Home court isn’t what it used to be for SCAC West kingpins

Ah, the home-court advantage.
Valley basketball fans who are at or near my age of 60 years (but I read at a 61-year-old level) can recall when playing at home was a huge advantage, especially in the old Valley A League.
Old gyms and good teams meant life on the road was often a losing proposition — Marquette (and later Carroll) rarely lost in the Yakima Armory, Mel Bowden’s Prosser Mustangs were tough to handle in their old-school venue and White Swan and Cle Elum offered unique challenges to their visitors with gyms that were old and courts that were small.
Highland was no bargain in its old building, one in which Pat Fitterer’s squads won 67 straight during the 1980s.
Fast-forward to 2012, however, and the home mystique has faded.
It has this season, at least, especially regarding the upper tier of the SCAC West which will feature a Granger-Zillah showdown Saturday night on the Leopards’ floor.
At this writing, Zillah tops the division at 8-1 with NV and Granger following, each at 8-2. And here’s the intriguing thing — all five of their collective losses have come at home.
Zillah lost to the Rangers at home, 48-45 on Jan. 6, but then won at NV 74-68 on Jan. 24; Naches Valley lost at home to Granger, 65-52 on Jan. 10, but beat the Spartans in overtime, 70-65 on the road last Saturday; and Granger lost its first meeting with Zillah, at home, 60-56 on Jan. 14.
Saturday night was to have marked the end of the SCAC West regular season, but snowouts have necessitated Monday games featuring Zillah at Highland and La Salle at Goldendale.
Stay tuned.

FROM THE QUOTE FILE

“People would say, ‘Well, you guys always seem to get every call up there.’ And instead of trying to deny that, I’d say, ‘Yeah, we seem to.’”

— Pat Fitterer, on the mystique of the old Highland gym, where he coached for 11 seasons

 

 

Wildcats go heavy on QBs

YAKIMA, Wash. — That five quarterbacks would be included in Blaine Bennett’s fifth Central Washington recruiting class might be misunderstood by some observers.

Yes, Bennett was himself a quarterback, first at Walla Walla High School and later at Whitworth University. But no, he doesn’t collect QBs as a hobby.

“To justify that, we only signed one quarterback last year and felt like we needed some young quarter-backs in the program,” Bennett said Wednesday on the release of CWU’s 28 signees. “But also, high school offenses have changed over the last four or five years, and a lot of coaches in our state are now putting their best athlete at that position. It used to be that the best athlete was probably a running back.

“So we feel like we’ve gotten some excellent athletes who are multiple position possibilities, although they’ll all start by being quarterbacks for awhile.”

Of course the Wildcats do have a quarterback history in the persons of Jon Kitna and Mike Reilly. The probable starter next season will be senior Ryan Robertson, but Bennett clearly wants to begin grooming QBs for the future.

The most highly rated of the newcomers, according to The Seattle Times, are 6-foot-1, 192-pound Jake Nelson of Lake Stevens and Drew Austin (6-2, 180) of Graham-Kapowsin.

Both were white chip selections by the Times — the highest rating is blue, followed by red and then white. Nelson completed 70 percent of his passes for 2,086 yards and 21 touchdowns with only four interceptions for the Vikings, who went 12-1 and reached the Class 4A state semifinals.

Three of Nelson’s teammates also signed with Central — wide receivers Brady Pahukoa and Christian Gasca and linebacker Korey Young.

Pahukoa’s father, Jeff, was an all-conference offensive lineman at Washington in the early 1990s and his uncle, Shane, was a UW safety.

Bennett also wants Central to become a faster team, and mentioned speed as a key ingredient his newest recruiting class.

“We signed some receivers, defensive backs and running backs with legitimate big-play speed,” he said. “This is probably the fastest class we’ve recruited since I’ve been here, and that was very important to us.”

Recruits are told they’ll redshirt during their true freshman seasons, although injuries and other circumstances have occasionally pressed some into varsity play sooner.

