvious we don’t shoot the ball real well.”
WV will return most of its scoring punch, including Krystal McCarthy, who had 18 points against EV.
“The move (to 2A) will help us,” said Carlon. “We’ll be where we’re supposed to be.”
But it could mean the Golden Throne trophy will go into hibernation a second time.