State Preps Report

Scherrer serves up confidence
Sehome senior ready for rematch with Burlington-Edison's top player

Softball: Pioneers break out of WCL funk

Red Raiders cruise to girls' golf win

Prep soccer: Bugbee's goal sparks Ferndale

Prep baseball: Sehome scores in seventh for victory

Prep softball: Lagan leads Sehome over Lynden

Driving for the Postseason
Joey Duwe could be the carefree kid reliably delivering your paper every morning. Or he could be the friendly bag boy at your local grocery store who helps you to your car with a shopping cart full of groceries in the pouring rain.

North's Sampson Rises Against South
Viking freshman Zach Sampson keys North Kitsap's 3-2 win over South Kitsap with a pair of goals.
Two goals in six minutes led to one big win for the North Kitsap Vikings. Freshman forward Zach Sampson scored both of the goals in the second half on headers as the Vikings knocked off the South Kitsap Wolves 3-2 in an early season Narrows League Bridge Division matchup.

High School Report: Gray Earns First-Team, All-State Honors
For the third time in his high school career Steven Gray has been named to the Associated Press all-state team.

Bulldogs edge Grizzlies in shootout
Ninety minutes of soccer came down to penalty kicks for Montesano and Hoquiam on Thursday and the luck of the draw went in the Bulldogs' favor.

Freeman, Brings Yellow earn all-state honors
Willapa Valley senior guard Ryan Freeman and Taholah senior guard Dora Brings Yellow repeated as first-team selections on the Associated Press All-State basketball teams announced Thursday.

Bobcats crown Monarchs, 8-1
LONGVIEW - A slow start didn't deter Aberdeen's softball team as the Bobcats struck in the third inning and kept the momentum against host Mark Morris en route to an 8-1 non-league victory on Thursday.

AHS routs River Ridge
LACEY - Jeremy Baarsma and Valentin Lopez scored three goals apiece as Aberdeen crushed River Ridge, 9-0, in a Pac-Nine League boys soccer match Thursday at Lacey.

Eagles run off with tri-meet sweep
FORKS - Cody Sisco won four events, including the distance triple, to help Elma sweep Forks and Rochester in an Evergreen League double dual track meet Thursday at Forks.

Grizzly golf overpowered; locals swept at Seaview
WOODLAND - Despite a season-low total, Hoquiam fell to powerful Woodland, 198-217, in a Southwest Washington 2A League girls golf match Thursday at the Lewis River Golf Course.

Wishkah duo drives in seven to help edge North Beach
WISHKAH - Joe Stutesman and Jenson Hicks combined to drive in seven runs as Wishkah edged North Beach, 8-5, in a Pacific League baseball game Thursday at Wishkah.

Salte's blast the difference between Lassies, Jills
Kelso sophomore Sadie Salte's first career home run came at just the right time.

Hofmann's clutch hit boosts Jacks
The intentional walk is baseball's ultimate mixed message.

Prigmore, Hoff make All-State first teams
Small-school senior basketball standouts Ryan Hoff of Toutle Lake and Ben Prigmore of Winlock were voted to The Associated Press All-State first team in their respective classifications on Thursday.

Roundup: Big inning carries Kelso past Trappers
Kelso dug itself an early hole, but a five-run sixth inning helped propel the Hilanders to a 9-7 victory over Fort Vancouver in a Greater St. Helens 3A League baseball game Thursday at Stan Rister Stadium.

Singling out success
After successful doubles stint, Brooks strikes out on her own
Black Hills senior Ashley Brooks has already been to state competition.

Capital pitching rises to triumph
Cougars hurler strikes out 11 in win
OLYMPIA -- Going into Thursday's crosstown rivalry game with Olympia, Capital fastpitch coach Mel Weems' advice to his pitcher was simple.

Commentary: Unlikely spotlight shines on Patriots
Jarrett Jack and Lamar Butler have shared little on the basketball court for the last few years. They were once rivals on the courts outside Washington, D.C., honor students in varying societies...

The Columbian's All Region teams - Gymnastics: Everything Clicks at End
Maybe it was the fact that she was injured early in the season and had to miss a meet and compete sparingly in two others. Or perhaps it was because she was a freshman and had not yet established...

Peavey pitches Bay to baseball victory
Greg Peavey struck out 12 Battle Ground batters over six innings of work as the Hudson's Bay baseball team open Class 4A Greater St. Helens League play with a 9-0 win over Battle Ground on Thursday...

