High Schools

<< Previous   of   Next >> Elizabeth Armstrong/The Herald  (click to enlarge) Stanwood's Kale Schmidt (left) and Zack Johnson watch as the Spartans work on drills during a recent practice. Schmidt and Johnson, who were both all-league players last season, anchor a strong returning cast for the Spartans.   ADVERTISEMENT   5 to watch DAMASCUS PURNELL Mariner | Senior 6-4 | Post Key 2007-08 stats: 12.0 ppg; 9.0 rpg Strength, size and a solid work ethic help make Damascus Purnell one of the top basketball players in the Wesco South. At 6-foot-4, Purnell is known for his ability to dominate the game. As a wing/post last year he averaged 12 points and nine rebounds per game. “He often demands double teams from the opposition’s defense,” Mariner head coach Dexter Griffen said. “He is exciting to watch.” A four-year member of the Mariner varsity, Purnell hasn’t made a final decision on his future plans but several NCAA Division II schools are interested. In addition to being an outstanding basketball player, Purnell is an amazing student who, according to Griffen, recently won a national art contest. MIKE PARRIS Darrington | Senior 6-2 | WING Key 2007-08 stats: 14.0 ppg; 8.0 rpg; 4.0 apg; 3.0 bpg The word “versatile” can be used to describe Darrington senior Mike Parris, who will alternate positions for the Logger’s this season. “He’s a great leaper, so at times he will be inside, he has good ball-handling skills, so some time will be spent at guard,” Darrington head coach Kevin Ashe said. “But most of the time he will be out on the wing to take advantage of all his skills.” The 6-foot-2 co-captain averaged 14 points, eight rebounds, three blocked shots, three steals and four assists per game last year. Parris, who also played running back for Darrington football, is a team player who cares more about winning the game than improving his personal stats, Ashe said. “I’m expecting great things for Mike and from Mike this year,” the coach said. “I know he has big goals for the team and himself and it will be a pleasure to watch him compete and lead our team.” JORDAN NICHOLES Sultan | Senior 6-2 | Guard Key 2007-08 stats: 24.4 ppg; 5.9 rpg; 5.7 apg; 2.9 spg As a two-time All-Cascade Conference first-team honoree, Sultan senior Jordan Nicholes knows how to win basketball games. “Jordan is a great player with a heart of gold,” Sultan head coach Nate Trichler said. “Winning is the only stat that matters to Jordan. “He would sacrifice everything else for more wins.” The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 24.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.9 steals per game last year and already has scored more than 1,000 points in his career as a Turk. CHRIS MCGRATH Cascade | Junior 6-1 | Guard Key 2007-08 stats: 19.5 ppg; 5.0 apg; 2.0 spg Being a well-rounded player is important to Cascade junior Chris McGrath, who shows his dedication to the Bruin basketball team by working hard to improve his game and to be a team player. Last year, the 6-foot-1 guard averaged 19.5 points, five assists and two steals per game. “(Chris) enjoys getting his teammates involved and seeing them score as much as he enjoys scoring points himself,” Cascade head coach Jamar Williams said. McGrath has been on the Cascade varsity since his freshman season. He also played on the football team this year and received first-team all-conference honors. ZACK JOHNSON Stanwood | Junior 6-4 | Wing/Post Key 2007-08 stats: 13.0 ppg; 8.8 rpg Zack Johnson understands the importance of practice. He spends hours in the gym working on improving his basketball skills. The Stanwood junior can credit his 13 points and 8.8 rebounds per game last year to his strong work ethic. “The level of energy and passion at which Zack plays can sometimes be difficult to teach players but easy to show them,” Stanwood head coach Zach Ward said. “Zack is growing into a good leader for our guys and is a great role model for our younger players. The 6-foot-4 wing/post also had 23 steals, 16 blocks and took eight charges last season.   HIGH SCHOOL SCORES AND SCHEDULES: By sport: BaseballBoys basketballBoys golfBoys soccerBoys swimmingBoys tennis Boys trackBoys wrestlingCross countryFootballGirls basketballGirls bowlingGirls golfGirls soccerGirls swimmingGirls tennisGirls trackGirls wrestlingGymnasticsSoftballTrackVolleyballWrestling By date: November 8 November 9 November 10 November 11 November 12 November 13 November 14 November 15 November 16 November 17 November 18 November 19 November 20 November 21 November 22 November 23 November 24 November 25 November 26 November 27 November 28 November 29 By school: Archbishop Murphy Arlington Bothell Cascade Cedar Park Christian-Everett Cedarcrest Concrete Coupeville Darrington Edmonds-Woodway Everett Friday Harbor Glacier Peak Grace Academy Granite Falls Highland Christian Prep Jackson Kamiak King's La Conner Lake Stevens Lakewood Lopez Island Lummi Lynnwood Mariner Marysville-Pilchuck Meadowdale Monroe Mount Vernon Christian Mountlake Terrace North Sound Christian Oak Harbor Orcas Island Shorecrest Shoreline Christian Shorewood Snohomish South Whidbey Stanwood Sultan Tulalip Heritage    • Stadium map By league: Cascade Conference Non-conference Northwest 1A/2B Northwest 1B Northwest 2B Wesco Wesco 3A Wesco North Wesco South STANDINGS: Select league Cascade Conference baseball Cascade Conference boys basketball Cascade Conference boys soccer Cascade Conference boys wrestling Cascade Conference football Cascade Conference girls basketball Cascade Conference girls soccer Cascade Conference softball Cascade Conference volleyball Northwest 1A/2B baseball Northwest 1A/2B boys basketball Northwest 1A/2B boys soccer Northwest 1A/2B boys wrestling Northwest 1A/2B girls basketball Northwest 1A/2B girls soccer Northwest 1A/2B softball Northwest 1A/2B volleyball Northwest 1B boys basketball Northwest 1B boys soccer Northwest 1B girls basketball Northwest 1B girls soccer Northwest 1B volleyball Northwest 2B football Wesco 3A Football Wesco North baseball Wesco North boys basketball Wesco North boys soccer Wesco North boys swimming