Gar-Pal outguns Liberty Christian

Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter | Jan 16, 20130

The abbreviation G.P.S. once stood alone for Garfield-Palouse School, before being eclipsed by Global Positioning System.

On Saturday night in the Palouse gym, the abbreviations merged.

Because the boys from Gar-Pal could not miss when locating a certain circular orange target.

Gar-Pal freshman guard Matt Holbrook elevates for two points in the Viking’s 62-31 win at home Jan. 12. Gar-Pal is now tied for second in the Southeast 1B league with Pomeroy.

Playing against the Liberty-Christian Patriots, who beat Gar-Pal earlier in the year, Jesse Lopez led the Vikings with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists while Mitch Jamison added 11 points in a 62-31 win.

“It was a very good game for us,” said Gar-Pal coach Tim Coles. “I personally felt there was no way on God’s green earth we should have lost to them before.”

The night began with the Vikings not missing.

At the end of the first quarter, they led 18-7. After another score, Hunter Woltering went to the free-throw line and made both shots. At the other end of the court, a nice Liberty Christian pass and shot under the basket cut the lead to 22-16 before the Vikings answered with a six-footer to go up by eight once again.

The Patriots then cut into the Gar-Pal lead again when Mike Olson got a steal and a three-pointer to drop the Vikings’ lead to five with 2:17 left in the half.

Gar-Pal’s Lopez then hit an eight-foot jump shot to put them up seven at halftime.

Opening the third quarter, Lopez downed a three-pointer from the corner of the floor to put Gar-Pal up by 10.

Then it expanded.

Gar-Pal kept finding the orange cylinder, and soon led by 17, 43-26.

Matt Dymkoski added another three-pointer for 46-26.

The Patriots tried to fight back, until a long possession of theirs at the end of the quarter ended on a traveling call on the perimeter.

Gar-Pal’s Dymkoski then got a steal and hit a three-pointer for a 23-point Viking lead at the end of the third.

“G-P-S! G-P-S!” called out the Vikings cheerleaders.

Indeed, as a three-pointer by Tyler Thurman followed to open the fourth quarter, accompanied by another three from Lopez.

Matt Holbrook got a steal and a lay-in for 59-30 before Tyler Thurman pulled up for another three-pointer.

It zeroed in on the orange cylinder and bounced out.

When it was over, the win put the Vikings at 11-3 (8-2 in league).

“The kids have been growing by leaps and bounds,” said Coles of his young team. “We could start all freshmen and sophomores if we wanted to and be very effective.”

Running the point for Gar-Pal this year is freshman Matt Holbrook.

“I think the addition of Holbrook has made us a different team from last year,” Coles said, citing ballhandling and outside shooting.

All together, Coles said his team has a future in store.

It’s something nurtured on less than the longtime coach used to instill.

He once used to take an AAU team to play 60 games over the summer. Now that number is 20.

“I haven’t noticed a change in teams and players’ development from when we played 60 games to now playing 20,” Coles said.

The Vikings will play next at Touchet, a team they beat at home in December. But it can be different down there.

Last year, Gar-Pal beat them by 40 at home, only to lose in their gym by four.

On Saturday, the Vikings return home to host a re-match against league-leading LaCrosse-Washtucna (9-1, 13-1 overall).

Gar-Pal 66, St. John-Endicott 41

On Friday night, Gar-Pal went to St. John where Lopez led the team with 24 points and six rebounds while Holbrook had 10 points. Wyatt Mitchell added 10 rebounds while Tyler Thurman had five steals and five assists.