State Preps Report

Farris excels at his hobby
Despite it being his second sport, Squalicum senior selected Whatcom County's best boys' tennis player
When John Farris' undefeated tennis season ended at the Class 3A Northwest District Tournament in late October, it was with more of a shrug than a thud.

Wolves Roar to Top of the List
Any columnist writing between Christmas and New Year's Eve must devote one entire column to either looking back on the ending year or making predictions for the coming one. Well, I'm not about to risk a ticket, so here's a top 10 from Kitsap's high school sports scene:

Berg's retirement, Toutle's title make list
A prep football star wrote his name into the state record books. A coaching icon hung up his whistle. State and national champions were crowned.

Teacher is suspect in illicit videotaping
Athlete tells police he recognized accused man from another tournament a year ago.

Tournaments: Upset bid by Hockinson boys goes awry at free throw line
Poor free-throw shooting cost the Hockinson boys basketball team an upset victory Thursday at a round-robin tournament in Ellensburg. The Class 2A Hawks had Mount Si, ranked No. 6

East Valley girls are getting defensive
Nobody could blame the East Valley girls basketball team for having a few flashbacks Thursday when it ventured back into the SunDome for the SunDome Shootout.

SunDome Shootout: Unbeaten Rangers outlast Wapato
Offense scores points. Defense wins games. And, as far as Naches Valley boys basketball coach Jon Eldridge is concerned, that's why his Rangers are still unbeaten.

Pioneers thump Friday Harbor
Nooksack Valley eases to win in own Invite title game
NOOKSACK - The Nooksack Valley boys' basketball team played a tournament championship on Wednesday night, but it was hardly competitive.

Prep roundup: Blaine boys win in overtime

Storm Winter Classic: Trojans fall at buzzer
Storm boys also lose in semifinals
Meridian coach Shane Stacy may never suffer a more bizarre loss on the final shot of a basketball game, but he readily acknowledged the Trojans didn't play well enough to deserve a victory.

Locker, Altona earn player-of-the-year honors
Four Ferndale seniors on WashingtonPreps.com first team

Boys basketball roundup: Gibler, Gray Gang Up on Trojans
The Olympic Trojans hung tough in the first half, but the visiting Bainbridge Spartans used their height advantage inside to pull away in the final quarter, winning 85-58 Thursday night in a non-league game.

Girls basketball roundup: CK Slams Into Title Game

High-school report

Montesano edges Hyaks
OYEHUT - North Beach and Montesano suffered scoring droughts against each other on Wednesday night, but the Hyaks' dry spell came later and proved more costly than the Bulldogs'.

Hyak defense stops Bulldogs
OYEHUT - North Beach coach Brett Mackey asked his girls basketball team to step up defensively and to make it a major part of their game.

Vikings sweep up field to win boys, girls Ilwaco titles
ILWACO - Ryan Freeman and Brady Langer combined for 49 points as Willapa Valley captured the championship of the Ilwaco Holiday Boys Basketball Tournament on Wednesday with a 76-61 victory over Wahkiakum.

North Beach retires Timpson's jersey
Former North Beach multi-sport standout Devin Timpson, had his uniform retired during halftime ceremonies at Wednesday's North Beach-Montesano boys basketball game. Timpson is currently a freshman at Washington State University, where he is a scholarship track athlete.

Kautz hits game-winner for Chitwhins, 56-54
WISHKAH - Kyle Kautz's basket with one second remaining gave Taholah a 56-54 victory over Vancouver Christian on the final day of the Wishkah Holiday Basketball Extravaganza boys basketball tournament on Wednesday.

Raymond rebounds to top Adna, 43-36
RAYMOND - Rebounding from a tough loss on Tuesday, Raymond controlled the boards and forced Adna into 31 turnovers en route to a 43-36 win on the final day of the Raymond Christmas Classic girls basketball tourney on Wednesday.

LCC off to a hot start at tourney
OREGON CITY, Ore. - Nick Moore knocked down 21 points and four other Lower Columbia College players scored in double figures as the Red Devils pounded College of the Redwoods 98-71 in the opening round of the Clackamas College Invitational men's basketball tournament here Wednesday.

Kelso grapplers take lead
RENO, Nev. - After five rounds of wrestling, Kelso is in first place at the 98-team Sierra Nevada Classic with 112.5 points, and Redmond, Ore. is right behind with 111.

Tumwater wins own tournament
Tumwater took three firsts and had two runners-up, helping the Thunderbirds win their own wrestling tournament Wednesday.

North Thurston Rams throttle Washougal 64-44
North Thurston used a big first quarter as a springboard to a 64-44 non-league victory Wednesday over Washougal in girls basketball.

A final all-state team
The Washingtonpreps.com 4A All-State football team was announced Wednesday and the Greater Spokane League played a prominent role.

College Notebook: Prairie grad Short helps C. Washington to 5-2 season start
She isn't scoring much, but Lauren Short is coming through in a point guard's most important category: leading her team to wins. A 5-foot-6 junior starter for the...

Tournaments: Prairie knocks off Wyoming's No. 1 team
Michael Hamberg's best game and Orlandor Westbrooks' usual brilliance lifted the Prairie boys basketball team to a dramatic victory Wednesday over Wyoming's top-ranked Class 4A team at the Energy Classic in Gillette, Wyo.

Scoreboard

Prep Basketball - Bulldogs' chances for upset cool late
ELLENSBURG - Eric Davis is convinced that defense isn't the problem. Ellensburg's boys basketball coach has seen enough to know his Bulldogs can clamp down on anyone.

Prep Basketball
WV gives Tahoma the third degree
ELLENSBURG - Time has been compressed for West Valley's girls basketball team lately. And the squeeze has been, at times, understandably painful.

Prep Basketball
SunDome Shootout starts today
If high school basketball is your thing, then find some time for a visit to the SunDome today and Friday.

Local Report
Selah downs Australian squad
SELAH - Sasha Valdez, Lindzy Gentz and Rochel Burke scored 17, 16 and 15 points respectively as Selah defeated West Adelaide, Australia, 77-61 in girls basketball on Wednesday.

Mountaineers wrestle skepticism
Eight girls making most of season on Mount Baker wrestling team
DEMING - When Angelica Brown heard that Mount Baker was forming a girls' wrestling team, the freshman knew she wanted to be a part of it.

Girls basketball roundup: Prendergast leads Squalicum
Royal Prendergast scored 16 points to lead four Squalicum Storm players in double figures in a 80-26 defeat over North Vancouver Argyle in the Storm Winter Classic in boys' basketball action on Tuesday.

Comcast may air Bellingham vs. Sedro-Woolley wrestling match
Can't make it to the Sedro-Woolley-Bellingham wrestling match on Jan. 5 at Bellingham? No problem, you might be able to catch it on television.
Red Raiders wrestling coach and athletic director Brian Smith said Comcast representatives have asked him about taping the match and broadcasting it on the cable provider's On Demand channel.

Boys basketball: Lynden hands LC first loss of season
Bolt leads Lynden with 21 points as Lions improve record to 7-1

Tuesday's prep roundup
Josh Monagle had 21 points and 11 rebounds as (South Kitsap) (5-0) beat the Canadian team (Dover Bay) at the Victoria (B.C.) Prep Invitational.

Bulldog boys, girls notch wins
Boys game is foul-filled contest
ELLENSBURG - Ellensburg boys' head coach Eric Davis wanted to play tough games during the Holiday Hoops Classic. On Tuesday he got his wish.

The Bulldogs won a defensive struggle 59-52 over the Hermiston Bulldogs in overtime.

Ingelmoor girls impressive in win over Hermiston
ELLENSBURG - The Inglemoor Vikings ran away with a win Tuesday against the Hermiston Bulldogs in girls' basketball. The final score was 75-34.

Mid-game run drives Vikings
ILWACO - Willapa Valley led throughout its contest with Wahkiakum, but needed a 22-2 run that included a 16-2 third quarter en route to a 50-27 girls basketball win in the Ilwaco Holiday Classic on Tuesday.

Valley pressures Warrenton in rout
ILWACO - Employing a zone press that Warrenton never figured out, Willapa Valley cruised to a 40-12 halftime score and shuffled along to a 74-32 boys basketball win at the Ilwaco Holiday Classic on Tuesday.

Sports Briefs: Aberdeen man wins state lifting title

Sharp shooting lifts Ducks
TOUTLE - Toutle Lake shot a blistering 60 percent from 3-point range and 54 percent from the field overall here Tuesday to turn back Highway 504 rival Castle Rock 67-51 in nonleague boys basketball action.

Reclassification picture becomes much clearer
Class 2A is the place to be. At least in terms of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) 2006-08 final enrollment data released on Tuesday.

Trio hits double figures in Wahkiakum win
ILWACO - Only four players scored for Wahkiakum, but three of them cracked double figures here Tuesday as the Mules outlasted Ilwaco 48-39 in the first round of the Ilwaco Holiday Classic boys basketball tournament.

The best of Sequim sports - 2005
A step short. A tackle missed. A second too late.
The sports world is filled with numbers and statistics that separate winners from runner-ups by mere milliseconds, fractions of an inch or the simple, random bounce of a ball.

Wolves go 1-3 at Pasco wrestling tourney
When I scheduled this tournament, said Sequim wrestling coach Mark Fischer, I had a more experienced line-up in mind.
In a trial-by-fire way, his Wolves learned about experience the hard way.

Opening a couple of left over packages
The time between Christmas and New Year's Day is one that should be home to the best of non-league prep basketball. Wouldn't it be great if there was a four-team tournament at GU or Eastern this week, maybe four of the best girls teams in the state and four of the best boys, all playing for the Sheridan Cup or the Gilman Trophy or even the Les Schwab/Wendle/Avista Corporate Plaque.

Back on the Mat
The crash happened Sept. 1 of 2004. But the bigger crash for Nick Reeves didn't come until that November, when the Mountain View junior found out his wrestling season was done before it even began...

On Further Review: The week in prep sports
Evergreen teams settle into temporary homes
With the Evergreen High School Fieldhouse under renovation, the basketball teams have had to find new homes for this season. The Evergreen boys are...

Reclassification is good idea with debatable execution
The intent of Washington's new six-class system for high school athletics is honorable. Setting up the state with an equal number of teams in each classification makes sense...

Girls Basketball Schedules/Results

Evergreen boys get what they came for
HILLSBORO, Ore. - Demond Carter lit up the Evergreen Plainsmen for 40 points Tuesday afternoon. Actually, it was just an average day for the senior from Reserve Christian, a private school from...

