On one hand, Rodney Walker is thrilled about his latest coaching opportunity. But he’s also sad about what he left behind.
Walker has been hired as Monroe High School’s head girls basketball coach. After coaching the Sultan girls hoops team the past two seasons, Walker accepted the Monroe job May 22. The Monroe School Board approved the hiring on June 8.
“I’m really excited. There’s a bunch of good athletes and a bunch of great kids (at Class 4A Monroe),” said Walker, one of 11 applicants and three finalists for the Bearcats coaching position. “Not to say I didn’t leave a great bunch of girls (at Sultan).”
During Walker’s two full seasons at 2A Sultan, the Turks improved drastically. They won nine games in 2007-2008 and 11 in 2008-2009, placing fifth in the Cascade Conference and qualifying for the district playoffs. It was Walker’s first stint as a head girls basketball coach. He became Sultan’s interim head coach during the 2006-2007 season, when the team finished 3-18.
Sultan returns almost all of its key players and should be even better this winter, which made it very difficult to leave, Walker said. “I was really torn,” he said, “but I just couldn’t pass up an opportunity to go to a little bit bigger school.”
At Monroe, Walker replaces former head coach Branda Anderson, who resigned after two seasons. She guided the Bearcats to a 6-14 record in 2007-2008 and a 10-10 mark this past winter.
Asked what stands out about Walker, who is also a Monroe assistant football coach, Monroe athletic director Brett Wille cited Walker’s well-rounded approach: “He’s really passionate about what he does and really came across as a coach who believes in teaching kids about the game but also developing character and the other side of coaching that’s important as well.”
Walker said he looks forward to leading Monroe against some of the state’s top coaches and elite programs in the Western Conference. He has already taken the Bearcats to two spring tournaments, hosted by Snohomish and Meadowdale.
“We’ve been off and running,” said Walker, whose Monroe team will leave Thursday for a camp at Gonzaga University.
It always takes players time to adjust to a new coach but the Monroe girls are adapting quickly and have a great attitude, Walker said. He has been particularly impressed by guards Sammi Clark and Suzanna Ohlsen. This past season Ohlsen averaged a team-best 12.5 points per game as a sophomore and Clark averaged 10.0 points as a junior. Both of them received All-Wesco North honorable mentions.
Pair win sportsmanship awards
Monroe’s Trevor Judson and Glacier Peak’s James Tuba received Sportsmanship-Player of the Year Awards Monday from the Snohomish County Baseball Umpires Association. Both players are catchers. Judson is a senior, Tuba a junior.
“To both of these student athletes, their coaches and schools, we applaud and acknowledge your contribution to the sport that players and umpires alike enjoy with great pride,” SCBUA president Alan Rice wrote in an e-mail. Tuba was selected because of his consistently positive attitude and team leadership, Rice said. And Judson was “unwaveringly consistent in the respectful manner in which he addressed officials, coaches and opponents alike,” said Rice.
Port Angeles hires Abrams
Dick Abrams is the new head football coach at Port Angeles High. He will also be the school psychologist. Abrams coached Stanwood’s football team for seven seasons and resigned in January.
“Through the interviews and reference checks, we just liked what we heard as far as his organization skills and his philosophy of working with student-athletes,” Port Angeles athletic director Jeff Lunt said.
Abrams takes over a 3A Port Angeles program that has struggled for several years and was 1-9 in 2008. Port Angeles competes in the Olympic League.
More college-bound athletes
The following student-athletes either signed or committed to play sports in college: Lake Stevens’ Sean Stickney (Skagit Valley College men’s basketball), Kamiak’s Michelle Lipscomb (New Mexico Highlands University women’s basketball), Everett’s Michael Murray (Linfield College football and baseball) and Lakewood’s Christina Ordonez (Jamestown College women’s wrestling).
To report other signings or commitments, send an e-mail to mcane@heraldnet.com.
King’s wins Scholastic Cup
King’s High of Shoreline is the Class 1A Wells Fargo Scholastic Cup Champion for the 2008-2009 school year. Winners in the six Washington Interscholastic Activities Association classifications are picked based on academic excellence, sportsmanship and athletic performance. Archbishop Murphy High was the 2A runnerup.
To see the complete Scholastic Cup standings, go to www.wiaa.com/scholasticcup/scholasticcup.asp.
Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.
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