The Seattle Seahawks will grab loads of attention this week as they gear up for Super Bowl XL, and rightfully so. But it’s also an exciting time for some much younger football stars.
Starting Wednesday, high school student-athletes can sign NCAA letters of intent to accept football scholarships. After what was in many ways a banner season for the area’s gridiron squads (three Western Conference teams reached the Class 4A state quarterfinals and Archbishop Murphy was the 2A runner-up), many elite prep players will formally begin their journey toward greater challenges.
For a talented quartet of local standouts, the road leads to Idaho.
Mariner running back/return specialist Raymond Fry, Archbishop Murphy defensive back Shiloh Keo and Edmonds-Woodway placekicker/punter Grady Harmon have all made verbal commitments to play for the University of Idaho and are expected to sign with the Vandals on Wednesday. A fourth player, Snohomish offensive lineman Jeff Washburn, plans to walk on at Idaho, according to Snohomish coach Mark Perry.
Other locals are expected to sign on Wednesday, including Shorecrest running back Jesse Hoffman, (Eastern Washington). Look for a complete roundup in Thursday’s Herald.
M-P’s Dunbar eclipses coach’s record: Marysville-Pilchuck’s Amanda Dunbar set a new school single-game girls basketball scoring record with 34 points Friday in a 67-54 victory over Monroe. M-P coach Julie Martin cheered on Dunbar the whole way – even though the 5-foot-9 senior guard broke Martin’s record. Martin set the previous mark with 33 points in 1997 against Shorewood. Was Martin even slightly bummed about losing the record? “Of course not,” she said. “I told her (earlier this season) that she’d be the one to beat it, so I’m glad she did. I was psyched.”
Dunbar, who next fall will play for Western Washington, made eight 3-point baskets – also believed to be a school record – during her incredible performance. She shot 8-for-15 from 3-point range, grabbed eight rebounds and tallied five assists. “She was just in a zone,” Martin said.
Mariner rising: The Mariner boys hoops team seemed destined to miss the playoffs for a second straight season when it struggled to a 1-9 start. But thanks largely to the return of 6-foot-2 junior wing Jerrel Grant (14.6 points per game), Mariner (5-7 Wesco South, 5-9 overall) has won four straight to claw back into contention. Grant, a three-year varsity player, missed Mariner’s first six games while recovering from a broken foot but has been a major spark since his Jan. 3 return. He notched a season-high 29 points Friday in Mariner’s heart-pounding 54-52 overtime triumph over Everett. “He helps alleviate a lot of that (offensive scoring pressure) for us,” Mariner coach Dexter Griffen said. “He brings good experience and leadership.”
Mending Mavericks: Starters Eryn Jones (severe ankle sprain) and Marelle Moehrle (knee) will likely be unavailable Wednesday when the Meadowdale Mavericks girls basketball team (12-1 Wesco South, 14-1 overall) hosts Mountlake Terrace (10-2, 11-3) in a key division clash. Jones (9.8 ppg), a sophomore guard, hurt her ankle Friday late in the fourth quarter of Meadowdale’s 57-54 loss against Jackson. Moehrle (8.2) tweaked her knee Jan. 23 in practice and has missed two games.
Close to home: Kristina Schumacher, a senior point guard on the Lake Stevens girls basketball team, said she plans to attend a local college so she can stay connected to her prep teammates. “I want to be close to this team because … I love all the girls so much and they’re such great people,” she said. “A lot of them are gonna be seniors next year, so I want to see them compete and keep on going.”
Block party: Last Tuesday’s Marysville-Pilchuck/Snohomish boys hoops game featured two of the best shot-blockers in the area – Nathan Lozeau, M-P’s 6-foot-9 junior center, and Snohomish’s Tim Diederichs, a 6-8 junior forward. Diederichs emerged as the top swatter with at least a half-dozen blocks. “My hand was kind of stuck to the ball all night,” Diederichs said.
Mosiman receives national honor: King’s senior Sara Mosiman was named to the 2005-06 National Christian School Athletic Association Girls Varsity Volleyball All-American Second Team. Mosiman, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter who will play basketball for the University of Washington, piled up 62 aces, 407 kills, and 223 digs this past fall to lead the Knights to fourth place at the 2A state tourney.
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