Tournaments: Corral's season-high 26 leads Prairie to opening win
Ashley Corral scored a season-high 26 points as the Prairie girls basketball team opened the Green County Bank Ladies Classic in Greeneville, Tenn., with a 54-51 over host Greeneville...

Scoreboard

Girls basketball: Bulldogs roll in tournament opener
ELLENSBURG - Breaking away from a tie game at halftime with back-to-back 20-point quarters, Ellensburg's girls ran off with a 58-32 victory over Moscow, Idaho, in the Holiday Hoop Classic on Tuesday.

Boys basketball: Ellensburg outlasts Hermiston in overtime
ELLENSBURG - Mike Gray's season-high 18 points, which included hitting 10 of 13 free throws, sparked Ellensburg to a 59-52 overtime victory over Hermiston on opening day of the McDonald's Holiday Hoop Classic on Tuesday.

Away at school: Downs stepping up at DSU
After a slow start, LaDONNA DOWNS (East Valley) is coming into her own as a junior center on the Dickinson (S.D.) State University women's basketball team. The Blue Hawks, who play in the NAIA's Dakota Athletic Conference, started the season 1-5 but have since won five of seven games - in large part because of Downs' emergence as a force in the middle.

Prep roundup: Torres, Zylstra lead Nooksack
The Nooksack Valley Pioneers' wrestling team overcame a six-point deficit with two matches left and went on to defeat the Squalicum Storm 39-33 in a non-league dual at Nooksack Valley on Thursday night.

Henifin, Schuette boost Raiders
DEMING - Zack Hennifin and Taylor Schuette combined for 34 points to lead the Bellingham boys' basketball team in its non-league 57-41 win over Mount Baker on Thursday night.

Athletes Need Parents, Not Critics
As a sports writer, I have been to countless high-school sporting events over the past 12 years. I've seen many good parents who cheer on their children and the team.

High-school report: Kreifels Will Play in World Scholar Games
Megan Kreifels has been selected to take part in the 2006 World Scholar-Athlete Games, which will be June 24-July 2 at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I.

Grizzlies dunk Bobcats
A tight, emotional rivalry game can change on one play. Hoquiam got one Thursday night to turn away Aberdeen.

Eight Harborites named to all-state FB teams
Eight Twin Harbor high school football players received all-state honors on Thursday when the Washington Associated Press All-State football teams were announced.

Viking defense sinks Bulldogs
MENLO - With points at a game-long premium, Willapa Valley's fourth-quarter defensive stand was too much for Montesano to break.

Acorns' first-quarter run drops Loggers
WISHKAH - A large deficit in the first quarter made life tough for host Wishkah, but a third-quarter surge by Oakville did it in in a 59-32 non-league boys basketball decision on Thursday.

Eagles fall to Turks, Spudders on the road
RIDGEFIELD - Elma head coach Marvin Prince is looking for game-by-game improvement from his boys basketball team and received some against Sultan on Thursday.

Jacks roll past Rainier
RAINIER, Ore. - The easiest win of the season for R.A. Long might have also been head coach Kyle Fowler's guiltiest pleasure.

Fowler, Porter make 3A All-State team
Consider it a clean sweep for R.A. Long senior Luke Fowler.

Welch sparks Jills' winning run against Rainier
R.A. Long sophomore Brittany Welch hit 5-for-5 from 3-point range on Thursday, including a pair of bombs during the Lumberjills' fourth-quarter comeback for a 53-45 nonleague girls' basketball win over Rainier at the Lumberdome.

Tigers, Rockets advance to Holiday Classic final
CASTLE ROCK - Scott Hodges exploded for 28 points as the Clatskanie Tigers used strong defensive pressure to beat the Harrisburg, Ore. Eagles 63-52 in the opening round of the Rocket Holiday Classic.

Thursday's scoreboard

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Elisara, Mattingly, Senescall, Jolley make first team from GSL
Everett, Bafus earn top award
A banner number of area football players were named to this year's Washington Associated Press All-State football teams, released Thursday. Included were players of the year Eric Everett of State B-11 champion Reardan and Jeff Bafus from four-time State B-8 titlist LaCrosse-Washtucna.

Mead defense shuts down Wolverines
Chelsea Mykines scored 18 points and hit four 3-pointers, and Nikki Nelson added 14 points and seven steals as Mead routed Bellevue 60-35 Thursday in the Roosevelt Shootout at Seattle.

Royal copes with loss of Vanderholm
Royal's biggest loss was followed by its biggest victory.

Evergreen puts two players on all-state football team
It wasn't the best of seasons for high school football teams from Southwest Washington on the state level, as no local team advanced past the first round of the playoffs. And the all-state voting...

Scoreboard

Thursday highlight
La Salle (Ore.) 58, Ridgefield 56, OT: The Falcons made a layup at the buzzer to win in overtime in the championship game of Ridgefield's holiday tournament. Troy Bleth had a Herculean effort for the Spudders with 29 points and 15 rebounds.

Local All-State football selections

Prep Roundup: Castro carries Spartans past Seattle Christian
SEATTLE - Edward Castro scored 24 points, 18 of them on 6-for-6 shooting from 3-point range, as unbeaten Granger defeated Seattle Christian 64-57 in a non-league boys basketball game Thursday at Seattle Christian.

There's no denying Moore ... or Locker for all-state
If you want to know why a football player can be voted the state's outstanding performer and yet not even be named all-state at a position he plays - quarterback - it's because 2005 was that kind of year.

Happy holidays for Irish
DeSales' girls head into the Christmas break with a 46-37 victory over Riverside Christian under their belts.

Irish, Indian on AP all-state football team
Two players from DeSales and one from Touchet have been named to their respective Washington all-state football teams.

Bulldog boys edge Rosalia
ROSALIA - Trailing 25-19 at halftime, Dayton outscored Rosalia 15-3 in the third quarter and then held on for a 42-39 boys non-league prep basketball victory here Thursday night.

Prep roundup: Baker wins wrestling Invite
The Mount Baker wrestling team had six individual champions as it won the second annual Mount Baker Invite for the second year in a row on Wednesday at Deming.

Pioneers boys hoops prevail
NV picks up momentum with win at Ferndale

Registration required

Wedneday's prep roundup: Wrestling, non-League
Olympic at Kennedy Tournament: The Trojans finished second overall at the Kennedy Tournament on Wednesday.

Game of the Week: Holiday Hoops Classic
On Tuesday, Ellensburg High School will host the second annual Holiday Hoops Classic. The three-day tournament will feature 14 teams from around the Northwest.

The boys' tournament will be a six-team round robin. Each team will play one game a day. The teams in town for the tournament are Hermiston, Ore. Bulldogs, Hockinson Hawks, Lewiston, Idaho Bengals, Mt. Si Wildcats and the West Valley Rams.

Grizzlies fight past Bobcats in win
Hoquiam's Grizzlies made certain there was no dramatic turnaround in their second girls basketball showdown with Aberdeen.

AHS-HHS boys meet again at 7:30 tonight
Aberdeen's and Hoquiam’s boys basketball teams will play their long-awaited rematch tonight at Sam Benn Gym.

Vikings upended by Tigers
NAPAVINE - Playing under conditions that resembled a late district playoff game or a state tournament contest, Willapa Valley and Napavine battled each other - literally - before the Class 1A Tigers upended the Class B Vikings, 42-38, in a non-league boys basketball game.

Spudders mash Eagles, 75-52
RIDGEFIELD - Troy Bleth scored 22 points as Ridgefield trounced Elma, 75-52, in the opening round of the Ridgefield Holiday Hoop Boys Basketball Tournament on Wednesday.

South Bend turns over Quinault
AMANDA PARK - Pressuring Quinault into 40 turnovers, South Bend pulled away to a 73-43 victory over the Elks in a non-league boys basketball game Wednesday night at Amanda Park.

Eagles go 2-1 in meets at Best of the West
PASCO - Elma's wrestling team took two out of three dual meets during the first day of the Best of the West wrestling tournament at Pasco on Wednesday.

Sports Brief: Elma grads aid in Western victory

Two Jills land all-state first-team honors
R.A. Long senior setter Amy Higginson capped her prep career with a first-team nod on the Washington all-state volleyball team, while another Lumberjill - senior soccer standout Stefa Chow - also garnered first-team all-state honors.

Basketball teams working overtime throughout South Sound
Just call me Mr. Overtime. All three prep basketball games I've been to in the past week have taken more than regulation to decide the winner.

Russell, Wade help keep River Ridge undefeated
Sophie Russell scored 19 points and Gabby Wade added 14 points and 18 rebounds as the River Ridge Hawks won their sixth straight Wednesday night, a 54-38 nonleague victory over Eatonville.

South Sound sports schedule

Prep scoreboard

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Area players, coaches named to all-state teams
Thigpen, Schnibbe, Cronin, Mead coach Kight earn 4A honors
Three Greater Spokane League athletes have earned first-team all-state honors in volleyball and girls soccer. They were named to teams selected by a statewide panel of sportswriters and coaches.

Registration required

Mid-Columbia Athletes of the Week

Prosser tops local all-state football selections with 5 picks
If you want to know why a football player can be voted the state's outstanding performer and yet not even be named all-state at a position he plays - quarterback - it's because 2005 was that kind of year.

Soccer finalists rake in accolades
East Valley and La Salle, who both came home with second-place trophies in their respective state girls soccer tournaments last month, landed five players apiece on the Class 2A and 1A-B all-state teams.

Prep roundup: Second-half surge lifts Bulldogs
ELLENSBURG - Tyler Gordon scored 16 points and Ellensburg warmed up from a cold-shooting first half to defeat Cashmere 50-40 in a non-league boys basketball game Wednesday night.

Vikings volleyball add honors to title
As befitting a state champion, Selah's volleyball team dominated the Class 3A all-state team, which were selected by a statewide panel of sportswriters and coaches.

Scoreboard

Wednesday's prep report

Squalicum football coach resigns after eight years
Squalicum football coach Steve Wilson has resigned from his position.
In eight years at Squalicum, Wilson, a math teacher, compiled a record of 22-54. The Storm were 2-8 last fall.

Lyncs' guard returning to form
Greg Burgers leading Lynden Christian 10 months after knee surgery
LAUREL - When Lynden Christian senior Greg Burgers grabbed his surgically repaired knee and grimaced in pain during Friday's game against Meridian, an audible gasp came from the Lyncs fans.

