Battle in Seattle tickets on sale

ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Tickets for the Battle in Seattle, which on Oct. 17 will pit Central Washington against Western Oregon in Qwest Field, are currently available through Ticketmaster outlets and will soon be on sale at the Wildcat Shop on the CWU campus.

The game, scheduled for 6 p.m., will include Western Oregon for the first time. Central opposed Western Washinngton in the first six such games, which averaged 12,392 fans including 16,392 in 2003 for the first one.

That crowd was the largest to see a small college football game in Washington.

The Wildcats, who won five of the six Battle in Seattle games against Western Washington, has beaten Western Oregon 10 straight times.

Restarting the fire Wilson’s goal for YVCC baseball

Ray Funk hastened to add that it was not a factor in Yakima Valley Community College’s hiring of Ken Wilson as its new baseball coach.

Nonetheless, the Yaks athletic director couldn’t help noting Tuesday that, “the last Central (Washington University) guy who came out of retirement to coach at YVCC didn’t do too badly.”

That would be Dean Nicholson, who in 1995 revived a moribund Yaks men’s basketball program.

Wilson, meanwhile, said he hopes to “restart the fire.”

Having retired two years ago from an administrative job with the Selah School District, Wilson hopes to restore YVCC baseball to NWAACC prominence and add to its tradition.

Since 1950 the college has had only five baseball coaches — Bobo Brayton, Bill Faller, Bob Garretson Jr., Ken Mortensen (who announced is resignation last season) and Wilson.

“I worked for Bob Garretson and I’ve known Ken Mortensen for a long time,” Wilson said. “They’re both great people, class people. The thing that’s different with me is I don’t have a 40-hour work week in addition to trying to enhance the program like those guys did.”

The baseball job at YVCC has long been a part-time position, which in turn has made recruiting a problem for someone who has simultaneously held other employment.

“Bob and Ken didn’t have the opportunity I have,” Wilson said. “My goal, and I’ve been at this level before, is to make sure kids have some opportunities when they finish here. My job is to keep that vision for them.”

Wilson, 62, who began his career at Centralia College in 1979 and coached the Trailblazers to a 203-96-3 record and eight consecutive NWAACC tournament appearances, was Central Washington’s head man from 1987-91. The Wildcats were 80-40 during his tenure and reached the NAIA World Series in 1988.

He also spent 15 years as an administrator in the Ellensburg and Selah school districts, and during the 2000 and 2001 seasons assisted Garretson at YVCC.

Mortensen, who coached the Yaks over the past five seasons, compiled a 99-121 record and did not reach the playoffs although YVCC contended strongly last spring.

Four YVCC players move on

YAKIMA, Wash. — Four Yakima Valley men’s basketball players will continue their careers at four-year schools, head coach Ray Funk announced Friday.

Nico Sandoval will play at Fresno Pacific, LeMar Anglin is headed to Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore., Ben Wilson will play at Evergreen State and Rico Wilkins is bound for Maryland-Eastern Shore.

Wilkins, from DeSoto,Texas, was YVCC’s leading scorer at 16.5 points a game and was named the Eastern Region’s Most Valuable Player.

Sandoval, from Davis, capped a stellar two-year stay with the Yaks by averaging 11.88 points a game and was voted to the All-Eastern Region first team.

Anglin, from Proviso West High School near Chicago, averaged 11.10 points and Wilson, from Bremerton High, averaged 9.47.

Another team member, first-team All-Region pick Jody Johnson, had already signed with Central Washington.

Over the past two seasons YVCC has gone 25-7 each year, winning the NWAACC championship in 2008 and finishing third last March.

Ex-UW QB set to enroll at Central

SEATTLE — The athletic career of former University of Washington quarterback Johnny DuRocher may take yet another turn, this one to Ellensburg.

DuRocher, whose UW career ended after he was found to have a benign brain tumor and who later spent a year in the Mariners’ organ-ization as a pitcher, has applied for enrollment at Central Washington with designs on playing quarterback for the Wildcats this fall.

A CWU spokesman confirmed that DuRocher has applied for enrollment but said he could not comment further until DuRocher is officially enrolled. DuRocher could not be reached for comment.

Eligibility rules are different at Division II schools like Central, and the 25-year-old DuRocher would apparently have one season remaining to play. He would not be eligible any longer to play at Washington.

