| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009 5:11 am |
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 Fall 2009 All-Wesco Teams We published some of the 2009 Western Conference All-League Teams in today's Herald. Here are the lists for Girls Soccer, Boys Tennis, Boys Cross Country and Volleyball. We ran out of space in print so we did not publish the All-Wesco Football and Girls Cross Country lists. You can expect to see those in Wednesday's Herald (in print and online). ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Glacier Peak freshman Amy-Eloise Neale wins BorderClash After winning a state cross country title earlier this month, Amy-Eloise Neale went a step further: She won a prestigious all-star race that featured the top runners from Washington and Oregon. Neale, a freshman at Glacier Peak High School, won the 2009 BorderClash event on Sunday on the Nike World Campus in Beaverton, Ore. She completed the 4,400-meter course in 16 minutes, 37.1 seconds, holding off Oregon's Annamarie Maag (16:38.23) in a sprint finish. Maag is an Oregon state champion. BorderClash features the top 40 boys and top 40 girls from each state. Neale is the first freshman to ever win the girls event, according to Glacier Peak assistant cross country coach Frank Dauncey. Neale helped the Washington girls earn a decisive team victory (19-44) over Oregon. Stanwood's Minna Fields placed seventh in 17:04.6. The Washington boys earned a sweep over Oregon (15-50) in their race. Individual winner Shane Moskowitz of Central Kitsap finished in 14:06.29. Here is a video of the girls race. You can find other 2009 BorderClash videos here. 2009 BorderClash Girls Race ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
UPDATE: 3A State Football: Bellevue 34, Glacier Peak 7, final score Countdown to kickoff As I wrote in The Herald a few days ago, this matchup is extra intriguing because the teams are so completely different. On on side is Bellevue, a nationally prominent dynasty that has won six state championships in the past eight years. The Wolverines are known for their deceptive, productive Wing-T rushing attack. Then there is Glacier Peak, the second-year program from Snohomish that chucks the ball about four dozen times a game with its no-huddle spread offense. The Grizzlies, who have seniors for the first time this season, keep making breaking new ground. But can they pull off a monumental upset tonight? We're a few minutes away from the player introductions. The bleachers are completely packed and there was huge line of people in line to get tickets. Should be a fun game. ***** 6:55 p.m. Quick girls soccer update: Archbishop Murphy beat Cheney 2-0 in the 2A state championship in Puyallup. Congrats to the Wildcats, who completed an undefeated season. ***** 7:20 p.m. Score update: Bellevue 13, Glacier Peak 0 Bellevue ran for an 80-yard TD on its first offensive play of the game. Then the Wolverines recovered a GP fumble and a few plays later they scored again. ***** 7:32 p.m. Score update: Bellevue 20, Glacier Peak 0, 8:37 to go in 2nd quarter Peak put together a nice drive, converting on fourth-and-short near midfield, but it eventually turned the ball over on downs. Then Bellevue, for the third time tonight, drove for a score. This one is on the verge of getting out of hand. ***** 7:46 p.m. Belleuve is living up to its billing as the No. 1 ranked squad in the state. Peak had some early success throwing the ball but it hasn't translated to any points yet. ***** 8:06 p.m. Halftime score: Bellevue 20, Glacier Peak 0 Bellevue is obviously dominating. The No. 1 Wolverines had great success on the ground, tallying three TD runs. They rushed for 194 yards on 20 carries. The leaders are Joey Mangialardi (eight carries, 65 yards, a 13-yard TD) and Sean Coley (two carries, 71 yards). Coley got things started for Bellevue with a stunning 80-yard TD run on the first offensive play of the game. Glacier Peak had a couple decent drives but two of its possessions ended in turnovers (one fumble, one interception). The pick happened in the final seconds of the first half, when Belleuve's Brayden Van Ackeren intercepted QB Zach Richter's fourth-and-long throw inside the Wolverines' 10-yard line. Richter was 19 for 29 in the first half for 132 yards. His top target was Tommy Rollins (six receptions, 40 yards). Richter is having success completing short and intermediate passes he can't seem to connect on anything down the field. As a result, Bellevue is sitting back and has taken advantage of some Grizzlies' mistakes. ***** 8:39 Score update: Bellevue 34, Glacier Peak 0 Bellevue's Mangialardi just rushed for his fourth TD of the game. This game is officially out of hand. Bellevue's deceptive, powerful ground attack is just too much for the Grizzlies. ***** Final score: Bellevue 34, Glacier Peak 7 Belleuve lived up to the hype. The Wolverines are devastatingly good on both sides of the ball. Joey Mangialardi scored four TDs for Bellevue (10-2), which will play No. 4 Union (11-1) in the 3A semifinals at the Tacoma Dome. Union beat Meadowdale 49-7 tonight in Vancouver. Propelled by its bruising Wing-T ground attack and its big, dominant linemen, Bellevue ended what was a stellar, historic season for Glacier Peak (9-3). In just its second year, Glacier Peak won two playoff games before falling against Bellevue, a dynasty that has won six state championships the past eight years. At Veterans Memorial Stadium Bellevue 13 7 14 0 - 34 Glacier Peak 0 0 0 7 - 7 Bellevue-Coley 80 run (Sciabica kick) Bellevue-Mangialardi 13 run (Coley run failed) Bellevue-Mangialardi 11 run (Sciabica kick) Bellevue-Mangialardi 1 run (Sciabica kick) Bellevue-Mangialardi 9 run (Sciabica kick) Glacier Peak-Southard 10 pass from Richter (Miller kick) Records-Bellevue 10-2 overall. Glacier Peak 9-3. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Snohomish swimmer Garren Riechel signs with Stanford University Now star swimmer Garren Riechel can fully focus on enjoying his senior season. Riechel, a high-caliber senior at Snohomish High School, signed an NCAA National Letter of Intent this week to compete for the Stanford University men's swimming team. He signed late Tuesday evening. At the 2009 state swimming and diving championships in Federal Way, Riechel won the 50-yard freestyle and the 100 breaststroke, setting a meet record (54.49 seconds) in the breaststroke. Coming off of an elbow surgery this past summer, Riechel is healthy and said he wants to break the national high school record in the 100 breaststroke. In addition to taking an official recruiting visit to Stanford, Riechel also visited the University of Michigan and Ohio State University. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Listen to The Herald's Week 12 Prep Football Podcast In our latest Prep Football Podcast, we recap last week's first round state playoff games and we preview this week's games for our local quarterfinalists. Click here to hear the podcast. Also, have you voted in the new Double Team reader poll? Tell me which local gridiron squad has the best chance to win this weekend. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Reader poll: Which local football team is most likely to win in the state q... We're down to the elite eight teams in each of the state football tournament brackets. The group includes four local squads: Meadowdale and Glacier Peak in Class 3A, Archbishop Murphy in 2A and King's of Shoreline in 1A. All four teams will compete in the state quarterfinals this week. Here are the matchups, including team records and Tacoma News Tribune rankings. 3A No. 1 Bellevue (9-2) vs. No. 10 Glacier Peak (9-2), 7 p.m. Saturday at Snohomish Veterans Memorial Stadium No. 9 Meadowdale (11-0) vs. No. 4 Union (10-1), 5 p.m. Saturday at McKensie Stadium in Vancouver 2A No. 3 Archbishop Murphy (10-1) vs. No. 4 W.F. West (11-0), 3 p.m. Saturday at Tumwater High School 1A No. 6 Nooksack Valley (9-2) at King's (8-3), 7 p.m. Friday at Woolsey Stadium Who will advance? Let me know what you think. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Cautiously excited about “The Blind Side” movie I keep seeing previews for a movie that I have extremely high hopes for: “The Blind Side,” a true story about NFL football player Michael Oher. It opens in theaters on Friday. “The Blind Side” is one of the most memorable, inspirational books I've ever read. The author is the always-excellent Michael Lewis, who also wrote one of my other favorite books, “Moneyball.” I've got to thank Herald business editor Mike Benbow for telling me about Lewis and lending both of those books to me. You know how it is when you love a book and it gets turned into a movie — you really, REALLY hope that the movie doesn't stink and that the director doesn't dumb down the aspects of the book that were so captivating. I admit that I wasn't all that happy when I heard Sandra Bullock was picked to portray the main female character in “The Blind Side.” But after seeing the trailer and finding some pretty decent early reviews, I'm hopeful that the movie does justice to the unforgettable book. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Winter sports practice starts today I still have football on my brain but whether I’m ready or not, winter sports are here. Washington’s boys and girls basketball, wrestling and boys swimming squads have their first practices today. You can expect to see our 2009-2010 season previews for those sports within the next couple weeks. Our basketball previews are slated for publication on Thanksgiving (Nov. 26). ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Football Final: Issaquah 48, Jackson 28 6:40 p.m. Countdown to kickoff Can the last remaining Western Conference 4A football team survive? After Marysville-Pilchuck's loss at Auburn on Friday night, fourth-ranked Jackson (10-0) is the only Wesco 4A squad still alive. Tonight Jackson has a big test in its first-round state playoff clash against Issaquah (7-3) here at Everett Memorial Stadium. Issaquah's record isn't intimidating, but the Eagles reached the state title game last year and have star running back Grant Gellatly, who rushed for 150 yards and five TDs last week. ***** 6:51 p.m. I talked to Jackson coach Joel Vincent about 20 minutes ago. He said Jackson must find a way to bottle up Gellatly, Issaquah's star back. On offense, Jackson will play without two of its starting linemen: Left tackle A.J. Coppage (knee) is out for the season after tearing his ACL last week, and center Walker Evans also has a knee injury. I recorded a pre-game video interview with coach Vincent. It's taking a long time to upload the video but I will post it in this blog chain asap. ***** 7:22 p.m. Score update: Jackson 7, Issaquah 0, 8 minutes to go in first quarter ***** 7:30 p.m. Here's my pre-game interview with Jackson coach Joel Vincent. ***** 7:47 p.m. Score update: Jackson 14, Issaquah 0, 7 minutes to go in second quarter Jackson's Doran Lusby had a 24-yard interception return for a TD, and John Wilde caught a 14-yard TD pass from Andy Gay. ***** 8:03 p.m. Score update: Jackson 21, Issaquah 7 2:58 to go in second quarter ***** 8:20 p.m. Halftime score: Jackson 21, Issaquah 14 Jackson built a 21-0 lead but Issaquah rallied for two TDs in the final 5 minutes of the half. Issaquah already has four turnovers (two lost fumbles, two interceptions). Halftime stat leaders JACKSON Passing Andy Gay 8 for 18, 109 yards, 1 TD Kyle Olson 1 for 2, 83-yard TD Receiving John Wilde three catches for 119 yards, two TDs Rushing Taylor Mead 27 yards on three carries ISSAQUAH Passing Ryan Bergman 8 for 18, 117 yards, 1 TD, two INTs Rushing Grant Gellatly 130 yards and 1 TD on 21 carries ***** 8:53 p.m. Score update: Issaquah 28, Jackson 21 Issaquah scored two quick TDs in the third quarter. The Eagles have scored 28 consecutive points in a span of 5:34, including the end of the first half. ***** 9:10 p.m. Score update: Issaquah 35, Jackson 21 -- End of 3rd quarter Issaquah has scored 35 straight points. RB Gellatly has rushed for 230 yards and three TDs. ***** 9:30 p.m. Score update: Issaquah 41, Jackson 28 with 2:20 to go ***** Final score: Issaquah 48, Jackson 28 Jackson's stellar season is over, and the biggest reason is RB Grant Gellatly, who rushed for 253 yards and three touchdowns on 39 carries for unranked Issaquah (8-3). Give credit to Issaquah's linemen, who did a great job throughout the Eagles' streak of 41 consecutive points. The season is over for Jackson (10-1). That means that all six Wesco 4A playoff teams are finished. Jackson QB Andy Gay completed 15 of 31 passes (including one TD and one interception) for 151 yards. T-wolves receiver John Wilde made four receptions for 119 yards and two scores. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
UPDATE (with video): Football Final: Auburn 25, M-P 22 7:11 p.m. Countdown to kickoff This game must be a big deal. Three TV trucks (KING5, KIRO7, Q13) are here at Auburn Memorial Stadium to watch this battle of top-10 football teams. It's the first state football playoff game for M-P since 1989, and the Tomahawks will be without their star: Senior running back Austin Denton (high ankle sprain) is in street clothes and obviously will not play. M-P coach Brandon Carson said he hopes Denton can return next week for the state quarterfinals, if M-P (10-0) is able to beat Auburn (10-0) tonight. ***** 7:50 p.m. Score update: M-P 9, Auburn 0, End of first quarter M-P is off to a great start and actually should be ahead by more. Danny Stokes kicked a 31-yard field goal for the Tomahawks, and AJ Kvangnes has a 48-yard TD run. ***** 8:04 p.m. Now M-P leads 15-0. Kvangnes just rushed for another TD. Here is a pre-game video interview I recorded with M-P head coach Brandon Carson. ***** 8:28 p.m. Halftime score: M-P 15, Auburn 7 Although No. 8 Marysville-Pilchuck leads by eight points, the Tomahawks could have built a much bigger lead if not for several missed opportunities and turnovers. M-P rushed for a staggering 283 yards on 24 attempts in the half and got two TD runs from Kvangnes (48 yards and 9 yards). Meanwhile, Auburn also rushed 24 times but managed just 100 yards. Despite the lopsided offensive yardage numbers, M-P hurt itself with three lost fumbles, including two in the final 3 minutes of the second quarter. Auburn's Austin Embody picked up one of the fumbles and returned it 47 yards for a score, accounting for the Trojans' only TD of the half. Even without star back Austin Denton, the school's single-season record holder for rushing yards, M-P is dominating on the ground and moving the ball almost at will. It just needs to do a better job of holding onto the ball. A HUGE group of M-P fans made the trek from Marysville. They have pretty much packed the visitors' bleachers and they brought the school band. ***** M-P rushing leaders through two quarters Zack Hanson 105 yards, seven carries AJ Kvangnes 89 yards, eight carries, two TDs Ryley Caldwell 55 yards, six carries ***** Score update: M-P 15, Auburn 15, End of third quarter ***** Score update: Auburn 18, M-P 15, 8:40 to go in the game Auburn's Aaron McMahon made an 18-yard field goal. ***** Score update: Auburn 25, M-P 15, 8:15 to go in the game M-P lost a fumble and Auburn returned it 38 yards for a score. ***** Score update: Auburn 25, M-P 22, 3:01 to go ***** Final score: Auburn 25, M-P 22 Congrats to Marysville-Pilchuck on an incredible season. But in the end the Tomahawks made too many mistakes (mainly their four lost fumbles, including two that Auburn returned for TDs). M-P senior AJ Kvangnes rushed for 112 yards on 15 carries, including three TDs. M-P senior QB Zack Hanson rushed for 132 yards on 11 carries and completed a 39-yard pass, but was just 1 of 8 through the air. After Auburn’s Zak Sauve scored on a 38-yard fumble return that put the Trojans on top 25-15 with 8 minutes, 15 seconds to go, M-P responded with a TD. Kvangnes rushed for his third score of the night, a 1-yard run. M-P made the extra-point kick (making it 25-22 with 4:37 remaining) and then the Tomahawks’ Suli Tamaivena recovered an onside kick by teammate Danny Stokes. But Auburn’s defense came up big, stopping M-P’s Jarrett Finau a yard short of a first down on fourth-and-10 near midfield. In the midst of its fifth straight state appearance, Auburn took over and ran out the clock. At Auburn Memorial Stadium Marysville-Pilchuck 9 6 0 7 - 22 Auburn 0 7 8 10 - 25 Marysville-Pilchuck-Stokes FG 31 Marysville-Pilchuck-Kvangnes 48 run (Stokes kick failed) Marysville-Pilchuck-Kvangnes 9 run (Stokes kick failed) Auburn-Embody 47 fumble return (McMahon kick) Auburn-Wade 36 pass from Klontz (Wade run) Auburn-McMahon FG 18 Auburn-Sauve 38 fumble return (McMahon kick) Marysville-Pilchuck-Kvangnes 1 run (Stokes kick) Records-Marysville-Pilchuck 10-1. Auburn 11-0. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment National Letter of Intent signing photos