Boys hoops roundup: Lyncs rally in fourth quarter to beat Storm
Lynden Christian outscored Squalicum 22-12 in the fourth quarter and defeated the host Strom 60-52 in a non-league boys' basketball game on Tuesday.

Girls hoops roundup: VanBrocklin leads Mount Baker
Courtney VanBrocklin scored 28 points and had 18 rebounds as visiting Mount Baker defeated Bellingham 59-39 in a non-league girls' basketball game on Tuesday.

Golden Eagle grapplers fall at Oak Harbor
Oak Harbor defeated Ferndale 54-21 in a non-league meet at Oak Harbor.

Red Raiders top Golden Eagles
Henifin leads Bellingham to road victory

High School Report: PT Returns to 2A
The final enrollment numbers are in, and Port Townsend has been bumped back to Class 2A status for the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association's 2006-2008 enrollment period.

Sports briefs: Three Make All-State Volleyball Team
Three area athletes made the all-state volleyball team - Bainbridge's Hannah Stuart, Central Kitsap's Alli Weisbarth and North Mason's Dawn Norcross.

Bulldogs run away from Wolves
Boys and girls bury Wapato

The Ellensburg boys' basketball team improved to 2-0 in Mid Valley League play Tuesday night. The Bulldogs defeated Wapato 57-42.

"Everyone played tough," Ellensburg head coach Eric Davis said. "They came out very disciplined."

Vikings sprint past Gulls
MENLO - Willapa Valley boys basketball coach John Peterson wasn't quite ready to call it a breakout performance.

Bobcats topple Wolves in OT

Aberdeen officially drops to Class 2A in '06

Elk defense shuts down Bruins

Sports Briefs
Four Harbor girls named to all-state teams

Fishermen fillet Rockets
CASTLE ROCK - The Astoria Fishermen delivered a lesson in basketball fundamentals at LeBaron Court on Tuesday night, pulling away in the second half to down Castle Rock 55-39 in a nonleague boys basketball game.

Scrappy Jacks overcome Fowler's off night
When your starting point guard, a veteran of three varsity seasons, doesn't score a point for the first time in his career and fouls out in the fourth quarter, it usually spells D-O-O-M.

Monarch girls win triple-OT thriller
After more than two hours on the court in a triple-overtime endurance test, Mark Morris finally prevailed over Ridgefield, 72-69, Tuesday in a nonleague girls basketball thriller at Ted M. Natt Court.

Aberdeen bumps off Black Hills in overtime
Bobcats erase 11-point deficit for Pac-9 win
TUMWATER - Black Hills guard Jose Perry scored all 12 of his points from 3-point range Tuesday night, but it was the one he didn't shoot that decided the game.

Former Shelton standout Sawyer finds a fit at Northwest
Aaron Sawyer had the right moves, the right shot and the right game.

Isoz scores 20 to lift Capital over Shelton
OLYMPIA --With Kaelin Bristol on the bench Tuesday night resting a tender knee, Capital needed somebody to step up and make a statement.

Scoreboard

South Sound sports schedule

Wolves snag big wrestling wins
Heading into their holiday winter break, Sequim High's wrestlers are already celebrating.

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Tigers saddle Mustangs with loss
Undefeated LC continues trend of lopsided victories
Five Greater Spokane opponents who have played Lewis and Clark's girls basketball juggernaut in preseason games this year need not feel alone. The Tigers (6-0), who have beaten the GSL quintet by an average of 37 points per game, ran roughshod over a visiting state perennial in like fashion.

WIAA's final figures show few surprises
There were few, if any, surprises when the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association's Executive Board released the final enrollment figures and the makeup of its six classifications for fall 2006 on Tuesday.

Fourth-quarter run seals Cheney victory
Heather Burke scored 12 points and Amy Knox added eight as Cheney outscored Rogers 16-3 in the fourth quarter en route to a 42-29 victory Tuesday in the first round of the Blackhawk Invitational in Cheney.

Prairie's move back to 4A clouds 3A's future
It's still not completely done, and several questions remain unanswered, but the new six-class system for Washington high school sports is getting a little easier to figure out. Well, kind of....more

Scoreboard

Tuesday's Prep Report
Samantha Johnson scored 10 of her 13 points in the overtime periods, helping the host Monarchs win a marathon game. Sara Backstrom...

On Further Review
Parsons, Minder earn all-state soccer honors Senior defender Chaitra Parsons, who helped the Camas girls soccer team claim its first state championship last month, was voted as the Class 3A state...

2006-07 projected league alignments for District 4

Boys Basketball Schedules/Results

Evergreen boys hand River its first loss
In a clash of styles, stars and classifications, the Evergreen boys basketball team proved superior to Columbia River, at least on Tuesday night. Riding the all-around excellence of senior guard.

Davidson delivers as Ike heads into break in 1st
Daniel Davidson is a first-year varsity basketball player, but the Eisenhower junior didn't want his maturation - even in the rigorous Big Nine Conference - to take all season.

Boys basketball - Lochrie's free throw lifts Mustangs
PROSSER - Danny Lochrie's free throw with five seconds to play lifted Prosser to a 62-61 victory against Selah in Mid-Valley League boys basketball Tuesday night on the Mustangs' court.

Girls basketball - Ike avenges last season's lone Big Nine loss
RICHLAND - A road trip to Richland is no longer something Eisenhower's girls basketball program must dread.

Murillo passes milestone; Rams edged in tournament
PHOENIX, Ariz. - Cassidy Murillo racked up 26 points, including a 3-pointer in the final seconds that drew West Valley to within two points, but it wasn't enough to knock off Northern California powerhouse McKinleyville as the Rams fell 46-44 in...

Prep bowling - Eisenhower sweeps rival Pirates
Keisha Walsh had a two-game total of 372 and Melissa Pharmer had a 201 game Tuesday as Eisenhower shut out Davis 4-0 in a Central Washington League bowling match at Nob Hill Lanes.

Aggressive Bulldogs defeat Wa-Hi girls
PASCO - Wa-Hi fell behind an aggressive Pasco squad 8-2 in the first quarter and never recovered in a 45-30 Big Nine girls basketball loss here Tuesday.

Blue Devils' search continues
The winless Wa-Hi boys turn in a hard-working performance but fall to Pasco, 50-43, Tuesday night.
A rebounding deficit - not a nagging problem with turnovers - hurt Wa-Hi in the first half of a 50-43 Big Nine Conference boys basketball loss to Pasco at the Blue Devils' gym Tuesday night.

Boys hoops roundup: DeSales hands LC first BML loss
DeSales sophomore post Nick Hazeltine picked a great time to get his one and only field goal during a Blue Mountain League boys basketball game against Liberty Christian Tuesday night in the Irish gym.

Ferndale pays tribute to 'perfect fall'
Parade recognizes winning football team, marching band
Once again, the streets of Ferndale were swathed in gold and blue on Sunday afternoon, as the state champion marching band and football team were celebrated in a parade that drew hundreds.

Bellingham Bay Swim Team fifth at 'qualifiers'
The Bellingham Bay Swim Team finished fifth at the Pacific Northwest Swimming "Qualifiers" Championship on Saturday at Federal Way.
Bellingham finished fifth out of 31 teams at the competition.

Spartans Find Key to Victory
Steven Gray scores 20 as Bainbridge beats North Kitsap at KeyArena.
Bainbridge might consider moving all of its boys basketball games to KeyArena, where it's put together a three-game winning streak. With Steven Gray playing like the NCAA Division I talent he is, the Spartans mowed down North Kitsap 64-44 in a Monday afternoon non-league game at the home of the Seattle SuperSonics.

Bobcats run down by Wolves, 43-33
A stellar defensive performance could take Aberdeen's short-handed girls only so far.

AHS-HHS rematches this week

Big first-half streak flies Gulls by Vikings

Nisbet's bombs sink Comets, 48-36

Sports Briefs
Sharp second at Tri-State tourney

MM to retire Sari's number
In many cases, an athlete must either be finished playing or deceased to have their jersey number retired.

Wolves pull out win in Aberdeen
The Black Hills girls basketball team shook off a sluggish start before heating up in the second half to earn a 43-33 Pacific-9 League triumph at Aberdeen.

Scoreboard

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Christerson leads Reardan girls
Jen Christerson scored 16 points to lead Reardan as the Indians won a rescheduled Bi-County League girls game at Odessa on Monday night, 53-42. The game had been postponed from the first week of the season because Reardan was involved in the state football playoffs.

Registration required

Grandview gets by Prosser 52-48
GRANDVIEW - Grandview used a 20-11 fourth-quarter run to rally and beat Prosser 52-48 on Monday night.

Monday's prep report
Prairie wins first game at the Tournament of Champions in Phoenix.

Scoreboard

Away at School
Lawson plays in all-star game
Shauna Lawson (West Valley), who was a member of the Bellevue Community College women's soccer team this past fall, played for the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges All-Star Team on Dec. 3 at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila. The game...

Local Report
West Valley girls fall in tourney opener
PHOENIX, Ariz. - The West Valley girls basketball team is a very good one, but on Monday, in the opening round of the Nike Tournament of Champions, they faced a foe that might seem, at first glance, unbeatable.

A triple triumph
East Valley's Kellen Hopkins continues to make the annual wrestling tournament in the SunDome a personal highlight reel as the junior captured his third straight Mat Classic title, winning at 119 pounds Saturday night.

Prep roundup: Nooksack Valley boys crush Mount Baker
Jeb Hobbs led a balanced attack with 13 points and the Nookscak Valley boys basketball team held Mount Baker's Pete Galbraith to three points in a 56-27 Whatcom County League victory on Thursday night.

Lummi leads all-league team
Quarterback Andrew Jefferson and wide receiver Loren Cultee were among 10 Lummi High School players named to the Pacific Coast Conference all-league first team on Thursday.

Archbishop Murphy moves up to 2A
Archbishop Murphy of Everett is currently the only high school from District 1 looking to move up to a higher classification, said Jim Meyerhoffer, the assistant executive director of the WIAA.

The Tippy Point
South Kitsap point guard Tippy Burk has proven himself a winner
According to John Callaghan, some people are just winners, whether it's because of genetics or determination. The South Kitsap basketball coach should know. He's coached a few of them. So when he applies that tag to his point guard, Tippy Burk, one would have to believe him.

Gray Beats Buzzer, Lakeside
A layup as time expired gave Bainbridgea heart-stopping 68-67 win over Lakeside
Games like Thursday night's contest between the visiting Lakeside Lions and the Spartans from Bainbridge Island don't happen very often.