Scoreboard

AOY - Girls basketball heads up Athlete of the Year nominees
Three teams had unbeaten regular seasons and another won a state championship.
This winter the girls basketball players of the area shined and lead the nominations for the fourth-annual Yakima Valley Sports Awards banquet scheduled for May 31 at the...

Prep Football - New Davis coach comes home
Rick Clark has wanted to return to Eastern Washington for years but this winter he got serious. As a result, Davis High School has a new football coach who has a coast-to-coast resume.

Basketball - AP names La Salle's McGree top B player
A great basketball season has gotten even better for La Salle's Molly McGree.
Having already led the Lightning to the Class B state championship and earned several postseason honors, McGree was named Class B player of the year Thursday by The...

Prep Roundup 2 - Malaki keys Eisenhower to 3-0 start
PASCO - With senior Foi Malaki winning the 100- and 200-meter dashes and anchoring the first-place 400 relay, Eisenhower's boys track team got off to a 3-0 start in the Big Nine Conference dual season on Thursday.

Prep roundup 1 - Ramos' goal leads Sunnyside past Connell
SUNNYSIDE - Silvano Ramos' goal in the second half lifted Sunnyside to a 1-0 victory over Connell in non-league boys soccer on Thursday.

Local Report - No word yet on volleyball tournaments
Yakima sports and tourism officials still don't know whether the Yakima Valley SunDome will be the site of a second week of state volleyball tournaments this November.

Kayhi makes trip worth it
Ketchikan ekes out a 5-4 victory over Wa-Hi in a spring break soccer game Thursday.
The Wa-Hi soccer team played host to an unusual non-conference opponent Thursday afternoon: Ketchikan High School, hailing from the southern end of Alaska's panhandle. The Kings made the most of their 1,000-mile journey to Walla Walla, beating the Blue Devils 5-4.

Sprinters tops at Dayton Relays
Jubilee's David Craig and Dayton's Ivanna Saldivar earn outstanding honors at the track meet.
DAYTON-A pair of sprinters, Jubilee Christian's David Craig and Dayton's Ivanna Saldivar, earned the Most Outstanding Athlete honors for boys and girls, respectively, at the Dayton Alumni Relays track meet here Thursday.

HHS topples Tenino
The Grizzlies took what the Tenino defense gave them. Pat Thornton, in contrast, gave the Beavers very little.

Bobcats keep momentum going, top Wolves

Bulldogs run by Spartans before darkness falls

Bobcats kick Blazers in shootout

Jacks edge Scotties
Jason Castro spent Tuesday afternoon absorbing a steady barrage of "friendly razzing."

Wallace tapped to lead Jacks
It took him 16 years, but Rally Wallace has finally landed his dream job.

Alvord: Dissecting the American sporting male
Hold on, ladies. It's your lucky day.

Ducks' defense sizzles in 13-0 rout of Morton
TOUTLE - The Toutle Lake fastpitch softball team is taking the term "defending" champion to heart.

Roundup: Argyropoulos, Brown propel Monarchs
WASHOUGAL - Matt Argyropoulos crushed a grand-slam home run and drove in six runs, and Austin Brown went 3-for-5 with a three-run homer and two doubles as Mark Morris took apart Washougal 19-3 in six innings here Tuesday in a Greater St. Helens 3A League baseball game.

Unruffled on the course
SHELTON -- It's hard to tell how Chris Evans is doing when he's golfing.

North Thurston shuts out Blazers
Rams win 37th straight match in Pacific-9 play
North Thurston used its stonewall defense and opportune offense to defeat Tumwater 2-0 Tuesday in a battle of undefeated teams in Pacific-9 League boys soccer.

Scoreboard

Delay posting from last Saturday, provides game notes and info.

Wolves, Falcons play to tie
Even after 80 minutes, despite a series of flying elbows, tugging jerseys and verbal jabs from both sides of the field, Sequim and South Whidbey could not find the net or a winner Saturday.

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Baird resigns at Cheney
Citing a combination of reasons, including the desire to spend more time with his children, Cheney boys basketball coach Dave Baird has submitted his resignation.

Prep roundup
North Central walked in the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning Tuesday, and the Highlanders squeaked out a 4-3 win at Shadle Park. Steve Winkler scored the

WIAA waits on Spokane to decide volleyball venues
The WIAA is awaiting word from Spokane Falls Community College before deciding which state volleyball tournaments will be coming to the Tri-Cities in November.