In addition to a few photos I took on Thursday at signing ceremonies, Herald readers sent me some pictures from other Letter of Intent signing events in the area. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Listen to The Herald's Week 11 Prep Football Podcast (state playoff edition) Quite a few of our local football teams were eliminated from the playoffs last week. Congrats to all of them (especially Mountlake Terrace, which had an historic season) on a great year. As for our area teams that qualified for the state playoffs, hear more about them and their first-round state opponents by listening to our latest Herald Prep Football Podcast. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment 2009 Cascade Conference All-League Volleyball Teams 2009 Cascade Conference All-League Volleyball Teams Player of the Year Anna Cesari, senior, King's Coaches of the Year Toni Crebbin, Coupeville Jeff Curtis, Archbishop Murphy First Team Becca Gotz, senior, Archbishop Murphy Dionna Kirton, senior, King's Savannah Fletcher, senior, Archbishop Murphy Allison Wood, senior, South Whidbey Megan Carlson, senior, Archbishop Murphy Jessica Riddle, freshman, Coupeville Hannah Linsenmayer, sophomore, Archbishop Murphy Second Team Hayley Liebel, junior, Lakewood Tina Boggs, senior, King's Monesa Moore, junior, Granite Falls Dani Baehm, junior, Archbishop Murphy McKenzie Daniels, sophomore, King's Linden Firethorne, sophomore, South Whidbey Kelsie Dorpat, senior, South Whidbey ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment 2009 Cascade Conference All-League Girls Soccer Teams 2009 Cascade Conference All-League Girls Soccer Teams Offensive Player of the Year Hillary Zevenbergen, senior, King's Defensive Player of the Year Alli Beard, senior, Archbishop Murphy Coach of the Year Jeremiah Wohlgemuth, Lakewood Forwards First Team Sam Pettinger, senior, Archbishop Murphy Maggie Pleis, sophomore, Cedarcrest Katie Cashman, junior, Granite Falls Second Team Tasha Pabisz, sophomore, Archbishop Murphy Jessica Manca, sophomore, South Whidbey Anna Lennon, senior, South Whidbey Midfielders First Team Lindsey Bos, senior, Archbishop Murphy Caroline Brawner, junior, Archbishop Murphy Ashton Griffen, senior, Cedarcrest Katyann Powers, senior, Granite Falls Abby Burke, freshman, Lakewood Second Team Maddy Huggins, senior, Archbishop Murphy Courtney Boyd, senior, Coupeville Taylor Hauck, sophomore, King's Christina McCormick, junior, King's Makenzie Peterson, sophomore, South Whidbey Fullbacks First Team McKenna Swanson, sophomore, Cedarcrest Brittany McGinnis, junior, Granite Falls Hillary Quinn, senior, King's Kennady Bonnallie, freshman, Lakewood Second Team Erin Ryan, senior, Archbishop Murphy Amanda d'Almeida, freshman, Coupeville Amanda Montana, sophomore, Coupeville Laura Barrow, senior, South Whidbey Goalies First Team Alexa Hughes, senior, Archbishop Murphy Second Team Miranda Head, sophomore, Lakewood ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
UPDATE: NCAA National Letter of Intent signings
I expect a bunch of local student-athletes to sign an NCAA National Letter of Intent sometime between Wednesday (Nov. 11) and Nov. 18, the early signing period for many sports (including basketball, baseball, softball and volleyball). Many recruits are waiting until Thursday to sign because of the Veterans Day holiday. As I confirm signings, I will post updates on this blog post. Click here to see an updated list of Class of 2010 verbal commitments. The signing period for some sports (including football, soccer, track and cross country) is in February. If you know of commitments and signing ceremonies we haven't reported yet, e-mail mcane@heraldnet.com. 8:16 p.m. Wednesday The only local Letter of Intent signing from today that I am aware of is: *Shorewood's Laurin Williams (Ohio University women's swimming) I expect the following athletes to sign at various ceremonies on Thursday: *Cascade's Danielle Love (University of Oregon women's basketball) *Glacier Peak's Marjorie Heard (University of Washington women's basketball) *Jackson's Erin Feeney (Western Washington University women's basketball) *Jackson's Dani Jackman (Grand Canyon University softball) *Jackson's Courtney McDermott (Emory University women's swimming) *Jackson's Alana Pazevic (University of Florida women's swimming) *Jackson's Ryan Todd (Seattle Pacific University men's basketball) *Monroe's Megan Birch (University of the Pacific volleyball) 10:53 a.m. Thursday Signings that took place on Wednesday: *Lynnwood's Simi Fajemisin (University of San Diego men's basketball) *Edmonds-Woodway's Leigh Fishback (Bryant University volleyball) *Lakeside School's Claire Murphy (Georgetown University women's rowing) *Shorewood's Laurin Williams (Ohio University women's swimming) 7:20 p.m. Thursday I'm at Glacier Peak High, where Marjorie Heard signed with Washington women's basketball a little more than an hour ago. Earlier today I was at Cascade High and watched Danielle Love sign with Oregon women's basketball. And I talked to Jackson High's Ryan Todd, who said the five-person signing ceremony this afternoon at Jackson went great. Check out The Herald on Friday to read about some of our local recruits and see a list of signings. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment 2009 Cascade Conference All-League Football Teams Here are the Cascade Conference All-League Football selections. The top honors went to Coupeville coach Ron Bagby (Coach of the Year), King's QB Thomas Vincent (Offensive MVP) and Granite Falls linebacker Zach Jones (Defensive MVP). 2009 Cascade Conference All-League Football Teams Coach of the Year Ron Bagby (Coupeville) Offensive MVP Thomas Vincent, junior, King's First Team Quarterback Austin VanderWel, junior, Archbishop Murphy Second Team Quarterback Zach Beebe, senior, Sultan First Team Running Backs Jacob Kriegbaum, senior, Cedarcrest Alex Martinez, senior, Archbishop Murphy Henry Mead, senior, South Whidbey Second Team Running Backs Coty Walker, senior, Granite Falls Jake Beebe, junior, Sultan Danny Zuver, senior, South Whidbey First Team Wide Receivers Nick Swanson, senior, King's Curtis Clauson, junior, King's Clayton Knoles, senior, Sultan Second Team Wide Receivers Ian Smith, junior, Coupeville Mark Bishop, senior, Cedarcrest Jake Clark, senior, Archbishop Murphy First Team Offensive Line Dakota Bunce, senior, Cedarcrest Julius Tevaga, junior, Archbishop Murphy Alex Gibbs, senior, Cedarcrest Paul Lutgen, senior, King's Jordan Kinser, senior, South Whidbey Tani Tupou, junior, Archbishop Murphy Second Team Offensive Line Ryker Young, senior, King's Jackson Hjelle, senior, Granite Falls Bobby Alwood, senior, Sultan Chad Brookhouse, senior, Coupeville First Team Kicker Nick Swanson, senior, King's Second Team Kicker C.J. Mowry, junior, Cedarcrest First Team Punter T.J. Russell, junior, South Whidbey Second Team Punter Paul Gumke, senior, Granite Falls Defensive MVP Zach Jones, senior, Granite Falls First Team Defensive Backs Alex Martinez, senior, Archbishop Murphy Hunter Rawls, senior, South Whidbey Curtis Clauson, junior, King's Ryan Teter, senior, Granite Falls Second Team Defensive Backs T.J. Russell, junior, South Whidbey Nick Swanson, senior, King's Theo VandenEkart, junior, Sultan Ian Smith, junior, Coupeville First Team Linebackers Jacob Kriegbaum, senior, Cedarcrest Dakota Bunce, senior, Cedarcrest Paul Lutgen, senior, King's Jake Hines, senior, Archbishop Murphy Zach Beebe, senior, Sultan Second Team Linebackers Christian Melton, sophomore, Lakewood Danny Zuver, senior, South Whidbey Chad Brookhouse, senior, Coupeville First Team Defensive Line Julius Tevaga, junior, Archbishop Murphy Tani Tupou, junior, Archbishop Murphy David Donley, senior, Coupeville Chuck Norris, junior, South Whidbey Second Team Defensive Line Jackson Lilleness, senior, King's Dillon Parrick, senior, South Whidbey Tanner Rutz, senior, Sultan Davion Watkins, senior, Coupeville Special Teams Co-Players of the Year Alex Martinez, senior, Archbishop Murphy Nick Swanson, senior, King's ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Final State Coaches Association volleyball rankings The state volleyball championships are this week. Click here to see the tournament brackets. The final Washington State Volleyball Coaches Association Rankings of the season have been announced by Tanya Campbell. This week, the rankings are predictions of how each state tournament will play out, based on how the brackets look. The top eight teams (out of 16) place at state. The coaches' poll predicts state-title wins for North Sound Christian of Mountlake Terrace (Class 1B) and King's of Shoreline (1A). Archbishop Murphy is picked to finish second in 2A. Washington State Volleyball Coaches Association Rankings Released Nov. 9 Class 4A 1. Mead 2. Richland 3. Graham-Kapowsin 4. Olympia 5. Auburn Riverside 6. Curtis 7. Lewis & Clark 8. Skyview 9-16. Kentwood, Issaquah, Kamiak, Woodinville, Jackson, Edmonds-Woodway, Southridge, Tahoma. Class 3A 1. Camas 2. Seattle Prep 3. Mount Spokane 4. Capital 5. Timberline 6. Blanchet 7. Lakes 8. West Valley 9-16. Meadowdale, Holy Names, Peninsula, Everett, Mt. Si, Auburn Mountainview, Prairie, Columbia River. Class 2A 1. Burlington-Edison 2. Archbishop Murphy 3. Fife 4. Pullman 5. East Valley of Yakima 6. Selah 7. West Valley of Spokane 8. Lynden 9-16: Black Hills, Grandview, Colville, Mark Morris, Anacortes, Hockinson, Washington, RA Long. Class 1A 1. King's 2. Annie Wright 3. Royal 4. Onalaska 5. Granger 6. Cascade of Leavenworth 7. Lynden Christian 8. Chelan 9-16. Castle Rock, Montesano, Cedar Park Christian, Connell, Cascade Christian, Montesano, Meridian, Lakeside. Class 2B 1. LaConner 2. Tekoa-Oakesdale 3. La Salle 4. Colfax 5. Northwest Christian of Colbert 6. Toutle Lake 7. Darrington 8. The Bear Creek School 9-16. Northwest Christian of Lacey, Adna, Kittitas, Reardan, Christian Faith, Liberty Bell, Pomeroy, Mossyrock. Class 1B 1. North Sound Christian 2. Thorp 3. Crescent 4. Wilson Creek 5. Northport 6. Almire-Coulee Hartline 7. LaCrosse-Washtucna 8. St. John-Endicott 9-16. Colton, Sprague Harrington, Kingsway Christian, Lummi, Three Rivers Christian, Lopez, Klickitat, Trout Lake/Glenwood. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Video: Glacier Peak's Amy-Eloise Neale wins 3A state cross country title I recorded a bunch of video clips on Saturday during the 2009 State Cross Country Championships in Pasco. Here is a clip of Glacier Peak High School freshman Amy-Eloise Neale finishing strong and winning the Class 3A girls race. Glacier Peak's Amy-Eloise Neale wins Class 3A state cross country championship ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment State football playoff brackets Here are links to the 2009 state football tournament brackets. *Class 4A tournament *Class 3A tournament *Class 2A tournament *Class 1A tournament *Class 2B tournament *Class 1B tournament Look in The Herald this week (and listen to our next Prep Football Podcast) for a look at our local teams' first-round state matchups. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment More state tournament brackets: girls soccer and volleyball Here are links to the 2009 state girls soccer tournament brackets: *Class 4A *Class 3A *Class 2A *Class 1A *Class 1B/2B And here are links to the 2009 state volleyball tournament brackets: *Class 4A *Class 3A *Class 2A *Class 1A *Class 2B *Class 1B ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Results from the 2009 State Cross Country Championships in Pasco Snohomish County girls fared very well today during the 2009 State Cross Country Championships in Pasco. Glacier Peak High School freshman Amy-Eloise Neale won the individual Class 3A championship and the King's High School girls team from Shoreline won its fourth straight 1A team title; King's seniors Adele Eslinger, Morgan Hamm and Makenzie Taylor have been on the Knights' past four first-place state squads. Glacier Peak lost a close battle with Shadle Park of Spokane for the 3A team title. Shadle Park won by eight points. The No. 1 nationally ranked Jackson High boys team was unable to complete its goal of winning a state team title. Jackson placed second in 4A for the second consecutive year. Ferris of Spokane, ranked No. 9 in America, won the team crown with 68 points; Jackson scored 100. More than 1,600 athletes representing 244 schools competed in the state meet on a sometimes-sunny but windy day at Sun Willows Golf Course. Competitors traversed the 3.1-mile (5,000-meter) course. There were 11 different races. To see complete state meet results, go to http://www.jcrawford.net/ccmain.html. And be sure to look in The Herald on Sunday. We will have detailed meet coverage, including five stories, lots of photos and a list of top local runners. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Video: KOMO 4 TV's Ike Ditzenberger story This is awesome — a lot more people are getting to hear Ike Ditzenberger's story. Tonight KOMO 4 News aired a nicely done report about Ike's big touchdown run earlier this week. Check out the video report below, and go to KOMO's Web site to read dozens of positive comments from readers (scroll to the bottom of the KOMO story to see comments) who were touched by Ike's passion for the gridiron. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Marysville-Pilchuck football practice notes: coach Brandon Carson, RG Brett... I drove from Everett to the Tri-Cities today. I'm out here to cover the 2009 State Cross Country Championships, which start Saturday morning at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco. It should be a special day for lots of local runners, especially the Jackson boys and Glacier Peak girls teams (both are nationally ranked). I hope the weather improves though — the wind is blowing like crazy this evening. It's too bad I won't get to cover any football games this weekend. We have a bunch of interesting playoff matchups, including unbeaten Marysville-Pilchuck playing host to Graham-Kapowsin (6-3). That Class 4A quad-district game kicks off at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Snohomish Veterans Memorial Stadium. I wrote a football notebook that was published in today's Herald. I led the notebook with a look at M-P's talented offensive line. On Tuesday, I went to the Tomahawks' practice and spoke to senior lineman Brett Parsons and M-P head coach Brandon Carson. I couldn't fit all of their notable comments into my notebook, so here are some extended excerpts from those interviews. Brandon Carson, Marysville-Pilchuck head football coach *On playing Graham-Kapowsin “They're about 50-50 (passing versus running). They have good team speed and a couple of good, good receivers — maybe two of the best we've seen all year. And they have a pretty quick tailback. Their quarterback's young but he's going to be a tough player in years to come. He has a real good arm.” “They're a real good football team. Their three losses were by (about) a touchdown or less (against) a couple really good teams.” Graham-Kapowsin's losses were 34-28 versus Curtis (9-0), 24-15 versus Bethel (8-1) and 21-14 versus Rogers (6-3). *On defending G-P receivers Greg Logan (44 catches, 702 yards, three TDs) and Jamaal Jones (33-499-9) “With the way our (Wesco North) league is, a lot of teams are throwing it quite a bit. Some of the (defensive pass coverage for this week) isn't new; some of it is. We've just got to do a good job of reading our keys and covering their guys.” *On playing a ‘home' playoff game at Snohomish High “We like that venue a little bit better than Everett Memorial. We just haven't had very good luck at Everett Memorial the last few years. (A year ago M-P lost a playoff game against Issaquah at Everett Memorial.) Our captains chose to play (at Snohomish High). I let them decide and that's where they wanted to play.” M-P wasn't allowed to host Saturday's game at Quil Ceda Stadium in Marysville because it doesn't have artificial turf. *What did M-P learn from its 2008 playoff loss against Issaquah? “We just ran into a team that might have been a little bit better than us. Our kids competed hard in that game. The nice thing about it is some of the (M-P) kids who are still around, they still have that taste in their mouth of playoff football and they didn't want their season to end that way.” *On M-P's dominant offensive line “(Assistant coach Scott Stokes) does a great job with those guys, getting them ready for all kinds of different stunts and fronts and blitzes. They're a real heady group. They're pretty smart kids and they pick things up real fast, which is helpful. They play hard and they like being around each other. They're a pretty tight-knit group.” “I think they like seeing anybody — whether it's Austin (Denton) or AJ (Kvangnes) or Zack (Hanson) — they like seeing people run for big amounts of yardage.” *On star RB Austin Denton's health After dealing with a sore neck recently, Denton is “100 percent now. He's good to go. He might be as healthy as he's been all year.” *On coach Carson's decision to play Denton only on offense most of the season “With him being our (key) guy, we don't want to risk injury on defense. We want to make sure we keep him healthy.” *On M-P's strong linebacker group, led by twin brothers Suli and Siti Tamaivena (pronounced Tom-uh-vain-uh “They're pretty special players. When you go back and watch film if they're both not making the play, one of them (is) around the ball. They're always around the ball. They have pretty good instincts, that's for sure.” Last year, as sophomores, the Tamaivena brothers played on M-P's sophomore team. This year, they skipped JV and jumped right to the varsity starting lineup. “They've really stepped it up this year. They've gotten bigger (and) stronger and they just play hard and they play fast. They've had a great year. They've gotten better every week.” Brett Parsons, M-P senior co-captain, right offensive tackle *Why is M-P's offensive line playing so well? “I give credit to (assistant coach Scott) Stokes. He knows his stuff. Every single week it's something