Monthly Archives: February 2013

Girls- Bellevue tops Franklin, advance to state

Posted on by

Girls- Bellevue tops Franklin, advance to state
By Colin Caruso 

Tuesday- Feb. 12 -2013- Girls 3A SeaKing District
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Bellevue 12 16 12 22 62
Franklin 10 7 8 19 44

Bellevue faced off against Franklin at Bellevue College, with the winner receiving an automatic trip to state.  Bellevue turned the ball over nine times in the first quarter but was still able to maintain the lead behind six points from freshman Shelby Cansler.  Franklin senior Raven Burleson kept them in the contest with two three pointers in the first to cut the Wolverine lead to two, 12-10.

In the second quarter, the Wolverines were able to control the interior, led by freshman Mackenzie Keeter with six points.  The Wolverine defense forced six Quaker turnovers and only allowed seven points in the second quarter.  Bellevue extended their lead to 28-17 at the half.

Bellevue’s defense was again stifling in the third, allowing only eight points and forcing six more turnovers.  Five Wolverines scored in the quarter to extend their lead to 40-25 at the end of the third.

The offenses for both teams took over in the fourth quarter, with both teams exploding for a combined 41 points in the period.  Bellevue never let the game get closer than 15 points in the fourth, holding on to the lead they built in the first three quarters.  Seven Wolverines scored in the fourth as Bellevue won 62-44.

Bellevue will now face Seattle Prep at Bellevue College on Thursday at 4:45 pm.  Franklin will face Holy Names in a loser out game on Friday at Bellevue College at 4:45 pm.

Leading Scorers:
Bellevue
Mandy Steward (16)
Shelby Cansler (14, 6 steals)

Franklin
Jazmin Horne (14)
Raven Burleson (13)

Girls- Seattle Prep takes fourth straight from Holy Names, advances to state

Posted on by

Girls- Seattle Prep takes fourth straight from Holy Names, advances to state
By Colin Caruso 

Tuesday- Feb. 12 -2013- Girls 3A SeaKing District
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Seattle Preparatory 15 10 11 16 52
Holy Names 7 12 15 12 46

In the three o’clock game at Bellevue College, the winner with a guaranteed birth to state, the Seattle Prep Panthers took on the Holy Names Cougars for the fourth time this season.  Prep had won every contest during the regular season, and started the game with similar confidence.  The Panthers started on an 8-0 run in the first 3:56 of the game.  Holy Names responded with five straight, but Prep held on to their lead and closed the quarter up 15-7.

Holy Names began to extend their defense in the second quarter, pressing full court and forcing the Panthers to spend more time bringing the ball up the floor.  The Cougars stifling defense forced nine turnovers in the second quarter and they only allowed 10 points.  However, Holy Names was unable to capitalize regularly off the turnovers, going into the half down 25-19.

Holy Names came out with great intensity in the third quarter, pushing the ball up the floor and creating open looks through dribble penetration.  The Cougars outscored the Panthers in the third quarter 15-11 to cut the Panther lead to just two going into the fourth, 36-34.

The Cougars scored the first basket of the fourth quarter to tie the game at 36, the first tie since the beginning of the game.  Prep responded with an immediate 12-2 run, seven of which came from senior Holly Tonry.  The lead was too much for Holy Names to surmount, and Prep won their fourth matchup of the season against the Cougars, 52-46.

Prep has a guaranteed berth to state and will face Bellevue at Bellevue College on Thursday at 4:45 pm.  Holy Names will play Franklin on Friday at 4:45 pm at Bellevue College, winner to advance to the fifth place seed in state.

Leading Scorers:
Seattle Prep
Quinn Glosniak (15, 8 rebounds)
Holly Tonry (13, 6 rebounds, 4 steals)

Holy Names
Camariah King (15)
Janessa Willie (14)

Stanwood comes back from 11 down to beat Glacier Peak, advances to Wesco District final

Posted on by

Stanwood comes back from 11 down to beat Glacier Peak, advances to Wesco District final
By Colin Caruso 

Saturday- Feb. 9 -2013- 3A District Semi-Final
Jackson High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Glacier Peak 17 16 14 11 58
Stanwood 6 17 19 20 62

Both schools brought a strong student section, to make a great atmosphere in the second district one semifinal matchup between Glacier Peak and Stanwood.  This was a rematch of their January 8th meeting where Stanwood irked out a 1 point win at home, 55-54.

Glacier Peak came out with relentless defensive intensity, forcing seven turnovers in the first quarter and only allowing six points.  Dreu Vader led the offensive charge for the Grizzlies, scoring eight in the quarter to take a 17-6 lead into the second.