A graduate of Bethel High School in Graham, he redshirted at Oregon in 2003 and sat out 2004 after deciding to transfer. He played at UW in 2005 and 2006 before the tumor was discovered when he suffered a concussion in a game against Stanford late in the 2006 season.

After surgery, he turned out for the UW baseball team and was later drafted by the Mariners. But his baseball career ended when he suffered an injury that would have required Tommy John surgery.

Due to the nature of the different throwing motions, DuRocher has said in the past that the injury doesn’t impair his ability to throw a football.

He spent last fall at UW as a student assistant with the football team. In the spring, he participated at UW’s Pro Day for NFL Scouts, hoping to attract the attention of a professional team, saying he had been cleared by doctors to return to football.

CWU was recently ranked 10th in the nation in the Sporting News’ 2009 Division II preseason poll. But the Wildcats are looking for a new starting QB after the graduation of All-American Mike Reilly, now a free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

At Central, DuRocher would be reunited with another former Husky, running back J.R. Hasty, who will be a senior this season.

— Bob Condotta

Machado resigns as YVCC soccer coach

YAKIMA, Wash. — Luiz Machado has resigned as Yakima Valley Community College women’s soccer coach and Jake Sagare has been named interim coach, the school announced Thursday.

Machado, the program’s first coach, cited the need to spend more time in pursuit of a four-year college degree.

Sagare, meanwhile, recently coached West Valley’s boys team to a runnerup finish in the Class 3A state tournament.

“It was a great honor to start the YVCC women’s soccer program literally from the ground level in 2006,” Machado said in a college news release. “I feel very lucky to have had dedicated and disciplined players through whom we were able to make the NWAACC playoffs in our first two seasons.”

Machado’s three-year record was 16-35-10.

Sagare coached two seasons at West Valley, where he played before moving on to the University of Washington, the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders.

YVCC athletic director Ray Funk said he doesn’t expect the program to suffer as a result of the timing of the coaching change.

“We are very fortunate to have found a truly outstanding coach in Jake, who we believe will build on Luiz’s successes and take the program to another level,” he said.

Davidson lauded by Skagit Valley

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — Daniel Davidson, a 2007 Eisenhower graduate, has been named co-Male Athlete of the Year at Skagit Valley College.

A two-year starter on the Cardinals basketball team, Davidson averaged 10 points and five rebounds and last season helped Skagit to a second-place finish in the Northern Division and a berth in the NWAACC Tournament.

He played in the NWAACC sophomore all-star game and was an all-region second-team selection.

Davidson excelled off the court, too, compiling a 3.71 grade point average and being named to the NWAACC Academic All-Star team. He also tutored students at Centennial Elementary School.

The 6-foot-4 Davidson will continue his academic athletic activities at Whitman College in Walla Walla.

Local report — Hinton helps Pak to sweep of Hanford

RICHLAND — Lukas Hinton earned a win and save as the Yakima Valley Pepsi Pak battled its way to a 10-7, 5-4 sweep over Hanford on Tuesday to remain firmly on top of the Central Washington  League.

The Pak (11-1, 16-2) scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to win the opener. Hinton, who also pitched a shutout on Monday, combined with Garrett Olson to throw six shutout innings.

Jake Fife drew a bases-loaded walk to break a 7-7 tie in the ninth and finished with three RBI and Ethan Flory was 3-for-3 with three runs scored.

In the nightcap, Cory Urquhart was 2-for-3 with three RBI, including a two-run double in the sixth. Hinton closed the save with back-to-back strikeouts.

Game 1

Yakima Valley    102    120    103    —    10    12    1

Hanford    124    000    000    —    7    7    2

Johnson, Olson (4), Hinton (7) and Snider; Sauressig, Burke (7) and Beebe.

Highlights: Jake Fife 2-5, 3 RBI; Cory Urquhart solo HR, 2 RBI; Dustin Daniels 2-6, Thomas Wilcox 2-5, Ethan Flory 3-3, 3 runs.

Game 2

Yakima Valley    101    102    0    —    5    8    0

Hanford    110    002    0    —    4    8    1

Wilcox, Hinton (7) and Andreas; Burke, French (4), Wagner (6) and Beebe.

Highlights: Cory Urquhart 2-3, 2-run 2b in 6th, 3 RBI.