new, and running our offense — you never know what the defense is going to throw at us.” “He just teaches us well. He makes sure we stick to our rules … and if you do something wrong he makes sure to tell you about it.” *On taking a bigger leadership role leading up to this season “Definitely early on, honestly, I didn't know who was going to play where. So I made sure that (all) of our guys went to the weight room, made sure they (got) their running in so they're in shape. I kind of had to take a leadership role and make sure that everybody was doing the right thing and doing what it takes to be a good football player.” *On how the O-line feels when M-P backs break a big run or have a great game “As a lineman, I think I speak for all of us — we may not show it but we really take pride in knowing that our running backs are (able) to do that behind us. Give credit to the running backs. They run hard.” *Why is RB Austin Denton (1,919 yards and 24 touchdowns in eight games played this season) is so good? “A regular running back, maybe not as good as Austin, will maybe get 5 yards (on a particular play). But (Denton) just keeps his feet moving and he's able to pick up (more yards).” “At a high school level, I haven't (seen a running back like Denton), not with my own eyes anyway. I don't know what it is about him. It just seems like he's slippery and hard to bring down. And he's big (but) he's able to out-run people. I don't know how he does it.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment KING 5 story about Jackson QB/rapper Andy Gay Remember the video clip of Jackson High School quarterback Andy Gay performing a special homecoming rap that I posted a few weeks ago? Well, KING 5 TV found out about Gay's turn as an entertainer and the station did a story about the Jackson senior and his buddy Matthew Robertson. Check out the report. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Video update: Snohomish's Ike Ditzenberger scores a touchdown! Usually Ike Ditzenberger runs the ball into the end zone at practice, not in games. But on Monday during a junior-varsity clash against Lake Stevens, Ditzenberger of Snohomish High School scored a touchdown. Ditzenberger, a Snohomish football player who has Down syndrome, ran the ball about 25 yards for the touchdown, weaving around Lake Stevens players who could have tackled Ike (5-foot-5, 150 pounds) but instead let him enjoy the thrill of a TD. Last month I wrote a story about Ike Ditzenberger and his incredible family. It was one of the most fulfilling experiences I've had since I started writing for The Herald. This afternoon I got an e-mail from Herald reader Lisa Grundl, who was at the JV game on Monday when Ike scored. Here is how Lisa described Ike's TD play. “The entire (crowd) was standing, cheering and in tears — both teams and coaches were cheering — it was an incredible moment — where no one cared about the score for a moment — just about giving a boy his dream!” “It was incredible — while Lake Stevens has always been our ‘rival' — from now on, in my mind, they are all heroes.” Here is a video clip of Ike's big play. Thanks to Tony Soper for sending the video link to me. Snohomish football player Ike Ditzenberger scores a TD ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Listen to The Herald's Week 10 Prep Football Podcast This is a jam-packed week of prep sports, and a lot of the excitement surrounds our playoff-bound local football teams. In addition to the gridiron games our writers covered on Tuesday night (Everett 41-6 over Sedro-Woolley and Granite Falls' 31-6 loss against Squalicum), we will cover a bunch of games on Friday and Saturday. To see all of the playoff matchups featuring local teams check out the Northwest District site. It has links to all the brackets. In our latest Prep Football Podcast (Week 10), we talk about some of this week's best matchups and look back at several of last week's clutch performances. Click here to listen. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Video interview with Arlington High School goalkeeper Chelsea Boulton First and foremost, I'm a writer. That's still how I spend most of my work time. But I'm also trying to branch out into other types of content to highlight high school sports from a variety of perspectives. One way I hope to accomplish that is with video. The past year or so I've been posting video interviews and clips from practices and games. It's all pretty basic at this point but the idea is to help you connect with our local players and teams in a way that complements what you read in The Herald's print and online editions. Last week I recorded a video interview with Chelsea Boulton, Arlington High School's all-league senior goalkeeper. The video interview goes along with my Timeout profile of Chelsea. Here is the video clip. (I apologize about my sometimes-shaky camera work — I'm still working on that.) Video interview: Arlington High School soccer goalkeeper Chelsea Boulton ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
The Sound of Rain
It was wet Saturday afternoon in Langley, very wet. The ground was a sodden mess and just got messier as hundreds of feet pounded it into submission. Somehow I had tricked myself into wearing cotton pants and not nearly enough layers that morning. My excuse was it was sunny at my house when I left. I paid for it later as the cotton wicked the water from my shoes up towards my knees. It was not fun. I don't know how the runners felt about the conditions, but seeing as there were no course records broken, I can only imagine that the wet and sloppy course made for slow running. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment New state coaches' volleyball rankings With the volleyball playoffs underway this week, here is the second-to-last edition of the 2009 Washington State Coaches Association State Rankings. This time, rankings coordinator Tanya Campbell expanded the list to 16 teams in each classification in an attempt to project how teams will finish at the various state tournaments. The highest-rated local teams are North Sound Christian (No. 2 1B), King's (No. 2 1A), Archbishop Murphy (No. 3 2A) and Monroe (No. 5 4A). Washington State Coaches Association Volleyball Rankings (Week 10) Class 4A 1. Mead 2. Graham-Kapowsin 3. Skyview 4. Richland 5. Monroe 6. Gig Harbor 7. Olympia 8. Southridge 9. Kamiakin 10. Eisenhower 11.Kentwood 12. Curtis 13. Kamiak 14. Auburn Riverside 15. Woodinville 16. Jackson Class 3A 1. Blanchet 2. North Kitsap 3. Mount Spokane 4. Kennedy 5. Auburn Mountainview 6. Prairie 7. Mount Si 8. Timberline 9. Eastside Catholic 10. Bonney Lake 11. Seattle Prep 12. Meadowdale 13. Mercer Island 14. Anacortes 15. Sequim 16. White River Class 2A 1. Burlington-Edison 2. Selah 3. Archbishop Murphy 4. Pullman 5. Fife 6. Black Hills 7. Tumwater 8. Grandview 9. West Valley of Spokane 10. Lynden 11. Colville 12. Mark Morris 13. East Valley of Yakima 14. Ferndale 15. Centralia 16. Ellensburg Class 1A 1. Onalaska 2. King's 3. Annie Wright 4. Royal 5. Chelan 6. Lynden Christian 7. Castle Rock 8. Newport 9. Cascade (Leavenworth) 10. Montesano 11. Cedar Park Christian 12. Bellevue Christian 13. Granger 14. Goldendale 15. University Prep 16. Connell Class 2B 1. LaConner 2. Kittitas 3. La Salle 4. Colfax 5. Toutle Lake 6. Christian Faith 7. Shoreline Christian 8. Adna 9. NW Christian Lacey 10. Darrington 11. Riverside Christian of Yakima 12. NW Christian Colbert 13. Lind-Ritzville 14. Liberty Christian 15. Tekoa-Oakesdale 16. Davenport Class 1B 1. Neah Bay 2. North Sound Christian 3. Thorp 4. Tri-Cities Prep 5. Crescent 6. Northport 7. Wilson Creek 8. St. John-Endicott 9. LaCrosse-Washtucna 10. Moses Lake Christian 11. Colton 12. Cusick 13. Almire-Coulee Hartline 14. St. George's 15. Puget Sound Adventist ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
The Smell of Mud