Bennett said David Fontenette, a 6-2, 228-pound tight end from Bethel High in Spanaway, is a physically mature prospect who could see playing time next fall.

“He’s an excellent athlete,” Bennett said of Fontenette, CWU’s lone Times red chip. “We tell them all they’ll redshirt, but you never really know. Sometimes a chance presents itself, even for a young guy who’s not quite ready but just gets thrown into the fire.”

Bennett also said the heights and weights listed with his signees are accurate as per measurements taken during the players’ on-campus visits.

“We signed one player who was 6-0 and 190 on his high school roster,” Bennett said. “We get him here and he’s 5-10 and 181. Those are two different people. In this case, he was a good enough athlete that it didn’t really matter.”

Next on Bennett’s agenda is to find a replacement for assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Joe Lorig, who left last month for a job at Arizona State.

In tribute to the Davis Pirates, and also to Ike

There has been so much to admire and enjoy about the Davis Pirates, who are ranked No. 1 in this week’s Class 4A state poll by The Associated Press, that some of the positives go unmentioned if not unnoticed.
To be sure, there are the multiple talents and unselfishness of David Trimble, the poise and leadership of Cooper Kupp, the heady quickness and shooting range of Ray Navarro, the relentless rebounding of Devonte Luckett and the whatever-is-necessary inside play of LeVonte Allen.
But also — and Davis’ four other seniors and other varsity members qualify in this regard as well — it should be noted what the Pirates don’t do.
They don’t, for example, talk smack. They don’t whine to the officials, either verbally or via body language.
But they do, under Eli Juarez’s tutelage, play to their strengths.
“They are true students of the game,” Juarez said after Tuesday night’s win over Moses Lake on senior night. “They know the game and they know each other. They play off each other and know each other’s instincts.”
Last year, after the Pirates had qualified for their second straight state tournament berth, Juarez mentioned that some teams he’d coached during his distinguished career had contained great kids who weren’t so great in basketball terms and others had contained exceptionally talented kids who were more difficult to coach.
“When you have a group like this,” he smiled, “you have the best of both worlds.”
Juarez reiterated that sentiment Tuesday night, and like most everyone involved was surprised that the end — Davis’ last regular-season home game, at least, had come so quickly.
“You blink, and it’s senior night,” he said. “But yes, these kids have truly been a joy to coach.”
And to watch.

At Eisenhower, meanwhile, while the Cadets struggled through a one-win season the efforts of coach Colton Monti, his staff and players should not be dismissed.
Monti, assistants Humberto Perez and Drew Harris — all in their first seasons of varsity coaching — worked their tails off. And in spite of Ike’s on-court struggles they stayed positive and did not fall prey to finger-pointing or excuse-making.
Adversity, I’ve learned during almost four decades in this profession, reveals much more about one’s character than success. Having watched Monti, Perez and Harris play for several years — Perez and Harris at Davis and Ike, respectively, before they moved on to Central Washington, where Monti played for four seasons — I can attest to the competitive nature of each person. They hate losing.
Yet all have emerged from this experience older and wiser, not bitter and jaded.
Like that of the Davis Pirates, Ike’s on-court conduct has been a positive example for the community’s youth.

FROM THE QUOTE FILE
“Good manners never go out of style.”
— Dean Nicholson

Davis boys send seniors off in style with rout of Moses Lake

YAKIMA, Wash. — Given the pregame festivities, which saw each of the nine Davis seniors presented with an action photograph of himself, there was only one realistic response Tuesday night — a performance suitable for framing.

And while the Pirates’ 86-61 demolition of Moses Lake was not without its imperfections, it must be remembered that with this team — and especially this group of 12th-graders — beauty is in the eye of the defender.

“That’s definitely a big part of what we do and who we are,” said Cooper Kupp, when told afterward that Davis had forced 24 first-half turnovers and finished the game with 35. “Every time we do that, it’s a two to three-point swing.”

For the overwhelming majority of this special occasion at Davis Gym, a night in which the second-ranked Pirates secured at least a tie for the CBBN 4A championship, defense ruled.

