Shock receiver Raul Vijil beat me to it -- he beat several Boise defensive backs Saturday night, too -- when his post-touchdown celebration included grabbing a Happy Mother's Day sign and displaying it to an appreciative audience at Arena.

So, we add our Happy Mother's Day wishes here.

And here's a link to John Blanchette's column on the ever-changing quarterback position in af2. The topic warmed up in Spokane last week as Nick Davila moved in as the starting quarterback.

Here's a preview of tomorrow's story and bonuse baseball results in advance of The Spokesman-Review. Happy reading and commenting.

As University baseball coach Scott Sutherland noted, following the Titans second straight District 8 4A championship, Gonzaga Prep is a hitter’s park and runs were to be expected Saturday when the playoffs concluded at Higgins Field.
“I figured somebody would have to score double figures to win,” said Sutherland following U-Hi’s 17-7 victory over Mead.

Spokane scored four touchdowns in the fourth quarter to rally past Boise 62-42 on Saturday at the Arena.

Boise trailed by 13 at half, but poked in front 35-34 near the end of the third quarter. Spokane responded with a huge fourth quarter, including two touchdown passes by Nick Davila, who was named the starting quarterback Thursday.

Read my unedited game story below.

COUGARS

UPDATED 5:21 p.m.

In Sunday's paper, there will be a feature from me on the WSU women's rowing team. Its top boat, the varsity eight, is ranked fourth in the nation. I'll be posting a link to the article Sunday.

But here, first, is a video I produced on the rowing team.

Get the Flash Player to see this video.

Here's my feature in Sunday's paper on the WSU rowing team.

COUGARS

Deer Lake RON commented on my last post that, hey, there are other sports going on. Well, we let you know about tennis -- The Cougars women lost Friday, 5-0.

The Cougs ended with a 16-10 record after losing in the first round of the NCAA tournament to No. 27 LSU.

Then, yes, there's rowing. I have a feature coming out in Sunday's newspaper on the WSU women's team. It's ranked fourth in the nation right now, and next weekend is the Pac-10 championship regatta in Sacramento.

I'll post a video on the crew next.

And baseball ... the Huskies beat the Cougars 12-3 in Seattle on Friday. You can read the brief here (first item).

Defending 5A state champ Lake City will get a chance to repeat after the Timberwolves topped Post Falls 10-5 in a Region I winner-to-state-loser-out game Friday.

Click the tab below to read my unedited story.

I just filed my preview of the Spokane-Boise game for Saturday's S-R. You can get an early look at the unedited version by clicking on extended entry.

I didn't have enough space to get into Boise's personnel in the article, but I do below in extended entry. Read on below.

UPDATED: Friday

The chase for state baseball, softball, golf and tennis berths takes center stage this week.

Click the tab below to see what's happening in the various state-qualifying tournaments.

It started at the end of August, when director of player personnel for the Spokane Chiefs - Chris Moulton - was educating me, a rookie beat writer, on who to watch at training camp.

Being a journalist, and always looking for a good story angle, I asked if there were any local kids among the masses of hopefuls on the ice. I was told that realistically, only one player had a good chance of making the roster - Tyler Johnson.

He made the team, but something told me to wait. Wait for more of a story then just being from Spokane. Wait to see what this kid does. Wait until it's just right. And when Johnson was named the Western Hockey League championship series MVP on Wednesday night after the Chiefs completed a four-game sweep of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, I was glad I had waited.

I'm also glad to tell you that it was our columnist John Blanchette who wrote the story. He always seems to have the words. Here's the link to the story, so you can check it out for yourself.

Favorites advanced during the first round of Greater Spokane League baseball and softball.
Today things get more serious.

District rivals University and Central Valley face off in both sports.

COUGARS, EAGLES

I caught up with the WSU women's and EWU men's tennis teams before they compete in this weekend's NCAA tournaments. The Cougars will be playing No. 27 LSU in Berkeley, and the Eagles will take on No. 3 UCLA on the Bruins' home court.

It's the first time the EWU men have ever earned a berth in the tournament, and WSU hasn't gone for six years.

Anyway, after the jump is my unedited story about both the teams.

Gonzaga forward Josh Heytvelt, who missed the first 11 games of the 2007-08 season following surgery on a stress fracture in his right foot/ankle, had another operation on the same foot/ankle last week.