Prep roundup

Grizzlies capture Beavers
TENINO - A 17-point first-quarter bulge and a balanced scoring attack was enough to power Hoquiam past Tenino, 81-58, in a Evergreen League boys basketball game Thursday night.

Bulldogs stop losing skid at 16
ROCHESTER - Alicia Snyder's basket with eight seconds remaining gave Montesano a 37-35 victory over Rochester in an Evergreen League girls basketball game Thursday night at Rochester.

Bobcats to forfeit win over Grizzlies
CENTRALIA - Aberdeen must forfeit its season-opening boys basketball victory over Hoquiam over use of an ineligible player, District IV administrators ruled Thursday.

Hoquiam plows through Tenino, 65-30
Once they began converting their high-percentage shots, Hoquiam's girls had little difficulty taking their league opener.

Spartans hold off Eagles in league opener
ELMA - Trailing through most of the contest, Elma put together enough of a run to take the lead, only to watch visiting Forks take it away.

Hyak defense shuts down Gulls
OYEHUT - An offensive showcase wasn't in the cards for either host North Beach or visiting Raymond on Thursday, allowing the Hyak defense to take center stage against the Gulls.

Rams edge Bucs in league meet
LACEY - North Thurston edged the Grays Harbor Buccaneers, 100-79, in a Pac-Nine League swim meet Thursday at Lacey.

Indians get a quick boost off the bench to down NWC
LACEY - South Bend missed a last-second shot to win the game in regulation, but got five quick points from reserve Casey Spoor late in overtime to outdistance host Northwest Christian, 61-58, in a non-league boys basketball contest on Thursday.

Layton leading the way for Saints
t's been a fairy-tale senior campaign for Toledo's Beth Layton with the St. Martin's College women's basketball team.

Kelso hits the court with fresh faces and lofty goals
On the rosters of the Kelso boys and girls varsity basketball teams, almost all of the faces are new.

Johnson optimistic despite early injuries
CASTLE ROCK ---- They say patience is a virtue. Castle Rock coach Kevin Johnson is trying hard to believe it.

Chinooks get first win against Toledo since '01
TOLEDO ---- Kalama had to wait for Toledo's last-second 3-point attempt to rim harmlessly away before it could celebrate a crucial Southwest Washington 1A League victory ---- and the end of a five-year losing streak.

Northwest Christian loses in overtime
Three-pointer helps South Bend prevail
LACEY -- The Northwest Christian Navigators overcame a 12-point deficit in the first half, brushed away 28 turnovers and fought to even the score and send it to overtime.

Rainier boys end victory drought
Rainier beat Onalaska 58-45 in a 1A Southwest Washington League contest Thursday for their first varsity win in four years.

South Sound sports schedule

Scoreboard

Braves Blitz Vikings
La Conner upends Orcas Island in Northwest 1A/B game

Bulldogs, Cubs to host wrestling tourneys
Both events slated for Saturday

Prep roundup
La Conner girls can’t get past Orcas Island
Concrete blows away nonleague Warriors

Scoreboard

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Bantams make University sweat out win
Young Clarkston pushes defending State 4A champs
Perhaps Clarkston's youth deceived or University wrestling coach Don Owen underestimated the Bantams a bit when he held out some of his regulars in their National Division Greater Spokane League showdown.

Prep roundup: Davis, Thomas lead Pullman past Moscow
Kelli Davis and Jessica Thomas each scored 10 points as Pullman's girls earned a 36-30 win over Moscow in non-league basketball play Thursday at Moscow.

Boys notebook: Rule changes good for game so far
In Pasco's season opener against Moses Lake on Dec. 2, there was a mysterious whistle blown that puzzled Bulldogs coach Chad Herron. After a brief explanation by referee Bruce Dix, all was settled.

Boys roundup: West Valley pulls away from Sunnyside

Girls basketball roundup: West Valley edges Sunnyside

The Columbian's All-Region teams
Girls Cross Country: First in Family, and State
History within reach, Sarah Porter first had to outrun her sister. And that was no easy task. "I love her with all my heart," Porter said of younger sister Shannon. "But I don't want to let...

Scoreboard

Prep Basketball
Lombardi, Ike too much for Lady Pirates
Comparatively speaking, Davis' young Pirates were acquitting themselves nicely against tall and talented Eisenhower during the first half of their girls basketball game Thursday night.

Prep Basketball
Eisenhower-Davis boys game is sold out
If you want to enjoy tonight's Davis-Ike showdown of unbeaten Big Nine Conference powers but don't already have your ticket in hand, well ... get ready to enjoy the game on the radio.

Local Report
Big Nine principals vote to accept Sunnyside
As expected, Sunnyside High School officials didn't have to wait long to find out about their application to the Big Nine Conference.

Prep Roundup
Late wins lead lead Prosser past Wapato
PROSSER â€" Alex Zapeda, Nathan Bauer and Tyler Leighty closed with victories Thursday night to lead Prosser to a 42-30 win over Wapato in a Mid-Valley League wrestling match.

Prep Basketball
WV shakes Sunnyside to open MVL slate
Behind a balanced attack, West Valley finally broke away from Sunnyside in the second half, posting a 79-60 boys basketball victory Thursday in the Mid-Valley League opener for both teams.

Irish struck by Lightning
LaSalle manhandles DeSales, 63-22, Thursday night in the Irish gym
When a team commits more turnovers than it has points on the board, more often than not the outcome isn't pretty.

Freshman leads Pioneers
Nooksack Valley improves to 4-0 by beating Blaine
NOOKSACK - Six-foot freshman Erika Ramstead, who has wowed AAU select competition as a powerful post player, has developed a 3-point shot. And she isn't afraid to use it when needed most.

Girls Basketball Roundup: SK Claims First Win of Season
The Wolves picked up their first win when it mattered. South Kitsap (1-4) opened the Narrows League Bridge Division season with a 54-39 win over the Shelton Highclimbers. Jamie Boyer and Sharissa Pauley led the way with 13 each for SK, which is at Port Angeles on Friday.

Boys Basketball Roundup: Wolves Take to Road, Blast Climbers
Josh Monagle scored 20 points as the second-ranked South Kitsap Wolves crushed the Shelton Highclimbers as Narrows League Bridge Division play opened Wednesday night.

Prep roundup

Bulldogs begin league play

The Ellensburg boys' and girls' basketball teams are now into the thick of things. On Friday, the Bulldogs host the Prosser Mustangs in the opening game of the Mid-Valley League season.

For the girls' team, the squad is looking to build off a tough non-conference schedule. The girls are currently on a two-game slide. Overall, their record is 1-2.

Ocosta, Bobcats post mat wins
WESTPORT - You could call Wednesday night's tri-dual meet at Ocosta High School an unofficial Twin Harbors small school wrestling championship. By sweeping Willapa Harbor and North Beach, that honor belongs this year to Ocosta.

Harbor wrestling elite to assemble in meet Saturday
Some of the elite of Twin Harbors wrestling will assemble at Aberdeen's Sam Benn Gym on Saturday for the fourth annual Grays Harbor Wrestling Championships.

Spivey, Wildcats run past Loggers
WISHKAH - Holding a four-point lead at halftime and an eight-point lead early in the third quarter, Wishkah was in control before Kevin Spivey and visiting Ocosta ran away with a 72-57 non-league boys basketball win on Wednesday.

Sports Briefs
Monte soccer team fifth at state

Public deserved a voice in MM decision
In the end, they got it right.

Sharp shooting lifts Rainier girls to win
RAINIER ---- Rainier thumped Warrenton, Ore., 61-42 here Wednesday in a nonleague girls basketball game, building a big lead with a barrage of first-half 3-pointers.

Behind the numbers: Enrollment figures are nearly set
Last week, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association released a primary draft of the 2006-08 high school classifications, based on new enrollment figures.

Champlin lifts Olympia with double-double
OLYMPIA --Oregon State-bound Whitney Champlin scored 24 points on 12-for-15 shooting and added 11 rebounds Wednesday, lifting Olympia to a 57-51 victory against Foss in Narrows League girls basketball.

Scoreboard

Ferndale Tops Cubs
Sedro-Woolley commits 38 turnovers in league loss
SEDRO-WOOLLEY- With the lead approaching 50 and the final quarter dwindling away, Ferndale girls' basketball coach Pat Foley still wanted to see what his defense could do.

Prep roundup: Tigers tackle Bellingham in league
B-EHS girls' basketball team remains undefeated

Scoreboard

Subscribers only

Big Nine decides for 14-team league with 4A, 3A divisions
West Valley (Yakima), Hanford join; Sunnyside has invitation
The Big Nine Conference principals voted Wednesday to convert the former 4A league into a combined 4A/3A league split into two divisions by classification.

Numbers indeed do lie
GSL gymnasts better than new scoring system shows
After a second straight season in which two GSL gymnastics teams finished in the top five at the State 4A tournament, the competitiveness of the GSL at a statewide level would appear to be improving.

Quick hits
They'll roll out the mats for a 34th time when the prestigious Wrestler's World Tri-State tournament is held Friday and Saturday at North Idaho College.

Roundup: Heady player, gutsy play
North Central was trailing West Valley by two points, 5 seconds to play, and NC guard Eric Beal was inbounding the ball beneath his basket.

He was struggling to find an open teammate so took the next available option, bouncing the ball off the back of an inattentive WV Eagle, picking it up once back in play and scoring the tying basket himself.

NC went on to an overtime victory.

Malsam serves in more than just a supporting role
If University wrestler Mike Malsam were making a movie of himself, it would make a compelling story. The protagonist's interests lie in music, the arts and competitive skateboarding.

Mead topples U-Hi to extend meet streak
Highly-touted Mead placed three girls in the top five all-around and came out on top in a Greater Spokane League gymnastics meet at Mead.

Registration required

Girls notebook: Lions still adjusting to new coach
It has not been an easy first two weeks for Joe Harshman as Kennewick's girls basketball coach. First, one of his top players, senior MaryAnne Samples, was ineligible for the first two games because she joined the Kennewick band on a trip to Hawaii and did not have enough practices.

The Columbian's All-Region teams
Girls Swimming: Manlow is True Champ
Shhhhhh. Don't tell anybody, but Alyssa Manlow's entry into the world of swimming was based on a lie. Her grandmother fudged a bit on Alyssa's age when Alyssa wanted to take lessons.

