Jones, Kingma clash for the final time in Wednesday classic
Published 11:45 pm Monday, January 14, 2008
It’s time for the final showdown.
Wednesday night’s Western Conference South Division girls basketball game between the Jackson Timberwolves and the Meadowdale Mavericks will be the end of an era. The contest at Meadowdale’s gym in Lynnwood will be the final prep clash between two of the area’s most talented guards.
Since the 2004-2005 season, Meadowdale’s Eryn Jones and Jackson’s Kristi Kingma have helped their respective teams pile up an impressive stack of victories. The productive seniors — both four-year starters and highly coveted college recruits — have left a major mark on Wesco South hoops.
Jones (23.6 points per game) and Kingma (22.5 ppg) are the top two scorers in Wesco. Their teams will not meet in the postseason because Meadowdale is a Class 3A school and Jackson is 4A.
No matter what happens Wednesday, Jones’ squad will finish with a better head-to-head record. Meadowdale has won six of the eight games the teams have played since Jones, a Portland State University recruit, and Kingma (University of Washington) began playing high school ball.
But there’s more to this game than its most visible stars. Both teams have potent, relatively balanced lineups.
Division-leading Jackson (8-0 Wesco South, 10-1 overall) has won nine consecutive games since suffering its lone defeat against North foe Snohomish (9-3). In addition to Kingma, the Timberwolves have three girls averaging 10 points or more: senior guard Ashly Bruns (10.9), sophomore guard Erin Feeney (10.5) and senior forward Ashley Todd (10.0).
Meanwhile, Meadowdale (8-1, 12-1) has an eight-game winning streak since losing at Jackson by two points on Dec. 12. The height-deficient Mavericks mainly rely on speed and quickness instead of interior strength. Complementing the play of Jones are guards Hanna Fjortoft (11.8 ppg), Alli Streit (8.3) and Julia Fjortoft (7.9)
Based on Jackson’s 69-67 triumph over Meadowdale earlier this season, which Bruns won with a driving layin, Wednesday’s game could be another unforgettable clash.
Harvey tops Brockman
When Shorewood guard Stuart Harvey scored 54 points last week in a double-overtime loss against Jackson, he set a school single-game record. Harvey, a senior who entered the historic game with an 11.2 scoring average, became the first Wesco player since Jon Brockman to top 50 points in a game. Brockman tallied 51 for Snohomish in a victory over Stanwood in 2005. It’s unclear if Harvey’s total is an all-time conference record because official Wesco records apparently are not kept.
Kubec on the RISE
Former Lake Stevens wrestler Kelly Kubec, who now competes for Oregon State University, is quoted in the December issue of RISE magazine. Kubec, who won three indiviual state championships at Lake Stevens, was interviewed for a story on Auburn Riverside senior Michael Mangrum. A two-time state champ, Mangrum lost just two matches, both against Kubec, in his first three prep seasons. One came at the end of the 2005 season, when Kubec rallied late to win a 4-3 decision in the 112-pound state final. Mangrum, favored this year to win his third state title, described the stunning loss against Kubec in the RISE article: “It was like a car crash. If you’ve ever been in a major car crash, it happens so fast and once it’s over you can’t believe it happened.” To read the article, go to RiseMag.com.
Mike Cane, Herald Writer