More on Heytvelt and 2009 recruit Mangisto Arop below in extended entry.

Nick Davila has earned the starting nod at quarterback for Saturday’s home game against Boise, Spokane Shock head coach Adam Shackleford said.

More below in extended entry.

Click here to read an Idaho prep notebook that appeared on the Prep Page today.

Here's a feature in the Prairie Voice today about Timberlake multiple-sport standout Nick Puckett, who will do track in college.

Idaho senior-to-be Adam Korby has been named to the spring watch list for the 2008 Rimington Trophy for a third straight year.

The Rimington Trophy is awarded annually to the nation's top collegiate center.

Korby was voted this spring as the Vandals' offensive captain for a second straight year. A three-year starter, Korby has started all 35 games of his career. He is a three-time winner of Idaho's Wayne Walker Iroman Award.

After a 4-1 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Wednesday night, the Spokane Chiefs are Western Hockey League champions for the second time in franchise history.

Next up for Spokane is the Memorial Cup in Kitchener, Ontario from May 16th through the 25th. But first, enjoy the reading material from Lethbridge, Alberta, below.

Also - Chiefs fans can welcome the WHL champion Spokane Chiefs and the Ed Chynoweth Cup to the Spokane Arena tomorrow morning between 7 and 8 a.m. The team is leaving tonight to travel back home to Spokane. The bus will stop at Avista Stadium and receive an escort through downtown Spokane before arriving at the Arena. Fans are welcome to join the caravan from Avista Stadium and help escort the team to the Arena. Fans can also welcome the Chiefs when they arrive at the Arena with the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

Click the tab below to see this week's North Idaho Track and Field Honor Roll.

Also, here's a link to the state honor roll in The Statesman newspaper in Boise.

COUGARS, VANDALS

I thought I'd offer up the opportunity to answer any of your questions about Tuesday's APR news on WSU and Idaho. So, if you have a question, feel free to add a comment with it and I will try to answer your question as soon as I can.

In the meantime, here is where you can find the APR reports on all the NCAA schools. It's pretty self-explanatory once you get there.

Beyond the jump are some numbers I collected myself for some easy reading.

Area high school track leaders, Washington. Check the extended entry.

Gonzaga has landed a 2009 commitment from 6-foot-5 guard Mangisto Arop.

Click below in extended entry for my unedited article. I'll probably add more later as well.

Click here,here and here for more information on Arop.

Spokane (5-0) remained No. 2 in the latest arenafootball2 poll. Boise, Spokane's opponent Saturday at the Arena, moved up to No. 5.

Here's more.

I'm replacing my unedited story with the link to the story that was printed in today's section from the Spokane Chiefs 2-1 overtime victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Tuesday night that gave Spokane a 3-0 lead in the Western Hockey League championship.

Keep sharing your thoughts. Thanks.

Lake City, Lewiston, Moscow and Timberlake were winners Tuesday in Idaho prep baseball playoff action.

Click the tab below to read our unedited story.

COUGARS

PULLMAN - Pullman Police have recommended one second-degree assault charge and five fourth-degree assault charges against Washington State defensive tackle Andy Roof.

The recommendations, sent this week to the Whitman County Prosecutor's Office, are the results of a weeklong investigation after Roof, 22, was arrested outside a house party April 16. Second-degree assault is a felony, whereas fourth-degree assault is a gross misdemeanor.

Police allege Roof assaulted - punching or head-butting - six people early that morning after he was refused entry into the party. Alcohol was involved, police say.

The second-degree recommendation stems from Roof's alleged assault of a victim who suffered broken facial bones, said Pullman police Sgt. Dan Dornes. The other five recommendations are for Roof's alleged assault on five other victims.

Roof's future on the WSU football team was still undecided, football spokesman Bill Stevens said Monday. The coaches will take appropriate action after gathering enough information.

Jason Murrietta and Nick Davila have a couple more days to state their cases as Spokane's starting quarterback.

Head coach Adam Shackleford said Tuesday the decision will be made after Thursday's practice. Spokane entertains Boise on Saturday.

More notes on the quarterback race and the Shock below in an unedited article that will run in Wednesday's S-R.