2025 Spring Sports Preview: Boys soccer capsules for Greater Spokane League

Preview capsules for the 2025 Greater Spokane League boys soccer teams.

In alphabetical order by classification. Records and standings from 2024 season.

4A/3A

Central Valley (8-8-1, 5-4, fifth): Coach Aaron Gruis, fourth season. Seven starters and 12 letterwinners return, including two-time first-team all-league senior defender Beau Butner and honorable mention senior MF Kevin Ng. “We should be pretty solid defensively, with a great core through the center of the park,” Gruis said. “We need a reliable goal scorer – we’re probably going to have a lot of close games.”

Cheney (6-10, 2-6, eighth): Coach Noah Prophet, second season. Just three starters but 11 letterwinners return for the Blackhawks, including seniors MF Nic Alderson and defender Max Hemenway. A pair of senior transfers – Terrence Shiasta (Georgia) and Ben Limburg (Pullman) should help immediately.

Ferris (6-9, 4-5, sixth): Coach Alex Bray, first season. The Saxons lost 12 players to graduation and aiming to compete with an almost completely new team. The three starting holdovers are senior MF Eli Ledgerwood, junior MF Marcus Saba and junior forward Reilly Lenihan. “With the addition of a few cerebral freshmen and some strong returning leaders, we believe we can grow quickly and compete,” Bray said.

Gonzaga Prep (7-10, 4-5, seventh): Coach Johnny Bartich, sixth season. Eight starters and 13 letterwinners return for the Bullpups, including senior all-league honorable mention MF Alex Wood, and juniors MF Brian McCann and CB Abel Rivera. “Team captain senior Kenny Pierpoint will be an imposing force in goal,” Bartich said. “This team consists of plenty of young players who are hungry and ready to make their mark.”

Lewis and Clark (13-5-1, 6-2, third): Coach Mica Lamb, 14th season. The Tigers return 10 letterwinners and seven starters, including first-team all-league senior forward Hank Bishopp. “Goal scoring should not be the major issue,” Lamb said. “If we can come together defensively and find suitable replacements for (all-league center back Max) Wilson and (Whitworth goalie commit Ollie) Hart, a GSL title is in reach.”

Mead (12-6-1, 6-3, fourth): Coach Tanner Wilburn, third season. Defending league MVP Rocky Wells signed with Spokane Velocity FC and is ineligible to compete in high school this season, and the Panthers lost five starters to graduation. Senior MF Luke Taigen will be counted on to lead in the aftermath. “We should still be strong on attack,” Wilburn said. “We return all of our starting forwards and added freshman Jagger Willard, who scored our first goal of the season against Ferris.”

Mt. Spokane (12-3-1, 8-1, first): Coach Todd Slatter, fourth season. Six starters and nine letterwinners return, including first-team all-league senior MF Gavin Wunsch and second-team keeper Threon Stevenson – both players have signed to play at the next level. “We should be strong in the midfield and it’s a luxury to have experienced goalkeepers,” Slatter said. “We are young on the backline and will have to have players step up.”

Ridgeline (14-5, 8-1, first): Coach Ernie Merino, fourth season. The Falcons reached the first round of state last season and return nine letterwinners and four starters, including senior forward Andre Chaker and junior Thatcher Hemphill – both first-team all-league picks last season. “There will be no easy games in the GSL this year, so every game will be hard fought and this team will need to reflect that grit needed to find success,” Merino said.

Shadle Park (8-10, 5-5, fourth 2A): Coach Mike Pellicio, first season. Senior MF Conner Bailey leads eight letterwinners and five starters back for the Highlanders, who move up a classification this season. Junior MFs Kingston Clark and Cash Clark are key returners, as is sophomore defender Cam Roberts.

University (3-12, 1-8, ninth): Coach Kara Sharpe, second season. Eight starters and nine letterwinners are back, including two-time second-team all-league senior defender Braden Meeks and senior MF Kordell Liberty, while sophomore Josh Guill steps into the role of starting goalkeeper. “Our team will rely heavily on our two senior captains, Meeks and Liberty as well as a handful of sophomores that have started and played in every game since their freshmen year,” Sharpe said.

2A

Clarkston (3-15, 1-9, sixth): Coach Corinthia Richart, 11th season. The Bantams return all 11 starters from last season. “We have some experience with returning every varsity player last season,” Richart said. “They we have some fine tuning and kinks to work out with adding some new guys to the roster. I am excited to see how this group can work together to build a strong season.”

Deer Park (6-9, 6-6, fifth 1A): No information submitted.

East Valley (9-9, 5-5, third): Coach Logan Georgeadis, fourth season. Senior first-team all-league MF Weston Fracz and second-team senior defender Carson Bly leads 14 letterwinners and six starters back for the Knights. “We have a good mix of youth with experience this year and I think that as long as we give effort we should be able to compete in the league,” Georgeadis said.

North Central (1-11, 0-9, 10th 4A/3A): Coach Matt Leonard, 12th season. There are 10 letterwinners and seven starters back, but the Wolfpack is still young with just one senior, MF Owen Bischoff, expected to play a key role. “We started five freshmen last season,” Leonard said. “We look to continue developing our squad. We have amazing leadership from Bischoff and junior Chase Carter to help guide us.”

Pullman (16-2-2, 10-0, first): Coach Doug Winchell, 18th season. The Greyhounds reached the second round of state last season and have six letterwinners and four starters back. First-team all-league senior forward Clarens Dollin (University of Washington commit) and first-team junior center back Nick Neville are solid building blocks. “We lost a lot of talent through graduation. It’s a rebuild to be sure, but last year’s JV was strong,” Winchell said. “Forging an identity as a defensive group will be the factor in regard to our need to be competitive.”

Rogers (4-13, 1-9, fifth): Coach Mike Duke, fifth season. Seven letterwinners and five starters return, including senior all-league first-team MF Josiah Torres and second-team senior MF Osvaldo Valdovinos. “We lost two key starters so there is a noticeable hole in our defense,” Duke said. “We have the ability to play very high level soccer, however we tend to play down and that is our downfall.”

West Valley (12-6, 8-2, second): Coach CC Collins, second season. The Eagles have reached state each of the past two seasons and have 13 letterwinners and seven starters back from last season. First-team all-league senior defender Parker Simpson, and second-team senior MFs Trenton Lobdell and Champ Bailey are leaders.