Wesco North boys tennis Wesco North boys track Wesco North boys wrestling Wesco North football Wesco North girls basketball Wesco North girls soccer Wesco North girls swimming Wesco North girls tennis Wesco North girls track Wesco North softball Wesco North volleyball Wesco South baseball Wesco South boys basketball Wesco South boys soccer Wesco South boys swimming Wesco South boys tennis Wesco South boys track Wesco South boys wrestling Wesco South football Wesco South girls basketball Wesco South girls soccer Wesco South girls swimming Wesco South girls tennis Wesco South girls track Wesco South softball Wesco South volleyball CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Wednesday, November 26, 2008 Answering the tough questions in prep boys basketball By Mike Cane Herald Writer Prolific scorers have reloaded. Bruisers bulked up even more and expanded their skill set. An intriguing transfer from Ohio should make a good squad even better. These are merely a handful of the many reasons to be excited about the 2008-09 high school boys basketball season, which for most local teams begins early next week. In addition to checking out the rest of our preview -- which includes standout individuals and coaches' predictions -- here are five questions that we will get answers to over the next few months. 1. Can Stanwood rule the Wesco North? With key returning starters like post Zack Johnson and wing Kale Schmidt, Stanwood is the coaches' favorite in the always-competitive Western Conference North Division. The Spartans ended last season one victory short of a trip to the Class 4A state tournament, where they haven't gone since 2002. Being considered a division frontrunner is a big change, Stanwood head boys basketball coach Zach Ward said. "It's a whole different side to look at (but) all we can do is work hard every day. Now people want to knock us off. Before, we might sneak up on people," he said. With Johnson and Schmidt -- both all-league selections last season as sophomores -- Stanwood has one of the best inside-outside combos in the area. Johnson averaged 13.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in 2007-08. Since then he expanded his shooting range and added 15 pounds of muscle. "Johnson's just a load. He's so strong and he just competes and battles. He's a problem," Snohomish head coach Len Bone said. In the North, Stanwood will try to dethrone Snohomish, which since 2004-05 has earned at least a share of the division title. Snohomish lost its top seven players, and star guard Brad Shaw is out with a knee injury. (More on Shaw later.) 2. Which team has the best backcourt duo? The answer is easy, Stanwood's coach said: Jackson guards Ryan Todd and Brett Kingma. Todd, a junior, and Kingma, a sophomore, combined to average nearly 30 points per game last season. "I can't imagine a better backcourt," Stanwood's Ward said. "Wow. I don't know how you guard that. I'm kind of hoping that if we make districts we miss them." The Jackson guards are especially dangerous because they're great shooters and ballhandlers, Ward said: "It's hard. Who do you put your best defender on?" "It usually takes multiple defenders to slow them down," Mariner head coach Dexter Griffen said. "I expect with that, and the other players that they bring back, that they should be contending for the (Wesco South) title." 3. Who is Ayanle Yusuf? Some impressive dunk contests have happened lately at Mariner boys basketball practices, Griffen said. Two of the top jammers are seniors Damascus Purnell and Tevin Dillon -- a burly 6-foot-4 post and a speedy 6-3 wing, respectively, who this past March helped Mariner reach the 4A state tourney for the second straight year. Also among the high-flying dunkers is a new guy: Ayanle Yusuf. A transfer from Columbus, Ohio, Yusuf is a 6-4 junior wing whose long arms, solid passing skills and coachable demeanor should make him a multi-faceted contributor for the Marauders, Griffen said. Mariner, the Wesco South coaches' top pick, returns six varsity-tested players from its 2007-08 squad. The addition of Yusuf, as well as a 6-6 post who didn't play last season, bolsters the Marauders' mix of speed and size. 4. Will Shaw return for Snohomish? By the end of last season Snohomish guard Brad Shaw emerged as one of the area's most talented scorers and arguably the county's best Class of 2009 player. But Shaw, a 6-4 guard, suffered a right knee injury (torn anterior cruciate ligament) in late May and had surgery in June. Originally Shaw said he would most likely miss his entire senior season. But rehab sessions have gone well -- Shaw said Tuesday he's ahead of schedule -- and the outlook is now slightly more hopeful. "Before, it was no season," said Shaw, who averaged about 13 points in 2007-08, including a 17.7 per-game scoring burst at the 4A state tournament. "Now it's maybe 50-50 I'll be able to return in January." In addition to doing three or four rehab workouts per week, Shaw has participated in non-contact drills with Snohomish. His progress is good, said Bone, Snohomish's coach. A full return to action for Shaw is doubtful though, Bone said. "He's working really hard," said Bone, "but I don't think he's going to play this year." 5. Can big-school teams do better at the state tournaments? It's been awhile since a local 4A or 3A boys hoops team was a legitimate state-title contender. Last season only one area team in those classifications earned a top-eight trophy (Edmonds-Woodway, seventh in 4A). Since 2006 no Snohomish County team has placed higher than fifth in 3A or 4A. To find a top-three performance, one must rewind all the way to 2005. That's when Mountlake Terrace took third. Can Stanwood or Mariner succeed against the state's top 4A programs? Mariner's style of play -- intense, relentless defense and physical inside -- make the Marauders difficult to handle, Stanwood's Ward said. Said Ward, a game against Mariner is the basketball version of a brawl "and they've got the horses to brawl." Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.

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