Stanwood cleaned up their offense in the second quarter, did not turn the ball over, and capitalized on five offensive rebounds.  Ian Zipp of the Spartans had seven of his team’s 17 in the quarter, but was outmatched by Mitchl Pohrman’s ten for the Grizzlies.  Stanwood cut the Glacier Peak lead to 10 going into the half, 33-23.

Stanwood posted another turnover-less quarter in the third, while forcing four and capitalizing on those opportunities.  Junior Josh Thayer for the Spartans led all scorers in the quarter with eight, Stanwood was able to cut Glacier Peak’s lead to just five heading into the fourth, 47-42.

Both student sections remained electric throughout the contest, but they both picked up the energy in the fourth as the game came down to the wire.  Stanwood cut the Glacier Peak lead to just one with 5:42 left in the game.  The next three possessions resulted in turnovers, two for Glacier Peak, one for Stanwood.  After the turnover barrage, Stanwood senior Mason Garcea knocked down a three to take the lead 52-50, their first lead of the ballgame.

Senior Dreu Vader answered for the Grizzlies, scoring four points in a row to re-claim the lead with 2:26 to play, 58-57.  Stanwood junior Josh Thayer then responded with a driving layup to take the lead by one, 59-58.

On the next possession, Grizzly senior Ramsey Rosales elevated for a three-pointer and barely missed, the rebound going to Stanwood.  Garcea was fouled and stepped to the line and made one of two, resulting in a two point lead for the Spartans with 22 seconds left to play.  Glacier Peak’s next possession resulted in another three point opportunity that was right on target but missed short, the ball going out of bounds to Stanwood.

Stanwood senior Drew Sears was fouled on the inbound pass and made both free-throws, icing the game with a final of 62-58.

Stanwood and Mountlake Terrace face off next Saturday at 8:00 PM at Jackson High School for the District Championship.

Leading Scorers:
Glacier Peak
Dreu Vader (21)
Mitchl Pohrman (11)

Stanwood
Ian Zipp (16)
Josh Thayer (14)

Mountlake Terrace wins by 32, will face Stanwood in District One Championship

Posted on by

Mountlake Terrace wins by 32, will face Stanwood in District One Championship
By Colin Caruso 

Saturday- Feb. 9 -2013- 3A District Semi-Final
Jackson High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Oak Harbor 7 4 6 15 32
Mountlake Terrace 26 20 8 10 64

In a great atmosphere at Jackson High, the Mountlake Terrace Hawks faced off against the Oak Harbor Wildcats in a semifinal matchup of the Wesco district tournament.  Mountlake Terrace jumped out to a quick 16-3 start in the first 4:19 of the quarter, controlling the offensive glass and the pace of play.  The run was fueled by six points from junior Greg Bowman, who also added four rebounds in the quarter.  Senior Marquis Armstead led the way for the Hawks, scoring 11 points in the quarter on 3 of 3 shooting from beyond the arc.

The second quarter wasn’t much better for the Wildcats. Mountlake Terrace controlled the offensive glass again, grabbing seven offensive rebounds in the quarter and finishing on easy put-back layups and dunks.  The Hawks also forced 13 turnovers in the first half, eight of them in the second quarter, to take a 46-11 halftime lead.

Coming out of the break, the Wildcats did a better job of ball movement and began to run solid half court sets.  Their aggressiveness put them in the bonus in the third, but they were unable to convert on their free-throw opportunities in the quarter.  In a low scoring third, Mountlake Terrace took a 54-17 lead into the fourth.

Oak Harbor came out in the fourth with their best quarter of the game, but the lead was too great for the Wildcats to make any feasible comeback.  They outscored the Hawks 15-10 in the quarter to lose 64-32.

The Hawks will face Stanwood next Saturday, right back here at Jackson High School for the District Championship at 8:00 PM.

Leading Scorers:
Oak Harbor
Dayne Herron (9)
Chris Hailer (8)

Mountlake Terrace
Greg Bowman (16 points, 14 rebounds)
Marquis Armstead (14)

Cleveland Wins a Nail Biter vs. Prep, Wins 3A Metro Title

Posted on by

Friday- Feb. 8 -2013- Metro League Championship
Garfield High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Seattle Prep 11 7 13 9 40
Cleveland 8 14 14 7 43


Seattle Prep Senior Holly Tonry on the Dish


Cleveland Wins a Nail Biter vs. Prep, Wins 3A Metro Title
By Colin Caruso 

The stakes were high in a rematch of their December fifth meeting; the winner to take the #1 seed into the Sea-King district.  Cleveland topped Prep by five in their first contest, 42-37.  Seattle Prep started in a defensive 2-3 and occasional box and one zone, catching the Cleveland Eagles off guard and holding them to just eight first quarter points, all by Makayla Roper.  Prep took the lead after the first 11-8, led by senior Michaela Carew with seven.

