State Preps Report

Capital pitcher tosses 2-hitter
Velazquez gets first win over Olympia

Olympia girls a favorite at Shelton
They're not under the radar anymore. The Olympia girls track team, which tied for sixth at last year's 4A state meet and lost a strong group of throwers, is considered the favorite for Saturday's 46th annual Shelton Invitational.

Capital suffers first Narrows loss
It's showdown time for the Capital and Olympia baseball teams.

Mitchell, Roueche leave Idaho basketball program
Mitchell looking to transfer to Division I school
Four players from the University of Idaho women's basketball team, including guard Leilani Mitchell from Kennewick and Richland's Stephanie Sax, have left the program, the school announced in a release Wednesday.

Leon Jackson exits Nebraska football program
Pasco coach Steve Graff comments on Jackson.
Leon Jackson, a former all-state running back at Pasco, has left the Nebraska football program, according to a prepared statement read Monday by Cornhuskers coach Bill Callahan.

From HuskerExtra.com
Jackson to leave Huskers
After making multiple position changes and most recently landing in a reserve role at I-back, Leon Jackson has decided to leave the Nebraska football program.

Eastside athletes honored
YAKIMA -- Eastside pride was on full display Wednesday at the WIAA Hall of Fame induction ceremonies at the Yakima Convention Center.

WIAA changes out-of-season rules
The WIAA Representative Assembly had a quiet annual meeting Monday at Emerald Downs race track in Auburn, passing six amendments, including one that adjusted the rules concerning out-of-season athletics.

Peavey's pitching enough for Bay win over Prairie
For Greg Peavey, less than his best is often plenty. Such was the case Wednesday night at Propstra Stadium, where the acclaimed junior pitcher dominated Prairie in an 8-2 Hudson's Bay baseball vic...more

Prairie's Conboy rakes in honors forOklahoma Wesleyan
In 2001, Matt Conboy helped the Prairie boys basketball team to the Class 4A state semifinals. Five years later, Conboy has wrapped up his college basketball career with another fond farewell....more

Prep roundup: 3A GSHL softball race tightens with tie for second place
The race for second place in Class 3A Greater St. Helens League softball became tighter with a pair of outcomes on Wednesday. Camas beat Columbia River 5-3, a result that allowed Washougal to...

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Hall in good time
Prosser grad Blair-LaBounty among enshrined
She smiled and laughed at the question, as if she'd heard it before.
"No, he's an only child," Kelly Blair-LaBounty said as she hoisted 2-year-old Jacob into her arms. "But sometimes I tell people my husband is sort of like a second kid."

Prep roundup: Ellensburg powers past Sunnyside
ELLENSBURG - Nick Cawley-Murphree had four hits and Daley Paris homered and drove in five runs as Ellensburg rolled to an 11-6 victory over Sunnyside in a Mid-Valley League baseball game Wednesday.

Irish defense downs Bulldogs
Despite four errors on the day, defense played a key role in DeSales' 6-2 non-conference baseball victory over Hermiston at Ray Lane Field Wednesday afternoon.

Different strokes for Wa-Hi teams
HERMISTON - Wa-Hi's boys took a 4-0 lead by winning at number three and four singles and number three and four doubles against Hermiston here on Wednesday.

How the Select System Enabled Sealth
The Metro League will consider the penalties against Chief Sealth for recruiting violations, but won't be able to clean up the cesspool that enabled the major scandal - the often shadowy world of select basketball ...

The Top Stars of the Boo Williams Invitational (Part I)
A look at the top players at the nation's elite spring viewing tournament for girls, as ranked by HoopGurlz.com ...

The Top Stars of the Boo Williams Invitational (Part II)
A look at the top players at the nation's elite spring viewing tournament for girls, as ranked by HoopGurlz.com...

Final Spotlight on Boo Williams
The all-tournament fourth team, plus other top players, from the nation's elite spring viewing event for girls, as ranked by HoopGurlz.com...

