Kelsey Patrick should see a lot of waves next year at college. In fact, she plans to be a Wave.
Patrick, a senior at Kamiak High School, verbally committed Sunday to play women’s basketball for the Pepperdine University Waves.
Pepperdine has a Division-I program that competes in the West Coast Conference. The Christian school is located in Malibu, Calif., west of L.A. on the Pacific Coast Highway. “I mean what’s not to like? It’s a good academic school, the location is awesome (and) it’s beautiful,” Patrick said.
Patrick, a versatile 6-foot guard, took a recruiting trip to Pepperdine this past weekend. She verbally committed to Waves coaches just before she got on a plane to fly home.
Patrick, a Wesco South First Team honoree who averaged 16.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game during the 2007-2008 season, said she expects to receive a full-ride scholarship. She plans to sign a binding NCAA National Letter of Intent in November.
Pepperdine coaches like her ability to play multiple positions and to create matchup problems for defenders, Patrick said.
These local student-athletes also recently made verbal college commitments: Alexandra Hudson, Everett (Brigham Young University softball); Carly McEachran, Jackson (Portland State University softball); Kori Seidlitz, Mountlake Terrace (South Dakota State University softball), Valerie Stahl, Everett (Cleveland State University soccer).
Ennis inspires former teams
Jordan Duffy never played for Terry Ennis. But Duffy, a senior football player at Cascade, knows all about the coach’s legacy. Friday was the one-year anniversary of Ennis’ death, and thoughts of the former Cascade and Archbishop Murphy head coach motivated Duffy and his teammates, who beat Kamiak 27-15. “He’s an inspiration to every single person,” said Duffy.
Before the game Cascade head coach Jake Huizinga, who was a varsity assistant when Ennis coached Cascade, asked players to think of Ennis and what he did for Bruins football. Said Huizinga: “I told the kids that if you need any more reason to play tonight, then there’s a great man that did so much for Cascade football. Let’s play extra hard for him, in his memory.”
Cascade’s victory would have pleased Ennis, Huizinga said: “I hope he’s smiling down on us saying, ‘Not a bad job.’”
At Archbishop Murphy, where Ennis started the football program and coached up until his death, the Wildcats honored Ennis with a ceremony before their game against Eastside Catholic. Murphy surged to a 19-0 lead and held on late for a 26-23 victory. “I thought they really came out emotionally together and firing on all cylinders,” Murphy athletic director Rick Stubrud said.
Fundraiser for Bigham
Lake Stevens High will host a spaghetti feed and auction at 6 p.m. Thursday to raise money for Kyle Bigham, the Vikings assistant football coach who collapsed before the team’s Sept. 5 game against Mariner. Last Wednesday doctors implanted a heart defibrillator in the chest of Bigham, whose daily progress is encouraging, Lake Stevens High athletic director Ed Bailey said. To submit an auction item call Bailey at 425-335-1527. Auction items must be received by 2 p.m. today.
Mike Cane, Herald Writer
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