fall sports ’25 FROM PAIN TO PROMISE
After suffering three straight close calls in the State 4A playoffs, a seasoned and hungry Gonzaga Prep football team returns with championship expectations
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Gonzaga Prep will lean heavily on wide receiver Isaiah Docken and running back Jonah Keller in 2025.
PHOTO BY COLIN MULVANY THE
Mead cross country, anchored by Jonah Wiser, has
ROGERS RULES NEIGHBORHOOD
Under coach Ryan Cole, Pirates football goes from winless to league power in few short years
By Dave Nichols THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
The turnaround in the Rogers football program – on and off the field – over the past few years has been nothing short of miraculous. Just don’t expect coach Ryan Cole to play into the hype.
He’s more concerned about continuing to build a lasting culture, even after two consecutive playoff appearances, than Xs and Os.
“I don’t like the idea of coming to a place where you’re content or settling. Like, ‘Hey guys, well, at least we’re better than we were five years ago,’ ” he said. “We’re constantly just working how can we improve. And sometimes it’s important for us as coaches to remind ourselves that we have come a long way and that things have gotten a lot better.”
It wasn’t always the case.
The Pirates went nearly three years without winning a football game. In 2019, its last season in the 3A classification, Rogers scored just three touchdowns in nine games and was shut out five times. There were discipline issues on and off the field. There was difficulty attracting talent to play; even more retaining it. Coaches came and went.
“When you get young men together that are competitors and different personalities, there’s always going to be head-butting and clashing. That’s just the nature of it,” Cole said. “But we talk about brotherhood. They’re creating a lot less toxicity, a lot more camaraderie, a lot more togetherness.
“At the end of the day, we all wear the same colors. We’ve got to have a mutual respect for each other.”
Slowly, things started to change.
In the COVID year of 2020, Rogers started playing a 2A schedule. It didn’t pay dividends right away, but in September
2022, the Pirates broke a 23-game losing streak, beating Medical Lake 49-6 on the road. They ended up with four wins that season, including a pair of league wins.
After several seasons as an assistant, Cole was hired as head coach in 2023, which brought a seven-win season and Rogers’ first playoff berth since 2015. Then last year, the Pirates won six games and qualified for the 2A postseason once again.
The past – the most recent and the not too distant – serves as a reminder of how quickly things can change when a group of like-minded individuals are willing to put in the work.
“A lot of these kids, these type of kids, have been around. They’ve been available,” Cole said. “They just didn’t turn out. And not even just turn out, but they weren’t willing to put in the time in the offseason.”
Senior Alex Peabody was a freshman on the 2022 team, and he remembers how difficult things were.
“Cole took over my sophomore year, and that’s when stuff started to change,” he said. “My freshman year there were a bunch of fights (at practice), a bunch of everything. Cole came in, put some more order on the practice, and we’ve had the players with the talent to get it done and stick around.”
Instead of being an afterthought – or worse – Rogers is now considered one of the favorites to win the league. Instead of scorn or pity, Rogers is spoken of with respect.
“It’s a crazy feeling,” Peabody said. “I remember freshman year, if you tell people you go to Rogers it was, like, embarrassing. And now it’s like, ‘Oh, that’s you guys.’ They know about us now. It’s a good feeling, for sure.”
“We hear it from community members and people here in the building,” Cole
said. “They talk to us all the time about how Rogers has become known as a team that other teams are worried about playing, rather than circling us as a ‘W’ before the season even starts.
“Of course we do want to be competitors and we want people to know that we’re serious about what we do. But for me and my role and what I need to get done, I can’t spend too much time thinking on those things. I need to think about the here and now.”
Here and now, on the field, means speed. A lot of it. Rogers wants to play fast on offense and defense. That should come as no surprise, as football players make up a good chunk of the Pirates’ state-caliber sprint teams.
Receivers Jerry Allen, Mikey Sanders and Jelani Kabba were members of the Pirates’ third-place 4x100 relay team at state last season, while Sanders placed third in the 100 and fifth in the 200.
Along with Peabody, that forms a dangerous corps of pass-catchers for the Pirates, regardless of who is throwing it to them. Peabody, who also plays basketball, scored 11 touchdowns last season, and that could go up this season.
“I’m not going to put a number on it,” Cole said. “But he’s a really good ball player.” Allen is a force on both sides of the ball who has already committed to the University of Idaho, and according to his coach Sanders has put on a “good amount” of muscle over the summer to prepare for the rigors of sliding from slot to more of a featured role in the backfield.
“My goodness, the kid, his acceleration is ridiculous,” Cole said of Sanders. “He’s one of the fastest kids in the state.”
It should come as no surprise that Rogers’ receivers coach, Khalil Winfrey, was a football player and sprinter at Rogers before running at the University of Washington and is the girls’ head track and field coach. Offensive coordinator Brent Palmer is the head boys’ track coach.
“When you talk about speed, a lot of it is God-given, but it is also something you
can develop and work on,” Cole said. “We build the relationships with the boys in football, and then they do their thing in the winter – whether it’s lifting, basketball, wrestling – and then we work really hard to get them all out for track. And so it’s a year-long relationship with these guys.”
“Being big and strong helps,” Peabody said. “But if you’re just faster than the guy, there’s really nothing they can do to guard you.”
The biggest question for Cole heading into the season is at quarterback, where junior Coby Spurgin and late transfer Joey Rock will compete for snaps. Both played in Rogers’ opening-game, a 28-14 loss to 4A A.C. Davis last week.
“It is like about as 50/50 as you can get right now,” Cole said. “As an athlete, I think Joey probably has the nod. He’s just bigger, he’s faster, he’s stronger. But Coby has been around so long, he knows the system so well. So his timing is better, his chemistry with the receivers is better. So it’s really hard for us to make that decision.”
“It’s been a battle,” Spurgin said. “At the end of the day, it’s whoever is better, and whoever gets the team going the best, that’s the one that’s going to play. So it’s no hard feelings. You’re putting the team over yourself, and it’s whatever the team needs.”
Regardless of who calls for the snap, there are expectations at Rogers that haven’t been there for decades. Sometimes handling expectations is as difficult, or more so, than taking care of business on the field.
“Our ‘Why’ is to become the best version of yourself by being a part of something greater than yourself,” Cole said. “We are here because we want to just become better as men, but our goal every year is to win league. That’s what we strive for, but we know it’s not going to be handed to us.
“We might have better talent than this school or that school, but you can still lose football games with better talent. You need to execute.”
TYLER TJOMSLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
From left, Rogers running back Mikey Sanders, coach Ryan Cole and defensive tackle/center J.J. Roberts hope to keep the Pirates rolling.
MOTIVATED BY BAD MEMORIES
Gonzaga Prep football’s senior class turns sting of semifinal loss into high expectations
By Dave Nichols THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Part of growing up is learning how to deal with disappointment. Some choose to forget and move on. Others use pain as motivation.
For the Gonzaga Prep football seniors, that pain is losing in the quarterfinals or semifinals of the State 4A playoffs each of the past three seasons.
“We’ve just been thinking about that every day,” senior receiver Isaiah Docken said. “It’s actually my lock screen on my phone.”
“It” is a picture of the scoreboard at Camas High School, where the top-seeded Papermakers used a 21-0 fourth quarter run to knock off the fifth-seeded Bullpups 28-20 in a state semifinal on Nov. 30.
“I still watch film from that game knowing what we did wrong, what we could have done better,” senior wing back Jonah Keller said. “That’s definitely motivated me and this team for this summer, to push us to make us better.”
“We were that close last year to playing in the state championship game against a really good Camas team,” second-year head coach Nate Graham said. “We have a lot of kids coming back, but we don’t focus on (last year). I haven’t talked about it at all. We’re out here all spring, all summer, all fall, trying to get better from day to day, and what happens, happens.”
There is a prevailing thought that Greater Spokane League teams get overlooked statewide, until the final eight at state emerge and there’s another GSL team “surprising” everyone. But this year, the Bullpups are already garnering attention for all the right reasons.
“Everybody does tend to forget about us,” Graham said. “But we should be getting noticed. And that’s a credit to this group of seniors. It’s a talented group.”
The roster checks all the boxes:
Senior-heavy with 14 starters returning? Check.
A three-year run of deep playoff experience? Double-check.
Speed on both sides of the ball? Check and mate.
It’s a recipe for another long playoff run, but the Bullpups first have to navigate a GSL schedule where they will be targeted each week as their opponents’ biggest game of the season.
“Our kids know that,” Graham said. “They actually embrace that. We talk about that, like, we’re gonna get everybody’s best game. We feel we owe it to those other teams to be the best version of Gonzaga Prep we can be.”
Docken, listed at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, and Keller get most of the attention – and rightfully so. The Bullpups “dynamic duo” on the outside can generate instant offense every time they touch the ball – rushing or receiving. But there’s experience at all the skill positions and a tested formula with the multiple-option offense that G-Prep has run since time immemorial.