Baseball signs: Cracking the code
Signs can turn a high school baseball game into a chess match
Standing in the third base coach's box, Sehome baseball coach Gary Hatch tips his cap and runs his right hand across his chest. What follows is an elaborate act - one Hatch does so fluidly he'd fit in hand jiving with Danny and Sandy in "Grease" - of palm-pounding, fist-forming and bicep-brushing meant to convey and confuse.

Sehome slides past Bellingham
Mariners rally with two runs in sixth inning to defeat Red Raiders

Meridian AD position to be filled in mid May

Comeback win for Baker

Locker K's 10, hits two homers

Ferndale edges Lynden in 2OT

HHS upsets Elma, 10-5

ELMA - Against all odds, Hoquiam discovered its long-dormant batting stroke and registered the upset of the Evergreen League baseball season.

Valley's Chelsi Friese breaks records at meet
NASELLE - Chelsi Friese put on a record-setting show in leading Willapa Valley to the girls team title at the Naselle Comet Classic track meet Tuesday.

Grizzlies sweep Eagles in twin bill
Hoquiam softball coach Mark Maxfield is looking for steady improvement from his team, with the Grizzlies playing their best at the end of the season.

Baarsma, defense drive Cats
LACEY - Only one thing is certain in the crowded Pac-Nine League boys soccer race: Aberdeen has control of its own destiny.

Ocosta triples up Mounties, 4-1
WESTPORT - A rare feat allowed Ocosta to get in front of Rainier and earn a 4-1 Southwest Washington 1A League baseball win at GAR Field on Tuesday.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006 11:10 AM PDT

T-Bird hurler handcuffs Bobcats, 6-1
TUMWATER - Lindsey Vanderlugt pitched a four-hitter as Tumwater remained unbeaten in Pac-Nine League softball competition with a 6-1 victory over Aberdeen on Tuesday at Tumwater.

New-look Grizzly netters sweep Stevenson
Sweeping all 12 games in doubles, Hoquiam whipped Stevenson, 4-1, in a Southwest Washington 2A League girls tennis match Tuesday at the HHS courts.

Nordahl's hat trick lifts short-handed Eagles over Tenino
TENINO - Playing without six varsity members, four of whom are starters, Elma relied upon Scott Nordahl to power the offense as the senior forward knocked home a hat trick to lead the Eagles past Tenino, 3-0, in an Evergreen League boys soccer match on Tuesday.

Sports briefs: Cat girl hoop standouts sign

Power surge lifts Rainier
Jesse Renoude tattooed the first home run of his varsity career here Tuesday, and teammate Travis Elmore swatted his sixth homer of the season to power Rainier to a 10-2 Cowapa League baseball victory over Seaside at Stan Peerboom Field.

Roundup: Kelso girls clinch share of league title
The Kelso girls track team got four wins from Dominique Radcliffe and a key sweep in the shot put to secure an 89-61 victory over Camas in a Greater St. Helens 3A League dual track meet Tuesday at Joe Stewart Track.

Rams stop T-Birds
North Thurston keeps Pac-9 lead
TUMWATER - For the second time in less than a week, North Thurston goalkeeper Kit Deming found himself in a shootout.

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Quietly out in Front
At first, all is quiet. The noise in the stadium becomes a whisper as the fans anticipate the race. The starter's arm raises, and that whisper is replaced by silence. All is quiet...

Prairie softball takes control of Greater St. Helens League
BATTLE GROUND - The Prairie Falcons are closing in on a league softball title, and if they get it, they won't be surprised at all...

Skyview sweeps Heritage in track to keep league records perfect
The Skyview boys and girls track and field teams took big steps toward claiming in the Class 4A Greater St. Helens League dual-meet title with victories over Heritage on Tuesday. The Skyview boys...

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On Futher Review: The week in prep sports
Prairie athletes sign with Cal Lutheran Prairie seniors Nick Shular and Emily Robertson have signed letters of intent to compete in college athletics at California Luth...

Prep golfers remain on course, for now
As the athletic coordinator in charge of scheduling the golf season for the Evergreen School District, Leta Meyer is taking a wait-and-see approach when it comes to Green Mountain Golf Course. Ear...

