Quick hits
Crossover this weekend
One of the state’s oldest and most prestigious volleyball invitational tournaments, the Crossover Classic, begins pool play with a handful of 7 p.m. matches on Friday and continues at 8 a.m. Saturday at four area high school sites.
The 13th annual tournament has 54 teams, up two from last year, and will again be played at University, Central Valley, East Valley and Lewis and Clark.
Meet director Amanda Velasquez said that the field includes teams from California and Oregon as well as big and small schools throughout Washington and Idaho.
Once again the 16-team championship bracket will be played among pool winners at U-Hi, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Saturday and culminating with semifinals and finals set to start at 6.
Playoff allocations set
Fall state tournament team allocations for the 2006 and 2007 seasons have been set by the WIAA.Greater Spokane League: Combines with the Columbia Basin League; all fall sports will play for three 4A berths. For 3A, the team allocations are two this year and three the next.
Great Northern League: District 7 gets two berths in each of the sports this year and three the next. There’s one team girls swimming berth each year.
Northeast A League: Joins with the Caribou Trail League for four state berths in every sport the next two years except volleyball (three this year) and girls soccer (three next year).
2B-1B leagues: District 7 gets three B-11 football playoff teams the next two years and District 9 gets two. Eight-man football for Districts 6, 7 and 9 accounts for 11 playoff berths this year and 12 next. 2B volleyball in Districts 7 and 9 combines for four teams this year and five the next. District 7 1B gets three, then two state teams, District 9 gets four and three. Other 2B and 1B sports are together into one state tournament. Allocations include boys soccer (2 teams this year/1 next), girls cross country (2/2) and boys cross country (3/2), the latter combined with Districts 5 and 6.
Cheney swimmers qualify
The girls swim team at Cheney has already qualified two relays for the state meet, Nov. 10-11 in Federal Way. The Blackhawks’ 200-yard medley relay (Kait Salley, Sarah Moore, Rachael Edwards and Morgan Landreaux) has a time of 2:03.55 and the 400-yard freestyle relay (Alexa Landreaux, Moore, Landreaux and Salley) has timed 3:59.03. Coach Kathryn Teske said they had reached the qualifying times much earlier than in years past.
GSL football game of week
East Valley vs. Mt. Spokane, tonight, 7:45, Joe Albi Stadium: A three-time 3A playoff team, the EV Knights (3-2) will be challenged by classification newcomer, the Mt. Spokane Wildcats (2-3), in a game with playoff implications.
Other GSL games: Ferris vs. Mead, tonight, 4:30, Albi Stadium; on Friday, University-NC, 5:45, and LC-Rogers, 8:30 at Albi, Shadle Park at Gonzaga Prep and Lake City at CV, the latter a non-league game, both 7.
Other football games of note
Four Great Northern League unbeatens face off in critical early-season tests. Colville (5-0 overall, 2-0 in league) is at Pullman (5-0, 2-0) in one. Clarkston (3-1, 2-0) plays at Cheney (3-2, 2-0) to see which two remain atop the league. Reardan is at Lind-Ritzville in a game between unbeatens that could determine the District 7 2B title.