State Preps Report

It's been an incredible ride since I started working with seattletimes.com almost four and a half years ago.

Along the way I've been fortunate enough to have a front-row seat to some of the most spectacular high-school sporting events in recent years.

I'm moving on now, to launch my own company and will take with me some of the best sports memories of my life, which has been intertwined in sports for as long as I can remember.

Thank you and good luck to all.

Spike Matau

Battle Ground's Hall wins national wrestling crown
Trevor Hall of Battle Ground won the 145-pound weight class Greco-Roman championship at the ASICS/Vaughan Junior National Championships held July 22-29 in Fargo, N.D.

His decision over Kevin LeValley of Colorado gave him the national championship. He also wrestled for Washington at 145 pounds in the freestyle tournament, placing seventh.

Oldham returning to Valley to become Rams girls coach
When Greg Oldham and his wife left the Yakima Valley and his position as White Swan girls basketball coach in 2000, they hoped to find teaching positions - and him a coaching job - on the west side of the state.

Arraignment for Barbee delayed
John Barbee's arraignment for misappropriation of funds while he was the men's basketball coach at The Evergreen State College was postponed until Wednesday, Aug. 10.

WIAA right on Sealth decision
OK, I haven't been around much the past few weeks.

Former coach returns to Cle Elum sidelines
Tom Wilson to coach girls' hoop team
A familiar face will return to the hardwood at Cle Elum-Roslyn High School this winter as former Warriors girls' head coach Tom Wilson makes his official comeback.

The long goodbye
If you're a fan of this blog, I have some bad â€" and good â€" news for you.

Boys soccer camp slated by Mac-Hi soccer coach
MILTON-FREEWATER - Mac-Hi soccer coach Jose Garcia will present the Mac-Hi Boys Soccer Camp at Central School next Monday through Thursday.

Sports Briefs
Rivals during their high school days, Kyle Howe and Josh Meeker combined to lead the Kitsap BlueJackets to a 6-2 win over the Bend Elks in a West Coast Collegiate Baseball League game Monday night.

He's back from vaca and more fiery than before.

An unlikely source
It's not often there is prep sports news in the Seattle P-I. Like all papers, the P-I has limited resources and has dedicated them elsewhere, which is its prerogative. That's not meant as a criticism, just a statement of fact. So it was surprising to find an Art Thiel column on the WIAA's handling of the Chief Sealth case on the P-I's website (which is a roundabout way of saying I missed it yesterday).