Prep notebook: Prairie hopes to break Bay's grip on first
Chad Burchett expects nothing less than Hudson's Bay's best today at 4 p.m. at Propstra Stadium. That's what Prairie's coach said he has seen every other time his baseball team has met the Eagles....

Region's Girls Track and Field Bests

East Valley boys maintain perfect record with win
East Valley's undefeated boys tennis team continued to roll, scoring a 4-1 victory over Connell on Tuesday at the Yakima Athletic Club.

Ike upsets Eastmont on road
EAST WENATCHEE - Scoring twice on their own and also getting some help from Eastmont, the Eisenhower Cadets earned a key road victory in Big Nine Conference boys soccer action Tuesday night.

Paige moves into 2nd at Pac-10s
ORO VALLEY, Ariz. - Recording a second-straight round of 71, Paige Mackenzie stands in second place heading into today's final round of the Pac-10 Women's Golf Championships.

First-place Leopards sweep twinbill from Granger
GRANGER - Gentry Affholter, Amanda Hill and Amy Schilperoort combined to lead first-place Zillah to an 8-3, 13-2 softball doubleheader sweep of Granger on Tuesday in SCAC play on the Spartans field.

Sehome wins at Burlington
Relief pitcher Michael Cozad shut down a Burlington-Edison rally and Sehome picked up a crucial 5-2 Northwest League baseball victory on Thursday at Burlington.

Squalicum scores late for victory
The Squalicum softball team scored two runs in the sixth inning to come from behind and pull out a 2-1 victory over Sehome in Northwest League action on Thursday at Geri Fields.

Caseria, Ayers lead Sehome track
Sehome's Dusty Caseria ran the Class 3A's fifth-fasted time of the year in the 800 meters and Steven Ayers set a field record in the discus in a Northwest League track and field meet with Squalicum and Burlington-Edison on Thursday at Burlington.

WIAA rep assembly meeting to be Monday
With reclassification in the past, topics include rules violations

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SK football recruit Williams the Big Man on Campus
Last week Renard Williams hit a career best in the shot put, heaving the 12-pound metal ball 55 feet. At the beginning of this week, that mark was fourth best in the state and second best in the 4A classification.

Thomas Commits to UW; Hawes Commits to Two Years

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Bobcats save the dramatics for last in win
CHEHALIS - Valentin and Fulgencio Lopez provided the heroics in a shootout as Aberdeen remained in the thick of the Pac-Nine League boys soccer race by downing Chehalis on Thursday at Chehalis.

Eagles win a wild one
ELMA - If a world-class cook wanted to turn Elma's boys soccer victory over Hoquiam into a recipe for dinner, a large heaping of offense would dominate the meal with just a hint of defense to bind everything together.

Bulldogs salvage DH split
TENINO - One strike away from being victimized by a no-hitter in the opening game, Montesano rallied in the nightcap to salvage a split with Tenino in an Evergreen League baseball doubleheader Thursday at Tenino.

South Bend, Valley sweep up on the track
SOUTH BEND - South Bend's tracksters celebrated their return to action by sweeping a seven-school meet Thursday at Millam Field.

South Bend, Valley sweep up on the track
SOUTH BEND - South Bend's tracksters celebrated their return to action by sweeping a seven-school meet Thursday at Millam Field.

Bobcat golf sets record
LACEY - Aberdeen established a team Stableford Scoring System record by trouncing Timberline, 94-66, in a Pac-Nine League girls golf match Thursday at the Capitol City Golf Course.

Kelso's O'Neal rises above competition with control, work ethic
While most kids her age are hanging out at the mall or shopping for the latest fashions, Carri O'Neil is on a softball field fine-tuning her pitches.

R.A. Long's Higginson signs with Nazarene
Among R.A. Long senior Amy Higginson's many talents is the ability to sing all 50 states in alphabetical order.

Roundup: Toledo girls dump Ducks on tiebreaker
TOLEDO - Beth Holmes struck out 14 Toutle Lake batters, and Toledo's Shelby Anderson knocked in the winning run in the ninth inning via the International Tiebreaker as the Indians held off the Ducks 8-7 in a nonleague game on Thursday.