Hayes Blooms into a Wrestling Star
Like many who are unfamiliar with competitive wrestling, an 11-year-old Anthony Hayes assumed the chair-throwing, head-busting antics he saw on television were the real sport. Now 17 and a month...

Scoreboard

On Further Review: The week in prep sports
Claridge memorial is set for Saturday A memorial service for former Fort Vancouver High School football standout Travis Claridge will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Fort's auditorium...

Prep Highlights: Camas, River boys soccer on course for showdown
The Camas and Columbia River boys soccer teams remained on course for a Class 3A Greater St. Helens League showdown on Thursday by winning matches Tuesday. Billy Keyser had two goals and...

Region's Girls Track and Field Bests

Prep Roundup: Story, Cook nab Dolquist medalist honors
Toppenish's Adam Story and Eisenhower's Christine Cook earned medalist honors in Tuesday's nine-team Lee Dolquist Invitational tournament at Apple Tree Golf Course.

Prep Baseball: Martinez keys Davis' sweep of Kennewick
Sabi Martinez had two hits in each game, including a homer in the first, as Davis swept Kennewick 7-5 and 8-2 Tuesday in a Big Nine Conference doubleheader at Davis Field.

Prep Fastpitch: Pearson's pitchin leads Granger
GRANGER - Katie Pearson pitched a three-hitter with 11 strikeouts to lead Granger to a 6-2 victory over Burbank in SCAC fastpitch on Tuesday.

Mac-Hi shuts out Irish
MILTON-FREEWATER - Ferman Garcia fired a five-hit shutout and Mac-Hi benefitted from some timely hitting here Tuesday in defeating border rival DeSales 3-0 in a non-league prep baseball game at McRae/Ireland Field.

Blue Devils sweep Kamiakin
KENNEWICK - Led by David Cerna's home run, five hits and five runs batted in, Wa-Hi rolled over Kamiakin 6-5 and 12-4 in a Big Nine Conference baseball doubleheader here Tuesday.

Wa-Hi girls nip Pasco; boys fall
PASCO - Wa-Hi's girls nipped Pasco 4-3 in a Big Nine Conference tennis match here on Tuesday.

Lacrosse fever growing
Whatcom Middle School players ecstatic over creation of new team

Freshman swings to title
Squalicum's Matt Rawitzer shoots 1-over par to win Birger Solberg Cup

Prep roundup: Bleecker throws no-hitter into 7th
Robert Bleecker pitched a no-hitter into the seventh inning before being pulled because of a high pitch count as Blaine defeated Nooksack Valley 3-0 in a Whatcom County League baseball game on Monday at Blaine.

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High-school spring previews:
Baseball
Fastpitch
Track & Field
Soccer
Tennis

High School Report: NK Rallies Past Sequim
North Kitsap got back in the win column after two tough losses against Central Kitsap, scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh to defeat visiting Sequim 6-5.

Elma needs eight to edge AHS
ELMA - The only thing that could have stopped Elma and Aberdeen on Monday was darkness, but the Eagles had one last rally to finish before the sun went down.

HHS digs the long ball in win
Hoquiam put on a long-ball show to wallop Shelton, 11-0, in a non-league softball game Monday at John Gable Park.

Elma soccer takes out combine, 5-3
WINLOCK - Travis Linseth and Scott Nordahl scored two goals apiece as Elma remained unbeaten in Evergreen League boys soccer competition with a 5-3 win over Toledo/Winlock on Monday at Winlock.

Six Eagle pitchers combine to two-hit Wildcats
ELMA - Utilizing six pitchers in a non-league baseball matchup at Eagle Field, Elma got a true team-wide contribution against La Center by limiting the Wildcats to just two hits and shelled out 15 of its own in a 10-0 six-inning win on Monday.

Loggers cage Chitwhins, 12-1
WISHKAH - David Marsh drove in three runs as Wishkah routed Taholah, 12-1, in a Pacific League baseball game Monday at Wishkah.

Bobcats swing by Rams in league match
Aberdeen established a team Stableford Scoring System points record by beating North Thurston, 79-61, in a Pac-Nine League girls golf opener Monday at Grays Harbor Country Club.

Sports Briefs
Bobcat jayvees rout Hoquiam

Avenging crushing loss at state never far from Kalama coach's mind
Dave Orzel thinks about it so much and so often, officials at Kalama High School might want to consider padding the dugout walls with rubber.

Prep Notebook: Barker, Irwin named GSHL first-teamers
Breeanne Barker of Mark Morris and R.A. Long's Rachel Irwin earned all-Greater St. Helens 3A League first-team honors for girls basketball following a recent vote of the league's coaches.

