Flat football no fable in Yakima gridiron history

One hundred years of Yakima High School, which became Davis in 1957, is being celebrated this week and most of the festivities will take place at tonight's homecoming football game at Zaepfel Stadium.

With that history in mind, the Pirates last week recognized a memorable gridiron oddity from those Yakima High days -- Jim Scott and his famously flat football.

It was the fall of 1947 with Yakima squaring off against city rival Marquette at Squire Field, which was located on Terrace Heights Drive. And it was a Hollywood moment is ever there was one.

Just like when Pop Fisher urged Roy Hobbs to "knock the cover off the ball" in "The Natural," Yakima quarterback Lee Dolquist told Scott, who was set to punt in a tight spot, "Kick the heck out of the ball!"

He did more than that, kicking the air out of the ball.

Scott, a burly fullback and linebacker who scored the game's lone touchdown in Yakima's 6-0 win, boomed the punt 59 yards in the third quarter to pin the Squires on their own 8-yard line.

And that was it for the ball.

"When they went to pick it up the darn thing was flat," Scott recalled. "I remember what Lee said in the huddle and I remember getting a good foot on it, but seeing that flat ball -- nobody had ever seen that."

Davis athletic director Bob Stanley introduced Scott to last Friday's crowd and the 81-year-old retired firefighter enjoyed the remembrance.

"I was a little surprised they wanted to do it, but it was fun," said Scott, who still has the ball. "It was a nice thing to do."

Scott's final season for Yakima High was a good one to highlight since the Pirates posted one of the school's best seasons ever, finishing 9-1 back when the schedule took them all over the state.

Yakima started 8-0 before falling to unbeaten Bremerton -- billed as the Navy Yard Eleven vs. the Country Cousins -- in a November game played in Yakima before a crowd of 3,500.

The Pirates finished with a Thanksgiving Day win over Walla Walla, giving them annual possession of the Little Brown Jug in a rivalry that dated back to 1912.

Goals galore

It's usually a rare thing when a prep soccer player reaches
30 goals in a season but the Yakima area already has five girls at 20 or more with plenty of season left.

Topping the list (see prep stats on page 3C) is Prosser's prolific freshman Helen Petersen, who's CWAC-leading tally is up to 27 goals with five regular-season matches to go, including Thursday's non-leaguer against Walla Walla.

Highland's dynamic duo of Alma Garcia and Amy Wickenhagen are at 24 and
22 goals, respectively, and rank 1-2 in the SCAC.

West Valley junior Haley Curtis, who is coming off back-to-back hat tricks, is setting the pace in the CBBN with 22 goals

Ally Hernandez's goal in the first half against Naches Valley on Tuesday gave the La Salle junior her third straight 20-goal season. She has 64 in three seasons.

Rangers from all directions

With Nic Lukehart's running and Brandon Gillespie's passing, Naches Valley's football team has ascended the SCAC West by outscoring its first four opponents 187-37.

But the run and pass haven't been the only ways into the end zone for the Rangers, who have enjoyed an added scoring dimension of Ethan Flory's interceptions.

The two-way, all-conference senior has returned picks for scores against Mabton, Cle Elum and Goldendale and has seven total interceptions for the season, matching his total from last year. Flory, who also has six TD receptions, had a second pick-six against Mabton but a block-in-the-back flag nullified the score.

Weekly awards and such

La Salle's Jack McMillan and Toppenish's Jason Smith have been recipients of the Seattle Seahawks/NFL High School Coach of the Week Award this season for the state's 2A-1A-B level.

Smith was tabbed after the third week when the Wildcats shot out to a 3-0 start, and McMillan was picked this week as the top-ranked Lightning improved to 6-0.

Recipients receive a $500 donation to their program from the Seattle Seahawks.

* Sunnyside junior James Sanchez was tabbed the Seattle Times/WIAA athlete of the week for 3A boys following his three-TD performance against Davis last Friday. He also intercepted two passes and recovered a blocked punt.

From the sidelines

* Prosser's Kirby Moore is now in sole possession of second on the national all-time list for receiving touchdowns. His one TD catch against Ellensburg lifted his season total to 14 and his career tally to 75. The record is 83.

* Eisenhower's Kirsta Bezenek expanded her list of Valley-leading swim events to six on Tuesday, clocking 5:37.52 in her season debut in the 500-yard freestyle.

* Eastmont's volleyball program, directed by former Selah coach Tim Davison (1991-92), has turned a 3-9 season in last year's CBL 3A into a 7-3 campaign in the CBBN. The Wildcats have played in five five-set matches, winning four.

* Scott Spruill's prep blog is at www.yakimaherald.com/sports. He can be reached at 577-7686
or sspruill@yakimaherald.com

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