North Thurston squeezes out win over Yelm
YELM -- For more than a half, Yelm was able to blunt North Thurston's attack and hang with the Pacific-9 League's leading soccer team.

Gymnastics meet Saturday
Black Hills Gymnastics will be hosting a mock meet Saturday, providing a tuneup for the upcoming Junior Olympics.

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South Sound sports schedule

Sequim track teams win three-way meet
SEQUIM -- The Sequim High School boys and girls track and field teams were winners in a Nisqually League three-way meet Thursday.

Big Nine by any other name sounds just as sweet
The Big Nine athletic directors have solved most of the scheduling issues that will take place when the conference splits into 4A and 3A divisions starting in September.

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Prep highlights: Ard has big game as Prairie beats Battle Ground in baseball
Taylor Ard had three hits including a double, knocking in four runs as Prairie beat Battle Ground 8-6 on Thursday in a 4A Greater St. Helens League baseball game. Joe Intermill hit a home run and...

Prep Baseball - WV's Walkenhauer is pitcher perfect
Dispelling a stockpile of previous evidence to the contrary, Kevin Walkenhauer is capable of having a bad day. In one sense, at least.

Ex-EV star to play at Central
Her plate is less full now, which is good because Elyse Mengarelli's mom had feared for her physical, emotional and mental well being.

Prep Spotlight - Michael Pleger, La Salle junior baseball
La Salle junior, baseball

Prep Report - Ike eager to resume turnaround season
For coach Bob Oliphant and his Eisenhower baseball team, the wait is over. The Cadets are competitive again and contending again in the Big Nine Conference.

Prep Roundup - Wahluke keeps shutout streak rolling with win
MATTAWA - Earning its third shutout in four days, Wahluke's boys soccer team blanked Quincy 4-0 on Thursday to boost its second record to 8-3.

Mac-Hi, DeSales finish 2-3 at Vets
Mac-Hi and DeSales finished second and third in a four-team boys golf match at Veterans Memorial Golf Course on Thursday.

Blaine one step away from new football coach
South Carolina coach accepts job, awaits school board approval
Blaine High School could have a new football coach as early as Monday night.

Jensen posts stellar time in 3,200
Bellingham's Hannah Jensen posted the second fastest time in the state this season for Class 3A in the girls' 3,200 meters, and Josh Larson won three events for the Red Raider boys to highlight a Northwest League track and field meet on Wednesday at Lynden.

Sehome to honor former player
Stephen Dember to be memorialized
Gary Hatch has coached plenty of kids in his 32 seasons as baseball coach at Sehome.
A few kids stand out in Hatch's mind for their love of baseball. Stephen Dember is one of those players.
"He has to be in the top five of kids I've been around who loved baseball and had so much enthusiasm for it," Hatch said. "He never apologized for his emotions, and that's the way it should be. Let people know how excited you are."

Blaine tops Meridian in WCL tilt
The Blaine baseball team may not have had the prettiest scoring plays, but it had enough.
Combine that with a solid pitching performance from Joey Paciorek and the Borderites took a 3-1 Whatcom County League victory over Meridian on Wednesday at Blaine.

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The Wolves take over first place and add a valuable player.
Plenty to Celebrate for South Soccer
The South Kitsap Wolves boys soccer team added a top-notch player and took over first place during the same game Wednesday.

CK Grad's Gymnastics Career Ending Near the Top
Amanda Hall is aiming for All-American status.
Amanda Hall's gymnastics career will come to an end in the next few days. But she found a great way to end it. Hall, a 2002 Central Kitsap grad, will compete today in the NCAA gymnastics championships at Oregon State University.

Prep roundup

Bobcats tame the Tornados
3A Softball: If Aberdeen's Kiley Smith hasn't fully recovered from the flu bug as yet, you could have fooled those on hand at the Bishop Athletic Complex on Wednesday.