Athletes of the Week: O'Neil, Radcliffe, Kilkelly, Hanna, Kent

Roundup: Green leads Hilanders to win in opener
WASHOUGAL ---- Kelso opened its Greater St. Helens 3A League baseball campaign with a 4-3, eight-inning win at Washougal here Monday, getting a stellar effort on the mound and at the plate from Jacob Green.

Hawks work walks to best Black Hills
LACEY -- Kyle McClellan was effectively wild Monday as River Ridge defeated Black Hills 6-3 in a Pacific-9 League baseball game.

Scoreboard

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Inland Empire League prep roundup:
Eight different players collected at least one hit, and Sandpoint cruised to a 12-2 win over host Lakeland (0-1) in six innings. Tyler Lichty went 3 for 4 with a home run, a double, two runs scored and three RBIs. Jake Howell chipped in two hits, including a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored for the Bulldogs (1-2). Vinnie D'Okaz allowed two runs through six innings and picked up the win for Sandpoint.

Greater Spokane League roundup: Clarkston rallied in the ninth inning in game one, then poured in the runs in game two to sweep a doubleheader from visiting Cheney 6-5 and 10-1. Trailing 5-3 in the bottom of the ninth, Trent Line doubled in two runs and Cheney gave up a bases-loaded walk to end the first game. In the second game, the Bantams jumped ahead early, scoring six runs in the first two innings. Jacob Acey had a two-run homer in the fifth for Clarkston. Line finished the day with five hits, including three doubles.

Prep Highlights: Wiese's homer powers Prairie baseball
David Humphrey knocked in two runs with a single in the first inning, and Brandon Wiese followed in the second inning with a two-run home run as the Prairie baseball team beat Evergreen 9-4 Monday...

Scoreboard

From Monday

All-star boys play two overtimes
Southwest Washington's best senior boys basketball players didn't want to let their prep careers end Sunday evening at Hudson's Bay High School.

So they extended their Les Schwab Round Ball Shootout game to two overtimes before the Black team emerged with a 91-89 victory over White.

Baseball preview capsules for Big Nine, Mid-Valley, CWAC South, SCAC, Greater Columbian B.

Softball preview capsules

Away at School: Mackenzie to play in LPGA event this week
PAIGE MACKENZIE (Eisenhower), a senior on Washington women's golf team, will participate in this year's Kraft Nabisco Championship - a major LPGA event ...quot; after receiving a sponsor's exemption. The event takes place on in Mission Hills, Calif., from this Thursday through Sunday.

Prep Volleyball: 3A, 4A tourneys might end up in SunDome
Only a couple of weeks ago, Yakima had no plans to be playing host to any high school state volleyball tournaments next fall. Now the SunDome might be the site of as many as four - the 1A and 2A events one weekend and the 3A and 4A tournaments...

Prep Fastpitch: La Salle plays host to first home game
Bill Harris found out he would be the first fastpitch coach in the history of La Salle High School only a little more than a month ago, but he's already gotten a lot accomplished.

Prep Baseball: Plethora of pitching for Pirates
It seems to all be coming together for Davis' baseball team this season, with the planets properly aligning and all the right players returning at all the right positions.

Back from vacation and catching back up to speed with statewide coverage:

WW's Helfer turns in coaching whistle
When folks in Spokane think of Jeanne Helfer, they think of her impressive 329-213 record as girls basketball coach in the Mead School District, and her three Class 4A state titles.

The Wolfpack is Back
One amazing youth basketball team helped produce three of the region's top young point guards, plus the core of the Jackson High School team that qualified for the State 4A tournament for the first time in its history.

4A Bracket Breakdown
How we see the tournament unfolding, round by round and game by game, to a University vs. Auburn Riverside final featuring stars Angie Bjorklund and Julie Futch.

4A Team Capsules & Rankings
Essential information on each of the 16 State 4A tournament participants, ranked by HoopGurlz.com (on team strength, not predicted finish).

Elite 11: You Go, Girls
Three women - Joyce Walker, Penny Gienger and Kathy Gibson - enjoyed outstanding, role-setting seasons in girl's high-school basketball.

Rising Above
The girls of Chief Sealth and Issaquah collaborated on a memorable championship game.

Blaine players mourn with pink armbands
MOUNT VERNON - Blaine boys' basketball coach Dan Rucker felt a unique combination of pride and pain Saturday.
His team finished 12-12 and fell one game short of the Class 2A state tournament with a 52-32 loss to Nooksack Valley in the Northwest District third-place game at Mount Vernon High School.

