Game Recap
Puyallup vs. South Kitsap 2-10-16
In a first round West Central District 3 contest, the Wolves of South Kitsap High School ventured over the Narrows to take on the Puyallup Vikings. Listen as Nic Beckman provides an audio recap of the game!
To listen to the game recap, simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.
Puyallup Grabs First Round District Win Over South Kitsap
By Nic Beckman
| Wednesday- February 10th | 2016 | Boys | 4A | Districts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puyallup High School | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
| South Kitsap | 13 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 55 | |
| Puyallup | 11 | 23 | 11 | 14 | 59 | |
First round play in West Central District 3 action had the Wolves of South Kitsap crossing the Narrows bridge to play at Puyallup. The Vikings with the timely return of second leading scorer Tony Gutierrez back from a quadriceps injury that has kept him out of action for nearly a month were happy to be playing at home. A fast paced first quarter saw South Kitsap with all five of the Wolves starters getting buckets and the first foul of the game whistled with just 3.4 seconds left in the period. Wolves on top 13-11 heading into the second. Six 3’s, 2 each by Jaden Vollmen, Landen Neff and Tony Gutierrez had the Vikings up 34-30 at half. It was Daniel Tomkiewicz with 9 second quarter points who led all scorers at half with 11.
Coach John Callaghan’s SK team kept pace with the Vikings with another 8 points from Tomkiewicz, who would tie the game at 42 with a 3 followed by Isaiah Lewis in the lane and the Wolves were up 44-42 with under 2 minutes left in the third. Gutierrez with 3 first half 3’s added another with 1:35 left to give Puyallup back the lead 45-44 heading into the final 8 minutes. Vikings coach Scott Campbell turned up the Viking pressure and kept the Wolves from scoring for more than 4 minutes. Puyallup built the lead to 54-44 until an Eric Wattree free throw broke the drought, bringing the lead back under 10 at 54-45 with 3:24 remaining. Wattree would add 7 more points in the period and end with 16 on the night, while teammate Daniel Tomkiewicz with four 3’s in the game, would lead SK with 22. The lead would prove too much as Puyallup would hold on behind the game high 23 points of Tony Gutierrez, getting 6 from beyond the arc. The Final Score Puyallup 59 South Kitsap 55.
Puyallup moves on in the winners side of the bracket to meet Curtis on Friday at Mt. Tahoma, 7:45pm tipoff. South Kitsap will head to Auburn HS to battle Kentlake in a loser out game, also with a 7:45pm tip.
The Final Score
Puyallup 59, South Kitsap 55.
Top Performers:
Puyallup
Tony Gutierrez 23
Jaden Vollmen 9
Deven Neff 9
South Kitsap
Daniel Tomkiewicz 22
Eric Wattree 16
Isaiah Lewis 8
West Central District 3 playoffs got underway with eight home games for the top seeds as 16 teams from the SPSL and Narrows leagues vie for the 6 WCD3 state tournament seeds. Home court advantage was evident as 7 of the 8 host teams came away with wins.
The top two seeds in the SPSL continued their dominance. #1 seed Federal Way had the Tornados of Yelm blow into the Eagles nest. After a close first quarter 17-12, coach Jerome Collins’s Eagle team pulled away. Behind the 19 points of Ferron Flavors and a 29-10 third quarter, Federal Way still undefeated with a comfortable win moves on. The Final Score FW 78 Yelm 41.
The #2 seed Curtis Vikings, undefeated in league play until a 63-61 loss to Federal Way at the ShoWare in the SPSL tournament championship defended their home court. Coming off a 66-63 win over Kentwood, the Vikings faced another SPSL Northeast foe in Kentlake. Aushanti Potts-Woods with 27 and Glenn Jordan with 19 combined for more than the Falcons could total as a team. The Final Score Curtis 83 Kentlake 45.
Narrows #1 seed Bellarmine matched up with SPSL South Spanaway Lake. The Lions 18-3 on the season with an unblemished 12-0 league record under the direction of head coach Bernie Salazar represented for their league with a home court opening round win over the Sentinels. The Final Score Bellarmine 75 Spanaway Lake 65.
The #2 seed out of the Narrows coach John Kiley’s Olympia Bears at 18-3 on the season and 10-2 in league play, had the Todd Beamer Titans in the house for first round action. The Bears continue on their quest to the Dome getting a 20 point win over Beamer. The Final Score Olympia 70 Todd Beamer 50.
Emerald Ridge travelled north to Kentwood to face the Conquerors. Jason Cassens and the Jags were up 12-11 after the first quarter, but coach Blake Solomon’s Conk’s were ready for the challenge. Kentwood with four players in double digits would be led by Darius Lubom with 20 and Rayvaughn Bolton with 12 as Cassens with 10, was the only Jaguar to reach double digits. The Final Score Kentwood 58 Emerald Ridge 41.