Bobcats edge Tigers, 7-6
3A Baseball

Bulldogs sweep away Beavers
2A Softball

Hyaks' Kadlec no-hits Navigators
B Roundup

Bobcats knock off Bearcats in league girls tennis meet, 3-2
Prep Roundup

Sports Briefs
Cougars edge Bobcats in C squad soccer

Jills get out the lumber against MM
R.A. Long senior Melissa Wilson belonged in a Home Run Derby.

O'Neil does it all as Lassies move into first
Carri O'Neil whirled a complete-game shutout and also drove in the only run of the game in the bottom of the eighth inning Wednesday as the Lassies moved to the top of the Greater St. Helens 3A League fastpitch standings with a 1-0 victory over Columbia River at Lassie Beach.

Roundup: Late barrage lifts Monarchs over Scots
Kelso was in control for the first 70 minutes of its Greater St. Helens 3A League boys soccer game against Mark Morris on Wednesday night at Schroeder Field.

Family bonding
Black Hills senior Shane Meara gains competitive edge by facing his father.
TUMWATER -- Shane Meara never lived too far away from a soccer field.

Pitcher, catcher switch places for Tumwater
It doesn't happen often outside of Little League ballparks, and it causes a slight raise of the eyebrows when it does.

The Olympian's prep athletes of the week

Ventura's arm powers Rams past Tumwater
North Thurston gets revenge for blowout
TUMWATER -- Corey Ventura wanted another shot, and he got one.

South Sound sports schedule

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Eastern men sign three players
Two high school forwards and a junior college point guard have signed with the Eastern Washington University's men's basketball team, bringing next season's recruiting class to five.

The Eagles signed 6-foot-7, 215-pound Jack Loofburrow from Eisenhower in Yakima and 6-8, 220-pound Chris Sprinker out of Curtis in Tacoma.

The third player is 6-3, 190-pound guard Marcus Hinton from Centralia Community College. He is a 2004 graduate of Wilson in Tacoma.

Last fall the Eagles signed a pair of guards, 6-3 Michael Taylor out of Brewster and 6-0 Omar Krayem from Lower Columbia Community College in Longview, Wash.

Hinz's Hounds always in hunt
Pullman coach gets most out of eager athletes
Danielle Haynes has track and field figured out. "There is nothing really fun about track, to be perfectly honest," the Pullman senior said. She was smiling at the time but thinking about her upcoming long jump.

Vince Grippi: Saxons take their longest road trip
If you're old enough, you remember where you were on "The Day." July 19, 1994. The day the tiles fell. Four water-soaked ceiling tiles dropped from the Kingdome ceiling, forcing our beloved Seattle Mariners on the road for 22 days ...quot; 15 games ...quot; until the season was mercifully cut short by a players' strike.

Prep Roundup
Greater Spokane League: In a game between two powerhouses, Justin Hale delivered the winner in overtime as Cheney slipped by visiting East Valley 3-2. Jesse Retan of the Blackhawks (10-3, 8-2) took the ball deep along the wing before crossing a pass to Hale, who booted the ball into the right corner.

Tacoma puts a lid on prep sports
Maybe the saddest story I've read in a long time appeared today in the Tacoma News Tribune. Todd Milles' piece examines the Tacoma school district's money problems and the resulting spring-sports roster caps, which limits the participation level at the high schools. Read it, it is worth your time. But don't let your school budget people know about it. So far, we've avoided such draconian measures in this area.

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Published April 17
Pac-10 names Sherfey its Newcomer of the Year
Kamiakin graduate Tyler Sherfey was recently named the 2006 Pac-10 Conference Newcomer of the Year for wrestling.

Prep highlights: Prairie remains unbeaten in 4A GSHL softball
Prairie's undefeated softball season remained intact Wednesday, but not without nine innings of nail biting.

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Highland gives up first goal of season but stays unbeaten
COWICHE - Highland's boys soccer team finally gave up a goal Tuesday afternoon, but the unbeaten Scotties used a strong second half to pull away for a 3-1 victory over Naches Valley in CWAC-SCAC play.

Away at School: Strait earns team MVP honors at Montana
ANDREW STRAIT (West Valley), a sophomore on the men's basketball team at Montana, earned the Carl Dragstedt Award - given to the team's most valuable player - this past week.