His players have never had to deal with anything as horrible as the deaths Tuesday night of 17-year-old students Kailey L. Walter and Brittney R. Armstrong. They died in an auto accident on Interstate 5 while returning from cheering for the Blaine's boys during their 73-67 victory over Meridian, which had kept the Borderites' state hopes alive. Two other students, including the driver, were injured.

Wolves Draw Southridge in State Opening Round
The third-ranked Wolves will face 21-6 Southridge in the first round of the Class 4A state tournament Wednesday in Tacoma.
Please don't make my team play at 9 a.m. The first game at the state tournament Wednesday morning is known as the "Egg McMuffin" game. Nobody wants to play this game. After an entire season of playing at night, playing that early can throw a team off.

Tides Take on Lewis & Clark Wednesday
The Gig Harbor Tides will face the Lewis & Clark Tigers from Spokane in the first round of the girls Class 4A state championships on Wednesday.

SK Earns Favorite's Role
The Wolves claim the district crown, will learn state fate today.
They won the Bridge Division title. They won the Narrows League title. Saturday night, they won the West Central/Southwest district title. Is the Class 4A state title next?

Students send off state-bound grizzlies

HHS boys return to Yakima for 2A state hoops
The matchup is familiar, but the roles have been reversed for Hoquiam's and Lynden Christian's boys basketball teams.

Woodland's Kofstad twins bring blue-collar ethic to the court
WOODLAND ---- There was a time when Ashley and Alysha Kofstad's basketball coach referred to them simply as "twin."

Prep Notebook: MM's Friedt to head back to Germany
Mark Morris junior foreign exchange student Felix Friedt was a crucial piece in the Mark Morris puzzle this basketball season, providing a physical frontcourt complement to senior Kevin Wright, and taking on big men from Columbia River's Zack Moritz to Seattle Prep's Spencer Hawes.

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Ferris' side of bracket loaded
The Ferris High boys will open the WIAA/Dairy Farmers of Washington State 4A Basketball Tournament on Wednesday in Tacoma against Evergreen, the same school the Saxons' football team opened the season against in the Emerald City Kickoff Classic.

Injuries make silly games disastrous
To the participants of the championship games of the West-Central/Southwest Washington Bi-District Tournament are awarded trophies for first and second place.

But what do the participants of the third-place games receive?

Well, after looking at what happened in Saturday's Prairie-Kentwood boys basketball game at Puyallup, apparently the answer to that question is a splint and a pair of crutches.

State of emotions - Ike heads to state off ups, downs
Their emotions have been shaken but not their confidence. Having survived a day like no other last Saturday, when tears of both fear and joy were shed, Eisenhower's girls basketball team is headed back...

Local report - CWU's Den Boer, Bannish earn GNAC hoop honors
Sunnyside Christian graduate Lance Den Boer was one of two Central Washington men's basketball players to earn all-conference honors this season, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced Monday...

Away at school - Carlson stellar or WSU golf
CHAD CARLSON (Goldendale), a redshirt junior on the Washington State men's golf team, won the Inland Cup individual title with a 3-under 69 on Feb. 27 at the Clarkston Country Club in Clarkston. The Cougars took home the team title as well, marking...

Coyote girls bring home fifth
Burbank beats SCC rival Warden, 49-39, for the state's Class 1A fifth-place trophy Saturday.
YAKIMA - The Columbia-Burbank girls basketball team took home a fifth-place trophy from the Class 1A WIAA/Dairy Farmers of Washington Championships here at the SunDome with a 49-39 victory over conference rival Warden on Saturday.

Burbank boys enjoy highest state finish
The Coyotes bring home the state Class 1A's eighth-place trophy after falling to Toledo on Saturday.

No Piece of Cake
Three teams endured tough challenges to bid for the toughest challenge of all - a shot at Chief Sealth.

Winning Isn't Everything
Holy Names coach Lee Adams chose to protect a player's future over pursuing a tournament win.

Lynden shocks Rainier Beach in boys' quarterfinal
TACOMA - Lynden guard Dirk Dallas awoke Thursday morning with the flu. Feeling feverish he stayed in bed, while his teammates prepared for their Class 3A boys' basketball state quarterfinal meeting with second-ranked Rainier Beach.