“I expect all these kids to take another step,” Graham said. “I mean, everybody sees Jonah and Isaiah and, I mean, they’re just the visual guys. Jonah stands out because he’s pretty fast. Isaiah stands out because he’s pretty big. But we have a lot
FOOTBALL AT A GLANCE
By Dave Nichols
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Capsules for the 2025 Greater Spokane League and Northeast A, Northeast 2B, Northeast 1B and Southeast 1B football teams. In alphabetical order by classification. Records and standings from the 2024 season. 2B/1B capsules compiled from programs which responded to S-R preseason questionnaire.
GSL 4A/3A
Central Valley (7-4, 6-3, fourth): The Bears reached the round of 16 last year and return 27 letter-winners for coach Ryan Butner’s 10th season at the helm. CV has a senior leader at each level of the defense: DL Skyler Harty, LB Connor
Marks and DB Jake Young; kicker Tyler Bissell is a weapon. Replacing all 11 starters on offense will be a huge undertaking.
Cheney (3-7, 2-7, eighth):
The Blackhawks return 25 letterwinners and 12 starters for secondyear coach John Graham, who coached on two national college football teams at Central Washington and Eastern Washington. Senior WR/ LB Tank Best is a leader, and junior QB Connor Collins looks to take the next step.
Ferris (1-9, 0-9, 10th): Second-year coach Jerrall Haynes acknowledges the youth of his team. “With only six or seven seniors expected to start this season, it is my assumption that we will be the youngest team on the field each week,” he said. “Our youth and
of guys on this team that are really, really good.”
Gonzaga Prep returns its senior quarterback, Sam Kincaid, along with senior running backs Jimmy Grainger, Andy Agada and Nikko Alexander – who is a multiple-time state sprint medalist. There aren’t any behemoths on the offensive line, but the option offense creates a lot of moving parts that defenses have to account for.
“They’re all different. Jimmy’s a bigger, stronger guy, and Andy’s a smaller, twitchier guy,” Graham said. “So it’ll be fun. It’ll give us something a little different, having those guys. It makes us even more multiple.”
“We’ve got a lot of options out there,” Keller said. “It’s gonna be scary.”
The Bullpups are still going to be run-oriented, but Graham has confidence to go deep as well. G-Prep completed 5 of 7 pass attempts in its opening night 38-10 win over Ridgeline – but four went for touchdowns, three to Keller.
“We’re just continuing to build off some of the stuff we did last year,” he said. “If teams dare us to do it, I’ve told our guys we’ll throw it 30 times (per game). I don’t think teams want us to throw it 30 times.”
“It’s the nice part about having other dudes, you know, is we can spread the ball around,” Docken said. “We’re way better with multiple options than one, which is very nice.”
One of those options this season is Jacobe McClelland, an all-state defensive back who will play in certain packages on offense.
Gonzaga Prep doesn’t make players play both ways, something they call “two platoon.” But Graham will make an exception this season for McClelland.
“He’s a playmaker on both sides of the ball,” Docken said. “He’s a quick, shifty
lack of depth are by far our biggest weaknesses this year.” Senior Teddy Osborne takes over at QB, while fellow senior Raheem Morris will lead the line on both sides of the ball. Sophomore RB Z’Khari Burgess will provide a spark. Gonzaga Prep (12-1, 9-0, first): The Bullpups reached a state semifinal last season with a junior-heavy team and should be on everyone’s radar to reach or exceed that lofty perch once again. Coach Nate Graham returns 14 starters, including the dynamic receiver tandem of Jonah Keller and Isaiah Docken. All-state DB Jacobe McClelland is pound-for-pound one of the best players in the state, and Graham plans to utilize the playmaker on offense this year as well. “We have a lot of seniors who have won
dude, and can definitely take one to the house.”
Listed at 6-0, 165, McClelland is a ballhawk on defense and returns who will get a chance to utilize his breakaway speed and instincts on the offensive side in his senior year.
“I’m excited to finally get to play offense and defense. It’s the first time in a while,” McClelland said.
“If he were two inches taller, everybody in the country would be recruiting (McClelland),” Graham said. “He’s that good. He’s a technician. He’s so, so good, so quick and his football IQ is off the charts.”
“I’m definitely undersized. I know that,” McClelland said. “But I don’t really take it as a diss. It’s just reality. I just try to play with my skills and really just focus. It doesn’t really matter to me. I’m gonna go out there and play my best, and I think I’m one of the best, too.”
Of course, playing offense isn’t going to get in the way of McClelland once again being the leader on the defensive side, which returns eight starters including defensive back Jack Pierce, linebacker Will Jackson and lineman Nehemiah Areta –all of whom were named all-league.
“We have a lot of returning starters, so I feel like we have really good team connection, and we all play really well together,” McClelland said.
McClelland and the rest of the Bullpups will get a chance to prove it should they reach the 4A playoffs again, which this year will be seeded with a Round of 32 in Week 10 like 3A has been the last two seasons. Like his teammates, the loss to Camas still haunts McClelland.
“I’m going to play with a chip on my shoulder,” he said. “I want that game back, but I can’t. I’ll make it up when we get back there this year.”
a lot of games the past few years,” Graham said. “We have really good experience on both sides of the ball.” Lewis and Clark (6-4, 6-3, third): Coach David Chambless, formerly head coach at Rogers, takes over at LC with 21 seniors and 10 starters back from a team that qualified for the postseason last year. Second-team all-GSL DL Sonny Naipo and DB KJ Kinkade will be leaders on a tough defense. “With players learning their third system in three years, this season presents both challenges and opportunities,” Chambless said. “The coaching staff is excited to see athletes step up and take on larger roles, while the senior class provides the backbone of leadership and experience.” Mead (9-2, 9-1, second): Coach Kyle Snell slides over with the Panthers after earning coach of the year at LC last season. There are just nine letter-winners back and a small but stout senior class,
led by all-league two-way lineman Cooper Daines, C Sean Jones, LB/ TE Garrett Miller and S/QB Landon Thomas. Senior Trevelle Jones, a GSL 2A all-league QB, transfers in from NC. “We have some really skilled and committed players in both our senior and junior classes,” Snell said, “and we need to put them in positions to be successful as a staff.”
Mt. Spokane (5-5, 5-4, fifth): Coach Terry Cloer returns for year 11 with 10 letterwinners and six starters back for the Wildcats. Slot/ DB Rock Franklin, DL Beau Tampien and LB Brendan Hughes will play at the next level, while Cade Strochser takes over at QB. “We are going to look to run the ball more consistently than the past few years,” Cloer said. “We also need to stay healthy as depth could be an issue.”
Ridgeline (5-5, 4-5, sixth): The dynamic duo of QB Landon
COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Gonzaga Prep senior wing back Jonah Keller brings explosiveness to the Bullpups’ backfield.
‘BEEN A STUD FROM THE START’
Ridgeline’s Quinn Mueller, a four-year starter, continues to put pressure on defenses
By Justin Reed THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Ridgeline High School opened in 2021, a year before Quinn Mueller forced her way onto the varsity girls soccer squad, even though head coach Tiera Como doesn’t usually roster freshmen.
It is a loose policy, but one that is rooted in logic.
Como knows that players need minutes, especially freshmen who are in the prime of their development.
It is difficult for underclassmen to find the field when the roster above them is strong, but the now-senior Mueller forced Como’s hand.
“Her freshman year, she started off as a bubble player,” Como said. “As a freshman coming in, new to the program, it was like, ‘Okay, yeah, you’re standing out here and there, but do I have a position that you’re going to be playing.’ She quickly showed
us coaches after just even a game or two in nonleague, that yeah, she deserved it and started on varsity right away.”
“She’s been a stud from the start.”
Como tried her out as a defensive center midfielder role early on but quickly learned that was not her strength.
She needed to be in front of the opposition goal, or at least close to it.
Mueller’s talent comes to the fore in these positions and Como called her “unpredictable,” a trait that puts extreme pressure on a defense.
“Whether she’s getting the ball at her feet or the runs that she’s making off the ball, she’s able to read the play of the game really well, and she can make other players around her better and she knows how to get the job done,” she said.
When teams inevitably double team Mueller, she takes that extra second before a slicing ball opens up the defense for one of her teammates.
GIRLS SOCCER AT A GLANCE
By Justin Reed THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Capsules for the 2025 Greater Spokane League, Northeast A, Northeast 2B girls soccer teams. In alphabetical order by classification. Records and standings from 2024 season.
GSL 4A/3A
Central Valley (1-13-1, 1-8, 9th): Head coach Anne Siebert is now in her second season. Eight starters return, including 15 letterwinners. Watch for Mallory Olsen, a senior goalkeeper, to have a solid season. Two all-league honorable mentions graduated. Cheney (7-11, 3-6, 8th): Nels Radtke is headed into his 14th season with the Blackhawks and he believes his starting 11 will be competitive against the rest of the league. He said some freshman will be contributing right away, like forward Kaycee Curley. Kinley Collins, an all-league honorable mention returns on the attack.
