Friday Night (High)lights: Historic rushing night for Central Valley’s Beau Butner, whether a record or not

To call high school sports statistics an “inexact science” is a dramatic understatement. It’s a shame, really, but it’s unfortunately the nature of the beast.

The complicating factor is that there is no “official book” for football as there is for most other sports.

Three experienced scorekeepers sitting in three parts of the stadium can come up with three different – close, probably, but still different – sets of numbers. Even video review sometimes can’t clear up the issues.

Which is where we find ourselves Saturday.

I wish I could be writing definitively in today’s column that Central Valley senior running back Beau Butner did or did not set a Greater Spokane League record for rushing yards in a game. We just aren’t sure yet. Regardless, Butner had a game that most high school players could only dream about.

By my count from the press box, I had Butner with 23 carries for 371 yards – including touchdown runs of 8, 28, 58, 79, 72 and 4 yards. I’m pretty good at this, but I also have a lot of distractions during the game.

The stats that Central Valley sent in Friday night from its live statistician on the sideline had Butner with 360 yards on 23 carries and confirmed my yardage on the touchdown runs.

The reason for the consternation is this: The league single-game rushing record is 366 yards, set by Scott Campbell of East Valley in 2003.

So you can see why we want to get this right. Let’s hope by Monday morning we can get all this sorted out. Whether it’s a record or not, Butner and his teammates on the offensive line did a remarkable job Friday night, one they’ll remember proudly for the rest of their lives.

Taking control

Central Valley’s win over Ridgeline, a 66-35 decision, puts the Bears with Shadle Park at 4-1 in league – two games clear of Ridgeline at 2-3 with four to play. Only two 3A teams out of the GSL will qualify for the “Round of 32” in Week 10 to determine the state playoff seeding, so CV and Shadle are sitting pretty .

The loss puts a serious dent in the Falcons’ attempt to make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, but they beat Shadle earlier this season and only have one more game against a team with a winning record.

Showdown looms

Gonzaga Prep and Mead won Friday night to stay undefeated this season and both teams have a win over Lewis and Clark, the third-place team in the 4A standings. League officials still aren’t sure if District 6 4A will get four or five bids to the “Round of 32,” but with the strength of the Mid-Columbia Conference’s 4A teams, LC’s loss last night hurt its chances.

There are a few games still in the way, but Mead hosts Gonzaga Prep on Oct. 25 in what could be the de facto league title game and determine a home game in Week 10.

Win column

Mt. Spokane has had an atypical tough season, but the Wildcats have been getting better as the season progresses. In a battle of previously winless teams, Mt. Spokane had little trouble dispatching University 40-0 Friday night, from the opening kickoff return for a touchdown until the final horn.

U-Hi will get its second game in a row against a winless foe when it hosts Ferris next week.

Toughing it out

West Valley got all it wanted out of Rogers on Friday and more, but the Eagles survived a fourth-quarter touchdown by the Pirates to survive a 27-22 win to stay unbeaten – in league and overall.

Austin Clark was the driving force again with 195 yards on the ground and three TDs. West Valley has a showdown against Clarkston, which has bounced back from a rough start to win its first two league games, while Rogers – two games behind the leaders in the loss column, hosts Pullman next week.