Squalicum's run at state finished
Prendergast's 22 points not enough as Squalicum finishes season 15-12

Lummi knocked out of championship bracket
Revey scores 18, but Blackhawks struggle in quarterfinal loss

Late free throws give Sehome girls win
Todhunter clinches victory for Mariners

Valley sees state trip end in two games with loss to St. John-Endicott
SPOKANE â€" Burned by foul trouble and a hot-shooting opponent, Willapa Valley bowed out of the State Class B Boys Basketball Tournament with an 80-69 loss to St. John-Endicott on Thursday in Spokane.

Harborites top Evergreen hoop all-star list

Local sports briefs

Prep survives MM scare
TACOMA ---- Mark Morris experienced first-hand the prodigious basketball talents of Seattle Prep senior Spencer Hawes in the Tacoma Dome here Thursday.

Jacks' magical season ends
TACOMA ---- As Karlis Liepa walked toward the end of the bench after fouling out, Ellensburg fans began chanting, mocking his every step.

Alvord: Jacks should hold their heads high
The band was there. I was going to volunteer to play the drums, but a cool kid with a classic Dr. J Afro seemed to have things under control.

Ducks arrive on time for a victory
SPOKANE ---- Now that's more like it.

Toledo defense stifles Napavine
YAKIMA ---- Toledo survived 25 percent shooting from the field by sinking 23-of-32 free throws, and went on to eliminate Napavine 39-28 here Thursday in a loser-out game of the Class 1A boys state basketball tournament at the Yakima SunDome.

Fishermen need win to net trophy
YAKIMA ---- Ilwaco powered its way to a 15-point lead in the third period, then held on for dear life in a 46-37 win over Cascade Christian a loser-out game here Thursday at the Class 1A boys state basketball tournament at the Yakima SunDome on Thursday.

Ducks look for sweep of Morton
SPOKANE ---- These games are too much alike.

White Pass too much for Indians to handle
YAKIMA ---- An avalanche of 11 first-quarter points from White Pass super-sophomore Breanna Moody helped topple Toledo from the ranks of the unbeaten Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Class 1A girls state basketball at the Yakima SunDome.

T-Birds plucked by Seahawks
Tumwater needs victory today to reach trophy round of 3A tourney
TACOMA -- Everywhere Tumwater looked, Seahawks lurked.

Auburn Riverside KOs Capital in 4A
Third-quarter lull costs Cougars state berth
TACOMA -- This time, it would be a fatal flaw.

Miserable shooting ends season for Skyview girls
TACOMA -- The Skyview Storm do not need expert analysis to figure out how they lost Thursday night, how their season ended one win short of the state tournament. Nope, they know exactly what...

Second-half scoring drought sinks Battle Ground's state bid
TACOMA McKinley Barbera stole the ball and found Lydia Stuart, who passed ahead to Megan O'Connor. The breakaway ended with O'Connor's layup, and a 28-26 lead for the Battle Ground girls...

State tourney updates - too many to list: Found here

Bolt leads Lynden to victory
TACOMA - There was nothing shaky about Brian Roper's trip to the Class 3A boy' basketball state tournament this time.

Baker one win away from state

Storm boys scare Renton

Tinned's experience pays off for Sehome

Lummi victorious, not flawless

Orcas' playoff hopes still alive after win

No State Gig for Cougars
Tides' box-and-one defense slows CK star JR Gordon, keeping the Cougars out of 4A tourney.
Nothing eases the pain of a loss like a hug from your mother. After a heartbreaking 55-45 setback to the Gig Harbor Tides Wednesday night at the Bremerton High gym, several Central Kitsap High team members received comfort from mothers, fathers, friends and classmates.

Turnovers, Scoring Drought Doom Warriors
La Salle's win over King's West could be summed up in one word.

High School Report: Roper's Lions Win State 3A Opener
Former North Mason and Sequim boys basketball coach Brian Roper is a popular man in Lynden these days.

Class B State Notebook: Getting a Taste of the Dance
King's West junior Megan Morris spent most of last season watching from the bench as All Sea-Tac League forward Kristin Anderson led the Warriors to the state Class B tournament.

Jacks hang tough, but Goliath wins in the end
TACOMA ---- Almost everything comes easy to Seattle Prep center Spencer Hawes.

Monarchs open with win over Bulldogs
TACOMA ---- While Mark Morris was romping toward the championship game one year ago this week, Matt Argyropoulos was sitting on the bench.

Fourth-quarter rally lifts Toledo girls
YAKIMA ---- The Toledo Indians spent the first three quarters of Wednesday's game in "rush mode."