Coach John Callaghan’s Wolves of South Kitsap crossed the bridge to come play the Vikings in Puyallup. Daniel Tomkiewicz with 9 second quarter points to lead all scorers at half with 11, saw his team down 34-30. The Viks were paced by Jaden Vollmen and Tony Gutierrez each with 9. Tomkiewicz would add 8 3rd quarter points and tie the game at 42. SK down 1, 44-45 heading into the final period. Coach Scott Campbell turned up the Viking pressure and held the Wolves without a point in the quarter until 3:24 remaining. By that time Puyallup was up 54-45, Tony Gutierrez in his first game back from a quadriceps injury hit 6 of the Puyallup 13 3’s enroute to game high honors with 23. South Kitsap’s Daniel Tomkiewicz finished with 22 and Eric Wattree added 16. The Final Score Puyallup 59 South Kitsap 55.
Kent Meridian facing rival Kentridge was able to overcome an 11 point halftime deficit to tie it at 57 at the end of regulation. But Mahlik Hall with 23 and Romaine Jackson with 18 for the Royals were not enough to get their team over the hill. The Chargers held home court with a 12 -7 overtime period, Joran Ticeson led the Chargers with 19. The Final Score in OT Kentridge 69 Kent Meridian 64.
The Blazers of Timberline after finishing third behind Bellarmine and Olympia in Narrows league play, had to go to Thomas Jefferson for their first round match-up. The Raiders of the SPSL Northwest behind leading scorer Darius Anderson were unable to defend their home court. Timberline gets the only visitor win on the night. The Final Score Timberline 52 Thomas Jefferson 48.
Friday night will see winners bracket match ups Federal Way vs Timberline at 6pm, followed by Olympia vs Kentwood at 7:45pm at Auburn Mountainview HS. Bellarmine vs Kentwood at 6pm and Puyallup will face Curtis for the third time this season at 7:45pm at Mt. Tahoma HS. Winners will move on for #1 through #4 seeds.
On the loser out side of the the bracket, Yelm vs Jefferson at 6pm, then Beamer vs Emerald Ridge at 7:45pm will be played at Stadium HS. Spanaway Lake vs Kent Meridian 6pm and South Kitsap vs Kentlake at 7:45pm are playing at Auburn HS. The winners all working for the final 2 seeds from the West Central District 3 heading into the state regional round the final week of February.
Listen to Steve Willits’ game recap by clicking on play button below
Game Recap 2/5: Steve Willits from Sound Live Sports Network
2-5-16
Listen to Jeff Rex’s game recaps by clicking on play button below
Game Recap 2/5: Jeff Rex from KAPS Radio
2-5-16
Listen to Vern Foster’s game recap by clicking on play button below
Game Recap 2/5: Vern Foster from KUKN 105.5
2-5-16
Listen to Daniel Hargrove’s game recap by clicking on play button below
Game Recap 2/5: Daniel Hargrove from Grays Harbor Radio 1490 KWOK
2/5-16
Listen to Mike McDonnal’s game recap by clicking on play button below
Game Recap 2/5: Mike McDonnal from KONA Radio
2-5-16
Listen to Paul Valencia’s game recap by clicking on play button below
Game Recap 1/29: Paul Valencia from The Columbian
1-29-16
Listen to Steve Willits’ game recap by clicking on play button below
Game Recap 1/29: Steve Willits from Sound Live Sports Network
1-29-16
Listen to Jeff Rex’s game recap by clicking on play button below
Game Recap 1/29: Jeff Rex from KAPS Radio
1-29-16
Listen to Vern Foster’s game recap by clicking on play button below
Game Recap 1/29: Vern Foster from KUKN 105.5
1-29-16
Listen to Daniel Hargrove’s game recap by clicking on play button below
Game Recap 1/29: Daniel Hargrove from Grays Harbor Radio 1490 KWOK
1-29-16
Listen to Steve Dion’s game recap by clicking on play button below
Game Recap 1/29: Steve Dion from theFinalScore.TV
1-29-16
Listen to Aaron Beach’s position breakdown by clicking on play button below
Position Breakdown 1/29: Aaron Beach from Dawgman.com
1-29-16
Puyallup Runs Past Rams on Rivalry Night
By Nic Beckman
| Tuesday- February 2nd | 2016 | Boys | 4A | SPSL-South | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spanaway Lake High School | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
| Emerald Ridge | 10 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 44 | |
| Puyallup | 10 | 10 | 16 | 20 | 56 | |
Emerald Ridge and Puyallup played at Spanaway Lake on Tuesday night to determine the number 2 and 3 seeds for the SPSL South. One week ago these two teams played to a one point, 55-54 overtime win for the Jaguars at PHS. Puyallup still without second leading scorer Tony Gutierrez suffering from a quadriceps contusion, has had to adjust their play down the stretch. The lingering injury and treatment has kept the senior off the court for nearly a month to end the regular season. Gutierrez hopes to be back for playoff action on Thursday night. The Vikings have relied on a number of other players to step up to fill the void. Emerald Ridge coach Pat Mullen and Viking coach Scott Campbell had their teams ready to play and the first quarter was indicative of these teams familiarity with each other. The Jags Daniel Gregory and Viking Deven Neff each with a pair of 3’s had their teams tied at 10 after the first quarter. The second period had the Jaguars hitting four from beyond the arc two from Donald Bango while Puyallup made 4 of 5 free throws and converted in the paint to keep it close. At the half Emerald Ridge held a 2 point lead 22-20. Vikings Deven Neff would lead all scorers with 8 at the half and Daniel Gregory had 7 for the Jags.