Scoreboard

Wednesday's prep report

Commentary
Question is fair: Is 97-5 too much?
It was a fair question, delivered by e-mail from Camas soccer coach Roland Minder.

"Prairie girls B-ball beats Evergreen 97-5 and not a word from The Columbian's Sports editor?" Minder wrote.

Split decision: Big Nine to be a 4A/3A conference
A new prep sports era in the region dawned following Wednesday's action by current Big Nine Conference principals.

SunDome event is a Classic
East Valley's Kellen Hopkins will go for his third straight SunDome Mat Classic title when the state's largest single-day wrestling tournament convenes for the 15th year on Saturday.

Big Nine combine gets OK
Two divisions based on classification meet Wa-Hi's approval, but other issues remain unresolved.
Call it a compromise. With potential strings attached.

The Big Nine Conference's principals voted Wednesday in favor of reorganizing as a combined Class 4A/3A league with two divisions based on classification.

Irish defend Cards
DeSales' defense shuts Waitsburg down in a 48-22 Blue Mountain League girls basketball victory Tuesday night.
WAITSBURG - Defense! Defense! Defense!

DeSales limited Waitsburg to eight points through three quarters, 16 percent shooting accuracy (9-for-55) and forced 25 turnovers Tuesday night as it successfully opened defense of its Blue Mountain League girls basketball championship with a 48-22 victory over the Cardinals at Kison Court.

Fourth quarter trips up Pirates
Pomeroy's girls take a five-point lead into the final eight minutes but Lacrosse-Washtucna rallies for a 57-48 win.
POMEROY - Lacrosse-Washtucna turned up the defensive pressure in the fourth quarter here Tuesday night and escaped with a 57-48 non-league girls basketball victory.

Registration required

High-school report
Emily Farrar led the Spartans with 17 points, as Bainbridge 6-0 cruised past visiting South Kitap Bainrbridge takes on Eastside Catholic tomorrow night at home.

Indian taco feed planned during Omak-Tonasket wrestling
An Indian taco feed is planned prior to Tonasket traveling to Omak in high school wrestling Dec. 13.

The feed starts at 6 p.m. and runs through the contest in the Pioneers' foyer. Cost is $6 for a giant taco that fills a plate, say organizers.

The match should be awesome, too, as Omak edged Tonasket by a mere point to claim first place at the Okanogan Wrestling Tournament Dec. 10.

Dec. 14-20 sports calendar

Retirement beckons Tonasket sports icon Gary Garner
Gary Garner plans for retirement this spring
Gary Garner, left, enjoyed working with kids and seeing them develop. That included playing conditions well below zero during 1985 quarterfinal playoff game at Columbia-Burbank in 1985. Garner was an assistant coach. At right in stocking cap was coach Vic Eaton.

Gary Garner's back may be a bit more sore and his hair has loads more gray, but his quick smile, desire to see students succeed and dedication to his job remain strongly in place.

Garner, a fixture as a teacher, coach and athletic director at Tonasket High School since the early 1970s, will retire this spring.

Pendo picks up minutes at Gonzaga
David Pendergraft, Brewster, continues to see more and more playing time as more and more Gonzaga University basketball players go down with injuries.

Pendergraft has played every position except point guard for the Zags (6-2), who were ranked No. 10 by the Associated Press entering the week.

Bobcats start hot, stay hot against Blazers
LACEY - Aberdeen scored the game’s opening seven points and never looked back in beating Timberline, 69-56, in a Pac-Nine League boys basketball game Monday night at Lacey.

Short-handed Valley stays perfect with road win
ROCHESTER - Despite playing without their leading scorer, Willapa Valley remained unbeaten with a 54-42 victory over Rochester in a non-league girls basketball game Monday night at Rochester.

Sports Briefs: Aberdeen armwrestler second at state

Luke in a landside
His team didn't make the playoffs. It didn't even win more games than it lost, although a 5-5 record can't be considered a failure.

Toledo winning without Wallace
TOLEDO ---- During the past four seasons, Toledo boys basketball coach Scott Merzoian could count on big Artem Wallace to clean the boards, block shots and contribute 18-plus points per game.

3A, 4A baseball tourneys moved to Safeco Field
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) Board of Directors has voted to approve the move of the 2006 Class 4A and 3A State Baseball Championships to Seattle's Safeco Field on May 26-27.

Wahkiakum cruises to nonleague win
CATHLAMET ---- Wahkiakum raced to a 17-4 first-quarter lead and led by as many as 28 in the fourth quarter before settling for a 65-50 nonleague boys basketball win over Naselle here Monday in the K-M Mountain Trophy Game.

Roundup: Hinkle among Hoop Shoot winners in Tumwater
This time of year, life revolves around basketball at the Hinkle household. And at times, such a life can be a safety hazard.

Tumwater pulls away, remains unbeaten
Smith scores 23 to lead Thunderbirds in victory
TUMWATER -- Nick Smith and Danny Myers showed why they're one of the best guard combos in the Pacific-9 League Monday night.

South Sound sports schedule

Scoreboard

Coach drops in on old school
Sedro-Woolley wrestling coach Jay Breckenridge always enjoys matches in the Burlington-Edison High School gym.

Scoreboard

Two QBs say they'll join Vandals
Tobin, Enderle commit to UI, ensuring future in good hands
The University of Idaho might have found its quarterback for the future. Make that quarterbacks.

Registration required

Area stats and standings

BOYS HOOPS
Football stars lead Prosser over Grandview in OT
PROSSER -- Serg Torres banked in a 3-pointer for the Prosser boys basketball team with less than 20 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 48-48, and Danny Lochrie hit another for the Mustangs in overtime to spark a 58-53 win over Grandview.

Moses Lake Christian 61, Mabton 47

GIRLS HOOPS
Brown, Raap lead Prosser by neighboring Grandview
PROSSER -- Jordan Brown led all scorers with 15 points to lead the Prosser girls to a nonleague win over Grandview.

Moses Lake Christian 52, Mabton 26

Westbrooks helps lead Prairie past Skyview
Orlandor Westbrooks opened the second quarter by draining four 3-point shots in a row as and finished with 22 points as Prairie defeated visiting Skyview 75-65 Monday in 4A Greater St. Helens League...

Scoreboard

Monday's Prep Report
Monday's stars: Kristen Marini of Battle Ground, girls bowling was the high roller at Tiger Bowl with games of 185-183 in the match against Mark Morris, R.A. Long and Prairie...

4A GSHL girls basketball has familiar formula

Prep sports:A vote for the Big Nine's future
Interested in some of the forces that will decide the future of the Big Nine Conference?

Away at School : Strait continues strong year
ANDREW STRAIT (West Valley), a sophomore on the basketball team at the University of Montana, earned all-tournament honors after leading the Grizzlies to a 78-72 overtime victory against host Drake in Saturday's championship game of the Drake Regency...

Local Report: Prosser sneaks past Grandview in overtime
PROSSER - Kellen Crawford had 15 points and nine rebounds to lead the Prosser boys basketball team to a 58-53 overtime victory against the Grandview Greyhounds.

Prep Roundup: Granger shows mettle in winning Ironman wrestling tourney
GRANGER - Josh Russell, Richard Esparza and Eric Lopez won titles and Granger had four other wrestlers in the championship finals as the Spartans won their 12-team Ironman Invitational on Saturday.

Prep Basketball: Dollente's 27 leads unbeaten Ike past Pasco

Wa-Hi girls win nailbiter
Jennifer Keyes hits the game-winner in overtime for Blue Devils.
Wa-Hi sophomore guard Jennifer Keyes struggled throughout the Blue Devils' Big Nine Conference girls basketball game against Eastmont Saturday night in the Wa-Hi gym.

Wa-Hi trips up at Eastmont
Wa-Hi endures a bus accident and a rough second quarter in a loss at Eastmont.
The Wa-Hi boys basketball team lost 58-47 in a tough road game here to Eastmont on Saturday night after suffering through a bus accident on the trip.

Blue Devils look green in Pasco
PASCO - Jay Klicker and Jacob Butenhoff notched Wa-Hi's wins in a 61-7 Big Nine Conference wrestling loss to Pasco here Thursday.

Ferndale parties on
Fans flock to open house for winning team
Posters reading "14-zero" and "Thank you Ferndale fans" surrounded Ferndale community members as they congratulated the winning football team Thursday night.

NW League preview: Sehome swimmer aiming higher
Gregory has put in his hours at the pool and it shows

Gymnastics preview: Sehome, Squalicum team up in gymnastics

Prep roundup: Gray gets milestone win as Mount Baker tops Meridian

Season Preview: State Champs Return to Gym
Marie Welsh leadsa Bainbridge team that has no idea how good it will be.
It's hard to get Marie Welsh to talk about what she hopes to accomplish this gymnastics season. The Bainbridge Spartan took third as a freshman at last year's Class 3A state meet. That has to make her a favorite to win it all this year, right?

Olympic League Still has Precarious Hold on Life
Schools around the state thought that the details would fall into place once the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association released new enrollment numbers for the next two school years.

Thursday's prep report

Playbook
Given that it was the maximum allowed, Aberdeen's boys completed a 180-degree turnaround in a 48-hour span.

Clerical error may cost AHS a win
Aberdeen will likely forfeit last week’s boys basketball victory over Hoquiam due to the use of an ineligible player, Aberdeen athletic director Derek Cook said Thursday.

Grizzlies slice up Spudders
This time the Lady Grizzlies weren't about to let a lead get away.

Bobcats edge Wolves
TUMWATER - Leading by just two team points entering the final match, Aberdeen got a decisive victory from senior Jeremy Baarsma to knock off host Black Hills, 37-29, in a Pac-Nine League wrestling meet on Thursday.

Gulls shut down Tribe despite late rally, 41-36
South Bend - South Bend coach Gary Wilson was patiently waiting for his team to finally get a break, but Raymond never allowed that to happen.

Vikings pull away to pick up milestone win
OYEHUT - Breaking things open in the fourth quarter, Willapa Valley converted its oppportunities against host North Beach and handed its coach a milestone win, 63-44, in a non-league girls basketball game on Thursday.

True Columbian
RAINIER - A lot of student athletes have a full plate. Rainier High School junior Briana Gallaher has a cup that runneth over.

Kelso wrestlers dominate Jacks
Even with some of its best wrestlers out of the lineup and several others bumped up a weight class, Kelso dominated a much smaller Mark Morris squad 71-3 in a Greater St. Helens 3A League wrestling dual Thursday night.

