NORTHWEST NOTES: Friday, June 26, 2015

Shock play host

to San Jose tonight

SPOKANE - Having already suffered a pair of one-sided losses to San Jose this season, the Spokane Shock (4-8) try again tonight, hosting the Sabercats (12-1) at the Spokane Arena (SWX, ESPN 700) in Arena Football League play.

In the first two matchups between the teams this season, San Jose outscored Spokane by a total of 138-54.

During the Week 8 matchup in Spokane, the Sabercats jumped out to a 49-21 lead at the half and held the Shock scoreless in the final quarter of play on their way to an 83-28 blowout win. The 55-point deficit was the all-time largest margin of defeat suffered by the Spokane franchise.

In Week 11 in San Jose, San Jose jumped out to a 28-13 lead at the half and held Spokane scoreless in the third quarter en route to a 55-26 final. Spokane's 26 points set a franchise record for the lowest point total in a game.

San Jose has locked up their Pacific Division title. Arizona is chasing at 10-2 with one matchup remaining between the teams scheduled for July 31 in San Jose.

Spokane still has playoff ambitions after recording a win against Portland last weekend to move them one game ahead of the Thunder. The Shock's 4-8 overall record also ties them with the Las Vegas Outlaws. The Shock and Thunder will face off one final time in regular season play on July 25 in Spokane and Spokane will visit Las Vegas for the final regular season game of 2015 on August 8.

The Sabercats' only loss so far this season came against Los Angeles two weeks ago, a 48-42 upset in which San Jose reportedly sat a number of its key starters.

Gonzaga players to be at

Battle in Seattle booth at Hoopfest

SPOKANE - Gonzaga men's and women's basketball players will be available for autographs Saturday and Sunday at Hoopfest in downtown Spokane.

Fans visiting the Battle in Seattle booth can sign up to win tickets to the Gonzaga-Tennessee game to be played Saturday, Dec. 19 at KeyArena in Seattle. A public sale of tickets will begin Sept. 18. More information will be released later this summer.

The Battle in Seattle booth will be located in Riverfront Park.

Saturday's appearance schedule will have men's players Silas Melson, Ryan Edwards and Eric McClellan available at 11:30 a.m., and Pzremek Karnowski, Rem Bakamus and Dustin Triano available at 1:30 p.m. Women's basketball hoopsters Emma Wolfram and Elle Tinkle will cap the day starting at 3 p.m.

Sunday's schedule will include men's players Kyle Dranginis, Josh Perkins and Bryan Alberts at 10 a.m. and women's players Shelby Cheslek and Shaniqua Nilles at 3 p.m.

Zags Wiltjer, Sabonis headed

to Nike Basketball Academy

SPOKANE - Senior Kyle Wiltjer and sophomore Domantas Sabonis will attend the inaugural Nike Basketball Academy today through Tuesday at the Santa Monica Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif.

The Bulldog pair make up two of just 20 invitees that event organizers identified as the "top-20 college athletes in the country." The camp is a shift for Nike from three skills academies to one, which allows the best players in the country in both high school and college to compete against the best competition. They'll receive direction from NBA stars and legends including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.

Ed Sneva Memorial will bring sons together for first time on race track

POST FALLS - The memory and accomplishments of the man who helped his son win the coveted Indianapolis 500 in 1983 will be honored Saturday night at Stateline Speedway.

The Ed Sneva Memorial race takes place and will feature a variety of classes of open wheel racecars, including Early Stocks, Vintage Modifieds, the Northwest Modifieds and the winged Northwest Super Modifieds. Racing begins with time trials at 6 p.m.

Edsol "Ed" Sneva died Dec. 1, 2014, but, "Dad was not the funeral kind of guy so having a race like this is what he would have wanted," his youngest son, Blaine Sneva said.

And the best part is his four surviving sons - Tom, Jerry, Jan and Blaine - will all be part of the tribute by driving race cars in the ceremonial last trophy dash in honor of their dad who helped launch impressive careers.

This is the first time all four brothers will have ever been on the race track together. "We've had three of us before, but not four," Blaine Sneva said.