Ferris (9-9, 6-4, 5th): There were key departures for the Saxons this offseason, but head coach Alex Bray believes in a motivated group coming in to fill in the gaps left by graduation. Three all-league players graduated, with all three composing the backbone of the Ferris team –goalie, centerback and defensive
midfielder. Seven starters are back including senior midfielder Kyrie Hertz and juniors Hailey Orellana and Sami Asan. Gonzaga Prep (13-5-1, 8-2, 1st): Coach Johnny Bartich and the Bullpups will work to reload in 2025.
A senior-laden 2024 squad led to six starters graduating. There are nine new varsity players that senior captains McKenna Litscher and Alex Guinn get to help gel. Guinn was a 2024 all-league honorable mention. Lewis and Clark (13-5-2, 7-2, 3rd): After finishing a point off the league leaders, the Tigers have eight starters returning, all of which are in the midfield, defense and goalkeeping. Three all-league first team players are back, seniors Molly Heinen, Keegan Tee and Maylin Nicholson. Tee has three straight seasons of 13 goals or more. Heinen will manage the midfield and Nicholson will control the backline. Head coach Mica Lamb expects the Tigers to be just as competitive this season.
Mead (6-9-2, 4-5, 6th): Fifth-year head coach Casey Curtis believes that this Panther squad will grow from 2024. Outside of losing another college bound goalkeeper (Joey Hornyal) for the fourth time in four years, the Panthers return three all-league players. They will need to score more goals than they did a
Como said she is always looking to make everyone around her better and that her unselfishness shines in front of goal.
Mueller also takes pride in her off-theball work rate.
As a midfielder, she has some responsibility to make sure the opposing team doesn’t feel secure on the ball or break free on a counterattack.
“I’m willing to track back and do the work to win the ball back defensively,” she said.
And Mueller’s skill on the ball also can’t be minimized – Como called it the best footwork she’s seen from a female athlete.
“You see that in the male athletes and the male soccer players, because they’re the ones that are usually dribbling and have more confidence with the ball at their feet. And sometimes the moves that she comes up with, I’m like, ‘Holy cow, where did that just come from?’ ” Como said.
That ability is what attracted the eyes of college programs from around the area.
The University of Idaho was the first to reach out to Mueller in June 2024.
Mueller said the college recruiting process is very mentally and physically drain-
season ago and that will be goal No. 1. Curtis hopes senior forward Rylee Vanos is that answer.
Mt. Spokane (15-5, 7-2, 2nd): The Wildcats have 13 letterwinners back for secondyear coach Mike Pellicio including defensive player of the year Reese Peterson and first-team all-league picks junior midfielder Avery Davidson and senior goalie Kenzie Shuler. “We are an experienced group who enjoys playing on the front foot,” Pellicio said. “We know how we want to score and the types of chances we want to create.”
Ridgeline (11-7-2, 6-3, 4th): Four-year starter and first-team all-league midfielder Quinn Mueller leads 12 returning letterwinners and seven starters for the Falcons. Junior forward Lydia Lynn is an impact player and goalie Aliana Vakaloloma plays for the Fiji National Team.
Shadle Park (2-14, 0-10, 10th): One of the only programs with a new head coach, the Highlanders and coach Russell Davis are looking to reestablish a culture. A season after going winless in the league, Davis hopes to support the squad. Shadle lost its starting goalkeeper and most of its scoring. Three of the four starting defenders are gone too. It might be a tough year, but look for Davis and the Highlanders to find growth.
ing, but the Vandals made her feel most comfortable on visits and on calls.
But before she heads to Moscow, Mueller is first and foremost the leader of the Falcons, as 11 letterwinners – including four starters – were lost to graduation. That includes Emma Mostek, a Greater Spokane League all-league first teamer and Natalie Thompson, another all-league player in 2022 and 2023.
Being in a leadership role is a familiar position for Mueller. She has been the captain of her Spokane Shadow team for a couple of years while finding other opportunities to be a leader at her school and in her community.
Mueller also said her teammates make it easier to be a leader.
“She is one of those leaders on our team and in our program that I think hands down, all the girls look up to her,” Como said.
Both Mueller and Como agreed that her leadership style has morphed over the years, which is common as freshmen become more confident.
See MUELLER, 9
University (13-8-1, 4-5, 7th): The Titans return a powerful core, which includes offensive MVP Carsyn Gildehaus who led the league in scoring. The elite playmaker is committed to play at Cal-State Bakersfield next season. Ten starters return from the 2024 season as well as 15 total letterwinners. Experience and depth will be their calling card. Junior Addison Cox will team up with Gildehaus up top. Two other all-league senior players, Chlore Ahumada and Lilly Heaton will be leaned on as well. Head coach Kara Sharpe expects a successful campaign.
GSL 2A
Clarkston (10-8, 6-6, 3rd):
The Bantams return 15 players who were regular starters from a season ago. One of the starters who graduated, attacker Rebecca Skinner, was the 2A MVP and is currently at Washington State. Two first-teamers, Daniella Lucas and Emma Aceveda were 2024 first-team all-league players. Head coach Mackenzie Bradshaw is in her third season. Deer Park (8-8, 5-7, 5th): The Stags lost a decent amount of talent as six starting seniors graduated. Their midfield will be their strength. Three all-league players graduated, including goalie Samantha Fausti. Goalie will be a position to watch early in the season. Sophomore midfielder Amaia Breneman is college bound. East Valley (10-7-1, 6-6,
4th): The Knights are coached by Rik Robles who is in his fourth season at the helm. Eight starters are returning, including 12 letterwinners. Three starters graduated.
North Central (6-9, 5-7, 6th): After a sixth-place finish in 2024, the Wolfpack have eight seniors to lean on and six starters in total. Head coach Matt Leonard hopes the 14 letterwinners are able to help the team come together quickly. He expects a top 3 finish in league play. Four seniors will be locking down the midfield. Five freshmen are on the squad and two are expected to be key newcomers – Lily Shelley and Fiona Gomez.
Pullman (17-7, 8-4, second): Eight letterwinners and seven starters return for coach Katie Evermann in her third year as head coach with the Greyhounds, led by senior center midfielder Sidney Johnson and junior back Alanis Bobo. First-year junior goalie Inara Driscall is a key newcomer. Pullman reached a 2A state play-in game in 2024. Rogers (0-16, 0-12): Threetime coach of the year Mike Duke is back for his seventh season coaching the girls team with 11 letterwinners and nine starters returning, including senior captains Saige Stuart and Jordyn Bridges. Senior forward Jasmin Covarrubis Serrano was an all-league honorable mention. “We are looking to continue to be a thorn in the side of those big 2A teams but
COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Ridgeline four-year varsity starter Quinn Mueller will play at the University of Idaho next season.
SETTING THE TONE
Two years removed from devastating bike crash, Ferris setter
Kjersti Jacobson’s focus is on winning
By Madison McCord THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Two summers ago, Kjersti Jacobson was preparing for her sophomore year at Ferris High School and focused on her new role as the Saxons’ starting setter.
Then came the bicycle crash.
“I was finishing up my Counselor in Training program at Camp Reed with this 200-plus mile bike ride and as I was coming down this huge gravel hill, my brakes just gave out,” Jacobson said. “I pretty much had a hole in my right knee just a few weeks before the season was going to start.”
To Jacobson’s surprise, there was no surgery needed or any ligament damage from the crash, but what was required of her was patience.
“We didn’t want her to push it too hard and try to injure the knee and then not be able to come back,” Ferris volleyball coach Staci Hazelbaker said. “I knew when I got the news that it was still early enough in the season that the hope was we would get her back. And what I told her was that I would rather have you at the end of the season than the beginning of the season if we had to choose.
“But it was still such a big blow at the time.”
When Jacobson eventually was cleared by the training staff
and her doctors, she helped lead the Saxons to their first state tournament appearance since the title-winning team of 2001.
This year, Jacobson – now a senior – hopes to repeat the team’s success from two years ago.
“I don’t know that I have ever been this excited going into a season just knowing the potential this team has,” Jacobson said.
“We only have a few new girls in the rotation, so we have that same bond and chemistry which gives us a chance to work on playing faster and better.”
Hazelbaker, who is entering her sixth season at the helm for the Saxons, says that Jacobson’s infectious personality and tireless work ethic make it really easy for everyone to want to play for each other.
“It’s easy to see her speed, aggressiveness and just overall skill, but it’s really the small things that set her apart,” Hazelbaker said. “She always wants to make the ball better, which makes the other girls want to improve the ball and when they’re all working for that common goal it shows.”
It also helps that Jacobson has a strong arsenal of hitters to set to this season. Hazelbaker said that the team will rely on junior Naomi VanderLouw in the middle, along with outsides Freya Tresidder, Callie Hutchison and Fiona Kelly – a junior transfer from Lewis and Clark.
But the key cog in the machine is Jacobson.