As is usually the case with Davis, opposition turnovers were often followed by flying Pirate buckets from point-blank range. And both came in bunches as coach Eli Juarez’s crew improved to 10-0 in league play and 15-2 overall.

Road games remain with Richland on Friday night and Wenatchee on Saturday, and a victory in either for Davis will mean an outright league title.

“Defensively is where I think we’re really coming together,” Juarez said. “These kids understand that they have to get stops, and that they feed offensively off their play at that end of the floor.”

In that regard the wealth was shared nicely, with Ray Navarro scoring 18 points, David Trimble 17, Kupp 13 and Carlos Perea-Vijarro 10. It marked the fourth straight game in which at least four Pirates hit double figures.

Tuesday’s foursome was especially efficient, shooting a combined 24 for 35 (68 percent) capped by Vijarro’s 5-for-5 marksmanship.

Then again, percentages tend to rise when a team is shooting layups.

Davis was at its larcenous best early, turning the Chiefs (4-6, 6-11) over 13 times en route to a 20-7 lead.

Ahead 25-18 midway through the second quarter, the Pirates staged a withering 16-0 burst started by a Devonte Luckett basket, featuring two Trimble hoops and capped by a Navarro 3-ball.

The game seemed over before it was over, much like the careers of Davis’ seniors.

“It’s been crazy,” said Trimble, who along with Luckett is in his fourth season as a varsity mainstay. “Growing up together, playing together and fighting together, it’s all gone by so fast. It’s all just been crazy.”

But of course there is much unfinished business for the Pirates, who seek their third consecutive Class 4A state berth after a 21-6 record and fifth-place finish last year.

“The whole goal,” Trimble said, “is just to get back (to state). That’s what we’ve been shooting for, and once we get there we’ll just try to take it as far as we possibly can.”

Kevin Bennett, a 5-foot-10 senior guard, connected on five 3-pointers and led Moses Lake with 18 points.

Yakima hit the jackpot with Joe Donahue

YAKIMA, Wash. — Every now and then, a community wins the lottery.

Circumstances, be it a job opportunity, military assignment or just a change of scenery, result in the arrival of a person whose combination of intelligence, personality, energy and integrity result in the dramatic improve-ment of said community.

It happens more often than one might think, and Yakima has had its share of such good fortune.

That said, there will only be one Joe Donahue.

And while the city, community and Valley will be forever enriched by the career move that brought Joe here from Twin Falls, Idaho, in 1947, it will also experience a substantial and permanent void left by his recent passing at age 94.

Never met Joe? Neither did I.

But a look at the photo accompanying his obituary in Tuesday’s Herald-Republic — eyes sparkling, face smiling and right hand waving — provides a sense of the true treasure Joe was to Yakima.

Then you talk to people, those among his many friends who really knew him and his multitude of contributions to the community, and the magnitude of his life becomes much clearer.

“He was just such a good guy,” said former Yakima Valley Community College coach and athletic director Bill Faller. “He had a sense of humor and was just a good guy to know, but also he was a real supporter of local athletics at all levels. It didn’t matter the level and it didn’t matter the sport.”

Said Bobo Brayton, who as YVCC’s baseball coach treasured Joe’s support and friendship more than five decades ago, “He was just a steady customer. Joe was always the same. You’d see him one day, then you’d see him a week later and he was still the same guy. He was tremendous that way, and he was always ready to jump in and help with whatever you had going.”

Many who so positively impact their place of residence do so as educators — as teachers, coaches or administrators. Joe was a businessman, one who after working as a photo engraver for this newspaper began his own operation and continued it through 1987.

“He was a really solid businessman and a very shrewd investor,” said close friend Paul George, who eulogized Joe at Thursday’s funeral. “He really knew his stuff.”

But doing so, providing for his wife and five children while contributing to the pecuniary prosperity of Yakima, wasn’t enough for Joe.

He involved himself in the community’s civic, social and sporting fabric, but not as a glad-hander or backslapper or someone ultimately in search of personal recognition.

