SEATTLE — Five former Idaho football players and five from Washington State tried out at the XFL’s Seattle Showcase on Saturday, held at Memorial Stadium.
Among those from WSU were linebacker Peyton Pelluer, cornerbacks Marcellus Pippins and Robert Taylor, tackle Devonte McClain and guard Logan Tago.
Vandals present were quarterback Matt Linehan, running back Aaron Duckworth, tackle Jordan Rose, defensive end Quinton Bradley and linebacker Korey Toomer, a 2012 UI grad who was drafted in the sixth round and played in the NFL for seven seasons — three of those years being with the Seahawks.
Out of the tryouts, a pool of draftees will be created this fall, ahead of the XFL’s October draft.
The XFL is an upcoming spring league, which will begin play in 2020. Each of the eight franchises hosted a tryout of about 100 players per event. Players took part in padless combine drills, one-on-ones and seven-on-seven scrimmages. To ensure fairness, information on every competing player will be spread to all teams, according to USA Today coverage of the event.
Seattle will announce its team name in July. Its coach and general manager is Jim Zorn, a notable former Seahawks quarterback (1976-84) and coach at the NFL and college levels.
UI lands two more FBS transfers
Safety Davontae Ginwright and cornerback Christian Nash, two former FBS football players, have recently announced their intentions to play for the University of Idaho.
According to a UI spokesman, Ginwright committed about two months ago, but the decision hadn’t been publicized. Entering as a redshirt senior, Ginwright played the last three years at Western Michigan. He appeared in 25 games over that span, and made three starts in 2016, the Broncos’ 13-1 season. Ginwright suffered a torn ACL in October of 2017 and missed the rest of the season.
Nash, a redshirt freshman, played in two games with Utah State in 2018, preserving his full eligibility. He announced his commitment to UI on Sunday over Twitter.
With Ginwright and Nash, the Vandals have landed three bounce-back FBS transfers with playing time, including former Boise State defensive end Kayode Rufai.
Other transfers to UI out of FBS institutions include defensive backs Mujeeb Rufai and Ryan Swanson — also former Broncos — linebacker Robert Miller, who redshirted at Memphis in 2016 before a juco stint with NW Mississippi Community College; and tackle Noah Gunn, who played on Air Force’s preparatory team.
Earlier this week, 17 new Vandals players — including Ginwright — arrived on campus for summer school and workouts.
Legion baseball
Asotin Co. bags Clancy Ellis title
LEWISTON — Asotin County collected some hardware, and a bit of payback, too.
The Blues (10-7) swept Pullman in two games on Sunday to claim the American Legion baseball Clancy Ellis Memorial Tournament championship at Harris Field just five days after the Posse “took it to us,” Asotin coach Steve Judy noted.
This time, the Blues’ four pitchers consistently pounded the zone; Pullman registered seven singles in two games — compared to Asotin’s 19 hits — and the Blues exhibited confidence from the chutes
Peace went six-plus, fanning eight and allowing two runs on three hits — neither of the scores earned.
In the second game, Asotin starter Justin Spencer whiffed six on three hits and two walks over five-plus frames, allowing one earned run while the others came via errors or sacrifices.
By the third of the title, Asotin already led 6-0. In the bottom of the first, the Blues went up four after five hits in seven at-bats.
Mitch LaVielle and Carson Coulter led Pullman’s offense with two hits apiece. On the mound, Tanner Richartz tallied five strikeouts.
The Blues and Posse reached the championship by way of a runs-allowed tiebreaker. Camas Prairie didn’t play Sunday and finished third.
FIRST GAME
Asotin Co. 000 031 1—5 6 5
Pullman Posse 100 100 0—2 3 2
Damon Peace, Colby Bolen (7) and Connor Hayes. Tanner Richartz, Dylan Komp (5) and Carson Coulter.
Asotin Co. hits — Jon Bean, Kian Ankerson, Josh Eggleston, C. Bolen, Danner Maves 2.
Posse hits — Mitch LaVielle, Kayden Carpenter, C. Coulter.
SECOND GAME
Asotin Co. 402 100 2—9 13 3
Pullman Posse 002 021 0—5 4 3
Justin Spencer, D. Maves (6) and C. Hayes. Jackson Meyer, Eric Akesson (4), Ryan Bickelhaupt (5) and Tyler Horner.