“You don’t get a lot of players who voluntarily want to take the leadership role. And she just fits right into it,” Hazelbaker said. “It is amazing because it just brings the whole team together, and it really, like, it’s a glue. It’s like they stick together and they want to play well for her.”
Jacobson said that during her injury recovery, she put an emphasis on learning how to be a leader from some of the seniors
VOLLEYBALL AT A GLANCE
By Madison McCord THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Capsules for the 2025 Greater Spokane League volleyball teams.
In alphabetical order by classification. Records and standings from 2024 season.
GSL 4A/3A
Central Valley (2-7, seventh): Senior outside hitter Aspen Henry and senior libero Cambell Lathan hope to lead a bounce-back performance for the Bears this season under new coach Jeff Witherow. CV returns six starters from a year ago.
Cheney (1-8, tenth): New coach Briget Duncan comes to the Blackhawks with 12 years of varsity coaching experience in Louisiana, joining a Cheney team with a strong core of returning talent. Seniors Delia Keller (setter), Claire Watkins (libero) and Leah Pettet (setter) will be key for Cheney.
Ferris (2-7, seventh): Setter Kjersti Jacobson is back for her senior
Continued from 4
nonleague portion of the schedule,” Duke said. West Valley (21-1-1, 12-0, 1st): Expectations are sky high for the Eagles who have gone to the state finals in back-to-back seasons. Head coach C.C. Collins has 14 of the 15 players on varsity returning. The varsity roster is so stacked, no
season, just two years removed from a devastating knee injury. She will be looking to dish out assists to the likes of middle Naomi VanderLouw and outsides Freya Tresidder and Fiona Kelly – a transfer from Lewis and Clark.
Gonzaga Prep (8-1, second): Junior Mara Sandberg will again be a force for the Bullpups, coming off a first-team all-GSL season and committing to the University of Tennessee for college. She will be joined by fellow first-teamer Noella Migliuri at setter, while coach Nikki Leonard-Gilbert will look to replace five graduated starters.
Lewis and Clark (6-3, fourth): The Tigers return seven letter winners from last season, including second-team all-GSL setter Hailee Biegler. Also back for thirdyear coach Kara Nittenberg is senior outside Simeon Paradiso.
Mead (5-4, fifth): Longtime coach Shawn Wilson retired from the Panthers program this offseason, leaving the reins to former North Central coach Karrie Delp. GSL MVP
on that team. And that role to her is more important than being a good volleyball player.
“Seeing everything from the sideline during that time just made me so much more grateful for the chances I have when I do get on the court,” Jacobson said.
“Since then, I’ve just tried to pass down that message to everyone and it’s fun to see how much we
Ava Durgan is also gone for the Panthers, but Delp will have back four returning starters, including senior setters Janae Demant and Ava England, along with junior outside hitters Mercedes Gilroy and Alayna Smeltzer.
Mt. Spokane (8-1, second): Second-year coach Darcy McMurray brings back four starters from last year’s team that took third in the 3A state tournament. First-team all-GSL standouts Berkeley Neilson (middle) and Kela Williams (libero) will lead the way for the Wildcats, while senior hitters Abigail Smith and Avery Nelson will add experience in the attack.
Ridgeline (9-0, first): The defending 3A state champions lost a group of seven seniors from last year’s title squad, but the cabinets are far from bare for coach Whiney Abell. Six letter winners return in Lizzy O’Connell, Jade Livingston, Ryan Libey, Madison Hickman, Bailey Hillman and Brynlee Allred.
Shadle Park (3-6, sixth):
all appreciate being able to play this game.” Jacobson is still undecided on what her next step will be, but she said that she is talking to several colleges at the Division II level and preferably goes “somewhere warm” – but for now, her focus is on getting the Saxons back into the state mix and leaving her mark on this program.
and five juniors on varsity. Meyer describes the roster as “solid on offense, scrappy on defense.” University (2-7, seventh): Did not respond to S-R questionnaire.
GSL 2A
Clarkston (7-5, fourth):
All-GSL honorable mention Roxie Rogers (outside/libero) will lead the way for the Bantams and secondyear coach Margie Denton. Seniors Jordan Cassetto (middle) and Preslee Dempsey (outside) also return for Clarkston.
Deer Park (8-4, third): Graduation hit the Stags hard, with seven letter winners from last year’s squad now gone. Back though is second-team all-GSL setter Jacey Boesel, along with senior libero Maddie Rice and senior middle Mady Ellingson.
East Valley (2-10, sixth):
“It’s easy to say ‘hey, I just want to win this year,’ but really my goal is that we win as a team,” Jacobson said. “I want us to be excited for each other and play hard for each other – not just individually. And a lot of that starts with me continuing to grow as a setter to put my teammates in the best position for them to succeed.”
North Central (4-8, fifth):
First-year coach Lilli Wais returns just one starter off last year’s team in junior libero Charlize Hall. The Wolfpack will lean on seniors Maggie Schwartzmann (outside) and Kamari Vaile (middle) for experience.
Pullman (10-2, second): The Greyhounds return six starters and nine letter winners from a team that took fifth place at last year’s 2A state tournament. Coach Megan McNannay will look to first-team all-GSL talents Jasmyne Washington (senior middle) and Camber Wolfe (junior setter), along with second-team all-GSL libero Kate Armstrong to make it four state trophies in row.
Rogers (0-12, seventh): Caitlin Greeney takes over as the new coach of the Pirates, and will bring back six letter winners from last season. Senior middle Sierra Graf and senior setter Bella Doucette are key returners for Rogers. West Valley (11-1, first): The Eagles bring back a trio of all-league standouts from last year’s league-winning team. Senior outside Hailey Colyar and senior libero Khloe Wanberg earned first-team all-GSL honors last season, while junior outside Tala Gilcrist was on the second-team. fall sports preview ’25
freshman are on the roster. Senior forward Jenna Howe a reigning league MVP and two-time allleague player, is heading to Eastern Washington next season. West Valley will look to make a deep run in the playoffs.
Northeast A Riverside (6-9, 4-3, 2nd): It has been 28 years since the Rams last made a state appearance. Head coach Matty Smith hopes that this team will get over the hump. He
Coach Brook Meyer returns for her 27th year with the Highlanders with seven experienced starters, including seniors Teagan Schroeder (middle), Brynn Hooper (outside) and Stefanie Tappe (libero). There are nine seniors
has been happy with the amount of summer club play. Five freshmen made the varsity squad after seeing some of the field as 8th graders. The one big loss was all-league defensive MVP Rylee Saguid who graduated. All-league midfielder Mikaela Davis is the returner to watch.
Northeast 2B Freeman (21-0, 13-0, 1st): The Scotties were state champions in 2024 as they were the only team in the state to be undefeated.
New coach Justine McGlasson has been tasked with taking over a Knights program that did not graduate a starter off last year’s team. EV will rely on honorable mention outside hitter Elly Good, along with several other returning starters. Firstteam setter and senior Kamea Davis had offseason knee surgery and will be out most of the year.
Freeman has a chance to make more noise again this season as leading scorer Rylee Russell – who scored 66 goals, good for second in the country – returns. The entire backline graduated, so sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Hollen will be tasked with organizing the new faces. The Scotties and head coach Dave Ellis have five all-league players returning, including MVP Russell.
Boys Saint George’s (11-6-1, 8-3,
1st): The Dragons were 2B State quarterfinalists a season ago, but they lost league midfielder MVP Savvy Briceno and all-league defender Robert DeForest to graduation. They return three allleague players, including seniors Gavin Eliason, Solomon Chen and sophomore Graham Reichel. Head coach Mark Rickard said most of the scoring is returning for 2025, so they expect to make a run with the talent and experience they have.
MADISON MCCORD/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Ferris senior Kjersti Jacobson hopes to lead the Saxons back to the state tournament again this season.
IT’S THE COURSE, OF COURSE
Spokane Valley’s new gem entices Nike Cross Regional Northwest to migrate north
By Greg Lee THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Boise’s loss will be Spokane’s gain when it comes to one of the nation’s most popular high school cross country races.
The Nike Cross Regional Northwest, a regional qualifier for the national championship meet, is being moved from Eagle, Idaho, near Boise, to Spokane beginning in November.
Its ultimate home will be The Course in Spokane Valley. But since the state-ofthe-art 46-acre course isn’t opening until 2026, NXR will be held at the Spokane Polo Grounds on Nov. 14-15.
Ryan Canning, who manages NXR for Nike, chose to move the meet from Eagle Island State Park where it had been located for 17 years. Canning is also bringing the prestigious Bob Firman Invitational to The Course next fall.
Spokane Sports will manage The Course and its racing schedule moving forward.
Together, the races will provide an estimated $7 million economic boost to Spokane.
“Conservatively, the races will bring in $6 million to the area,” said Canning, who lives in Boise.
The NXR and Bob Firman races have outgrown the Eagle Island State Park, Canning said. He tried to find a suitable alternate site in the Boise area.
“I worked up about seven different courses, but I couldn’t find a site that could provide everything we needed from parking to amenities,” Canning said.
