Two of the state’s most highly touted girls basketball teams are set to battle this week at Snohomish High School.

The Snohomish Panthers will play host to the Auburn Riverside Ravens at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. It is the season opener for both squads and it could be a preview of a 4A state tournament clash.

Snohomish and Auburn Riverside, which moved up to 4A after winning the past two 3A state titles, are both included in the Nov. 26 ESPN RISE regional rankings. Auburn Riverside is ranked 10th in the West Region, Snohomish 19th.

Led by 2007-08 South Puget Sound League 3A First Team guards Nichole Jackson and Mercedes Wetmore, Auburn Riverside is the quickest squad in the state, Snohomish head girls basketball coach Ken Roberts said. Jackson is a Portland State University recruit.

“Our goal is to try to handle their pressure,” Roberts said. “We (usually) don’t get to see anything like that all season, and then we see it at state.”

It will be interesting to see how Auburn Riverside’s quickness fares against Snohomish’s size, Roberts said. Snohomish’s top returning scorer is 6-foot-1 forward Katie Benson, a Seattle Pacific University recruit.

Snohomish also has two Division I-bound guards: point guard Ally Schmitt (Montana State University) and shooting guard Karley Lampman, who will be a teammate of Auburn Riverside’s Jackson at Portland State.

According to a Portland State press release, Jackson picked PSU over programs such as San Diego State and Pepperdine.

“Nichole is a deadly triple threat player,” Portland State women’s basketball head coach Sherri Murrell said in the release. “She is a prolific passer, a sharp-shooter, and can get to the rim.”

Readers pick Ward as top football coach

Last week on The Herald’s prep sports blog, readers were asked: Who is most worthy of being named the All-Area Football Coach of the Year? The top vote-getter was first-year Archbishop Murphy coach Dave Ward, who guided the Wildcats to the 2A state semifinals. Ward received 31 percent of votes, followed by M-P’s Brandon Carson (27 percent) and Glacier Peak’s Rory Rosenbach (26 percent).

Oak Harbor hires Weikle

Jessica Weikle has been hired as head coach of the Oak Harbor softball team. It is the first high school head coaching job for Weikle, who played one season at Colorado State University. “I’m looking forward to being a part of the community and getting to know the girls,” said Weikle, who teaches English at Oak Harbor.

Weikle graduated in 2001 from Broomfield High in Colorado, where she played shortstop and third base. As a coach, Weikle served various roles at two high schools in Colorado before coaching two season in Guam.

Preseason mat rankings

Dave Gilbertson of Washington Wrestling Report posted his preseason rankings. Gilbertson’s list of the state’s top 20 seniors features Snohomish teammates Sam Ottow and Stefan St. Marie, and George King of Lake Stevens. The Class 4A team rankings include three Wesco North squads (No. 1 Lake Stevens, No. 3 Snohomish and No. 5 Arlington). For more details, go to www.washingtonwrestlingreport.com.

Mike Cane, Herald Writer