Turnovers plagued the Panthers in the second quarter, losing the ball five times compared to Cleveland’s two.  Cleveland began the quarter on a 12-2 run, led by junior Alexia Mefi with seven points.  Prep’s Mary Ann Santucci kept the Panthers in the quarter with her first five points of the contest to cut the halftime lead to just four, 22-18.

The third quarter saw back and forth scoring, with the Eagles maintaining a slight lead.  Carew led the Panthers again in the third with eight points, while five Eagles scored field goals in the quarter.  Cleveland took a 36-31 lead into the final period.

Both teams maintained their excellent defense in the fourth quarter.  Each team forced five turnovers and neither team was able to get into an offensive rhythm.  Carew went down early in the fourth with an ankle injury, but Prep continued to battle without their leading scorer.  Clutch baskets down the stretch by Eagle junior Alexia Mefi secured the win for Cleveland, 43-40.

Top Performers:
Seattle Prep
Michaela Carew (16),
Nicole Hall (9)
Mary Ann Santucci (9)

Cleveland
Alexia Mefi (15)
Makayla Roper (15)

Beach Holds off Lakeside, Wins 3A Metro Title

Posted on by

Beach Holds off Lakeside, Wins 3A Metro Title
By Colin Caruso 

Friday- Feb. 8 -2013- Metro League Championship
Garfield High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Lakeside 13 10 21 17 61
Rainier Beach 10 27 12 20 69

The #2 ranked Rainier Beach Vikings took on the Lakeside Lions for the Metro League Championship on Friday night in a packed house at Garfield High School.  The regular season contest between these two ended in a 14-point win for the Vikings, but with the Metro title at stake and the building electric, everyone knew this would come down to the wire.

Lakeside started the game aggressively, attacking the hoop and drawing contact going through the lane.  Viking starters Fuquan Niles and Shaqquan Aaron both picked up two fouls late in the first quarter and ended up sitting for the remainder of the half.  Lakeside’s smothering defense held the Vikings to just 10 points in the quarter, and the Lions took a 13-10 lead into the second.

Rainier Beach’s shooting woes in the first turned into a shooting clinic in the second.  The Vikings began the quarter on a 14-0 run, forcing five Lion turnovers and capitalizing on baskets in transition.  Senior Marquis Davis led the Vikings with eight points in the quarter, followed closely by teammate Elijah Foster with seven.  Beach took a 37-23 lead into the half.

The tables turned again in the third quarter; it was now Lakeside’s turn to put their foot on the gas, starting the quarter on a 15-5 run.  Niles picked up his fourth foul with 5:20 remaining in the third, and Lion big man Peter French picked up his fourth foul with 4:53 remaining in the period.

Lakeside kept up their offensive rhythm until the game took a turn with 1:03 remaining in the third on a hard foul by Marquis Davis.  Unfortunately, this did not turn out well for the Vikings as Marquis Davis was ejected, Shaqquan Aaron and Coach Mike Bethea both receiving technical fouls.  Lakeside junior Tremaine Isabell also received a technical foul.  The outcome gave four free-throws to the Lions, and Matthew Poplawski stepped up to the line and made all four.  Lakeside outscored Beach in the quarter 21-12, cutting the Viking lead to five entering the fourth.

Lakeside continued to battle in the fourth quarter, exchanging baskets with the Vikings and chipping away at the Beach lead.  Lakeside cut the lead to just three with 32 seconds left, with the ball.  Lion coach Tavio Hobson drew up a play for the Lions, but the inbounds pass was stolen by Rainier Beach and led to a leak-out dribble drive that forced Lakeside to foul from behind.  The foul was ruled a flagrant, giving Beach two free-throws and the ball, ending Lakeside’s chances at the upset.

Beach won in a nail-biter, 69-61.  It was a Great Game to watch!

