Prep notebook: ‘Blackout Cancer’ focus of Cascade Conference events
Published 3:43 pm Monday, January 26, 2009
The Granite Falls sideline will feature an extra Neuman this week.
Mark Neuman, head coach of the Granite Falls High girls basketball team, will be joined courtside by his mother, Virginia Neuman, Friday when the Tigers play host to unbeaten Archbishop Murphy. The Cascade Conference game, set for a 7 p.m. tip-off, is a “Blackout Cancer” event, part of the national Coaches vs. Cancer program.
Diagnosed in May, Virginia Neuman is battling ovarian cancer. In support of her fight and in an attempt to raise awareness of all cancers, Granite Falls will wear its black visitor uniforms and Tigers fans are encouraged to wear black too — all part of the “Blackout Cancer” theme. Students will collect donations for the American Cancer Society.
Basketball and wrestling teams throughout the conference will have similar cancer-awareness events Thursday and Friday.
The Granite Falls versus Archbishop Murphy game features two of the Cascade Conference’s top teams. Granite Falls is 5-2 in league (8-5 overall) and first-place Murphy is 6-0 (11-0). Murphy is ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press Class 2A poll.
“They’re one of the best teams in the state,” Neuman said. “I want us to play well and really give them the best game we can give them.”
Wesco South wrestling showdowns this week
This is the final week of wrestling duals and the Wesco South race is intriguing. Mariner, Edmonds-Woodway and Kamiak all have a shot at the division championship. Kamiak was 5-1 in South meets before its Monday dual against Glacier Peak. Kamiak wrestles Mariner (7-0) tonight in south Everett. Last year Kamiak won the division title in its gym by beating Mariner 35-28. Clashes between the Mukilteo School District rivals always attract a big crowd.
On Thursday Mariner concludes its dual-meet schedule against Edmonds-Woodway (6-0). If Mariner beats Kamiak and E-W defeats both Mountlake Terrace and Shorewood tonight, the Mariner versus E-W clash will be a league-championship finale.
Volleyball coach resigns
Christine Hillestad resigned last month as head coach of the Cedacrest volleyball team. Hillestad coached the Red Wolves for 12 years, including the past 10 years as head coach. She guided the program to nine district tournament appearances, two Class 3A state tournament trips and 117 non-tournament match victories.
Hillestad said she decided to stop coaching largely because of increased time demands. She wants to spend more time with her daughters, ages 2 and 5.
Hillestad, a 1995 Cedacrest graduate, was the Cascade Conference coach of the year in 2005, when the Red Wolves placed eighth in 3A.
“I love coaching and I’ll really miss coaching the kids and seeing them grow as players, and when they go to college,” she said. “But my family right now is what’s most important.”
Reader poll results: Surprising hoops teams
The most surprising local basketball teams this season have been the Arlington girls and the Glacier Peak boys squads, according to the latest Double Team prep sports poll. Arlington and Glacier Peak each received 15 percent of the total votes. They were picked to finish near the bottom of their respective divisions in The Herald’s preseason coaches’ polls. But currently Arlington is 10-4 and Glacier Peak is 9-5.
To see complete poll results and vote in upcoming polls, go to www.HeraldNet.com/doubleteam.
Mike Cane, Herald Writer