Grass fields are so awesome!!! They are dirty, wet, smelly and muddy but oh so fun to photograph. FieldTurf fields are easier to maintain and decrease the amount of bleach teams have to use on their uniforms but they are so boring. Even if it is raining cats and dogs, Field Turf drains and there is no dirt to get churned into mud. BORING. Give me mud and muck any time. I'll risk kneeling in inches of freezing worm habitat to make nice photos any time. Friday night in Arlington brought wind, then rain, then really nice muddy football players. Arlington took on Stanwood in the annual Stilly Cup. The night started out dry but really windy, but soon after kick-off the rain moved in. The grass field was already sodden, with several standing pools of water. As the night moved on, those pools expanded, creating giant mud pits that turned the double white uniforms of Stanwood into brown/gray messes. Here is a photo time-lapse of the game. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Tacoma News Tribune Week 10 football rankings It's playoff time, football fans. This week we'll cover a bunch of our local gridiron teams as they compete in play-in and preliminary-round games. To see when, where and who your favorite team will play this week, check out the football brackets on the Northwest District Web site. And if you want a quick recap of what happened this past weekend, click on these links: *Mountlake Terrace makes history with win over Kamiak *Stanwood keeps Stilly Cup *Lake Stevens overcomes adversity, makes playoffs *Jackson ends Cascade's postseason quest *FOOTBALL ROUNDUP: Austin Denton sets Marysville-Pilchuck season rushing record You should also check out the Tacoma News Tribune football rankings. There were no changes in the 4A rankings. Jackson (9-0) remains No. 4 and Marysville-Pilchuck (9-0) stayed at No. 10. The teams ranked ahead of Jackson are No. 1 Bothell (9-0), No. 2 Skyline (7-2) and No. 3 Auburn (9-0). In 3A, Meadowdale (9-0) kept its No. 8 ranking after a three-point victory over Everett. In 2A, Archbishop Murphy (8-1) remains No. 3, behind No. 1 Ellensburg (9-0) and No. 2 Lynden (8-1). And congrats to Cedarcrest (8-1), which slid into the 2A rankings at No. 10. Cedarcrest's only loss was a last-minute thriller against Murphy. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
UPDATE: Stilly Cup 2009 Final: Stanwood 21, Arlington 14
6:10 p.m. Countdown to kickoff We're 50 minutes away from the start of the 2009 Stilly Cup game. It should be a good one. It's going to be pretty tough for the teams to pass the ball tonight. The wind is blowing like crazy. On my drive through Smokey Point to Arlington (the game is at John C. Larson Stadium) I saw wire-suspended street lights swinging all over the place at intersections because of the wind. Then I passed a local business that had a giant American flag attached to a tall pole; the flag was flapping like mad. And as for the grass field here at Larson Stadium, it's not nearly as messy and water-logged as the one at Archbishop Murphy High, where I covered a game a few weeks ago. But this field is still pretty soggy. From the press box, I can see several sizable puddles between the 20-yard lines. I'm going to head down to the field and maybe get some video and take a few photos. ***** 6:36 p.m. This is Eagle Country Arlington students are already packing their section of the home bleachers. They just went wild when the Eagles completed their first portion of warmups and jogged to the locker room. It's senior night for Arlington and right now the public-address announcer is introducing the team's seniors and their parents. The crowd just gave them a big round of applause. ***** 6:55 p.m. Close call on the sidelines Maybe I shouldn't stand so close to the players during pre-game warmups. ***** 7:13 p.m. Score update: Stanwood 7, Arlington 0, 6:19 to go in first quarter Stanwood took the ball 68 yards in eight plays (all runs) on the first possession of the game. Ryan Schroyer dived in for a 9-yard TD run. ***** 7:36 p.m. Score update: Stanwood 14, Arlington 7, 7:17 to go in second quarter ***** 7:53 p.m. Score update: Stanwood 21, Arlington 7, 1:43 to go in 2nd Q Stanwood RB Brad Gee already has two TD runs (3 yards and 2 yards) and Schroyer has one. The offensive line has been dominant, opening huge holes for all the Spartans backs. Gee has 49 yards rushing on nine carries. Arlington has turned the ball over three times on downs (twice in Stanwood' s side of the field). ***** 8:07 p.m. Halftime score: Stanwood 21, Arlington 7 Other Wesco football halftime scores: Lake Stevens 19, Snohomish 13 Jackson 14, Cascade 0 Mountlake Terrace 7, Kamiak 0 ***** 8:14 p.m. In the first half, Stanwood had its way on the ground. The Spartans rushed for 182 yards on 33 carries, including two TDs by bruising RB Brad Gee. Stanwood's offensive linemen controlled the line of scrimmage. Gee had 49 yards on nine carries, Ryan Schroyer 95 yards on 10 carries and Ben Ulrich 33 yards on six carries. Arlington's only TD of the half was RB Riley Cobb's 26-yard reception from QB Andy Smith. Smith passed effectively, completing 9 of 15 passes for 140 yards. Cobb (three receptions, 43 yards) has been his top target. Stanwood's stout defense limited Arlington to negative-22 yards on nine attempts. LB Jay Steik and DL Michael Randall were in on numerous stops. The field is getting churned up and is turning into a giant mud puddle in the middle. It's hard to see the numbers on the back of some Stanwood players because they are absolutely covered in mud. ***** 9:00 p.m. Score update: Stanwood 21, Arlington 14, 4:15 to go in fourth Q ***** 9:37 p.m. Final score: Stanwood 21, Arlington 14 Despite scoring zero points in the second half (Arlington's defense and the rain/wind had a lot to do with that), Stanwood prevailed in the Stilly Cup game. Stanwood is the Wesco North No. 3 seed for the Class 4A quad-district playoffs and will play at KingCo No. 1 seed Bothell next week. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Stilly Cup football: Checking in with coaches Greg Dailer (Arlington) and A... Less than eight hours from now I'll be in the press box at Arlington High's John Larson Stadium, waiting for kickoff of the 2009 Stilly Cup football game. Did you see our video interviews with Stanwood players and Arlington players? The guys were all extremely excited about tonight's game. Stanwood linebacker Jay Steik said it will be the biggest game of his life. He also predicted a 42-14 Stanwood triumph. One interesting angle for this year's Stilly Cup game is that both coaches are relatively new. Arlington's Greg Dailer is in his second year as the Eagles head coach, while this is Aaron Cupp's first season guiding Stanwood. Here are excerpts of my interviews with the coaches from earlier this week. Arlington High School football coach Greg Dailer On Arlington's explosive offense (The Eagles have scored 41 points or more in a game five times this season.) “The offense has been clicking all year. The only team that really shut us down was Jackson. Marysville stopped us pretty solid, but we still moved the ball a little bit against them.” Arlington (3-2 Wesco North, 4-4 overall) has had five games with more than 400 yards of offense and had over 300 versus unbeaten Marysville-Pilchuck, Dailer said. “So we've been clicking pretty well (but) we had a couple games there in the middle where we had trouble in the red zone.” In the middle of the season, Arlington changed its focus from pass-first to run-first. The Eagles racked up 300 yards rushing in a win over Monroe and 200 yards on the ground in a win against Oak Harbor. “That was fun to be able to get the running game going.” On Arlington's much-improved defense. (The Eagles have allowed an average of just 14.3 points during their three-game win streak.) “Our defense has been doing a really nice job. (They) really threw a challenge down after the Jackson game (a 56-21 loss) to be more aggressive and tackle better, and they've really stepped it up.” Dailer praised junior middle linebacker Blake Petersen, who has 54 tackles over the last three games. “That guy's been an animal lately. We knew he was going to be good. … Blake is the leader of our defense right now, him and (senior linebacker) Jeff Owen.” On coaching in his second Stilly Cup game, his first at Arlington High “Getting to host it means a lot. There's a lot of meaning (playoff implications) to the game. Last year there wasn't so much, so it's been real exciting. All the kids, as soon as the Snohomish game was over they were already starting to talk about the Stilly Cup.” “You know, you don't have to give a great speech (during) Stilly Cup week. The kids are already ready to go.” On defending Stanwood's spread offense “They're doing some good things there at Stanwood. I've noticed that their quarterback (senior Mike McCune) has really improved since the beginning of the season. At the beginning of the year he had some not-great form and I think coach Cupp's done a great job with him.” “We have to tackle well. They have some guys with some speed. (Running back Brad Gee) is a bruiser. We aren't going to stop all the pass plays. We just want to make sure we don't give up the big play, so it might come down to tackling.” On hosting the Stilly Cup game “We're glad to have it at home. Our fans, they'll pack the place. It should be a lot of fun.” On the potentially sloppy field conditions at Larson Stadium “The field will be mushy and we don't mind. We're mudders. We practice on (a muddy field). Our field is our field. We enjoy playing on it and other people don't always.” On Arlington's health “(Senior