Asotin Co. hits —C. Hayes, J. Bean (2B), K. Ankerson 2, D. Peace 2, C. Bolen 3 (3B), D. Maves 3, J. Spencer.
Posse hits — M. LaVielle, R. Bickelhaupt, C. Coulter, T. Horner.
Seattle Tides 11, Palouse Patriots 3
The Palouse Patriots fell to the Seattle Tides at Bailey-Brayton Field on Saturday during the Palouse Summer Series.
Konner Kinkade logged all three of Palouse’s RBI, but the Patriots trailed 10-0 entering the bottom of the fifth before managing one of those scores.
The Tides had swept away hopes with a seven-spot fourth.
Seattle Tides 003 701—11 12 0
Palouse Patriots 000 030—3 4 2
Jackson Ramstead, Cameron Ley (6) and Josh Murphy. Nate Akesson, Peter Smith (3), Reece Chadwick (4), Konner Kinkade (6) and K. Kinkade, Tristan Wilson (4).
Seattle hits — Logan Leadly (3B), Abe Affholter 2, Matt Cundiff 2, Scott Schaffer 3 (2B, 3B), Hugo Aponte, C. Ley, Matthew Campbell, J. Murphy.
Palouse hits — K. Kinkade (2B), Carson Coulter, Mitch LaVielle, Brady Lees.
Whitman County Cougars 11-13, Colville Indians 7-3
The Whitman County Cougars swept the Colville Indians in conference American Legion action at the Valley Road playfields, with the hosts winning by scores of 11-7 and 13-3.
The second game lasted just six innings and saw Cougars pitcher Colin Dreewes go the distance, scattering five hits while giving up just two earned runs.
“Colin, he’s a big kid who just keeps getting better and better every time out,” Cougars coach Pat Doumit said, lauding Dreewes for his strength. That no doubt helped Dreewes fan four and induce seven groundouts for the Cougars (10-5, 3-1).
“He’s got three different pitches and he’s throwing them all really well right now,” Doumit added.
Doumit lauded both Dreewes and his starter from the first game, Elliott Lee, for “throwing well with a lead.” And his entire team for its offensive efforts, getting going early.
FIRST GAME
Colville 112 000 3—7 6 4
Whitman County 122 402 x—11 9 3
Keegan McGruder, Brian Mitchell (2), Jack McEvoy (4) and Carter Rains. Elliott Lee, Marcus Hilliard (7) and Cody Inderrieden.
Colville hits — Casey Hooper, Braden Marshall, Jason Hayward 2, Steven Kitt 2 (2B).
Whitman County hits — Josh Greene 2 (2-2B), Brendan Doumit 2, Nick Robison, Elliott Lee, Marcus Hilliard (2B), Cody Inderrieden (2B), Gavin Shrope.
SECOND GAME
Whitman County 323 005—13 10 1
Colville 000 030—3 5 6
Colin Dreewes and Nick Robison, Inderrieden (5). DJ Emmit, Brandon Thompson (2), McEvoy (3), Brighton Anderson (6) and Jason Hayward.
Whitman County hits — Josh Greene 3 (2B), Marcus Hilliard (2B), Marcus Robison (3B), Elliott Lee (2B), Tyler Elbracht, Dreewes 2, Joseph Bendel (2B).
Colville hits — Hooper (2B), Thompson, McEvoy, Hayward, Mitchell.
Summer Games
Pullman’s Heidenreich wins
Pullman’s Linda Heidenreich hadn’t competed in track and field since high school but won three events during the final day of the Lewis-Clark Summer Games at Vollmer Bowl on Saturday. Heidenreich, competing in the women’s 55-to-59-year-old age group, won the 800- and 1600- meter races uncontested and edged Lynee Beck in the javelin.
In the men’s skeet shooting competition, which took place in Genesee, James Mahan won the 75-79 age group in both singles (with a mark of 18) and doubles (24). Mike Warnock won the runner-up in skeet shooting singles with a shootoff after both he and Dan Caldwell shot 17s, but Caldwell struck back and took silver in the doubles over Warnock.