Johns: Hawes lives up to hype when finally given the chance
TACOMA ---- In case you're wondering, yeah, the Husky basketball team could use Spencer Hawes. Right now.

Cold start stifles Ducks
SPOKANE ---- Maybe it was the 9 a.m. tipoff, maybe jitters. Eric Swanson isn't sure.

Reigning champs overpower Toledo
YAKIMA ---- Toledo gave defending state champion Bellevue Christian all it could handle for three quarters, but in the end the Vikings used their tremendous size advantage to pull out a 56-47 win in the opening round of the Class 1A boys basketball tournament Wednesday night at the Yakima SunDome.

Powerhouse Brewster dismantles Fishermen Class 1A opener
YAKIMA ---- Ilwaco coach Matt Blair made a simple assessment after watching Brewster take apart his Fishermen in the opening round of the Class 1A boys basketball tournament here Wednesday.

Toutle girls stumble with cold shooting on first day
SPOKANE ---- There must be something in the water.

Roundup: Red Devils clinch division title
MIDWAY, Wash. ---- Highline's bid to wrest a share of the NWAACC Western Division title from defending champion Lower Columbia College collapsed when the Red Devils got tough in the second half and pulled out an 85-75 win here Wednesday to lock up the division championship outright.

3A State Notebook: Monarchs devise heavy strategy for Prep's Hawes
TACOMA -- Mark Morris coach Bill Bakamus has probably fine-tuned the plan by now -- or scrapped it for something more conventional.

T-birds advance to the quarterfinals
Andrews lifts Tumwater over Clarkston
TACOMA -- There's something about the bright lights that make Ashley Andrews shine.

Hawks fall from lofty perch
Ellensburg stuns No. 2 River Ridge
TACOMA -- Goliath fell -- hard.

Wolves' late push not enough
Issaquah knocks Black Hills into consolation bracket
TACOMA -- In the end, Melissa Richardson was too much.

Rainier Beach runs away from Chehalis
TACOMA -- It started innocently enough.

Neah Bay wins first game of state playoffs
SPOKANE -- The Neah Bay Red Devils have moved one step closer to a state title after the first day of the Class B boys state basketball tournament, beating Riverside Christian 58-48 Wednesday morning.

Class B - SC girls shock top-ranked Sprague-Harrington
SPOKANE - The Sunnyside Christian girls basketball team had to doubt it could beat top-ranked Sprague-Harrington before it could believe the upset was possible.

Class B - Den Boer's buzzer beater lifts defending champs
SPOKANE - Because it's the season for last-second heroics, Chad Den Boer decided to start the madness of March off properly.

Lions no stranger to big stage
Lynden makes 41st appearance at state tournament
LYNDEN - The bags Lynden's boys' basketball team loaded onto its bus Tuesday were full with enough clean clothes to last until Saturday.

Blaine boys beat Meridian, advance

Nooksack boys win blowout

Lummi having dream season

Locker appears in ESPN The Magazine

South Finally Conquers Kentwood
The Wolves blow into the district title game, where they will face No. 1 Curtis and junior star Isaiah Thomas.
The South Kitsap Wolves are rolling through another postseason. Third-ranked South Kitsap (23-1) reached the Class 4A West Central/Southwest district tournament title game with a 66-55 win over the sixth-ranked Kentwood Conquerors (20-4) Tuesday night.

Tower Power
Six-footers Chloe Mosey and Megan Spence form an intimidating frontcourt for King's West.
King's West girls basketball players know the numbers. They know about their 4-16 record at the Class B state tournament. They know the school is without a trophy in eight appearances. They also know another number â€" 144. That's the combined height, in inches, of King's West posts Chloe Mosey and Megan Spence.

Kitsap Briefs: Lutes Get Assist from Wilson
Gary Wilson, who compiled a 191-69 record with four consecutive state tournament appearances in the 1990s while coaching South Kitsap girls basketball, is part of another successful program.

Seniors Selected for All-Star Games
Area seniors have been named to the fourth annual West Sound Senior High School All-Star basketball teams, which will be played March 21 at Olympic College's Bremer Student Center.

Monte holds off rally to stay alive
BATTLE GROUND â€" Before the tipoff in Tuesday's District IV 2A boys basketball tournament loser-out game against Stevenson, Montesano coach Chad Allan said that the first quarter, even the first possessions, may tell the tale of the game.

Fleet Hawks run by Hoquiam
BATTLE GROUND â€"Buoyed by a game-tying run midway through the third quarter, Hoquiam held the momentum against Hockinson in the winner-to-state semifinal game of Tuesday's District IV 2A boys basketball tournament at Battle Ground High School.

