The 4A state championship game started late due to the 36 (!) runs put up by Kennewick and Kelso in the 3A title tilt.

I certainly wasn't expecting a run-fest like that one, but the 4A game was entertaining in its own right.

Snohomish's Cameron Woolsey stole second base safely as the ball got loose from Kentlake's Zac Sturza. The second base umpire's butt is just enough out of the way to see Woolsey's face:



(Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 800, 1/800 sec., f2.8)

Kentlake was facing Snohomish, and it looked good for Kentlake early when pitcher Doug Christie helped himself out of a bases-loaded jam by making a catch while falling down backwards off the mound:

(Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 800, 1/800 sec., f2.8)

His celebration with teammates after play was good for me, since he was facing me and I could see his expression, but also, since the game was going to run past our deadline, I'd have a Kentlake celebration photo if they won the game:

(Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 800, 1/800 sec., f2.8)

Kentlake's joy would last only briefly, as Snohomish rallied for five runs in the third. Brian Wolfe tripled, driving in a run, and he celebrated upon reaching third base. This photo assured me I had celebration photos for both teams now -- if Snohomish won, we could use this one, if Kentlake won, we could use their players celebrating the catch by the pitcher. Lance Armstrong says, "It's all about the bike". For us, "it's all about the deadline":

(Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 800, 1/800 sec., f2.8)

His teammate Ethan Hargrave broke the game open with a homer later that same inning, and was greeted by a group (gang? pride? what the heck is a group of Panthers called, anyway?) at home plate:

(Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 800, 1/800 sec., f2.8)

Snohomish got into Kentlake's bullpen and eventually raced to a 10-1 victory. All that was left was to wait for the celebratory pileup. I made a nice frame of Snohomish catcher Tom Chandler hugging pitcher Aaron West after the final out:

(Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/500 sec., f2.8)

As for the expected pileup? The Panther's didn't disappoint:

(Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/500 sec., f2.8)

Obviously, I didn't want to transmit two photos of players piling up at home plate, but deadline was beckoning and any hopes of working the situation longer (trophy presentation, etc) were out the window.

As it was, the editors used the photo of Hargrave being greeted at home plate as the photo from the game.

No more high school sports for the year -- so, what's next?

Mariners baseball, Storm basketball and preparing for the Olympics.