Monday, Nov. 02, 2009

Looking ahead to Friday

Boy, have I had a productive couple of days off?

That is, to say, that I've had the chance to veg on the couch and catch up on my sleep. Is that weekends are for?

So, the batteries are recharged and ready for a fantastic Week 10 of the football season that kicks off a frantic finish to the fall prep season.

Of course, we still have to wait until Tuesday to know all the Week 10 playoff matchups. What sounds like a crazy GSL football season doesn't conclude until the three-way playoff between Ferris, Gonzaga Prep and University that takes place at Albi Stadium.

Ferris and G-Prep play first (guessing because of the number draw), with the loser the No. 5 seed into the crossovers. The winner takes on University for the No. 3 seed and a playoff date at Wenatchee.

There's been lots of speculation on the Spokesman blogs about how the playoff games will go -- most of it giving Wenatchee a fair chance of winning, but giving Kamiakin and Southridge no chance of going to Spokane and coming home a state qualifier.

I think a lot of the Kennewick schools' chances Friday night comes to how their offenses perform. Both the Braves and Suns have strong defenses (Southridge, of course, has the best in the CBBN), but their offenses have been hit-and-miss at times.

Each has had only a couple big tests this year, including one biggie each on the road, which they failed -- Kamiakin at Eisenhower, and Southridge at Wenatchee. How much each has grown from that game will say a lot about their chances Friday night.

A couple of the bloggers talk about strength of schedule rankings on various websites. The problem is, with so few chances for teams from either league to play nonleague games, those rankings mean nothing to me. They only perpetuate pre-existing beliefs about the strength or weakness of each league.

If anything, Thursday's crossover games -- yes, the meaningless filler games -- might tell us something about how Friday's games will go. If GSL bottom-feeders like Rogers and North Central can come down and knock off teams like Richland and West Valley, that would bode poorly for the CBBN's chances this year.

I will agree with one of the postings, though -- it is too bad that Southridge, which beat Kamiakin in Week 1, ends up a lower seed than the Braves and gets the tougher regional matchup in GSL top seed Mead.

Still, as great as Friday's playoff football games will be, the action Saturday will be even greater.

Regional volleyball championships, regional girls soccer games, all topped by the state cross country championships at Sun Willows Golf Course.

I envy my compadre Kevin for getting to cover the state XC meet. That was always one of my favorite events to cover each year.

But I will be in Spokane instead to watch the second day of the regional volleyball tournament, which involves the state's top-ranked team in Mead, as well as three Tri-City teams that all harbor realistic state tournament hopes -- Richland, Southridge and Kamiakin.

At least two of them should be able to make it to Toyota Center, looking at the way the bracket works out. In fact, if all three win their first-round matches Friday, I would predict that all three will make it to state.

The biggest toss-up match of Friday's first round is Kamiakin vs. Lewis & Clark in a rematch of last year's regional and state finals. The Braves are still adjusting to life without senior MB Kristi Beyer but looked pretty good Saturday, while LC is a totally different team this year -- but still a quality opponent.

The thing about all three Tri-City teams that I think will pay dividends for them this weekend is their strength at the setter position. Richland's Krysta Olberding, Southridge's Andrea Smith and Kamiakin's Paige Wamboldt should finish 1-2-3 in voting for the all-league setter, and for good reason. The way they run their teams and control matches may just be the key to all three playing at state in two weeks.

Anyway, please give me your thoughts on this weekend's upcoming action -- whatever the sport.

No matter which sport, there should be some good games.

Til next time ...