Both meets require two days because of the number of races offered – from middle school to elite runners.
“Me and my team looked at it and they (Eagle Island State Park officials) were kind of saying that we don’t want you here without saying we don’t want you here,” Canning said.
The races are a huge boon for Spokane and its running community. Spokane is home to one of the more popular road races in the nation – Bloomsday – and the high school running scene has been historically strong, often competing for high school state championships.
“It hurts the Boise area financially,” longtime Boise coach Aaron Olswanger said of losing the races. “It hurts the running community here.”
Spokane area coaches are overjoyed the races are headed their way.
The Coeur d’Alene boys, who have won two straight Idaho state championships, are two-time defending NXR champs. The Vikings are ranked eighth nationally in a preseason poll.
“We are thrilled NXR is up here,” Coeur d’Alene coach Emry Carr said. “We want to win NXR again and get back to NXN. The influx of families and athletes traveling here, it’s a win for the area.”
NXR features athletes and teams from eight states – Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Wyoming.
Cheney hosts the Battle for the 509, which will be held at the Polo Grounds on Oct. 4. It won’t be the same course used for NXR, but it will be close.
“Ninety percent of the course will be the same,” Cheney coach Derek Slaughter said.
The Polo Grounds is as flat a layout as could be used for a cross country race. The times will be scorching at the 509 and
COURTESY OF SPVV LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
The Nike Cross Regional Northwest, a regional qualifier for the national championship meet, will move from Eagle, Idaho, to Spokane beginning in November. Its ultimate home will be The Course in Spokane Valley when it opens in 2026.
NXR.
Canning decided to move NXR this fall instead of waiting until 2026.
“It provides us a transition year,” Canning said. “What’s exciting about The Course is it’s a dedicated course, a purpose-built facility. We don’t have to fight for access there. They want us there and they want us to grow. It’s a real cross country course. It’s not a flat loop on a race track (like the Polo Grounds).”
Canning said that Bob Firman, who turns 85 this year, was supportive in bringing the meet named in his honor to Spokane. The race is popular because it has served as a preview for NXR.
CROSS COUNTRY AT A GLANCE
By Greg Lee THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Capsules for the 2025 Greater Spokane League, Northeast A and Northeast 2B boys and girls cross country teams. In alphabetical order by classification.
GSL 4A/3A
Central Valley: Back for the girls are Mackenzie Munn, Aubrey Harvey and Adalyn Depew. Returning for the boys are John Troxel, Axton Magloire, Trent Robinson, Jonathan Ashby and Henry McNeilis.
Cheney: Back for the girls are Bella Adaszewski, Kiera Lanier, Gigi Mazurik, Reese Randles, Abby Scharosch and Clara Silvers. The top boys returner, Samuel Hilton, didn’t turn out, coach Derek Slaughter said. Hilton was 19th at state last year as a sophomore. Top returners include Andrew Ward, Ethan Martin, Liam Frantzich and Carter Ward. The Blackhawks have less depth than they’ve had in recent seasons but will battle for top honors among GSL 3A teams.
Ferris: Four seniors are back to lead the Saxons – Hunter Smith,
Finnegan Cunningham, Bryant Smith and Tate McCulloch. State qualifier Ella Menard is back with Triniti Ramos and Morgan Myers to lead the girls. Gonzaga Prep: Girls basketball coach Geoff Arte takes over the boys XC team with all seven returners from last year’s district team back, including senior Zach Frazier (34th at state) and junior Noah Martinet (39th). Arte calls ninth-grader Miro Parr-Coffin the “fastest frosh I have ever seen.” G-Prep hopes to make state for the first time since 1997. The girls team reached state for the first time since the ‘90s as well last season and Erin McMahon, Claire Gee, Makena Krauss and Bella Buckner all return.
Lewis and Clark: The Tigers boys captured their second state title under coach Michael Lee. Just two of the top seven return in junior Eli Tobin and senior Corbin Eiseman. The girls will be young. They’ll be led by state qualifier Amelia Carlson. “We have great young talent – untested, but we have a lot and they are hungry,” coach Maegan Gomes said.
Mead: The Panthers boys may have been the best 4A team in the state not to qualify for state last year. They begin the season ranked No. 1 in
Canning has been told that the Firman Invitational next year will be the first at The Course.
The two races will be big anchors for The Course, Canning said. The Course is scheduled to host the NCAA West Regional Championships in 2027.
Canning is excited for the potential of the two races in Spokane and what could develop with more races.
Spokane teams have had much success at NXR. North Central’s boys, under former coach Jon Knight, won six straight titles, beginning in the first year, and added a seventh. Central Valley also won a title.
NC has had four individual champs, in-
one preseason poll. They are led by Jonah Wiser (12th at state last year), Jovanny Lieb (19th) and sophomore Stejer Franklin, also a state qualifier. Mead will have healthy competition for the next four spots. In the girls, state qualifiers Addy Chaffins, Adrienne Holden, Avery Parker, Ava Philips and Halle Schuetzle are back. “We potentially could be pretty good. But so will the GSL,” Mead coach Dori Whitford said.
Mt. Spokane: The GSL’s two most dominant runners, Kade Brownell and Parker Westermann, have finally graduated. But the cupboard isn’t bare. Gaitlin Michaelsen, Nathan Smith, Jackson Miller, Javin Michaelsen and Eli Hewa are back along with North Central transfer Levi Aden. Brycen Phillips took third in ambulatory. In the girls, Jane Wycoff, Brianna McKell, Austyn Olson and Frances Rein return off a team that took fourth at state. Wycoff was the GSL and district champ.
Ridgeline: The Falcons boys and girls will likely be the most improved leaguewide this fall. Back to lead the boys is Keean Huntsinger. “We are still a young team with a lot of room to grow. But this year is the year we start shooting up the ranks for the
cluding two-time winner Tanner Anderson. There’s just been one girls team winner – Coeur d’Alene in 2012. Former NC standout Katie Knight won in 2010.
With Spokane’s history, the NXR should find a good home at The Course.
“There’s a lot of opportunity for growth in the community,” he said. “There’s such a storied history and it’s a deep running community with Bloomsday. The reality is it’s a hard emotional thing to leave here (Boise). But to grow the sport and have a bigger impact, it’s a no brainer. And coupling that with the level of partnership with Spokane Sports and City of Spokane Valley is fantastic.”
first time,” coach Peter McArthur said. In the girls, Gretchen Carter leads the way along with three promising freshmen. “The girls are pushing each other in practice and checking in with each other often to make sure everyone feels seen, valued and connected,” coach Heather Graham said.
Shadle Park: Junior Becks Bird, 32nd at state last year, returns along with Nick Perkins and Ray Gleason. For the girls, Camryn Tellez, Siena Rowles and Paige Perkins will lead the way.
University: The Titans girls return Kyla Roberts, Mariah Denney, Peyton Richter, Chloe Nelson, Aisnley Miller and Morgan Sulpizio. “We had a spectacular summer,” coach Todd Hawley said. “We trained at elevation on Mt. Spokane and crunched a lot of miles on the trails of Dishman Hill.”
For the boys, Trey Howard, Nate Gadd, Gavin Ahumada and Dylan Schauble are back. “We’re excited about our freshmen,” coach Ernie Aguilar said.
GSL 2A
Clarkston: The Bantams boys and girls are rebuilding. The girls are young with a low turnout. Their top returners are Elise Stoffregen and Lexi York. Avery Peters is back to lead the boys.
Deer Park: Four freshmen ran
consistently in the regular season for the boys last season. But just one, Chase Bates, ran at district. Kaelin Newsom is the lone returning girl who ran at district.
East Valley: The EV girls bring back three seniors – Ava Payne, Camryn Petersen and Ella Shammo. The Knights have some rebuilding to do. For the boys, Caden Higel, Thomas Scott and Evan Metge are back.
North Central: Back for the Wolfpack are Elliot Yegge and Eli Pettis. NC will compete against 2A schools during the regular season before trying to qualify for state in 3A. For the girls, Anna Cumberland and Alex Aden return.
Pullman: The Greyhound boys and girls are expected to return to the top of the league after West Valley won both league titles a year ago. In the boys, the Greyhounds bring back state qualifiers Cade Udy and Leonid Matveev with Felix Fisher, Jude Newbold, Aaron Swensen and Blake Dobbins. In the girls, state qualifier Ada Harris, Evelyn Farrer and Lilea Merwin return.
Rogers: Addy Steppe and Ayia Hill-Hayward will lead the girls. “Our girls improved tremendously last year and are ready to kick off the season better than ever,” coach Ashley Murie
RACING BACK TO GLORY
Jonah Wiser hopes to lead storied Mead boys cross country program back to the top of the podium
By Greg Lee
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
The Mead boys cross country program once was the envy of the state.
At one point under legendary coach Pat Tyson, the Panthers won nine straight state championships. Mead won 12 state titles in 18 seasons during Tyson’s decorated career.
It’s been 17 years since Mead captured a state title. But that drought could end this fall.
