Heads up: It’s fastpitch softball tournament time, and the race for state is on.
“You have to play your best. No one gets an easy game,” said Jackson High head coach Mike Moran, whose top-seeded Timberwolves are among the favorites to earn one of three state-tournament berths at this week’s Class 4A District 1 tourney.
Wesco South champion Jackson (19-1) plays North No. 4 seed Mount Vernon (13-7) 3 p.m. Thursday in a first-round game at Sky River Park in Monroe. The other matchups are: Wesco North champ Monroe (19-1) vs. Edmonds-Woodway (12-8); South No. 2 Everett (18-2) vs. North No. 3 Marysville-Pilchuck (14-6); and North No. 2 Lake Stevens (15-5) vs. South No. 3 Kamiak (14-6).
The tourney concludes Saturday with the championship and third-place games set for 3 p.m.
Jackson boasts a talented lineup spearheaded by Nena Slocum (.400 batting average), Taryn Pearce (.375) and Morgan Frost (.345). Monroe’s Ashly Forsberg (13-1, 165 strikeouts in 99-2/3 innings) is a top-notch pitcher who also has hitting pop (.323, 12 runs batted in). And Everett wields a talented squad including double threat Cory Mattson (17-2 on the mound; .394 batting average) and shortstop Jessica Carey (.386).
Said Everett head coach Kyle Peacocke, “Every team in the tournament has good pitching and a few hitters who can hurt you. Therefore, no team has an easy road to state.”
Kamiak’s Leary resigns: Citing a desire to spend more time with his family, Kamiak head boys basketball coach Jeff Leary resigned after eight seasons. Leary, 42, guided the Knights to their first state-tournament appearance during the 2004-2005 season. “That was the highlight,” said Leary, a 1981 Mariner graduate. “The excitement around school was awesome.” Leary, who plans to continue teaching physical education at Kamiak, said he looks forward to spending more time with his wife and his two sons (ages 6 and 7). Kamiak was 12-8 this past season and narrowly missed qualifying for the 4A District 1 tournament.
Two Kamiak swimmers make All America Team: Wolfe Styke and Carolyn Cox of Kamiak were named to the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association of America, Inc. All America Team. Swimmers must have a 3.75 grade-point average in core courses over seven semesters and earn two varsity letters (including their senior year) to be considered, Kamiak swim coach Chris Erickson said. Styke and Cox are among about 2 percent of some 267,000 prep swimmers recognized as All Americans, according to a press release.
Everett loses javelin star: Rick Gervasi, a senior who placed fourth in the javelin at the 4A state meet last June, is no longer a member of the Everett boys track and field team, Seagulls coach Doug Hall said. Gervasi battled injuries this season but was expected to challenge for a state title. Hall declined to comment on the specifics of Gervasi’s departure.
Cascade football players commit: Seniors Evan Crawford and Philip Thomas helped the Cascade football team advance to the 4A state semifinals at Tacoma Dome this past November. Now they’re set to play college football in the same city. According to Cascade head football coach Jake Huizinga, Crawford, a running back/defensive back in high school, will play receiver or linebacker for Pacific Lutheran University (Tacoma). Thomas, a receiver for the Bruins who also was a standout goalkeeper for the soccer team, is headed to the University of Puget Sound, also in Tacoma.
Murphy’s Reinig is Air Force-bound: Archbishop Murphy senior Ashley Reinig accepted an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy and will play soccer for the Falcons, Murphy girls soccer coach Pat Jack said. In November, Reinig, a midfielder/ forward, scored four goals in her final high school game to lead Murphy to third place at the 2A state tourney.
Foiled by the slimmest of margins: Despite its unimposing 7-11 record in the Wesco South and an 8-12 overall mark, the Mariner baseball team was actually just a few runs short of compiling a sparkling record. Amazingly, the Marauders, who placed sixth in the division and fifth among 4A teams (the top four made districts), lost seven games by a single run, including six league games. Overall, Mariner was 3-7 in one-run games.
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