Friday, Sep. 25, 2009

Week 4 picks

It may not be quite appropriate to liken a Wahluke volleyball victory to a Haley's Comet sighting.

But it's definitely close.

The Warriors pulled out a four-set victory over Warden on Thursday night, snapping a 33-match SCAC East losing streak in the process.

Wahluke's last win in league play came almost three years ago -- on Sept. 26, 2006, also against Warden, also in four sets.

That win snapped a 54-match league losing streak that dated back to Oct. 2, 2001, also a four-set win over Royal.

So, over the past eight-plus seasons, Wahluke is 3-96 in league matches.

All of which is to say ... congrats to coach Rikki Christian's Warriors for a long overdue victory.

Here's hoping the program is about ready to turn a corner.

And that the light it sees isn't an oncoming train.

And with that, it's time to make my Week 4 picks. Went 10-3 last week, missing on Othello (big upset over Prosser), Enterprise, Ore. (vs. Liberty Christian) and Walla Walla (vs. Eastmont), to improve to 29-12 on the season.

Eastmont at Kamiakin

What to make of the Wildcats -- blown out by Wenatchee, blowing out Richland, blown out by Walla Walla. The two losses were up north, while the win was at Richland, so maybe they need to play in the Tri-Cities to be successful ... Seriously, the Braves haven't played a complete game yet, but they're 2-0 in league play, coming off a nice win at Hanford, and playing at home. Kamiakin 24-17

Eisenhower at Richland

The Bombers got their season-saving win at West Valley last week. But they haven't solved all their problems, and Ike is playing the best ball of any of the CBBN Cascade teams right now. Eisenhower 28-14

Hanford at Walla Walla

The Blue Devils have been Jekyll and Hyde this year. They're primed for a big game on their home field, where they're 0-2 so far, and they get WR/DB Gary Winston back in the lineup. It's all enough to give Falcons coach Rob Oram a migraine. Walla Walla 35-15

West Valley at Chiawana

Before the season began, this was one of the games the Riverhawks pointed to as a potential win. But with junior WR/DB Miquiyah Zamora out for the season (broken foot) and the run defense the most porous in the league, this isn't the automatic W it looked like in Week 1. I still seem them pulling it out. Chiawana 21-14

Kennewick at Davis

Looks like I'm going to have to pay off on my bet with compadre Ben Reynolds, who picked Davis to win at least two games this year. The Pirates are much improved this season, and with this game in Yakima, that gives them just the edge I see them needing to end their lengthy league losing streak. Davis 26-23

Pasco at Moses Lake

Last week's last-second loss to Wenatchee, including a 95-yard kickoff return for the go-ahead score for the Panthers, makes this week's road game a gut check for the Bulldogs. Moses Lake looked vulnerable against the pass in its opening win over Chiawana, which should play into the Bulldogs' hands. What doesn't is ML's running game, which should exploit the same vulnerabilities the Panthers did. I'm seeing a shootout that comes down to the end again. Pasco 34-33

Southridge at Wenatchee

This game, on the other hand, should be a defensive war. Both teams feature similar styles -- strong run games, strong defenses, dominant big guys up front. I haven't had the chance to watch Southridge yet this year, so I've only caught glimpses of junior RB Dallin Palmer at summer camp and fall practice. But I have a hard time believing he is a better athlete than Wenatchee's Jacob Sealby. I'm not sure anyone in the league matches Sealby. He's a game-changer (just ask Pasco), and playing at the Apple Bowl, I see him making the play at the end that makes the difference. Wenatchee 16-14

Bend at Hermiston

The Bulldogs had a week off to ready for their Intermountain Conference opener. Bend comes in on a two-game win streak and with the IMC's top scoring offense. Hermiston 31-21

Prosser at East Valley

The Red Devils are the unfortunate team that faces the Mustangs after they had their 39-game regular-season win streak snapped last week. Prosser 32-13

Toppenish at Othello

The Huskies can't afford a letdown after their momentous win at Art Fiker. Toppenish has enough talent to make them pay if they overlook the Wildcats. Othello 34-14

Kiona-Benton at Columbia (Burbank)

Neither team can afford a defeat if it wants to vie for one of the SCAC East's regional playoff berths. Burbank 38-26

River View at Connell

This won't be a repeat of three years ago, when River View's 4-0 start fizzled into a 5-4 finish, starting with a 55-0 thrashing by the Eagles. But Connell's 3-0 start this year includes wins over Othello and Cashmere. River View hasn't vanquished a foe anywhere near as noteworthy. The Eagles can handle River View's spread and have the offensive weapons to control the game. Connell 36-16

Zillah at Royal

The Knights never put up gaudy statistics -- other than on the scoreboard. The Leopards will find that out the hard way. Royal 44-6

Waitsburg-Prescott at Liberty Christian

W-P's size and depth will be too much for the Patriots to handle. Waitsburg-Prescott 40-16

Cove, Ore., at Tri-Cities Prep

I can't think Cove has seen a quarterback the likes of Will Hoppes. Tri-Cities Prep 68-20

I'm heading up 395 for the RV-Connell matchup. See ya under the Friday night lights.

Til next time ...