The last time the Panthers won a state title was the year senior Jonah Wiser was born – 2008. Wiser and his teammates have a big dream this fall. The Panthers fell short of qualifying for state last year largely because District 6 received just two team berths to state.
“If we had gotten three teams to state, we would have (won a trophy),” Wiser said. “So we’re coming back for it all this season. We want a state championship, that’s the goal.”
Mead is ranked No. 1 in the state in one preseason poll.
The GSL’s state strength was on display again last fall when Lewis and Clark captured the 4A crown. Mead plans to make sure it stays in Spokane.
“They were a trophy team last year,” Cheney coach Derek Slaughter said of Mead. “It made them angry to miss state. They have lots of motivation.”
Three Panthers qualified for state last year including Wiser, who led the way with his best finish of the season. He took 12th in
a time of 15 minutes, 45 seconds.
It was the first time last fall that Wiser had broke 16 minutes.
In a way Wiser peaked at the right time. Much of his season had been relegated to recovering from a freak injury in a season-opening race.
It had rained prior to Mead’s first meet, creating some sloppy conditions. As Wiser crossed the finish line, well ahead in first, he slipped, suffering a back injury.
He had to nurse the injury. Then an illness required him to take a week off from training.
“If you would have asked me last year going into the season I would have said I wanted to finish in the top five at state,” Wiser said. “Before I got injured I had had the greatest training block I’ve had to that point. I was feeling really, really good.”
Wiser, who carries a 3.9 gradepoint average, hit his lowest point mentally by mid-October when he ran 18:08.3 in a GSL dual, finishing 17th.
“That was my slowest time since my freshman year,” Wiser said. “It was such a low point for me.”
Wiser stayed focused and ended up running his season personal-best at state more than two weeks later.
“He had such a great performance at state,” Mead coach Austin Stuchell said.
Said Wiser: “It wasn’t what I was hoping for but with the hardships I faced, I was really happy with it.”
Mead’s other two state returners are senior Jovanny Lieb
CROSS COUNTRY
Continued from 6
said. In the boys, Adan Alegria and Damien Fierro lead the way. The Pirates were second at district last year.
West Valley: Evan McKenzie, the league champ, returns along with Caden Hoskinson. The girls graduated five of seven starters. Back to lead the Eagles is Quincy Andrews. Northeast 1A
Colville: The district meet was ultra-competitive and that’s not likely to change this fall. Colville returns district champ Malik Ortiz along with Isaiah Oritz, Liam Webster, Layden Moore and Isaac Ballance. In the girls, Zadience Zier, third at district, returns
and sophomore Stejer Franklin. Lieb finished 19th (15:50.30) and Franklin was 38th (16:09.0).
Wiser followed up his fast finish in cross country by placing sixth in the 800- and 1,600-meter races at state track in late May. A week later, he combined with Lieb, Franklin and Andersen Williams to place fifth in the 4x800 relay (7:53.8) at the prestigious Brooks PR Invitational in Seattle.
Wiser ran a personal-best 800 split of 1:52.9 – scorching fast in a relay.
His strength in cross country is his speedy kick that he’s developed in the middle distances in track. He hopes that a strong summer of training combined with steady progress this fall will
to lead Colville.
set him up for his best season ever. On paper he should finish no worse than third in state. But he knows he’ll have to back that up with performance.
“I just always want to stay hungry,” Wiser said. “I want to prove what I can do and redeem myself. I’m shooting for the top three at state.” Lieb will give Wiser all he can handle.
“We make each other better,” Wiser said. “I would not be close to what I am now without him on the team.”
Stuchell knows what he has in his top returners. And there will be much competition for the other four starting spots.
“I don’t like putting limits on the boys ever,” Stuchell said. “Jo -
Lakeside: Jillian Owen, Kaylee Orgill, Avery Owen, Charlotte Godinez and Ava Meusy return. In the boys, the top three runners graduated and five of seven are gone. Returning are Silas Kaluza and Matthew Bolles.
Medical Lake: District champ Kaylee Dennler returns. She was fourth at state. Also back are Autumn Trout, Katelyn Hoffer, Feodora Lalicker and Makalia McKenney. In the boys, Mercury Bergquist, Loghan Bradley, Aiden Murillo and George Pitts return.
Riverside: David Parker returns to lead the boys while Delilah Ceparano and Alyssa Riek are back for the girls. Northeast 2B
Saint George’s: The Dragons girls will be in the mix again for a state trophy, if not a state title. They’re led by defending
nah has a lot of potential still. I think he could get under 15 minutes, but cross country is a little less about the times than how you finish in those races.”
Wiser likes his team’s prospects.
“We know what we’ve got and we have a big challenge ahead of us,” he said. “We’re not going to limit ourselves.”
Chasing Mead for the league title will be Cheney, Mt. Spokane and Lewis and Clark.
“Mead has established itself to be a step ahead of everybody,” Mt. Spokane coach Scott Daratha said. “Jonah Wiser is the top runner in the GSL. He could be one of the top runners in the state. He should be as good as anyone in 4A or 3A.”
state champ Regan Thomas and Delaney Nachreiner. Valley Christian: Wesley Hendrickson was second behind teammate Westin Madden in the state meet. Madden has graduated, leaving Hendrickson with a chance to carry the mantle. Idaho
Coeur d’Alene: The Vikings boys are seeking a state threepeat. Twins Maximus and Zachary Cervi-Skinner are off to Wake Forest, but CdA returns the rest of its team. Junior Wyatt Carr leads the way. He is the top returning runner in the state and will rank nationally this season. Also back for the Viks are Mitchell Rietzke, Gabe Heule, Rowan Henry and Wyatt Morganstern. “I don’t want to be billboard material and of course it’s not a foregone conclusion, but that’s our goal,” CdA coach Emry Carr said of a threepeat.
TYLER TJOMSLAND PHOTOS/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Mead cross country runner Jonah Wiser hopes to help the Panthers’ break a 17-year state championship drought.
Mead runner Jonah Wiser, center, accelerates with his teammates during a workout last week.
“ I put a lot of weight on her, especially for drills and using her. but she’s extremely coachable.”
East Valley slowpitch softball coach Justin Sinn
‘SHE’S MY CAPTAIN’
By Ethan Myers THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
On the softball field, Jocelyn “JC” Weger likens her leadership style to directing traffic.
She is loud. She is to the point. She sets the tone. But, most of all, she does what she can to keep morale high and the team working together.
Weger, a star senior for the East Valley Knights slowpitch softball team, hopes the group’s togetherness can be a driving force toward more wins this season.
“I’m definitely looking forward to getting into games and playing with the team and just seeing how we do, honestly,” Weger said. “I feel like we have a lot of potential this year, and if we come together we can definitely do good. I’m just excited to see how it goes.”
As Knights slowpitch coach Justin Sinn describes it, Weger is the kind of player
any coach would want on their team –an unmatched work ethic, polite and responds well to criticism.
“The girls look up to her,” Sinn said. “She runs our warmups, she runs throwing stuff before practices. She’s my captain, so I put a lot of weight on her, especially for drills and using her. But she’s extremely coachable.
“… She’s the type that goes, ‘Hey, the girls are down. Is it all right if I do something to pick them up?’ ”
Even in just the two years that Sinn, who also coaches the baseball team, has headed the slowpitch program, he has seen Weger’s leadership evolve.
Last season, finishing 4-11 in Sinn’s first year, East Valley relied heavily on the play and leadership of senior Shelby Swanson, a power-hitting star pitcher. But with Swanson having graduated, Sinn and the other girls will largely look to Weger to fill that gap.
“This year without Shelby will definitely be kind of hard, but it will help me grow into more of a leader as well through continuing to help everyone and making sure everyone feels comfortable,” Weger said.
While there is plenty of praise to go around in regards to her intangibles, Weger’s on-field production is certainly notable on its own.
She often plays at the corner infield spots, but operates as a utility player for the Knights.
“I can put her anywhere and she’ll dominate it,” Sinn said, pointing to Weger’s ability to read the ball off the bat.
As a hitter, she profiles as a “situational hitter.” Sinn thinks it derives from her unselfishness.
“She’s a clutch hitter,” he said. “I would say – line drives, gaps, a lot of doubles. Not saying she doesn’t have the power to hit it out, but she’s more situational, so not really a greedy, need-to-hit-it-out every time
SLOWPITCH SOFTBALL AT A GLANCE
By Dave Nichols
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Capsules for the 2025 Greater Spokane League slowpitch teams. In alphabetical order. Records and standings from 2024 season.
GSL 4A/3A/2A
Central Valley (11-10, 8-5, seventh): The Bears should be a sound defensive team, with plenty of team speed in the outfield, according to 19-year coach Joe Stanton. CV is led by first-team all-league centerfielder Ella Bendele, who will play fastpitch at College of Southern Idaho next year.