RAL wrestlers celebrate big win over Camas
CAMAS - R.A. Long recorded five pins en route to a resounding 40-24 victory over powerful Camas here Thursday in a Greater St. Helens 3A League wrestling dual.

Rainier slips against Stevenson
RAINIER - At times, the pungent whiff of nacho cheese was distracting. And the crowd raised the occasional ruckus, particularly when two fans produced winning cards for a rare Bingo tie at halftime.

Furious finish lifts Monarchs past Lassies in league opener
The leadership of senior guards Breeanne Barker and Molly Schatzel piloted Mark Morris through a nip-and-tuck stretch of the fourth quarter as the Monarchs pulled away for a 56-44 road win over Kelso in the Greater St. Helens 3A League girls' basketball opener for both teams Thursday.

Preps to play for titles at Safeco
WIAA moves state baseball tournament
RENTON - For a select few high school baseball players, a dream may come true this spring: They'll get to play at a major league ballpark.

Elma girls turn up tempo in hopes of returning to state
The posts are gone, but the Elma Eagles aren't worried. They'll just change styles.

Chehalis boys stay perfect in Pac-9
Chehalis High School took a 27-13 lead at the half and held on to its undefeated league status with a 55-29 victory against Black Hills Thursday night in a Pacific-9 League boys basketball game.

South Sound 2A, 1A and B girls basketball capsules
Rochester, Rainier and Oakville did not submit responses to inquiries from The Olympian.

South Sound 2A, 1A and B Boys basketball capsules
Rainier did not submit a response to inquiries from the Olympian.

Cubs Extend Streak
Sedro-Woolley's Cody Pohren (right) ties up Burlington-Edison's Jovani Ortiz in the 125-pound match. Pohren recorded a second-round pin, helping the Cubs beat their rivals 60-18 on Thursday.
Matt Wallis / Skagit Valley Herald
Sedro-Woolley wins 35th straight Northwest 3A League dual meet

Prep Roundup: Anacortes wrestling wins opener

Scoreboard

Prairie rallies for 4A GSHL victory
In the course of Thursday night's Class 4A Greater St. Helens League opener between expected title contenders, Marshal Schaefer rose from outcast to savior for the Prairie boys basketball team.

Prep Roundup: Waterman's late free throws seal victory for Skyview
Shawn Waterman scored 22 points and hit two free throws with four seconds left as Skyview beat visiting Mountain View 54-51 on Thursday in the Class 4A Greater St. Helens League boys basketball opener...

Scoreboard

Thursday's prep roundup

Title teams highlight fall athlete nominations
They took their respective state championships and now they're lining up for more honors to come this spring.

Local Report: Selah wrestlers pin their way past Wapato
WAPATO - Piling up 10 pins, Selah's wrestling team opened the Mid-Valley League season with a 64-18 victory over Wapato on Thursday.

Blue Devils look green in Pasco
PASCO - Jay Klicker and Jacob Butenhoff notched Wa-Hi's wins in a 61-7 Big Nine Conference wrestling loss to Pasco here Thursday.

NWL wrestling season preview
Bellingham brothers have wrestling in their blood
Red Raiders hope to challenge Sedro-Woolley in NWL
Bellingham wrestling coach Brian Smith can tell when brothers Levi and Cameron Brearley aren't happy with each other.

Wrestling
Baker's dual meet streak ends at 61
Blaine upends Mountaineers in opening WCL meet

Prep roundup: Bellingham boys get first win

Registration required

High School Swimming Season Preview: Back in the Swim of Things
Nathan Adrian returns to the Knights' swim team for his senior season.

Boys swimming: Team-by-team preview

High School Report: Oly Girls Snap Skid
Shannon White scored 15 points and had seven rebounds as the Trojans(1-1) snapped a 14-game losing streak by beating Stadium 41-33 in a non-league girls basketball game Wednesday night.

Chehalis takes down AHS
A battle between two Pac-Nine League wrestling heavyweights turned into an early Chehalis takedown clinic and a furious, but short comeback by Aberdeen.

Gulls hit foul shots to down Wildcats

Buccaneers commandeer meet, beat Hawks, 120-43

Bruins knock down Bulldogs, 51-42

Chitwhins stay balanced to defeat Quinault

Briefs

Rainier gets defensive
CLATSKANIE ---- For a girls basketball game, it was a pretty ugly fight.

Black among MM Hall inductees
Former Major League pitcher Bud Black, along with three other individuals and the members of the 1978 state champion boys' basketball team, are the latest inductees into the Mark Morris High School Sports Hall of Fame.

Welch, Irwin lead Jills past Rockets
Brittany Welch and Rachel Irwin combined for 29 points to lead R.A. Long past Castle Rock 59-34 in a nonleague girls basketball game Wednesday night at the Lumberdome.

Rams' White takes on challenges with a smile
North Thurston senior forward 'a survivor' despite hardships
It's another weekday morning in Tyson White's home. Another school day awaits.

Olympia dumps North Kitsap for first win of season
Holding North Kitsap to just five third-quarter points, Olympia rallied from a four-point halftime deficit to win 64-54 in boys Narrows League basketball Wednesday night.

Pac-9 boys basketball capsules

Ex-Centralia star traded to Toronto
DALLAS -- The Toronto Blue Jays acquired former Centralia High School standout Lyle Overbay from the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night for right-hander Dave Bush, outfield prospect Gabe Gross and a player to be named.

Prep scoreboard

Braves Win Third Straight
La Conner girls' basketball team tops University Prep

University boys top La Conner
Braves' defense has trouble holding off Pumas in the final quarter of the non-league game

Tigers shut down Oak Harbor
Burlington-Edison girls dominate on defense

Prep Roundup
Cub girls' hoops holds off Meridian
Monroe girls top Stanwood

Prep scoreboard

Prep scoreboard

Prep Basketball - Davis girls come up short
For a half, Davis' diminutive girls basketball team found the best way to deal with Moses Lake's towering lineup.

Prep Roundup - Lower, middle weights not enough for Davis
With four pins between 160 and 215 pounds, Wenatchee overcame Davis' superiority in the lower and middle weights for a 39-32 victory Tuesday in Big Nine Conference wrestling.

Prep Basketball - Mustangs outrace Greyhounds
GRANDVIEW - Jordan Brown scored 21 points for Prosser, which built a comfortable first-half lead and cruised to a 66-48 non-league victory over Grandview in girls basketball action Tuesday night.

Prep Basketball - Castro's 28 points leads Granger to win
GRANGER - Edward Castro scored 28 points and R.J. Solis added 12 as Granger downed Toppenish 77-61 in a non-league boys basketball game Tuesday night on the Spartans' court.

Girls basketball roundup: LC boys roll past Sehome

Boys basketball: Tradition lures Roper to Lynden

Prep notebook: Community to celebrate Ferndale state title

WCL wrestlers are heavy hitters
League returns three state tournament placers in heavyweight division
EVERSON - Every morning during the offseason, Nooksack Valley heavyweight wrestler Sam Zylstra could be found pounding the pavement.

Tuesday's prep roundup

Bainbridge and SK Boys, Central Girls Ranked

Bulldogs pummel Cashmere
Ellensburg pins four Bulldogs in 43-21 win
ELLENSBURG - The Ellensburg Bulldog wrestlers started off the regular season in fine fashion. With solid wrestling throughout the line-up the Bulldogs dropped the Cashmere Bulldogs 43-21.

"The effort was great by everyone. The guys showed up to wrestle," Ellensburg head coach Jason Stevenson said. "But we still have things we need to work on."

Bobcats routed by Tigers
"If we play like that we won't win another game all year."

Grizzlies pay back Sentinels

AHS topples Centralia

Gulls survive Indians

Scots lose battle of boards
With senior Jake Brandt flaunting a his deadly shooting touch from any spot in the gym, Kelso had an excellent chance to grab its first boys basketball win of the season Tuesday.

Plainsmen edge Monarchs on last-second tip-in
VANCOUVER ---- Evergreen got a tip-in at the buzzer to knock off Mark Morris 48-46 here Tuesday night in a nonleague boys basketball clash.

Whitmire's hot-streak continues as Woodland defeats Kalama
WOODLAND ---- Jack Whitmire recorded his third double-double in as many games with 23 points and 14 rebounds here Tuesday to power Woodland to a 52-47 nonleague boys basketball win over Kalama in the Chinooks' season-opener.

Trio helps Hawks press to be the best
Girls hoops: River Ridge looks to return to 3A state tourney
It's no secret what they're going to do.

Semken scores 22 to spark Tumwater in win over Rams
Brandon Semken led five players in double figures with 22 points as Tumwater took down North Thurston 75-65 in a Pacific-9 League boys basketball game Tuesday night.

Pac-9 girls basketball preview capsules
Centralia and Chehalis did not submit responses to inquiries from The Olympian.

Prep scoreboard

Sequim High a 2A school again
It's official: Sequim High is returning to the class 2A ranks.
The announcement came along with wholesale changes to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association's classification numbers Monday morning.

Monroe sinks Stanwood
Spartans can't rally in WesCo4A North Division game

STANWOOD - The Stanwood Spartans finally built a deficit so big they couldn't recover.

The Stanwood boys' basketball team cut a 22-point deficit to single digits Tuesday, but dropped its Western Conference 4A North Division opener to Monroe 70-58.

Bulldogs fall in league opener
Snohomish holds off Mount Vernon

Prep basketball
La Conner girls remain unbeaten
Braves top Grace Academy to go to 2-0 this season

Prep wrestling
Concrete downs Burlington-Edison JV
Despite missing wrestlers, Lions push past Tigers

Scoreboard

Eagles bounce back from early lull to tip U-Hi
The West Valley Eagles entered the basketball season with high expectations. Coming off a fourth-place finish in the State 3A basketball tournament, the Eagles return all five starters and seven of their top eight.

State B sponsors wanted
The Spokane Regional Sports Commission is looking for businesses and individuals to sponsor teams for the WIAA State B basketball tournament at the Spokane Arena on March 1-4, 2006.

Registration required

Big Nine reorganization still in flux
The Kennewick School District has been put in a quandary by the reclassification numbers the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association released in its draft plan for reclassification Monday.

Girls hoops
Moses Lake 57, Davis 43
YAKIMA -- Megan Frederick, a JV player, came off the bench and hit a pair of baskets to spark a 10-0 Moses Lake run to end the first half as the Chiefs rallied from a 29-12 deficit to win in Big Nine play.