JUNIOR LEGION

West Valley Baseball Club 12, Pasco 2 (WV: Steven Wagar CG, 5K; Tyler Gallaway 2-4; Tanner Edler 2-3, grand slam, 5 RBI).

West Valley Baseball Club 13, Pasco 3 (WV: Jake Vetsch WP, 2-4; Cody McDonald 2-3, 2b; Gil Plath 2-3, Wagar 3-4, 4 RBI; Josh Owes 2-4, 3b).

Zillah 10, Othello 5 (Zil: Jared Olivas 2-3, 2-run HR; Jacob Olivas 2-2; Cameron Thompson 2-3; 3 RBI; Hunter Curfman WP, 8 K.)

Selah Juniors 10, Yakima Scarlets 9 (Selah: Nick Ranger 2-4, 3 RBI; Frank Rowland 3-4, 2 2b; Scott Graf 2-3, 2 RBI; Taylor Swift 2-3).

Selah Juniors 8, Yakima Scarlets 0 (Selah: Ranger CG, 8 K; Justin St. Aubin 3-3, 2b, 3b).

West Valley Bees 14, Cadet Baseball Club 4 (WV: Derek Thomason 2 hits; Jim Nagle 2 hits; Mikey Bonnett 2 hits; Trevor Hunter 2 hits).

West Valley Bees 8, Cadet Baseball Club 6 (WV: Cody LaRivierre 2 hits; Bonnett 2 hits. CBC: Woodkey 3 hits, Areand 2-run HR).

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Kudos for Wildcats, Spevak

ELLENSBURG — It’s only June, but the Central Washington football team and standout receiver Johnny Spevak are already getting some national magazine love.

The Wildcats have been ranked 10th in the Sporting News’ preseason Division II poll and Spevak has been named a preseason All-American for the second straight year.

Central, which has reached the DII playoffs the past two seasons, will rely on a veteran defense while its offense rebuilds under Ryan Robertson or Jordan Rasmussen — one of whom will likely replace All-American quarterback Mike Reilly.

Spevak was named a Little All-American last year by The Associated Press.

Central opens its season Aug. 29 at Mesa State in Grand Junction, Colo.

HIGH SCHOOLS

Borton headed to Vegas academy

Wanting extra time to develop his skills and fully recover from recent knee surgery, West Valley graduate Matt Borton will forego entering college for a year and attend Impact Basketball Academy in Las Vegas.

Borton, a 6-foot-5 guard who averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds in his final season with the Rams, had surgery this spring to correct and fortify a dislocating knee cap that slowed the second half of his senior season.

The Impact Basketball Academy offers a post-graduate training program designed to help players improve their game without losing a year of eligibility. IBA will also help with Borton’s rehab from surgery.

“After visiting Impact and learning more about their track record of success, it became clear how much I could benefit from the program,” Borton said. “While it will be very demanding, in the long run I think it will be the best thing for me.”

GOLF

Mary Roche gets YCC ace

Mary Roche recorded a hole-in-one during her round Sunday at the Yakima Country Club. She used a 7-iron to ace the 133-yard 11th hole.
John Roche, and Bill and Linda Zirkle witnessed the shot.

YVCC men ink four more

YAKIMA, Wash. — On paper, it looks good for Yakima Valley’s men’s basketball next season.

The Yaks should have their top 2008 recruit, Damar Wilson, back from knee surgery to go with his brother, Dennis, a returning sophomore.

Plus they have a blue-chip recruiting class highlighted by Wapato’s Willie Blodgett and Davis’ Les Henderson.

But Yaks coach Ray Funk, in announcing four more signees Friday, tempered his enthusiasm with “We’ll see. In terms of recruiting, it’s as good as we’ve had. But they still have to show up and play.”

In addition to Blodgett and Henderson, announced earlier, Funk has added 6-foot-2 guard Jordan Kidd from Chief Sealth, 6-9 forward Jake Brown from Winlock, 5-11 guard Courtney May from Anchorage, Alaska’s Bartlett High School and 6-5 forward Ryan Dornik from Evergreen of Vancouver.

Kidd was an All-Metro League first-team choice last season after averaging 24 points a game to go with five assists, four rebounds and three steals.

Brown averaged 14 points and eight boards while leading Winlock to a fifth place finish in the Class 1A state tournament last March in  the SunDome, May helped Bartlett to a third-place trophy in the Class 4A Alaska tourney by averaging 15 points, five rebounds and three steals and Dornik shot 48 percent from 3-point range for the Plainsmen.