Cheney (2-13, 2-11, 12th): Did not respond to S-R questionnaire. Deer Park (6-11, 5-8, ninth): The Stags are young but experienced, with six starters back from last year’s team. Eighth-year coach Dana Shaw said the sport is still growing at the school, since the program started two years ago when Deer Park joined the GSL. But a majority of the JV
fastpitch players have bought in. “It helps those kids get a bunch of extra work that helps them compete in the spring,” Shaw said.
East Valley (4-11, 4-9, 10th): Senior 3B Jocelyn “JC” Weger leads six returning starters for second-year coach Justin Sinn. “With a decent returning core, we are looking to be competitive in the league and hopefully improve on our record from last season,” Sinn said. Other key seniors are OF/1B Dakota Morris, SS/2B Samantha Halvorson and OF/2B Riley Killarzoac. Ferris (11-8, 8-5, sixth): Seniors Jadyn Hatchitt and Maggie Singleton return after injuries cut last season short. Coach Linda Bushinski brings back nine letterwinners but just three starters. “We have some potential at the bat and defense is coming along,” she said. “To be competitive we will need to be consistent and play as a team.”
Gonzaga Prep (1-16, 1-12, 13th): Nine letterwinners and seven starters return for coach Katie Rowe’s first season at the helm.
Senior infielder Nenah Ainsworth and sophomore Sophia Gum (P) and Abrihet Epps (INF) will lead. “Our starting lineup will have five seniors compared to none last season,” Rowe said. “Game experience will be a key strength for our program this season.”
Lewis and Clark (10-10, 6-7, eighth): Sixth-year coach Jason Wederspahn has 10 letterwinners and eight starters back, including seniors Vienna Klein and Izzy Heister, and juniors Beibhinn and Rhiannon Kilgore. “Veteran leadership and experience now should take big jumps with hopes of pushing deep for a playoff run after narrowly missing state last year,” Wederspahn said.
Mead (16-5, 10-3, fourth): The Panthers were second at state last year, dropping the title game to four-time consecutive champion Chiawana 5-4. Six starters return from that team for ninth-year coach Tiffany Casedy, who has 10 seniors including Mia Martin, Hope Murdock and Jaycee Coffield, who was a first-team all-league selection. “Our strength will be in our age and understanding
EV senior JC Weger leads Knights’ slowpitch softball with play, voice
kind of player. She just likes to put the ball in play and move runners around.”
Her smooth swing, plate discipline and fielding instincts have gotten her looks from a number of colleges. Weger has begun taking on-campus visits. Weger, who is graduating high school with her Associate of Arts degree, is interested in studying business administration and eventually getting an MBA.
As for softball at the next level, she said, “I’m just looking for a good softball program and a coach that I can learn a lot from.”
In the lead up to her senior season, while many athletes set individual goals for reaching statistical marks or receiving awards, Weger, as always, is only interested in doing what is best for the team.
“I think, for me, I definitely just want to be someone my team can count on,” she said of her personal goals for the year. “Just also being loud on the field for my team and getting it done.”
of what it takes to get back to state,” Casedy said. “This senior group has been to state two times in their last three years.” Mt. Spokane (21-0, 13-0, first): The defending State 3A champions bring back 11 letterwinners and nine starters and will look to add another state trophy to their four titles since 2018. “We return a strong core from last year’s team. They’ve had success and they are still hungry to prepare and improve,” coach Carl Adams said.
North Central (0-15, 0-13, 14th): Two fastpitch players – senior Sydney Englert and junior Akiala Luna – are out for slowpitch for the first time. Coach Ashely Bartels thinks the team “looks stronger this year, with a better focus on fundamentals.” There are eight letterwinners and six starters back. Ridgeline (14-4, 11-2, second): Quincy Coder was firstteam all-league pitcher last year and leads seven letterwinners and five starters back for fourth-year coach Lori Maupin. “With graduating a large group of our seniors last year, we will be on the more inexperienced side,” Maupin said.
Rogers (4-11, 3-10, 11th):
“We basically return everyone but will have to replace our pitcher,” coach Cris Coffield said. Coffield expects hitting to be a strength while working on infield defense. Senior 1B Kaylani Davis and OFs Autumn Whitacre and Aubrey Brown will lead.
Shadle Park (14-7, 9-4, fifth): The Highlanders helped the GSL go 1-2-3 at the State 3A/2A tournament last year with a 16-4 win over Walla Walla in the third-place game. Eight letterwinners and six starters are back for veteran coach Scott Harmon, including seniors LaNiya Mawdsley-Cabrera, Bethany Rinas, Mackenzie Duncan and Maddie Mann. “Hopefully we continue to grow our numbers and talent in the program,” Harmon said.
University (17-5, 11-2, second): The Titans were second in league and second in state to Mt. Spokane last season, and they have 10 letterwinners and seven starters back. Among the returners are senior first-team all-league Claire Wilkerson and second-team 2B Grace Schneider. “We have a veteran group of girls that play a lot of softball,” coach Jon Schuh said. “Defense will be a key as we will need to improve from last season.”
JESSE TINSLEY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
East Valley senior Jocelyn “JC” Weger is a leader for the Knights, who hope to improve upon last year’s 4-11 finish.
TEAM-FIRST INDIVIDUAL
Lewis and Clark senior swimmer Ava Swigart helps foster inclusive atmosphere
By Samantha DiMaio THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Everything happens for a reason. If it weren’t for the challenges she faced on a previous swim team, Ava Swigart might not have moved from Oregon to Spokane and joined Lewis and Clark.
She might not have won three state titles, and she would not have played a crucial role in creating the welcoming and supportive culture of the area’s co-op team, which includes athletes from LC, Cheney, Ferris and North Central.
Over the past three years, Swigart has been a catalyst to help increase the numbers for LC’s swim team. In 2023, it was just her and three others: Anya Atkinson, Morgan Herr, and Anjali Richards. By 2024, 10 swimmers had joined. This year, they are the largest in the GSL with a roster standing at roughly 20 swimmers.
“They probably heard about the culture of the team and wanted in,” Swigart said. She knows a little about the subject though experience.
Swigart said the pressure to succeed on her previous team spawned cliques and an elitist mindset amongst the athletes and coaches. She believed a team atmosphere could feel differently and wanted to help foster that at LC. When swimming re-
FOOTBALL
Continued from 3
Garner and record-setting WR Brayden Allen have moved on, but fifth-year coach David Myers has 21 letter-winners and eight starters back, including a good chunk of the offensive and defensive lines. The majority of the starters on offense will be juniors, according to Myers. “They’ll need to gain experience quickly, but many of them did play varsity football as sophomores,” he said. “This is our biggest, fastest, and strongest team yet, but we do lack experience in a lot of places.”
Shadle Park (5-5, 4-5, seventh): Coach James Mace returns for his 12th season with more questions than normal for the Highlanders, who have just eight letter-winners back from last year’s edition. “We are young and very varsity inexperienced,” Mace said. “We are looking to rebuild a solid culture and foundation on and off the field and hope to see growth this year.” Senior RB/LB Myles Gibson will be counted on to lead, while WR/ LB Evan Tilton will take on more responsibility.
University (1-9, 1-9, ninth):
The Titans hope to make big strides in coach Joe Ireland’s second season at the helm. There are 29 letter-winners and nine starters returning, including seniors RB/LB Logan Cox, QB Aiden Sauter and linemen Mason Potter and Andrew Jones. Ireland lauds a “talentrich sophomore class” and strong senior leadership.
GSL 2A
Clarkston (6-4, 5-1, second): First-year coach Kyle Fox takes over a program that was competitive last year but suffered significant losses to graduation, including all-state receiver Ryken Craber. Line play should be a strength, and junior Nike Ah Hi is dynamic on both sides of the ball. “We have a good group of returning core players,” Fox said. “But we will need our incoming sophomores and juniors to step up into the roles that they have this year.”
Deer Park (5-5, 3-3, fourth): New coach Dane Wadkins has seniors at most skill positions, even if they are new starters, including RBs Evan Brinlee and Cam Knudsvig, while senior Blake Berger and junior Ian Olietti will vie for
turned as a varsity sport her sophomore year, building a positive team culture was her top priority.
Along with the other original swimmers, she began building a legacy of acceptance and inclusion.
“For girls specifically, I know that there’s a lot of anxiety… even in practice I hated (racing) because I didn’t want to be seen as second place,” Swigart said.
“I think that’s one of the good things we do here is even if you’re second place … you never feel like a second-class or second-rate human.”
Now, as she embarks on her senior year, Swigart loves racing. It reminds her of the beauty of the sport and why she fell in love with it in the first place.
“Swimming is the closest thing I can get to flying,” Swigart said. “When I swim, I’m perfectly suspended between the ground and the air.”
While some can be seen throwing up their nerves before meets, Swigart simply reminds herself that she is capable. She doesn’t need someone else to convince her that she did her best. She doesn’t need someone to calm her down before she dives in the water. Once she starts, there are no nerves. All she feels is the satisfaction of determination and hard work.