Leading Scorers:
Lakeside
Tramaine Isabell (18)
Matthew Poplawski (15)

Rainier Beach
Marquis Davis (16)
Djuan Piper (14)

Juanita Girls Top Liberty with a Strong Second Half

Posted on by

Juanita Girls Top Liberty with a Strong Second Half
By Colin Caruso 

Thursday- Feb. 7 -2013- KingCo League Tournament
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Liberty-Issaquah 14 10 9 12 45
Mount Si 11 8 17 17 53

The crowd picked up in the 4:45 game at Bellevue College, a girls matchup between Juanita and Liberty – the winner to secure third place in KingCo. Juanita came out in full court defense and maintained it throughout the first quarter, but Liberty continued to beat the press to create good shots in the half court. Five players for Liberty scored in the first, and the Patriots closed the quarter in the lead 14-11. Both teams dropped into a 2-3 zone on defense in the second, slowing the pace of play and forcing more mid-range and three-point shots. Neither side executed particularly well on offense against the zone in the second quarter, with both teams turning the ball over four times. Liberty extended their lead to five at the half in a low scoring quarter, 24-19.

Juanita came out on fire in the second half; almost totaling their first half score with 17 points in the third quarter alone. Winnie Levitt led the way for the Rebels in the third, scoring seven in the quarter and taking the lead by three going into the fourth. Juanita kept up their offensive pressure in the fourth quarter, starting the period on an 8-0 run to go up 11 with 4:41 to play. Liberty fought back with team speed and great ball movement but the 11 point lead was too much to surmount. Juanita secured the win and third place in KingCo, 53-45.

Leading Scorers:
Liberty-Issaquah
Danielle Demps (12)
Alicia Abraham (7)

Juanita
Shannon Brink (11)
Winnie Levitt (10)

Mt Si Beats Liberty in Consolation Game; Takes 3rd in 3A KingCo

Posted on by

Mt Si Beats Liberty in Consolation Game; Takes 3rd in 3A KingCo
By Colin Caruso 

Thursday- Feb. 7 -2013- KingCo League Tournament
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Liberty-Issaquah 10 10 16 10 46
Mount Si 16 16 17 24 73

In the 3pm game at Bellevue College, the Liberty Patriots took on the Mount Si Wildcats for third place in KingCo.  Senior Trent Riley led the way in the first quarter for the Wildcats, scoring seven of his team’s 16 points.  Liberty barely missed on three three-point shots but maintained good interior scoring from senior Matthew Campbell to end the quarter down by six.  Mount Si continued to put the offensive pressure on the Patriots in the second quarter with good ball movement and dribble penetration.  Jason Smith and Trent Riley both had five points in the quarter, and the Wildcats extended their lead to 12 at the halftime break, 32-20.

Liberty picked up their offense in the second half, showing more movement, running off ball screens and creating open looks.  Tynan Gilmore led the way for the Patriots in the third quarter with 10 of his team’s 16 points.  But Trent Riley kept the offensive pressure on the Patriots, scoring 10 as well for the Wildcats, who increased their lead to 13 going into the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter showed much of the same for Mount Si, good offensive execution and capitalizing on half court sets.  Mount Si started pushing the ball in transition in the fourth quarter, beating the Patriots down the floor and scoring on open layups.  Liberty didn’t have an answer for Riley for the duration of the contest; he added eight more in the fourth quarter to lead the Wildcats to victory, 73-46.

Leading Scorers:
Liberty-Issaquah
Tynan Gilmore (13)
Kellen Birdsall (11)

Mount Si
Trent Riley (30)
Levi Botten (11)

Rainier Beach Handles Franklin; will meet Lakeside in Metro Final

Posted on by

Rainier Beach Handles Franklin; will meet Lakeside in Metro Final
By Colin Caruso 

Tuesday- Feb. 5 -2013- Metro League Tournament
Ingraham High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Franklin 11 20 14 24 69
Rainier Beach 28 24 12 27 91

With Seahawks safety Cam Chancellor watching, the Rainier Beach Vikings were at their finest, beating the Franklin Quakers 91-69 to advance to the Metro final.  Beach came out on fire, with Djuan Piper scoring 11 and Shaqquan Aaron scoring nine in the first quarter alone.  They jumped on Franklin early, taking a 28-11 lead at the end of the first.  Beach didn’t lay off the gas in the second quarter either.  Aaron and Piper both finished with 13 at the half, and freshman Dejounte Murry added seven in the second alone.  Beach led at the break 52-31. Arell Hennings and Eugene Artison led the way for the Quakers, both scoring seven points in the first half.

The scoring for both teams slowed down in the third quarter with Franklin outscoring the Vikings 14-12, cutting the lead to 19 going into the fourth.  But Beach was too much to handle in the fourth quarter.  Fuquan Niles had all of his 11 points in the second half and the Vikings put up 27 points in the fourth quarter to win 91-69.  With the win, Rainier Beach will play Lakeside in the Metro final, a rematch of their January 15th meeting where the Vikings won by a score of 78-64.