running back/safety Jake Parduhn) has been dinged up (shoulder) and he missed last week. But overall we have been much healthier this year. The flu bug seems to be passing us by.” Stanwood High School football coach Aaron Cupp On Stanwood's 24-0 non-league loss last week versus Ferndale “There were just a lot of distractions.” It was Stanwood (3-2 Wesco North, 3-5) senior night. The festivities disrupted the team's usual pre-game routine, and there was a 35-40 mph wind that limited the Spartans' passing attack, said Cupp. “And Ferndale's (6-2) a really good football team. They come out, they execute. They're sharp. They do the things that they need to do to win. I really felt like they played well. They played focused. They executed and we just didn't do any of those things.” Stanwood didn't watch film of the Ferndale game the morning after. “We looked awful and I think at this point in the season our playoff is this week (against Arlington). This is when our playoffs start. There's no reason to look back at a game that we felt like really wasn't who we are.” On what will it take to beat Arlington “It goes back to execution. I think we need to really make sure of our coverage in the secondary. We need to be sharp defensively. They execute really well and they've got two quarterbacks (senior Andy Smith and sophomore Blake McPherson) it looks like they're using who are mobile with pretty good arms. … That can translate into points in a hurry if we get out of position.” On Stanwood's health “We're a little dinged up here and there but I think we're going to be OK. Everyone should be available that has been available.” Stanwood previously lost two starters to season-ending knee injuries: senior WR/DB Kaden Barrish and DL/OL Jake Budd. Barrish got hurt against Oak Harbor, Budd against Monroe. On why there seems to be significantly more severe knee injuries throughout Wesco this year “Maybe it's because so many teams have gone to (artificial turf fields). It gets to be an interesting question. I've had some philosophical debates with people. You start to wonder if (teenage players) are getting so big and strong and heavy that (their tendons can't support it). You can strengthen their leg muscles and you can get them faster and do all those things, but their ligaments sort of are what they are, right?” On Stanwood senior RB/LB Brad Gee's intensity “He's just a kid that likes to compete and he obviously loves the physicality of the sport. As a former fullback (Cupp played for Brigham Young University), I see a lot of that mentality that you've got to have. … He's a pretty nice kid (off the field) but you get him on Friday nights or you get him in competition and he's got a little bit of nasty in him. The great ones, they've got that.” “I'd love to see him play (in college). We're doing some things to try to get him placed, if we can.” On Cupp's preference for not using two-way starters, whenever possible “That's what we kind of like to do. It's really part of my philosophy that if we can keep kids from playing both sides of the ball, we will. I just feel like we're a better football team that way. I know at times it's been unpopular. They want to play all the time.” On the pre-Stilly Cup game excitement “It seems like that's what everyone wants to talk about. Even people just in passing, you see them: ‘Hey, I'll see you Friday night. We're traveling to Arlington.' It's always kind of fun. I think you can really feel the support around the school and around the community.” “It's really nice that it matters (because of the playoff implications). We're both playing for something. That's what you want. What a special game to have for that play-in type of game (against Arlington). You've got the rivalry, the Stilly Cup — you've got all these things going on. And then you've got the playoffs on top of it.” “Whenever you play in one of those small-town rivalries, it's electric. People really take it personal. In the city, it's just like there's a lot of other things to do. But out here, it's us versus them and you hear about it all year long.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment The Herald's College Athlete of the Week: Mariner grad Ray Fry In his latest installment of The Herald's College Athlete of the Week series, our own Scott M. Johnson caught up with former Mariner High School star Ray Fry. Check out's Scott's interview with Fry, one of the most exciting, explosive prep football players I've ever covered. Fry was a prolific running back in high school, but now he is a receiver at Portland State University. Take a look at his 2009 stats for the Vikings. Going into this week's game against Eastern Washington at Qwest Field, Fry leads all PSU receivers with 48 receptions and 760 yards. Here are a few fun revelations from Scott's interview with Fry: *Fry was a quarterback at Voyager Middle School, before he switched to RB at Mariner High. *He used to be a skateboarder and once did a kick-flip over seven steps. *He plays guitar and enjoys strumming classic rock tunes as well as newer stuff by guys like Joe Satriani. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
More Stilly Cup football fun: Video of Stanwood players Brad Gee, Mike McCu... As if it wasn't already intense enough, this year's Stilly Cup battle — kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Arlington High's John Larson Stadium — has extra significance. Arlington (3-2 Western Conference North Division, 4-4 overall) and Stanwood (3-2, 3-5) are fighting for a postseason trip. If Lake Stevens beats Snohomish, the Stilly Cup winner will earn the division's final playoff berth. Did you watch the video interview with Arlington players Andy Smith and Jeff Owen? Well now you can also watch a video interview with three Stanwood players: Brad Gee, Mike McCune and Jay Steik. Check it out. (Added bonus: Below the video, I included a list of Stilly Cup results going back to 1971.) Stanwood football players talk about the Stilly Cup game Stilly Cup football game results YEAR --- WINNER & SCORE 2008 --- Stanwood 48-39 2007 --- Arlington 34-14 2006 --- Stanwood 14-6 2005 --- Arlington 20-7 2004 --- Arlington 27-7 2003 --- Stanwood 31-14 2002 --- Arlington 33-6 2001 --- Arlington 33-26 2000 --- Arlington 14-7 1999 --- Arlington 30-24 1998 --- Stanwood 24-21 OT 1997 --- Arlington 21-0 1996 --- Stanwood 10-7 1995 --- Arlington 28-0 1994 --- Arlington 40-20 1993 --- Stanwood 8-7 1992 --- Stanwood 25-6 1991 --- Arlington 17-14 1990 --- Arlington 33-0 1989 --- Arlington 39-0 1988 --- Arlington 13-0 1987 --- Stanwood 21-0 1986 --- Arlington 26-14 1985 --- Stanwood 26-0 1984 --- Stanwood 7-0 1983 --- Arlington 26-14 1982 --- Arlington 28-0 1981 --- Arlington 40-0 1980 --- Arlington 58-0 1979 --- Arlington 31-0 1978 --- Arlington 58-0 1977 --- Arlington 33-13 1976 --- Arlington 14-0 1975 --- Arlington 15-14 1974 --- Arlington 18-11 1973 --- Stanwood 28-0 1972 --- Arlington 6-0 1971 --- Arlington 26-0 ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Listen to The Herald's Week 9 Prep Football Podcast This is the final week of the football regular season and a bunch of playoff berths are still up for grabs. To make sense of all the possibilities, check out Herald prep editor John McDonald's Prep Football Forecast. It will prepare you for all the gridiron action scheduled for tonight and Friday night. For even more high school football info, listen to our latest Prep Football Podcast. Me and my co-worker Aaron Swaney recap last week's standout games, preview this week's most intriguing matchups (including Arlington vs. Stanwood in the Stilly Cup) and try to make sense of all the playoff scenarios. You can also listen to our previous Prep Football Podcasts. (Scroll down and look for the PODCASTS list on the left side.) ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Jackson High guard Ryan Todd commits to Seattle Pacific University men's ba... Ryan Todd, a well-rounded guard from Jackson High, verbally committed to play for the Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team. Todd is a senior who, along with junior Brett Kingma, is part of a superb backcourt combo for Jackson, which is expected to be one of the area's best basketball squads this winter. Todd was an All-Wesco South first team selection last season (2008-2009). He was one of just two non-seniors on the first team. Todd also made The Herald's All-Area first team. According to Todd's dad, Ryan Todd gave his verbal commitment to Seattle Pacific coach Ryan Looney on Saturday at SPU's campus. Todd plans to sign an NCAA National Letter of Intent next month, Todd's dad said. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment UPDATE: It's Stilly Cup football week! (video of QB/DB Andy Smith and LB Je...