Day and night for Indians, Bulldogs
Dayton and Touchet trade well-played games as they split a BML baseball twin bill.
DAYTON - The first pitch of Tuesday's Blue Mountain League baseball doubleheader between Touchet and Dayton was thrown on a sunny, 70-degree afternoon and the last pitch from Indian starter Brian Pisca was thrown on a frigid 40-degree night.

Area sports roundup: Touchet knocks off Dayton, 6-3
TOUCHET - Linda Solis racked up four hits in four at bats to help Touchet knock off Dayton 6-3 in a non-conference softball game here Wednesday.

Smith, Walker lead Grizzly teams over Spartans in 2A Track & Field

Sports Briefs: Fishing, baseball at Dennis Co. Saturday

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A Measure of Revenge
South Kitsap knocks off first-place Central Kitsap, creating a crowd atop the Bridge Division baseball standings.
The South Kitsap Wolves are expected to be near the top of the Narrows League Bridge Division baseball standings every year.

High School Report: Longmire's Clutch Hit Boosts Oly to Big Win
The Olympic Trojans were one out away from extra innings Wednesday.

Barrow signs with Western
Ferndale High School soccer standout Mitch Barrows has signed a national letter of intent to play men's soccer at Western next season.

Ferndale moves into tie for first
Golden Eagles defeat Red Raiders to create three-way logjam atop NWL

Monarchs grind out dominant win over Hilanders
Mark Morris senior Austin Brown finally met a ballpark he couldn't embarrass with tape-measure home runs on Wednesday.

Staying focused
Tumwater sophomore shares her parents' passion for tennis - about to win $100 bet.

Bears come back to clip Wilson
Olympia scores six in bottom of sixth
OLYMPIA -- The Bears needed only a spark. Brett Sandwick provided it, and Taylor Fuik made the difference.

The Olympian's prep athletes of the week

Prep baseball ranks No. 1 with Elway
Lem Elway and his wife, Peggy, spent years stuffing envelopes, cramming three sheets of paper into many little packages to send across the state.

Capital edges Bellarmine in 7th
Capital's Matt Fanelli doubled with two outs in the seventh and Michael McIver singled to score Fanelli for the winning run Wednesday as the Cougars beat Bellarmine 3-2 in Narrows League baseball.

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Quick hits
Best head for PascoWith spring break out of the way and the postseason just a month out, many, but not all, of the best track athletes in the Northwest converge on Pasco Saturday for the 45th Pasco Invitational.

Area tracks start slowly
As the 2006 racing season rolls toward the starting line in the Spokane area, it does so under dark clouds - one from Mother Nature and another from the courts.

Cheaters never prosper, except in Seattle district
The words in Saturday's Sports section were a better wakeup call than any espresso. Anger-triggered adrenalin will do that.

The girls basketball coaches at Chief Sealth may be losing their positions. Fine. The allegations of recruiting were verified. OK. The Seattle Public Schools won't force the Seahawks to forfeit any games, and doesn't think the WIAA should either.

Muhammad beats a path to success for Rogers softball
Marion Muhammad is fast - possibly the fastest softball player in the Greater Spokane League. But even Muhammad couldn't outrun one opponent as a Rogers High junior: fatigue.

EV grad Roof will start for Cougs
Sophomore earns spot on offensive line.

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Statewide notebook: Munns enjoys WSU visit
Jason Munns reads the Internet musings of his collegiate future with a bit of amusement.

Kamiakin's Haggett ready to hurdle again
Kamiakin senior Michaela Haggett will make her season debut today when the Braves travel to Wenatchee for a three-team Big Nine meet.

Updated stats and standings

Prep highlights: Baker fans 17 as Bukovi's hit lifts Skyview softball
Whitney Baker struck out 17 batters and Lauren Bukovi doubled home Victoria Crockett from second on the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Skyview softball team a 1-0 win over E...more

Stars of the Day
Jenna Buchanan, Columbia River golf, shot a 41 at Longview Country Club, leading the Chieftains to a victory over Mark Morris. Kenny Wallace, Hockinson baseball, went 2 for 3 with a double and...