Leading Scorers:
Franklin
Arell Hennings (18)
Eugene Artison (14)

Rainier Beach
Shaqquan Aaron (22)
Marquis Davis (18)

Big thanks to Nic Beckman (the world’s greatest public address announcer) for game analysis.

Lakeside Takes Down Prep, Advances to Metro Final

Posted on by

Lakeside Takes Down Prep, Advances to Metro Final
By Colin Caruso 

Tuesday- Feb. 5 -2013- Metro League Tournament
Ingraham High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Seattle Prep 16 10 15 22 63
Lakeside 16 18 10 24 68


Seattle Prep’s DJ Fenner

In a close to packed house in the Ingraham High gym, the Lakeside Lions defeated the Seattle Prep Panthers 68-63.  Lakeside started the game on a 9-2 run and was seemingly in control of the first quarter.  Prep countered with an 8-2 run of their own, making four 3-pointers in the first and closed the quarter tied 16-16.

Lakeside was more aggressive in the second quarter, attacking the basket and converting in the paint.  The Lions were led by Tramaine Isabell and freshman Isiah Brown who both had six points in the quarter.  The threes stopped falling for the Panthers, and Lakeside closed the period with an eight point lead, 34-26.

Prep matched Lakeside’s aggressiveness in the third quarter, working the ball around and creating open lanes to the basket.  Their defense was energized, forcing deep contested shots and holding the Lions to just 10 third quarter points.  Zack Moore, who didn’t score in the first half, kept the Lions in the contest in the third period with five points.

Both teams exploded offensively in the fourth quarter, combining for 46 total points.  Lakeside extended their lead to 11 in the middle of the period behind 14 points from Isabell.  Prep came back and cut the lead to just four with 2:52 left.  DJ Fenner led the rally for the Panthers, scoring 13 in the last period.  But the Lions held on behind two late three pointers from Zack Moore and Matthew Poplawski to win by five, 68-63.

Leading Scorers:
Lakeside
Tramaine Isabell (27)
Isiah Brown (11)
Matthew Poplawski (11)

Seattle Prep
DJ Fenner (30)
Jack Stewart (9)

Bellevue has no trouble with Mount Si

Posted on by

Bellevue has no trouble with Mount Si in the 3A KingCo Tournament

Tuesday- Feb. 5 2013 3A KingCo Tournament
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Bellevue 17 17 23 21 78
Mount Si 12 13 8 17 50


Bellevue’s Kyle Foreman vs. Mount Si

Leading Scorers:
Bellevue
Dylan Foremen (17)
Jackson Rezab (15)
Kyle Foreman (13)

Mount Si
Trent Riley (18)
Levi Botten (12)

Cleveland Spoils Senior Night at Holy Names

Posted on by

Cleveland Spoils Senior Night at Holy Names
By Colin Caruso 

Friday- February 1 2013 Metro 3A
Holy Names Academy 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Cleveland 22 18 13 10 63
Holy Names 8 8 7 7 30

The matchup between two of the best girls teams in Washington State ended in a blowout, with the Cleveland Eagles beating the Holy Names Cougars by a score of 63-30.  This game pitted two 17-2 teams and what seemed to be the elite of the incredible Metro League head to head on Senior Night at Holy Names.

Cleveland started the contest on a 10-0 run, forcing nine first quarter turnovers and capitalizing on transition baskets.  The Eagles distributed the ball well in the first quarter, with six of their players scoring in the period.

Cleveland did not lay off the gas in the second quarter.  The same six players each scored again in the second, moving the ball well and keeping the Cougars off balance giving the Eagles wide open looks.  Cleveland called full court defensive traps early in the first and second quarters, forcing turnovers and catching Holy Names on their heels.  When Holy Names did get the ball up the floor, their half court sets were rushed and out of sync.  Credit the relentless Cleveland defense in the first half for forcing 18 turnovers and giving up only 18 points.

With their big lead, Cleveland sat in a 2-3 zone for a good portion of the second half, not pressing or trapping on defense.  The Cougars attempted to get back in the game by taking deep three pointers, but only converted on two of them in the second half.

Watch out for Cleveland (18-2) come tournament time, they beat #1 ranked Wilson in the King Holiday Hoopfest and obviously handled a very good Holy Names (17-3) easily on Friday night.

Leading Scorers:
Cleveland
Makayla Roper (16)
Myzhanique Ladd (14)

Holy Names
Casey Pelz (10)
Camariah King (6)