Week 5 prep football preview: Mt. Spokane gets back into thick of 4A/3A race; Rogers hosts West Valley in 2A showdown

It is hard to believe, but the regular season will be more than half over after play concludes this week. As the calendar flips to October, the air gets a little bit crisper and league races come more into focus – even if we still don’t know for sure how many teams from the league will qualify for postseason play.

It is likely – but not official – that the Greater Spokane League will send three 4A teams, three 3A and four 2A teams to the Round of 32 in Week 10.

What we do know for sure about the league regular season championship is that Gonzaga Prep, which has not lost a league game since 2022, has won four straight, including wins over two of the three teams closest to them in the standings.

In 2A, the late game at ONE Spokane Stadium Friday could turn out to be a de facto league title game and set pecking order for the postseason, but no one has pulled away yet.

Let’s go around the league and take a closer look at the matchups for Week 5.

All games Friday 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Game of the week

University (2-2) at Mt. Spokane (3-1): At Union Stadium. The Wildcats bounced back in a big way from their lopsided loss to Gonzaga Prep by edging Mead in their annual rivalry game last week, helping them rank No. 9 in 3A in this week’s state media poll. Junior quarterback Cade Strocsher is getting better each week and has the tools to be a star.

U-Hi had won two in a row before getting shut down by LC last week. If the Titans can find their winning formula this week they will draw even with Mt. Spokane in the league’s 3A race.

GSL 4A/3A

Lewis and Clark (2-2) at Gonzaga Prep (4-0): Friday 6 p.m. Can anyone slow down G-Prep’s starters? The Bullpups, ranked No. 2 in 4A in the state media poll are outscoring opponents 161-3 through the first three quarters of games before giving valuable varsity time to backups in the fourth quarter. The Tigers have allowed just two total touchdowns in that past two weeks, not coincidentally two straight wins.

Ridgeline (1-3) at Central Valley (1-3): The Bears had struggled mightily to put points on the board in three straight losses to start the season, which featured a pair of shutouts, before getting well against Ferris last week. The Falcons blanked Shadle Park 25-0 in a game that was shut down at halftime due to poor air quality.

Shadle Park (1-3) at Cheney (3-1): The Blackhawks got a taste of “big boy” football last week against G-Prep and look to resume winning ways against a Highlanders squad that has scored six points total the past three weeks.

Ferris (0-4) at Mead (3-1): Thursday, 6 p.m. at Union Stadium. The Panthers allowed Mt. Spokane to hang around long enough to get undone by a late fourth quarter drive last week. They face a Saxons defense that has allowed 175 points in four weeks.

GSL 2A

West Valley (3-1, 1-0) at Rogers (3-1, 2-0): Friday 8 p.m. at ONE. No disrespect to the other teams in the league, but this game should decide the 2A regular season champion.

The Pirates learned a lot about themselves in early season games against 4A A.C. Davis and 2B state semifinalist Freeman and have rolled in league play so far. The Eagles took an unexpected loss to 1A Lakeside early but have resumed their winning ways behind running back Elijah Newman.

Pullman (0-4, 0-2) at East Valley (2-2, 2-0): Should Rogers or West Valley stumble down the stretch, the Knights are trying to prove they belong in the league title race discussions. They get a chance to pad their resume with a home game against the Greyhounds, who have four touchdowns in four games.

Deer Park (1-3, 1-1) at Clarkston (0-4, 0-1): It is a long bus ride from Deer Park to Clarkston. The Stags hope to make it worth the trip, with the perennial league contender Bantams fighting through an uncharacteristic tough start under first-year coach Kyle Fox.

Nonleague

Riverside (1-3) at North Central (1-3, 0-2): Friday 5 p.m. at ONE. The Wolfpack get a bye from league play this week but take on a tough 1A Rams team which already has a win over a GSL 2A opponent this season.