Honor guards: Polis, Knutson, Waldher sacrifice glory to help MM
Justin Knutson has been a shooter and scorer his entire basketball career, but was informed at the start of his senior year at Mark Morris that his role was changing.

Manser, Hoover provide spark for Jacks
R.A. Long coach Kyle Fowler couldn't bear to watch as senior guard Scott Manser was introduced at Tuesday's pep assembly.

Monarchs' first-round foe similar to Jacks
Ellensburg High School may be hundreds of miles away from Mark Morris, separated by one of the major mountain ranges in the Western Hemisphere.

Roundup: Gehring lifts Rockets
MONTESANO - Aaron Gehring's double-double kept Castle Rock's season alive here Tuesday, as the Rockets outlasted Tenino 45-41 in a loser-out game at the Class 2A District 4 boys basketball tournament.

Chehalis boys blasted, Tumwater girls advance in 3A state basketball playoffs

Complementary parts
Tumwater's trio of talented sophomores hope to spark Thunderbirds to second straight trophy at state tourney
TUMWATER -- The Tumwater Thunderbirds complement each other so well, they can communicate with subtle eye movements.

No. 2 River Ridge ready for state
The River Ridge Hawks have been to the Class 3A state tournament before, so instead of scheming for their first-round opponent throughout the past two days, Hawks coach Kevin Estes has employed a review drill.

Tenino tumbles out of district
MONTESANO -- Tenino's first winning boys basketball season in several years came to an end Tuesday when the Beavers lost to Castle Rock 45-41 in the Southwest 2A District tournament.

Hockinson boys head to state
BATTLE GROUND -- Too quick. Too deep. Too tough. The Hockinson boys basketball team was all of the above Tuesday in its district semifinal game against Hoquiam. As a result the Hawks nailed down...

Ridgefield boys fall to Forks, 45-39
Scoring just three points in the fourth quarter Tuesday night at Montesano, the Ridgefield boys basketball team lost to Forks 45-39 in the semifinals of the Class 2A district tournament.

Ex-Fort football star Claridge dies at age 27
Travis Claridge, one of the most decorated high school football athletes to play in Clark County, died Tuesday after being found unconscious at his home in Las Vegas.

High School Sports - On Further Review
Camas soccer star signs with Oregon State Chaitra Parsons of Camas, who was named The Columbian's All-Region soccer player of the year after helping the Papermakers to the Class 3A state champions...

Only option for Thunder, Plainsmen is to win
Two teams with a chance to go to state is better than one guaranteed spot. Three possibilities is better than two certainties. If you believe that, then you support the Class 4A Greater St. Helens...

Winter All-League Teams - 3A Greater St. Helens League

Prep Basketball - Ike girls feel right at home
Maybe it was the chance, at long last, to play somebody outside the Big Nine Conference.

Prep basketball - Free throws pile up against Ike
After cruising through the regular season, the Ferris Saxons had no one but themselves to blame for landing a first-round regional contest with Big Nine district champion and defending Class 4A regional champ Eisenhower.

Prep Basketball - Central Valley beats Davis in shootout
VERADALE - Tristan Cobane led quite a shooting display for the Davis boys basketball team. Unfortunately, Central Valley liked to take and hit shots from behind the arc as well.

Local report - Wapato hires coaches for boys soccer, track
Wapato High School has hired two new coaches for its spring sports season.
Aaron Gillaspie is the new head boys soccer coach. An art teacher at the high school, Gillaspie was the assistant boys soccer coach the past two seasons.

Piece by piece - White Swan keeps perfection going
For most teams it would be a celebration, taking an undefeated team into a state tournament. And to be sure, it will be that for White Swan's girls, their school and their community when the Class 1A state tournament starts today.

BC, Bears on collision course
Last year's Class 1A boys basketball championship game was a rarity: a down-to-the-wire thriller between the two teams generally presumed to be the best in the tournament.

Tigers' buzz saw carves up Wa-Hi
Heather Bowman, a 6-foot-2 post, scores 33 points as Lewis & Clark routs the Blue Devil girls 73-42 at regionals.
SPOKANE - The underdog Wa-Hi Blue Devils played Lewis & Clark tough for one quarter of their opening-round ConAgra Foods Lamb-Weston 4A Regional girls basketball tournament game here Tuesday.

Cox cuts ties with DeSales football
We've all been down this road before.
But this time, Kim Cox says, there'll be no turning back.