Damar Wilson, an explosive 6-4 swingman, hurt his knee before YVCC’s season-opener and later had surgery. He is presently rehabbing at home in Anchorage, Funk said.

Kent hired to coach at Santa Cruz

YAKIMA, Wash. — Former La Salle girls basketball coach Todd Kent, who guided the Lightning to the 2006 Class B state championship and a runner-up finish in 2007, recently was  named the women’s basketball coach at NCAA Division III UC Santa Cruz.

Kent replaces Nikki Turner, who accepted the head coach position at Cal State East Bay.

Kent had spent the past two seasons as an assistant at Seattle University. The Redhawks were 20-9 this past season.

He led the Lighting to a 106-23 record in five seasons, advancing to the state tournament four times and winning three top-four trophies.

YVCC’s women’s wrestlers make history

YAKIMA, Wash. — For Mike Schmitt, the idea was borne of desperation.

For Rachel Segura, it represented something new.

And for Bob Spain, it was a way to preserve something old and very dear to his heart, something he himself had started almost 20 years ago.

One thing the Yakima Valley Community College women’s wrestling team did not evolve from was a master plan. To the contrary, it resulted from Schmitt’s initial, 11th-hour attempt to save the Yaks men’s program, which during the winter of 2008 was on the college administration’s chopping block.

During a board of trustees meeting in January to discuss that very matter, co-coach Schmitt implored his superiors to “think outside the box” in an effort to save YVCC wrestling.

When they didn’t, he did.

Slideshow Click here for audio slideshows looking at the members of YVCC’s national championship-winning team

Since the impetus for eliminating the program stemmed from the college’s struggle to resolve a complaint regarding Title IX, a federal law banning sex discrimination in schools, Schmitt figured the most logical solution was, so to speak, to fight fire with fire.

Instead of eliminating a men’s team, he reasoned, why not add women to it?

Schmitt and Tito Pimentel, the program’s other coach, were notified by YVCC administrator Tomas Ybarra that a recommendation would soon be made to the trustees to stop the program at the end of the 2008-09 season and replace it with women’s cross country, so he had to act quickly.

“I spent six and a half days on the computer doing research,” he said. “When Tito and I heard about the proposal, we were shocked. But I learned a ton about women’s wrestling and a ton about Title IX.”

His impassioned presentation at the next trustees meeting, apparently prompted several members to consider the possibility of adding women to the team. They agreed to postpone a decision until the next scheduled meeting in March.

By that time, when the proposal was made it didn’t receive a second. There was not even a vote.

Still, Yakima Valley wrestling was not out of the woods and women were not yet on the team. And while skepticism continued late into the spring, the program was officially expanded on June 11.

There had been concern about financing the addition, but that was mostly alleviated by a $5,000 donation from the Parker Youth and Sports Foundation.

Spain, meanwhile, had been appreciative of Schmitt’s efforts but was still doubtful early on.

“At the time, I honestly didn’t think there was any conceivable way to save the wrestling program,” said Spain, who introduced wrestling as a college club sport during the 1989-90 school year and saw it reach varsity status in 1990-91. Spain was YVCC’s coach through the 1997-98 season.

“I thought Mike was grasping at straws. But then I went over to the state (high school) tournament and went down to where the girls were wrestling.

“To be honest, I’ve never been in favor of women wrestling men. But at that tournament I saw the level of competition and commitment of the girls who were wrestling, and also the skill level. And I said to myself, ‘This is for real.’”

Segura, meanwhile, had followed the story from a distance.

A former volleyball, basketball and track and field athlete at Eisenhower, she was a YVCC student who was attracted initially by an opportunity to be a college athletic pioneer.

“The main reason I wanted to do it was it was women’s wrestling here for the first time ever, and because it was different,” she said. “When I heard about it, I said, ‘Dude, I’m down. I want to wrestle.’”

Then one day Segura’s hopes took wing when, on her way through the Sherar Gym foyer, something got her attention.

“I looked over and noticed a (wrestling) roster that had women’s names on it,” she said. “I said, ‘Wait a minute, those are females on that list.’ So then I found out when practice was, I met with coach Mike and coach Tito and then some of the girls.

“I told them, ‘I’ll be back tomorrow night.’ And the first practice, I fell in love with the sport.”

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