Bonded by proximity, Snohomish and Lake Stevens high schools have always shared a special rivalry. The coaches know each other, many of the kids know each other, and the games they play often have the feel of neighborly get-togethers.
A year from now, all that changes.
Because of a drop in enrollment, Snohomish will move from the Western Conference 4A to the Wesco 3A, which means giving up many of its longtime league rivalries, including the one with Lake Stevens. The separation will be felt in many sports, and particularly golf, where athletes from the two schools have been friendly competitors for many years.
“It’s kind of bittersweet,” Lake Stevens boys golf coach Cliff McKinlay said. “With Lake Stevens and Snohomish, and unlike some of the other sports, the golfers are buddies. They see each other at outside tournaments, so they know each other. And they don’t have that animosity you sometimes have against the other team.
“But when we compete, we compete,” he said. “And I’m going to miss the rivalry because it brings out the best in you.”
“It’s not your typical sports rivalry where it’s the real high competitiveness on the field,” agreed Snohomish girls coach Ken Roberts. “You’re trying to beat them, but if a player on the other team shoots a good score, you’re happy for that kid, too. … But both teams really want to win, too, so it’s been fun.”
In the years ahead, Roberts said, “I hope we’ll keep playing crossover matches. There’s going to be a lot of 3A teams, but I’m hoping our schedule isn’t completely full so that we can continue to play Lake Stevens.”
“It’s just fun to have a friendly rivalry,” added Bailey Green, a senior on the Snohomish girls team. “We’re not out to get each other or anything like that. But it’s always something that’s in the back of your mind. When you’re practicing you’re like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to get better so I can beat the Lake Stevens girl.’ It’s kind of like motivation to get better.”
But for one more season, the Snohomish golf teams will tangle with Lake Stevens and other top Wesco foes such as Kamiak and Jackson. On the girls side, Kamiak looms as the team to beat, led by senior standout Renee Kwak, a three-time defending district champion and three-time state competitor. She tied for 20th at state a year ago.
The Knights also boast one of the league’s most promising freshmen, Jane Kim, who already is pushing Kwak to be the team’s No. 1 player, according to coach Vic Alinen. “Jane is amazing,” he said.
Alinen knows that Wesco rivals have tagged Kamiak as the team to beat, “and I say that humbly. … Our guys and our girls all have X’s on their backs. They’re the group that people come after.”
As for the boys, Kamiak looks formidable, but Snohomish also expects to be a top contender. The Panthers return Ethan Casto, the reigning district champ who tied for first in regulation at the state tournament, but finished second on the third playoff hole. Casto, who is bidding for his fourth state tournament this season, is joined by fellow senior Ben Gardner, another state participant from a year ago when the Panthers finished fifth.
Snohomish coach Joey Mutcheson said he expects a tough challenge from Kamiak this season. “We’ve been going at it for over well over a decade,” he said. Over the last several years, he went on, “we’ve won five state championships (between the two schools) and had numbers of people finish first. These are two high-quality programs that have really pushed each other to get better.
“We’ve had some great matches (with Kamiak) over the years, and it’s been helpful to both our programs. I think it’s been the measuring stick for both programs to compare how they stand against each other.”
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