The last original member of Yakima’s Monday Morning Quarterbacks, a group he helped form in 1948 along with Babe Hollingbery to help local athletes, Joe acted.

He developed the local Grid Kids program. He served on the Yakima Meadows board of directors. And for many years he joined longtime friend Oscar Soderstrom, a former Yakima police chief, as a booster and ambassador for YVCC who so profoundly benefited the school that Sherar Gymnasium displays a plaque in his honor.

“Many years ago,” Faller said, “a full scholarship at the college cost $300 a year. Joe and Oscar used to go around and get all their buddies to give $10 each. And for a number of years they produced scholarships for us that way.”

The Parker Youth and Sports Foundation, which Joe served as secretary during its early years and again aided in its 2004 rebirth, offers a Joe Donahue scholarship to a deserving YVCC athlete.

Joe also bowled, golfed, hunted and fished. He and his wife of 73 years, Fern, were affectionately known as Slowpitch Joe and Slowpoke Fern for their participation in that endeavor, one Joe continued into his 70s.

Even at age 90, he was able to put his pitching acumen to use at a Parker Youth golf event that served also to honor Joe.

Brayton was to start the festivities with a shotgun, Joe’s son Miles recalled, but was told he couldn’t fire the weapon. So with Mel Stottlemyre experiencing role reversal as a catcher and Brayton wielding his shotgun as a bat, Joe served up one more offering to begin the event.

But as playful and personable as Joe was, he selflessly gave. He contributed countless hours toward building and improving this community, and left it a far better place than he found it.

It has been our good fortune that Joe spent his final 64 years here. And it is sad that his life, while by all accounts joyful and fulfilling, has ended.

Because for Yakima, the arrival of Joseph Alton Donahue in 1947 was like winning the lottery.

• Roger Underwood can be reached at 509-577-7694 or runderwood@yakimaherald.com

 

Updated GNAC, NWAACC East hoop standings

GNAC MEN
    Conf    Seas
Western Washington     9-1    18-3
Western Oregon    7-4    14-6
Alaska Anchorage    9-2    15-4
Seattle Pacific          8-3     16-4
MSU Billings    7-4    12-7
Central Washington    4-7    10-9
Saint Martin’s    4-7    8-12
NW Nazarene    4-7    10-9
Simon Fraser    1-9    6-12
Alaska Fairbanks    1-10    4-17
Saturday’s scores: Alaska Anchorage 82, Central Washington 65; Northwest Nazarene 62, Alaska Fairbanks 53; Montana State Billings 82, Saint Martin’s 74; Seattle Pacific 61, Western Oregon 58; Western Washington 86, Simon Fraser 75.

GNAC WOMEN
    Conf    Seas
Alaska Anchorage    10-1    19-3
Western Washington    7-3    13-5
Seattle Pacific    7-4    13-6
MSU Billings    7-4    15-7
Simon Fraser    6-4    11-7
NW Nazarene    6-5    12-7
Western Oregon    4-7    5-16
Central Washington    3-8    6-12
Saint Martin’s    2-9    7-14
Alaska Fairbanks    2-9    6-15
 Saturday’s scores: Alaska Anchorage 80, Central Washington 48; Northwest Nazarene 83, Alaska Fairbanks 56; MSU Billings 58, Saint Martin’s 52; Western Oregon 79, Seattle Pacific 74; Western Washington 70, Simon Fraser 61.
 
NWAACC EAST MEN
    Conf    Seas
Yakima Valley    5-1    12-6
Spokane    4-1    15-3
BigBend    5-2    15-3
Walla Walla    4-2    13-6
Columbia Basin    2-4    6-11
Treasure Valley    2-4    3-14
Blue Mountain    1-5    5-11
Wenatchee Valley    1-5    5-10
Saturday’s scores: Yakima Valley 85, Treasure Valley 81; Spokane 82, Columbia Basin 79; Walla Walla 75, Big Bend 69; Blue Mountain 62, Wenatchee Valley 61.