“I know how to race,” Swigart said.
playing time at QB. Junior RB Carter Criss is a transfer from perennial contender Tumwater.
East Valley (3-7, 1-5, sixth):
Coach Adam Fisher enters his 20th season with the Knights, and his third in his second stint, with 20 letterwinners and eight starters back, including QB/DB Tarin Fields RB/DB JJ Bittner and linemen Julian Torres and Aiden Tuttle. “Year 3 back with the same staff and kids now know the expectations,” Fisher said. “We’re better at this time than we were a year ago at the same time.”
North Central (1-9, 0-6, seventh): Eight starters return for fourth-year coach Aaron Woods, including two-way all-league WR/ DB Nick Elliott, senior WR/DB Killian Davis and RB/LB Maddox Watson. “We have a solid core on both offensive and defensive lines,” Woods said. “We are working hard in closing the gap between our starters and non-starters in preparing them to be in positions to be successful when they are on the field.”
Pullman (3-6, 2-4, fifth):
Kevin Agnew returns for his second season as coach with 10 letterwinners, but just two starters, back. LB/TE Hunter Recknagle and RB/ LB Silas Wheatley were secondteam all-league. “We have a good nucleus of kids that have worked hard throughout the offseason,” Agnew said. “We will need to stay healthy and grow up quickly on our offensive line.”
Rogers (6-4, 4-2, third):
Three of the four returning receivers – Miley Sanders, Jerry Allen and Jelani Kabba – helped Rogers take third at state track in the 4x100 relay in the spring. The fourth, senior Alex Peabody, was first-team all-league last season. Allen has already committed to University of Idaho at defensive back, and Sanders transitions to RB. “We expect the defense to play fast, physical and fundamentally sound,” Cole said, as the Pirates try to qualify for a third consecutive trip to the postseason. West Valley (11-1, 6-0, first): The Eagles reached the state quarterfinals last season and coach Craig Whitney returns for his 21st season at WV with 24 letter-winners and 10 starters back, including junior QB Nathan Zettle, WR Erik Borg on offense, with DL Ryder Johnson and LB Adan Knapp as stalwarts on defense. “We will be untested at a few positions to begin the year,”
MUELLER
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“At first, she came in very quiet, very humbled, and I think now she’s definitely grown into a more boisterous leader, and now she’s more where she will step in and tell people and lead the way with her voice and her actions,” Como said. “She’s one that definitely will back it up and she will outwork anybody on the field.”
With Mueller being on varsity for four of the five Falcon seasons, she has helped build a foundation for future Ridgeline players.
“I know what I’m doing. I’ve put in the work… I should celebrate myself when I’m on the blocks, when I’m in the water and when I touch the wall because I know that, whatever happens, I put in the work, and I did the best that I could possibly do.”
Swigart has had nearly 15 years of practice in the sport, ever since her parents first taught her in their neighbor’s pool in California. Though she played soccer and did ballet like many growing up, she gravitated toward swimming. It wasn’t until her freshman year of high school that she felt called to let go of the sport due to the stressful environment her previous team created.
Even with the addition of track and water polo, the following year was filled with recuperation and fun. She went from feeling burned out and disappointed to hopeful and rejuvenated.
“Every swimmer who you’ll talk to, every single one, if they’re telling the truth will say that a break is really good,” Swigart said.
Toward the end of that hiatus, her family moved to Spokane. If the team in Bend had met her needs, they might not have relocated, but Swigart’s parents wanted more for her as she went into her sophomore year of high school.
“I didn’t think I was going to swim again, and they encouraged me to do it,” Swigart said. “Now I’m here, and this is, like, I think the biggest gift they’ve given me other than life.”
After a lengthy break from the struc-
ture and pressure of racing, Swigart practiced with LC for only seven hours a week. Under the leadership of coach Jennifer Hochwalt, she ended the year with a major accomplishment and the relief of knowing what she is capable of.
Within the first year of her return to the sport, she won the state title for the 200 and 500 free.
During her junior year, Swigart retained her state title for the 500 free but placed third in the 200 free. Even when things don’t go her way, Swigart prides herself on having a good attitude. She knows people are watching, and she knows it’s not the end all, be all.
“Sometimes your bad race is someone else’s good race,” Swigart says.
Swigart’s incredible success led to a flood of emails from several recruiters. Her father helped input all her options into a spreadsheet and color-code them based on interest. Her top three included Washington State University, University of Nevada-Reno and University of New Hampshire.
Though she was excited at the opportunity to remain close to home by attending WSU, their roster filled up quickly. She then went on an official tour to Reno where she recognized how fantastic the team was. Next fall, that is where Swigart will continue to soar.
LC swim is set to defend its GSL title and hopes to bring more individuals to state. The Tigers host meets Oct. 21 and 24 at Eastern Washington University.
Whitney said. “We do have a good nucleus coming back from last year, but we’ll have to battle every week to improve.”
NEA
Colville (5-5, 3-0, first): The Crimson Hawks reached districts last season and return 18 letter-winners and 12 starters for coach William Benbrook, who enters his second season. First-team all-league seniors Brock Benson (QB/DB), Bridger Lewis (RB/LB) and Braedon Heater (line) are leaders.
Lakeside (3-6, 2-1, second): The Eagles suffered their first losing season in several last year, and seniors WR Jett Winger, TE/LB Cy Reeves and lineman Colton Howell are key returners as Tanner Cummings takes over at QB.
Medical Lake (1-8, 0-3, fourth): The Cardinals hope to improve on last season’s struggles as coach Nick Puzycki enters his fourth season at the school with just two wins to show for it. Eight starters return, featuring all-league honorable mention senior TE/LB Kaden Shaffer. Riverside (2-9, 1-2, third): Did not respond.
NE2B-Tier 1
Lind-Ritzville/Sprague (4-6, 2-5, sixth): Juniors QB Cam
Boness and RB/DB Cole Rouleau are leaders with just six starters returning for fourth-year coach Brendan Bermea. “To reach our max potential need to be able to throw the ball more consistently,” Bermea said. Northwest Christian (6-3, 4-2, third): The Crusaders were playoff qualifiers last year but hit hard by graduation – just four starters return for sixth-year had coach Marshall Hart. Returning senior QB Mason Gassaway will look for allleague senior WR Lincoln Crockett and junior Braylon Comfort often. Reardan (3-6, 0-6, seventh): Fourth-year coach Matt Clouse has seven starters back, led by senior QB Hunter Flaa and senior RB/DB Blake Wynecoop. “Our senior class is doing a great job of leading our team,” Clouse said. “They want to compete and aren’t afraid to hold each other accountable.”
NE1B-Tier 1
Almira/Coulee-Hartline (10-3, 2-1, second): The Warriors reached the state semifinals last year and coach Brandon Walsh returns eight starters, including all-league QB Caden Correia and all-state RB/ LB Harvest Parrish. “Last year our three losses were to the two teams that played for a state championship (Liberty Christian and Wilbur-
“It’s been so amazing just being a part of something new and building a legacy,” Mueller said. “I’ve been a part of both out appearances to state and we made it all the way to the Elite Eight last year, which is amazing for such a young program.” The Falcons hope to replicate – at least – their 2024 season. It starts with Mueller, but there is an entire roster of playmakers. Como said many of the returners have been working all offseason together, including some who played up with the Spokane Shadow Women’s First Team. A majority also participated in the Spokane Soccer Academy.
Creston-Keller),” Walsh said. “Our kids want to get over the hump this year and win those big games.”
Wilbur-Creston-Keller (13-0, 3-0, first): The Wildcats won their first state title last season but graduated state player of the year Preston Michel and all-state QB Kallen Maioho. Veteran coach Darin Reppe returns five two-way starters and 11 letter-winners with 21 out this season, their biggest turnout in several years.
NE1B-Tier 2
Sel/Port (2-6, 2-4, fifth): Selkirk and Northport joined programs last season and the team improved steadily throughout the season for coaches Kelly Cain (Selkirk) and Matt Moore (Northport). Several returning players with experience, including QB/DB Danny Searson, should continue to develop and increase this team’s competitiveness.
Southeast 1B
Pomeroy (10-2, 5--2, second): The Pirates won the Wheat Division last year and lost in state semifinal. Coach Kyle Kimble has 11 letter-winners and four starters back, including all-league RB/DB Kyzer Herres and OL/DL Peyton Cannon.
“We’re ready for high school ball,” Como said. Mueller was one of those who played against women who are all either in college or post-college careers. She said the high level of soccer that they play has prepped the girls for the aggression of league play.
She’ll spend her final season in Ridgeline green, soaking in the memories and remembering what it is like to play on the turf, under the lights and in front of her friends and family with her teammates flanking her.
“We have great coaches, and all the girls are so amazing, which just makes it all so easy and fun,” she said.
“Just to be a part of Ridgeline soccer is truly so special.”
JAMES SNOOK/FOR THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Rogers receiver Jerry Allen tries to jump over Davis defensive back Tey’Jzon Walker last Thursday at ONE Spokane Stadium.
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