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Local report: Yakima Valley legends set for golf tourney
It's a chance to mingle with three of the Yakima Valley's biggest sports legends and play a round of golf, too.

Deja vu all over again for DeSales grid coach
Mike Spiess may be feeling deja vu all over again.

Spiess, you see, has taken over the helm of the DeSales football program.

Dayton's Turner to play volleyball at Montana
Stephanie Turner, who led the Bulldogs to third at state last fall, continues her career with the Grizzlies.

Shame on All of Them
The Seattle School District's sanctions against Chief Sealth and Ray Willis' staff were unsatisfactory, but a lot of adults and institutions let us down during this enormous recruiting scandal.

A Storybook Ending
JJ Hones' 20-point outburst for Oregon in the Northwest Shootout capped an extremely eventful and productive senior season for the point guard at Beaverton's Southridge High School.

Girl 113
Epiphanny Prince is most closely associated with the number of points she scored in a game this season - 113.

HoopGurlz All-State '06
The explosion in girl's basketball in the state of Washington has produced the most talented All-State team in years.

Tradition, not defense of state title, drives Toutle Lake softball
The Toutle Lake fastpitch softball squad is playing under pressure this season. But that has very little to do with the Ducks defending their Class B state championship.

Prep Notebook: Monarchs, Hilanders set to clash Wednesday
One of the most anticipated Greater St. Helens 3A League baseball matchups of the season takes place Wednesday when Mark Morris and Kelso - both Class 3A state semifinalists last season - renew their diamond rivalry.

Roundup: Kalama blanks Pe Ell
KALAMA - Aaron Linder drilled a three-run home run in the first inning as Kalama plated seven runs in the opening frame and cruised to a 10-0 victory over Pe Ell in a five-inning nonleague baseball game here Monday.

Capital puts on clinic
OLYMPIA -- Capital's list of chores was extensive Monday.
First, the Cougars were up early, on the field by 8:30 a.m. and helping 50 elementary kids at the team's annual spring baseball clinic. Then they put on an afternoon clinic, outhitting, outpitching and outplaying Lakes in an 11-2 nonleague victory at Bobby Waits Field.

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South Sound sports schedule

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Shadle Park softball displays depth
The reasons why the Shadle Park Highlanders are undefeated a third of the way through the Greater Spokane League softball schedule seem obvious. There's sophomore pitcher Sam Skillingstad who, after Monday's 11-1, five-inning win at Rogers, is 8-0 and has yielded no more than three hits in any game this season.

Vince Grippi's Prep Report
Becoming a star
On November 26, 2000, this appeared in The Spokesman-Review's sports section:

The Performance Athletics midget (11-12-year-olds) girls team from Spokane placed third and also qualified for nationals. Members are: Megan O'Reilly...

In its list of 10 things to watch for this week, the Tri-City Herald notes the big-time Pasco Invite track & field showdown, set for this weekend, and catches readers up on local MLB talent.

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Pasco Invite
One of the nation's largest one-day high school track and field meets is set for 10 a.m. Saturday at Edgar Brown Stadium. Over 1,000 athletes are expected to compete.

Mid-Columbia major leaguers
The local guys have gotten off to a pretty good start. Pasco's Jeremy Bonderman is 1-1 after two starts for the

5-2 Detroit Tigers; Hanford graduate Jason Repko is hitting well while starting for the Dodgers in the outfield; Moses Lake's Ryan Doumit is catching for the Pirates about two out of every three days.

Former CBC standout Chad Orvella, slated to be the Devil Rays' closer before spring training began, was roughed up during the exhibition season and is beginning the regular season in Triple-A.

By the way, Hermiston's Bucky Jacobsen was in camp with the White Sox before getting cut loose. He couldn't agree to terms with the Cardinals last week and has signed with the independent Long Island Ducks.

Skyview returns from break with baseball win
Spring Break is over, and the Skyview baseball team wasted little time getting back to work. Kade McQuivey hit a tying home run in the sixth inning, Ty Mead drove in the go-ahead run, as the Storm...

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