NWAACC EAST WOMEN
    Conf    Seas
Yakima Valley    5-1    15-4
Columbia Basin    5-1    17-2    
Walla Walla    5-1    14-4
Blue Mountain    3-3    11-6
Big Bend    3-4    13-7
Wenatchee Valley    2-4    7-11
Treasure Valley    1-5    3-14
Spokane    0-5    5-12
Saturday’s scores: Yakima Valley 67, Treasure Valley 39; Columbia Basin 72, Spokane 54; Walla Walla 85, Big Bend 76; Blue Mountain 53, Wenatchee Valley 51.
   

Yaks’ Jordan feels much better now, thanks

On Wednesday night, Jan. 11, Simone Jordan came out of the Yakima Valley women’s locker room, made an abrupt right turn and walked quietly through the nearest exit of Sherar Gym.
Minutes earlier, the Yaks sophomore had missed the first of a one-and-one free throw opportunity. She could have sent YVCC’s game with Big Bend into overtime, but didn’t, resulting in a rare Yaks defeat at home, 65-63.
“I just felt so … bad,” Jordan said Friday night. “I felt I had let my teammates down. And the thing was, I was so confident when I went to the line.”
And why not? Jordan had made all six of her free throws to that point in the game.
This time, however, she felt much better after scoring 32 points in YVCC’s grinding 72-66 defeat of Blue Mountain. She added 13 points and five steals in Saturday’s 67-39 rout of Treasure Valley.
And with Jordan and Brittney Newcomb assuming the scoring leadership roles in the absence of Brandi Henton, who’s been lost for the season to knee surgery, YVCC is looking like a serious contender to successfully defend its NWAACC championship at 5-1 in the East Region and 15-1 overall.
Initially a Gonzaga recruit out of Portland’s Jefferson High School, Jordan played one year at North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene before returning home. She was working for FedEx in Portland when Yakima Valley coach Cody Butler contacted her last summer, and Jordan’s play this season, barring injury, might well result in a chance to play at the NCAA Division I level.
Representatives from the University of San Francisco and San Jose State watched Friday night’s game.
But as good as Jordan has been, an added attraction has been her 2-year-old daughter, Saryah, who delightfully entertains by dancing during halftime and other breaks in YVCC home games.
“She just loves dancing,” Simone said, laughing Friday night. “She hears music and it’s like pressing a button, she just starts to dance.”

FROM THE QUOTE FILE
“That little girl should be on dancing with the stars.”
— A Yakima Valley women’s basketball fan, while watching Yaks sophomore Simone Jordan’s 2-year-old daughter, Saryah, dance at halftime of a recent home game.

YVCC women go long for close victory

Newcomb’s trey helps Yaks top Blue Mountain ||

YAKIMA, Wash. — Blue Mountain had the play scouted perfectly, and the Timberwolves defended it perfectly.

But when Yakima Valley went to plan B, a player the T-wolves had not wanted to beat them essentially did.

Brittney Newcomb’s 3-pointer didn’t end the YVCC’s 72-66 victory Friday night in Sherar Gym, but it was the biggest shot of one of the Yaks’ biggest wins of the season.

“It’s our basic out-of-bounds play,” coach Cody Butler said afterward. “We ran it a million times for Anna (Marchbanks, who’s now playing at Oregon State).”

Simone Jordan, with the ball under Yakima Valley’s basket, was to inbound to Sam Zapien, who was to pass to Kaylah Gonzales, who was to then get the ball back to Jordan, who to that juncture had scored 29 points.

Blue Mountain denied the pass to Zapien, however, but did not defend Newcomb in the near corner.

“I was surprised — very surprised — to see her that open,” said Jordan, whose pass was caught and quickly transformed into Newcomb’s second 3-ball of the night with 1:20 left in the game. “It wasn’t like Brit was knocking ‘em all down, but she’s much too good to leave that open. Especially in the heat of the moment.”