Hermiston 57, Sunnyside 46
Ephrata 53, Connell 48
Prosser 66, Grandview 48
Tri-Cities Prep 44, Bickleton 27
Liberty Christian 38, Columbia-Burbank 34
Otherllo 51, Sunnyside 42

Boys hoops
Ephrata 75, Connell 56
Mabton 58, River View 50
Hermiston 78, Sunnyside 49
Tri-Cities Prep 55, La Salle 53
Falcons claw T-Wolves
Sunnyside 80, Othello 7

First and Foremost
Jamey Gelhar still wears her state championship ring from time to time, her reward for being in uniform as a freshman on Prairie's last state chamionship team in girls basketball. That was back in...

Wrestling with Success
STEVENSON -- When J.D. Goodrich signed a letter of intent last month to join the University of Oregon wrestling program, his entire high school showed up to watch. Such is the grip Goodrich has on...

High School Scoreboard

Tuesday's Prep Report
Hockinson 95, Elma 67: The visiting Hawks jumped to 3-0 behind a school-record 35 points from Keith Moilanen. The junior guard shot 13 of 18 from the field and also had...

Winning Attitude is all Nieto Needs
Want to see Sysko Nieto break into a smile? Just call her a state champion. Her face lights up, even if she is a bit embarrassed from the attention. Nieto, now a junior at Columbia River High...

Hudson's Bay sophomore will start fresh in freestyle events
Bradley Fresch knew a few things when he started his high school swimming career last year. The Hudson's Bay swimmer expected to be competitive after swimming in club events against the area's top...more

Norris Casts His Own Shadows
As is often the case when senior year rolls around, Jesse Norris wonders where the years have gone. Wasn't it only yesterday he arrived at Mountain View High School as a bundle of energy with the...

Prep Basketball: Pirates come up short
For a half, Davis' diminutive girls basketball team found the best way to deal with Moses Lake's towering lineup.

Prep Roundup: Lower, middle weights not enough for Davis
With four pins between 160 and 215 pounds, Wenatchee overcame Davis' superiority in the lower and middle weights for a 39-32 victory Tuesday in Big Nine Conference wrestling.

Prep Basketball: Mustangs outrace Greyhounds
GRANDVIEW - Jordan Brown scored 21 points for Prosser, which built a comfortable first-half lead and cruised to a 66-48 non-league victory over Grandview in girls basketball action Tuesday night.

Prep Basketball: Castro's 28 points leads Granger to win
GRANGER - Edward Castro scored 28 points and R.J. Solis added 12 as Granger downed Toppenish 77-61 in a non-league boys basketball game Tuesday night on the Spartans' court.

Prep Basketball: Experience pays for East Valley
East Valley coach Robi Raab has the type of girls basketball team that's good for the blood pressure and easy on the voice.

Wa-Hi not in favor of combined Big Nine
As the sixth largest high school in the Big Nine Conference and the 24th largest in the state, Wa-Hi has known all along where it would fall in the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association's new classification plan.

Irish girls open with win
A huge third quarter in which DeSales outscored Lacrosse-Washtucna 18-4 proved to be the difference Tuesday night as the Irish opened their 2005-06 girls basketball season with a 44-38 victory over the Tigercats in the DeSales gym.

Reclassification hits county schools
Landscape of Washington preps to change next season
The numbers are in.

Sehome falls in two matches
The Sehome wrestling team fell in a double dual match on Monday at Sehome High School.

Registration required

Re-Classification Numbers Set, but That's All
Hopes for a combined 3A/2A Olympic League thrown for a loop by Port Townsend's new 1A classification.
Local high school-coaches and -administrators lobbying for a revival of the Olympic League were probably not in a high-fiving mood on Monday.

Monday's prep roundup

Last weekend's prep results and schedule

Bulldogs split weekend games
Girls beat Falcons 59-23
ELLENSBURG - The Ellensburg Bulldog girls basketball team finally played someone other than the junior varsity squad. the Bulldogs were successful in dismantling the South Whidbey Falcons 59-23.

"It was nice to get a game in," Ellensburg girls head coach Craig Faire said.

Harbor schools affected by reclassification
Months of hype, speculation, counting and recounting enrollments at the state's high schools is about to come to an end.

On Monday, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association released the 2006-08 classification numbers in draft form based on the new percentage reclassification system.

Foul trouble helps Pirates top Elks
ADNA - A bad second quarter where Lake Quinault had to sit most of its starters due to foul trouble allowed host Adna to establish a lead en route to a 57-50 non-league girls basketball decision on Monday.

Sports Briefs
Taholah-Quinault game rescheduled

Armstrong, Knox take coaching reins in Rainier
RAINIER ---- When you can't rely on height or experience to win basketball games, it's all about teamwork.

Changes will affect rivalries
Several traditional sports rivalries will no longer be sustained by league membership in the wake of Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Executive Board approval of enrollment figures and classifications, released Monday.

Forever hoopin'
Lifetime of basketball has Capital standout poised for breakthrough
Big brother "raised" little sister right.

Maggie Goldenberger will play a key role as a promising 2005-06 girls basketball season unfolds at Capital High School.

Area schools face reclassification
The game of musical chairs begins now.

Black Hills downs Olympia in final seconds
TUMWATER - Erin Kelley hit a 7-foot jumper with 5 seconds to play to lift the Black Hills Wolves to a 36-34 nonleague win over the Olympia Bears Monday in a high school girls basketball game.

Scoreboard

South Sound sports schedule

Tigers find enough energy
They pull away from Oak Harbor for a win
BURLINGTON - The Burlington-Edison boys' basketball players, by their own admission, played a lethargic game Monday night.

Tigers, Bulldogs together again
Both will play in the same league next fall
Though they will remain in separate state classifications, Mount Vernon and Burlington-Edison high schools will once again be league rivals.

Scoreboard

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Early classifications released
Surprises emerge after WIAA unveils preliminary numbers for new system
RENTON …quot; The WIAA Executive Board moved a step closer Monday to finalizing the makeup of the new six classification system in the fall of 2006.

CV loses forfeit appeal
Bears argue that administrative error let ineligible freshman play basketball
RENTON-Central Valley High came close, but the Bears lost this one. The WIAA Executive Board, after spirited discussion, voted narrowly not to accept CV's appeal of its basketball forfeitures dating back to last season.

County left with five 4A schools under new format
With a slew of returning starters and a preseason No. 1 ranking, the Prairie girls basketball team enters the 2005-06 season thinking this is its year to compete for a state championship.

But looking at enrollment figures released Monday by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, the next two seasons look pretty good to the Falcons as well.

Prairie could be playing next school year in the Class 3A Greater St. Helens League if Monday's enrollment figures hold up.

It also means the 4A GSHL could be a five-team league next school year.

Scoreboard

Monday's prep report

Prep basketball: Contreras leads Wahluke past Cle Elum
CLE ELUM - Hunter Contreras scored 26 points - 10 in the first quarter - as the Wahluke boys basketball team opened up a huge lead and cruised to an 82-66 victory against Cle Elum in a non-league contest on Monday.

Away at school: Bruketta off to strong start
CRISTINA BRUKETTA (Kittitas) is only a freshman on the women's basketball team at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, but she is already one of the Nanooks' team leaders and one of the top players in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

WIAA announces new classification system
The numbers are now official. The future, however, is far from it.
Considering expectations, there weren't many blockbuster surprises when the Washington Athletic Activities Association on Monday released enrollment counts for the state's high...

Yakima keeps spring state championships
The same spring-sport state championships that were played in Yakima last spring - Class 2A, 1A and B baseball, B fastpitch, 1A/B and 2A tennis - will be here in the spring of 2006 as well. But the question of what tournaments Yakima will...

Indians again edge Irish
DeSales' final drive doesn't produce the winning points in a 14-10 loss to Reardan in the state title game.

Football fever hits Ferndale
Fans rally for Class 3A state championship
Three hours before kickoff of a state quarterfinal game, Ferndale football fans already are lining up outside the gates at Civic Stadium.

Big game will close some businesses
Others will get a boost from Ferndale fans
As the Ferndale High School football team and its fans head to the Tacoma Dome today, some local merchants will close up shop early to attend the game while others are bracing for the crowds who won't be making the trip.

Jake Locker 'hardest working guy on team'
Fans may see him as the Ferndale football team's Superman, but to his friends, family and teammates he's...

Ferndale football Web page

Photo gallery: Ferndale's 2005 season

Wrestling roundup: Lynden splits pair
Brandon Louws scored a pair of pins in the 275-pound class and Nathan Wrzesinski won twice at 119 pounds as the Lynden wrestling team split a pair of dual matches at Mont Lake Terrace on Thursday night.

Bobcats top Grizzlies in OT
This was not your typical season-opening girls basketball game. Nor could you call this a typical Aberdeen-Hoquiam rivalry game.

Monte powerlifter wins world title
MONTESANO - Ryan Vessey has proven to be a quick learner where powerlifting is concerned.

Gulls top Eagles again
Elma - For the second straight season, the Raymond Seagulls climbed their way to the top of the nest in the Twin Harbor's battle of the birds.

AHS-HHS boys tonight
The Aberdeen and Hoquiam boys basketball teams will collide for the first time this season tonight at Hoquiam Square Garden.

Reime to play softball at Central
Hoquiam High School senior pitcher Katriina Reime has signed a softball letter of intent with Central Washington University.

Ocosta's Cornett earns all-league honors
Ocosta senior Aaron Cornett was named to the all-Southwest Washington 1A League football team.

Briefs: Aberdeen-Elma starting time switched

Rockets wrap up Jacks
Castle Rock's veteran-loaded top end dominated R.A. Long in the nonleague wrestling opener for both teams Thursday night at the Lumberdome, with the Rockets rolling early en route to a 44-29 win.

Streaky Hawks hold off Hilanders
You could say Kelso dug itself too deep a hole to climb out of.

'81 Jills head home for special ceremony
For Jodi (Easley) Reed, it's a short drive from Vancouver.

Farewell frenzied fans of football
Well, the little lady's got the 'Bago stuffed with enough yard-sale knickknacks and kettle-korn canisters to jam a regulation 110-yard Canadian gridiron. So that's my cue to fire up what's left of the engine and high-step it outta here for another year.

Mules knock off Naselle
CATHLAMET ---- Courtney Helms netted 17 points, and Natasha Savant and Whitley Wirkkala each had a double-double as Wahkiakum turned away Naselle 56-49 in a nonleague girls basketball game on Thursday.