Arlington. Stanwood. An epic, decades-long football rivalry. The 2009 Stilly Cup is almost here. Will you be at Arlington High on Friday to watch the Eagles and the Spartans battle for a playoff spot? I attached a photo of a shirt that commemorates this year's big game. Pretty cool. The parent of an Arlington player was selling the shirts on Tuesday evening when I stopped by Arlington's practice. I'm looking forward to covering the Stilly Cup clash on Friday. Stanwood (3-2 Wesco North, 3-5 overall) and Arlington (3-2, 4-4) both have a chance to make the playoffs. It's the final division game for the teams. Here is a video interview with Arlington players Andy Smith and Jeff Owen, both seniors. Smith is a QB/DB and Owen is a linebacker. Arlington football players talk about the Stilly Cup game ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Video: Jackson QB Andy Gay is an Auto-Tuned rap star! For Jackson High's homecoming last week, super-talented videographer Matthew Robertson (who compiles the Jackson football team's weekly highlight videos) collaborated with his pal Andy Gay for a goofy, entertaining musical performance. Gay, quarterback of the unbeaten Timberwolves football team (8-0), shows off his rapping skills in a homecoming-themed video that Gay and Robertson made to pump up fans for last Friday's game against Mountlake Terrace. In addition to making the edited video, they performed a live version of the song for Jackson students. Gay's voice sounds distorted by an Auto-Tune device like the ones used by pop singers and rappers like T-Pain. The lyrics are pretty funny. At one point, Gay raps: J to the A … C … K … S-O-N. All we do is win. And later he adds: Get in the stands … with the fans … and join the crowd … and get real loud. Besides Gay (who wrote the lyrics) and Robertson (who did the music production), others who appear in the video are Taylor Mead (he does a crazy flip at 2:59), Kevin Anderson, Kiefer Anable, Jake White, Anthony Argueta, and A.J. Coppage. Here is the video. Jackson High School Homecoming Music Video ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Updates to Class of 2010 college commitment list I just added two more local student-athletes to my ongoing list of verbal commitments. Both of them committed to Gonzaga University: Archbishop Murphy's Tyler Kane for baseball, and Meadowdale's Julia Fjortoft for women's soccer. Check out my updated Class of 2010 college commitments list. The NCAA early signing period for some sports (including basketball, baseball, softball and volleyball) starts on Nov. 11. In case you are curious, here is more information about the NCAA National Letter of Intent and signing dates. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment New Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association poll I thought the Jackson High boys cross country team was good last year, but the 2009 Timberwolves are even more incredible. I wrote about Jackson's sweep this past weekend at the Wesco South championships. The first five (and ten of the top 23) finishers in the race were from Jackson! The program also cleaned up in the junior-varsity race, as Jackson had the six-fastest runners. Not surprisingly, nationally ranked Jackson maintained its No. 1 spot in the state coaches' poll (see full rankings below). Also keeping their No. 1 state ranking were the Glacier Peak girls, who nearly earned a sweep at the South championships, led by freshman Amy-Eloise Neale's course-record performance. This Saturday, Jackson, Glacier Peak and hundreds of other runners will compete in the Northwest District 2A, 3A, and 4A Cross Country Championships at South Whidbey High in Langley. Here is the race schedule: 2A girls — 11:30 a.m. 3A girls — 12:10 p.m. 4A girls — 12:50 p.m. 2A boys — 1:30 p.m. 3A boys — 2 p.m. 4A boys — 2:30 p.m. Alright, here are the state coaches' rankings. Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association poll Released Oct. 25 BOYS Class 4A 1. Jackson, 2. Ferris, 3. Auburn Riverside, 4. Gig Harbor, 5. Skyline, 6. Eisenhower, 7. Southridge, 8. Kamiakin, 9. Curtis, 10. Issaquah. Class 3A 1. North Central, 2. Bellevue, 3. Mt. Spokane, 4. Peninsula, 5. North Kitsap, 6. Bishop Blanchet, 7. Seattle Prep, 8. Lindbergh, 9. Columbia Rover, 10. Mercer Island. Class 2A 1. Burlington-Edison, 2. Squalicum, 3, Sehome, 4. Lakewood, 5. Selah, 6. Ellensburg, 7. W.F. West, 8. Cheney, 9. Colville, 10. Mark Morris. Class 1A 1. Charles Wright Academy, 2. Nooksack Valley, 3. Port Townsend, 4. Lynden Christian, 5. LaCenter, 6. Meridian, 7. Seattle Christian, 8. Royal, 9. Freeman, 10. Connell. Class 2B/1B 1. Northwest Christian-Lacey, 2. Mt. Rainier Lutheran, 3. Republic, 4. Tri-Cities Prep, 5. St. George's, 6. Bear Creek, 7. Mossyrock, 8. White Pass, 9. Waitsburg-Prescott, 10. North Beach. GIRLS Class 4A 1. Eastlake, 2. Gig Harbor, 3. Tahoma, 4. Richland, 5. Central Valley, 6. Eisenhower, 7. Stanwood, 8. Curtis, 9. Bellarmine Prep, 10. Wenatchee. Class 3A 1. Glacier Peak, 2. Shadle Park, 3. Mt. Spokane, 4. North Kitsap, 5. Columbia River, 6. Mercer Island, 7. Capital, 8. Seattle Prep, 9. Bellevue, 10. Enumclaw. Class 2A 1. Sehome, 2. Cedarcrest, 3. Kingston, 4. Lakewood, 5. Bellingham, 6. Deer Park, 7. Ephrata, 8. Cheney, 9. Squalicum, 10. Colville. Class 1A 1. King's,, 2. LaCenter, 3. Chelan, 4. Seattle Academy, 5. Lakeside, 6. Northwest, 7. Meridian, 8. Bellevue Christian, 9. Charles Wright Academy, 10. Cashmere. Class 2B/1B 1. Northwest Christian-Lacey, 2. Northwest Christian-Colbert, 3. Asotin, 4. St. George's, 5. White Pass. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment |
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