Jordan, who finished with a game-high 32 points, had tied the game at 66 with two free throws after a Jaimi Cox steal with 1:50 to play. Zapien, fouled after rebounding a missed Blue Mountain 3-ball, missed the first of a one-and-one with 1:25 left.

Jordan rebounded, however, and Butler called time.

Newcomb, YVCC’s scoring leader after a season-ending knee injury to Brandi Henton, didn’t hesitate before her shot gave the Yaks their first lead since the 12:10 mark, boosting them to 4-1 in the East Region and 14-4 overall.

The much-improved Timberwolves fell to 3-4 and 13-7.

“I was just open, and the shot felt good,” said Newcomb, whose 11 points on 3 of 12 shooting were six fewer than her average. “I knew it was in as soon as it left my hand.”

Butler was especially pleased by his team’s perseverance in a game that saw 13 lead changes and eight ties, with Blue Mountain going scoreless over the final 3:06.

He also noted two down-the-stretch 3-pointers from Kaylah Gonzales, who totaled 12 points, as looming large.

“Kaylah didn’t come out in the second half,” he said, “and for her to still be able to hit a couple of huge threes like that was really impressive. Another thing was our bench. Our girls were yelling like crazy, and we had ton of energy over the last two minutes.”

Butler was also mindful of the importance of winning close games, as was Jordan. Having stepped forward impressively in Henton’s absence, and with Newcomb having been previously slowed by a tender ankle, the athletic 5-foot-9 sophomore from Portland has increased her scoring average to 16.6.

Aggressive offensively while also trying to limit Blue Mountain guard Stephanie Lopez, who scored a team-high 23 points before fouling out in the final seconds, Jordan made 15 of 19 free throws.

BLUE MOUNTAIN — Cambronero 3-11 2-2 8, Weaver 2-5 0-0 4, Stephanie Lopez 5-15 13-14 23, Nadia Telles 5-9 0-0 11, Lovgren 0-0 0-0 0, Savedra 0-1 2-2 2, McKay 0-0 0-0 0, Rominger 0-1 0-0 0, Megan IcIntyre 5-8 1-2 11, Harrington 2-3 2-2 7. Totals 22-53 20-22 66.

YAKIMA VALLEY — Brittney Newcomb 3-12 3-4 11, Cox 3-7 0-0 6, Kaylah Gonzales 4-8 0-0 12, Simone Jordan 8-21 15-19 32, Zapien 2-6 0-1 4, Brewster 1-1 0-1 2, Swetzof 1-3 1-2 3, Lekson 0-2 0-0 0, Ferguson 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 23-63 19-27 72.

Halftime — YVCC 33-31. 3-point goals — BMCC 2-8 (Cambronero 0-2, Weaver 0-1, Saavedra 0-1, Lopez 0-1, Rominger 0-1, Telles 1-1, Harrington 1-1); YVCC 7-18 (Newcomb 2-6, Swetzof 0-1, Gonzales 4-6, Lekson 0-1, Jordan 1-4. Fouled out — Lopez. Rebounds — BMCC 37 (Lopez 8); YVCC 39 (Jordan 9). Turnovers — BMCC 19, YVCC 19. Total fouls — BMCC 23, YVCC 13.

