Four local high school basketball teams and one wrestling squad earned tournament titles over the holiday break.
The Jackson boys basketball team went 3-0 en route to winning the Kennedy Catholic Christmas Shootout on Dec. 28-30. The Snohomish girls hoops squad also finished 3-0 on its way to claiming the T-Town Throwdown on Dec. 27-29 at Silas High School. The Monroe boys basketball team went 2-0 at the Burlington-Edison Winter Invite. The Lake Stevens boys hoops team went 2-0 and shared co-champion honors with Lynden Christian at the Mountlake Terrace Holiday Tournament on Dec. 27-28. And the Stanwood boys wrestling squad came out on top of a 57-team field at the Pac Coast Wrestling Championships on Dec. 29-30 at Hudson’s Bay High School.
Class 4A ninth-ranked Jackson (7-1) secured a pair of wins by double digits before edging 2022 4A state quarterfinalist Tahoma, 69-66, in the title game of the Kennedy Catholic Christmas Shootout. Junior swingman Ryan McFerran averaged 12.7 points and was named the tournament’s most valuable player. Senior teammate Sylas Williams averaged 15 points and earned all-tournament team honors.
Snohomish (5-4) held all three of its opponents to 37 points or fewer en route to winning the T-Town Throwdown championship. The Panthers won their games by an average of 20.7 points, with all three victories coming by 15 points or more. Senior guard Jada Andresen led four Snohomish players in double figures with 13 points in the team’s 59-37 win over North Kitsap in the finals.
Monroe (8-0) kept its unbeaten run alive with back-to-back 11-point victories over Prairie and Burlington-Edison at the Burlington-Edison Winter Invite. Senior guard Steven Kuhnle averaged 16 points and junior guard Ethan Hogan averaged 15.5 points to lead the Bearcats.
Lake Stevens (6-3) pulled out a 65-64 win over previously unbeaten Anacortes, ranked fifth in 2A, and topped Ferndale, 58-52, at the Mountlake Terrace Holiday Tournament. Seniors Maddox Preder and Tyson Eyman averaged 17 points apiece to pace the Vikings.
The Stanwood boys wrestling program used its impressive depth to come out on top at the Pac Coast Wrestling Championships, narrowly beating out second-place Union, 204.5-202. The Spartans didn’t deliver an individual champion at the meet, but five different grapplers delivered top-five finishes and all but two Stanwood wrestlers won at least two matches. Senior Keaton Mayernik led the charge with a second-place finish at 132 pounds, senior Bryan Roodzant took third at 120 pounds, senior Tyler Rhue finished third at 138 pounds, sophomore Elijah Fleck placed fourth at 195 pounds and senior Mason Ferguson took fifth at 195 pounds.
Other notable tournament/holiday break performances
The 3A third-ranked Arlington girls basketball team went 2-1 at the talent-loaded Lynden Christmas Classic on Dec. 28-30 at Lynden Christian High School. The Eagles (7-2) opened the tournament with a come-from-behind 71-66 win over 2A fourth-ranked Prosser before falling to eventual tournament champion Eastlake, ranked 10th in 4A, 70-53, in the semifinals. Arlington rebounded with a 68-55 victory over 2A sixth-ranked White River, which gave 12th-year Eagles coach Joe Marsh his 200th win.
The Kamiak boys hoops squad reached the finals of Clark County Holiday Invitational’s Fort bracket. The Knights (4-6) reached the title game thanks to senior swingman Josiah Pierre’s game-winning shot in the final seconds their 84-83 win over Spanaway Lake in the semifinals. Kamiak fell in a tight matchup with Battle Ground, 91-87, in the title bout. Pierre, who poured in 41 points against Spanaway Lake, was named the co-most valuable player of the Fort bracket. Senior guard Luke Strand was also named to the Fort bracket’s all-tournament team.
The Meadowdale girls basketball team added another signature non-league victory to its resume with a 66-31 rout of 2A second Lynden on Dec. 30. The Mavericks (7-3) outscored the previously unbeaten Lions 41-12 in the second half and held Lynden 24.8 points below its season average. It was the second victory over a second-ranked team for Meadowdale this season. The Mavericks beat 3A No. 2 Lake Washington, 2022’s 3A state runner-up, 65-64, on Dec. 17.
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