Wrestling preview: Riffe seeks repeat
Timberline's state champion ready to defend his title
Jarred Riffe's gym locker is a virtual sporting goods store.

Myers helps Tumwater sprint past Chehalis
TUMWATER -- Tumwater's boys basketball team got the year off to a strong start, running away from Centralia for a 76-50 win in the Thunderbirds' season-opener.

All 11 Thurston County teams to compete for title
TUMWATER -- They'll be wrestling for bragging rights Saturday at the Thurston County Championships.

Scoreboard

Friday's prep schedule

Prep Roundup: Hunter Fares Well for Tigers
Burlington-Edison swimmer hits state qualifying time in breaststroke, but team falls to Oak Harbor.

Winter Sports Preview: boys swimming

Sports schedule

Subsribers only

Familiar faces, new places
GSL girls basketball rosters dotted with transfers
Katelan Redmon has moved across town to play Greater Spokane League girls basketball. The journey to the GSL for a couple of newcomers was longer and more ambitious.

Running back St. John's labors help Columbia roll on
Lions need top effort to snap LaCrosse-Washtucna's streak
There may have been a little wit behind his answer, but when Columbia (Hunters) head coach Chuck Wyborney asked Miles St. John how many carries he could handle in the State B-8 championship game, he had to be surprised by the answer.

L-W can claim title, tie record streak with victory
All season the number swirled around the LaCrosse-Washtucna football program, but not until now do the Tigercats have a chance to make that 48-game winning streak a reality.

Greater Spokane League girls basketball preview

Registration required

Suns grapplers open with win
Tyler and Philip Cowin both recorded pins to lead Southridge to a 48-24 dual meet win over Kamiakin in the Big Nine wrestling opener in Kennewick.

State of the uniform
Stacked boxes filled with worn basketball uniforms occupy the Kennewick High storage room.

"People call this room 'Fort Knox,' " said Lions athletic director Scott Parker. "Fort Knox" is where old basketball uniforms are retired after their use is no longer required.

Looking at the ratty mid-1990s girls' uniforms, there is a noticeable contrast between uniforms of the past versus what basketball players sport today.

BOYS HOOPS
MVL: Drew Curry does little things to make Hanford go
Walk through the Hanford High campus these days and you're greeted by a backhoe, rubble from the old administration building and cafeteria, and what seems like miles of chain-link fence to keep everybody safe.

Silent Sam Cartmell personifies Richland's qualities this season

Big Nine boys team-by-team outlook
Big Nine boys schedule
Mid-Valley boys team-by-team outlook

Predicted order of finish
Mid-Valley schedule
MVL: Drew Curry does little things to make Hanford go
CWAC boys team-by-team outlook
CWAC schedule
A star is born in Burbank: Renaissance man Shelton has many interests

GIRLS HOOPS
Martin ready to take center stage

Big Nine girls team-by-team outlook
Big Nine girls schedule
Mid-Valley girls team-by-team outlook

Predicted order of finish
CWAC girls team-by-team outlook
SCAC girls team-by-team outlook
Blue Mountain League girls team-by-team outlook
Class B girls team-by-team outlook

Thursday's prep report

Scoreboard

Prep Basketball - Valley point guards earn acclaim
For all you young girls aspiring to learn something about how to run a basketball team, just head out to a high school gym in Yakima this winter.

Prep Wrestling - Sunnyside's Sanchez back for more
It was just a season-opening jamboree. Non-scoring and non-league - simply a night to get on the mat and compete.

Prep Football - Title tilt tonight in Tacoma
After more than 10,000 yards of offense and 26 wins between them, it all comes down to this for fifth-ranked Prosser and No. 1 Ferndale.

Prep Wrestling - Capsule preview
MOSES LAKE has 11 placers back from last season's district-title team and will be eager to return to big-meet form after scoring just seven points at Mat Classic. PASCO is next in line with the most returning district placers with...

`It's time for a win'
Eleven DeSales seniors who have fallen short in the past are determined to set the record straight Saturday in the Gridiron Classic.
DeSales, with a date against Reardan in the 2005 Gridiron Classic at the Tacoma Dome Saturday, meets one final and familiar playoff foe this season.

Ferndale secondary ready for aerial assault
Prosser QB one of the best in the state
FERNDALE -- Ferndale cornerback Brady Locker offers only a smile when asked about the chore of stopping one of the most prolific high school quarterbacks in the state.

Sehome's Tinned makes immediate impact
Many locals will remember 6-foot-1 junior Jessica Tinned as a promising middle school athlete in Bellingham before she left to attend Seattle's Garfield High for two years. Now she's back.

Hoops roundup: Gair, Ferndale edge Lake Stevens
Stephanie Gair's four points in the final seconds of the game gave the Ferndale girls' basketball team a 57-56 season come-from-behind victory over the Lake Stevens Vikings in a non-league game at Ferndale on Wednesday night.

High School Report: Gray Makes Big Debut for Spartans
Freshman Brittany Gray had team highs of 13 points and 12 rebounds in her first game as the Bainbridge Spartans beat the Cleveland Eagles 51-42 Wednesday night in a Metro League game.

Winter to build on fall success
The Ellensburg High School winter sports season is geared up and ready to roll. On the basketball court and wrestling mats, Bulldog athletes are primed for the season and looking to build on the successes from the fall.

For the girls' basketball team and head coach Craig Faire, this season is another step toward the future. The young squad wants to build off the success it found late last year. Last year, the team finished 6-6 in league and 15-14 overall.

On the ball
A long look at officials and fans

Too often officials get the blame for ruining a game. Too seldom do they receive thanks for a job well done.

Too frequently fans are too in love with their team to realize that the call was correct. But it's time to point out a few things to the public.

Bobcats pin down Grizzlies
An annual kickoff to the high school wrestling season for both Aberdeen and Hoquiam, Wednesday night's dual meet was a meeting between experience and youth.

Hyaks hold off Bulldogs, 34-32
Beavers down Bulldogs late
Wishkah defense stops Ocosta

Sari, Pilots soar into College Cup
PORTLAND - When Lisa Sari was a senior at Mark Morris High School, she watched in person as the University of Portland women's soccer team captured the 2002 NCAA Division I national championship in the late Clive Charles' final game as the Pilots' head coach.

Whitmire, Christensen lead Woodland to win in opener
WOODLAND - Jack Whitmire and Chris Christensen each had double-doubles here Wednesday as Woodland tipped off its boys basketball season with a 68-58 victory over Montesano in a nonleague game.

Timberline cancels basketball games because of road conditions
Timberline High School's boys and girls basketball teams, slated to respectively play Chehalis and Columbia River tonight, canceled the games because of poor road conditions, North Thurston Public Schools announced today.

Yelm wins opener
Center Kelsey Anderson scored nine of her 11 points in the third quarter and Kim Waller led all scorers with 18 points, leading Yelm to a 47-34 victory against Washington in the Tornados' season opener.

Prep scoreboard

Retro hoops night at Sequim High gym
With sweat drenching their shirts and smiles on their faces, they stopped and posed for pictures, shook hands, hugged, and wished their long-lost friends well. The word alumni was special on this night.

Alumni player recalls near-perfect season
Derrin Doty and the 1987-88 Sequim Wolves basketball team nearly pulled off what has never been done in school history: win a team state championship. Their dream season that included 25 straight wins ended with a loss to Rainier Beach in the state 3A championship game in Tacoma more than 17 years ago, but the details of the game - and that season - are fresh in Doty's mind.

Cubs Crunch 'Dogs
Sedro-Woolley girls' team wins opener over Mount Vernon

SEDRO-WOOLLEY - The Sedro-Woolley girls' basketball team earned a commodity Wednesday evening that was in short supply last season: A win.

Guard Rosa Schnitzer led a balanced scoring attack with 14 points and the Cubs defeated Mount Vernon 52-42 in the non-league opener for both teams.

Tigers topple Stanwood
BURLINGTON - The first-game jitters turned out to be only the first-quarter jitters for the Burlington-Edison girls' basketball team.

Anacortes tops Oak Harbor
Seahawks girls' basketball team dominates opener

Winter sports preview: wrestling

Sports schedule

Revenge not part of Irish's game plan
If you think DeSales' 51-0 pounding of Lind-Ritzville in Saturday's Class B-11 state semifinals was somehow inspired by last year's disappointing 25-21 loss to the Broncos in the Gridiron Classic, you'd be wrong.

'Cats get best of Bulldogs
Lacrosse-Washtucna uses a 10-0 run at the end of the game to pull out a 38-36 victory over Dayton's girls.
DAYTON - For 29 minutes and 10 seconds here Wednesday night, Dayton had its season-opening, non-conference girls basketball game against Lacrosse-Washtucna well in hand.

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Winning perspective
Life has made WV's Hobbs grow up quickly

Scoreboard

Wednesday's prep report

Prep Football: Offense will be on display at the Tacoma Dome
Jamie Plenkovich knows all about how his Ferndale team is the one with the No. 1 ranking, how he's got the big-name Division I stud quarterback, how nobody outside of a small pocket in Central Washington believes his Golden Eagles will finish their...

Prep Football: Game is a family affair for Golden Eagles
There's talk around Ferndale that senior wide receiver Rocki Sandusky - whose 27 receptions have averaged better than 27 yards and accounted for 15 Golden Eagle touchdowns - might be even better than his dad. More...

Prep Wrestling: Grandview leads the way at Takedown tourney
Grandview took top honors in the annual Eisenhower Takedown Tournament at Ike Gym on Wednesday night, based on the number of wrestlers finishing in the top four.

Tourneytown Shootout tickets go on sale Thursday
Tickets for the 2006 Tourneytown.com Shootout, a one-day, nine-game smorgasbord of high school basketball set for Martin Luther King Day (Jan. 16), will go on sale beginning Thursday at participating schools.

Prep Football: Ellensburg coach provides unique perspective
There's no way to know what will happen when Prosser's passing juggernaut and Ferndale's ground-gobbling Wing-T take the Tacoma Dome field for Friday's Class 3A state football championship.

Volleyball: Ike's Robbins commits to WSU
Cassie Robbins, a senior mainstay on Eisenhower's Class 4A state runnerup volleyball team, has verbally committed to attend Washington State.

Prep Preview: Changes start at top for swimmers
With two of the Valley's top state finishers lost to graduation, change is in the water for the area's boys swim programs.

Sunnyside Christian loses former state champion Patrick Elerding while Naches Valley will not field a team after the graduation of Mark Garrigues.