Central seeks to reach revamped GNAC tourney

It won’t be easy, because few things have been this season for Central Washington’s defending GNAC regular-season and tournament champion Wildcats.
But coach Greg Sparling is hoping his team has finally gained some traction after a brutal start in defense of its crowns, and will both reach and have an impact on the conference tournament.
After a 7-3 preseason that included wins over then-nationally ranked BYU-Hawaii and Rollins College of Florida, Central absorbed a GNAC-opening 99-62 haymaker at Alaska Anchorage and followed with a 91-80 overtime loss at Alaska Fairbanks.
The latter defeat came after a long, buzzer-beating 3-pointer tied the score at the end of regulation for the Nanooks, and the Wildcats have been recovering ever since.
They have, however, won two of their last three with a respectable showing last week at conference-leading and 18th-ranked Western Washington in a 99-86 loss.
At 3-6 in the GNAC and 9-8 overall, Central has nine games in which to move up at least one spot to qualify for the conference’s postseason tournament.
Unlike the first two GNAC tourneys which featured eight teams, this year’s event will include six. It will also be played at Saint Martin’s University’s Marcus Pavilion in Lacey.
Entering Thursday night’s home game with Fairbanks, CWU is seventh with the Saints (4-5) and MSU Billings (5-4) looming ahead.
The Wildcats play both, on the road, next month. Remaining home games are Alaska Anchorage on Saturday, Simon Fraser on Feb. 16 and Western on Feb. 18.
Scoring hasn’t been a problem for Central, with an average of 84.9 points a game and five players averaging double figures. But CWU has given up 80.9 points per outing, allowing opponents to shoot .465 from the field including .352 from 3-point range.
Sparling, meanwhile, remains optimistic.
“We’ve had some good practices this week,” he said recently, “and we seem to be developing a little bit of swagger. My hope is we’re turning the corner.”
Stay tuned.

FROM THE QUOTE FILE
“Never second guess yourself on a decision made with integrity, intelligence and hard work.”
— Dean Nicholson

Kitna to coach HS alma mater? Plus other QB notes

Word out of Tacoma is that Jon Kitna is likely to be the next coach at his alma mater, Lincoln High School.
The former Central Washington standout who spent the first part of his 15-year NFL career with the Seahawks, has already landed a part-time math teaching job at the school and, according to The News Tribune of Tacoma, was the only applicant for the coaching job as of early this week.
Good news for Jon and great news for Lincoln.
Among my first assignments at the Herald-Republic in 1997 was a feature on Kitna, who in 1995 had led CWU to a co-NAIA national championship. I had followed his college career while working for the Bremerton Sun, having earned my degree from Central in 1974.
So one afternoon I drove to the Seahawks headquarters in Kirkland and waited for practice to end. When it did, Jon and I sat down and had a fascinating conversation that lasted in excess of 30 minutes.
Years later, when Jon arrived at a CWU fundraiser at Apple Tree Golf Course, then-coach John Zamberlin said, “Jon, do you know our sportswriter here, Roger Underwood?”
To which Kitna smiled, extended his hand and said, “Sure. He wrote one of the nicest stories anyone’s ever written about me several years ago.”
Earlier this month Jon retired after 15 years in the NFL, having most recently served as Tony Romo’s backup at Dallas. And don’t forget his World Bowl championship with the Barcelona Dragons.
If things continue as expected, good luck, coach Kitna. And go Abes.
Ironically, Kitna’s coach at Central in 1995, Jeff Zenisek, has also rejoined the prep ranks. Zenisek is presently head football coach and athletic director at Tenino High School, about 15 miles south of Olympia.

HOT (MOSTLY) HANDS PREVAIL AGAIN IN NFL PLAYOFFS

Chuck Knox was among the many NFL coaches who insisted that a quarterback with a hot hand was a necessity in the playoffs.
Knox never had a hand hot enough to reach the Super Bowl, but he was right, even if the two QBs left standing are coming off very different games.
Eli Manning was remarkable in the Giants’ victory at San Francisco, excelling despite wet conditions and taking at least 20 hits from the 49ers. ESPN’s Trent Dilfer said Manning played as well as he could possibly have during the circumstances and called his tepid QB rating “a joke.”
The Patriots, meanwhile, did something they rarely do — they won in spite of Tom Brady. To his credit, Brady acknowledged his poor performance after New England’s defense came to his rescue against Baltimore.
And while I’m not an overt Brady fan, I realize he’s one of the best the game has seen and do not expect a repeat of Sunday’s play on Feb. 5.
Eli vs. Brady II? Should be fun.

FROM THE QUOTE FILE
“You know that Eli doesn’t say much. When he says it, he means it, and you know it’s coming from the heart. It’s about business.”
— Antrel Rolle, of the New York Giants, about Eli Manning’s address of the team on Tuesday.

Next Page »