The opening of the second half saw the Vikings start with 3 turnovers and ER’s Chase McGuire with back to back buckets gave the Jags their largest lead at 26-20 with 6:37 left in the quarter. Coach Campbell called time out to settle his team. The Vikings responded as Jaden Vollmen and Brennan Winter with a pair of baskets followed by a Deven Neff 3, put the Viks up 27-26. Andrew Boston put the Jaguars back on top with a bucket inside. Jaden Vollmen with a dime to Brooks Ballmer under the hoop followed it up with two hard drives to the rim and Puyallup was up 33-30. ER had problems from the free throw going 1-5 in the third. Chase McGuire would add another field goal for all 6 of his points on the night, but Puyallup’s leading scorer Deven Neff with a pair of 3’s and strong move in the lane, would get 8 of his game high 17 and the Vikings out scored ER 16-11 in the period to take the lead at 36-33 heading into the fourth.
Fouls mounted for PHS and Emerald Ridge got to the line early in the fourth, where they collected 5 of 9 for half of their quarter total. On the other end, Puyallup gained momentum from sophomore Landen Neff, who converted at the rim twice and Brennan Winter stepped up and knocked down a 3 and the Vikings built a 9 point lead at 45-36. Winter who did a great job rebounding also put in 13 points for his team helping to fill the Gutierrez void. Jaden Vollmen continued to push the pace for the Vikings keeping the pressure on Emerald Ridge. Vollmen would tally 14 for Puyallup. Jags senior Raeshon Scales with a pair of 3’s in the first half tried to keep his team in it with two jumpers just inside the arc, would finish with a team high 10 points. A Tyler Torgerson 3 put the Viks on top 50-39 giving them their largest lead of the night at 2:50 left in regulation. The lead forced the Jags to foul PHS with the clock winding under 2 minutes, but with only 3 fouls in the half cost Emerald Ridge nearly 30 seconds as ER tried to get the Vikings into the bonus. Puyallup would hit 6 of 8 from the line to close out the game. Puyallup’s top 3 scorers would equal the total ER output as Brennan Winter with a season high 13, Jaden Vollmen’s 14, combined with Deven Neff’s 17 would secure the #2 seed from the SPSL South. The Final Score Vikings 56 Jaguars 44.
Emerald Ridge will face the winner of Kent Meridian vs Rogers on Saturday at 6pm as the #3 seed to gain either the 7th or 9th seed from the SPSL heading into West Central District III play. #2 seed Puyallup will see Kentridge at the ShoWare on Thursday, the winner getting the SPSL #4 seed, the loser will play Jefferson on Saturday for either the SPSL #5 or #6 seed.
The Final Score
Puyallup 72, Rogers-Puyallup 57.
Top Performers:
Puyallup
Deven Neff- 17 points
Jaden Vollmen- 14 points
Brennan Winter- 13 points
Emerald Ridge
Raeshon Scales- 10 points
Daniel Gregory- 8 points
Donald Bango- 7 points
Game Recap
Emerald Ridge vs. Puyallup 2-2-16
Tuesday night presented a pivotal SPSL contest for 2nd place in the division race between Emerald Ridge Jaguars and the Puyallup Vikings on a neutral floor at Spanaway Lake High School. Listen as Nic Beckman provides an audio recap of the game!
To listen to the game recap, simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.
Rainier Beach Defends Crawford Court Against Garfield
By Steve Dion
| Tuesday- February 2nd | 2016 | Boys | 3A | Metro | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainier Beach High School | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
| Garfield | 21 | 20 | 13 | 15 | 69 | |
| Rainier Beach | 20 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 76 | |
Rainier Beach combo guard Kevin Porter
In a rematch of last year’s 3A state final, the defending champs Garfield ventured south to Crawford Court to take on Rainier Beach in front of a capacity crowd for a battle of the top teams in Washington.
Kevin Porter gave Rainier Beach an early lift by scoring ten first quarter points as part of his sixteen total including a pair of thunderous dunks. The Bulldogs’ lethal back-court of Jashaun Agosto, Daejon Davis, Terrell Brown, and Jaylen Nowell were faced with the challenge of operating without versatile forward Alphonso Anderson. Garfield received ample contributions from the four guard and carried a 41-36 lead to halftime through high-percentage buckets on dribble penetration.
The Bulldog lead reached eight in the opening minutes of the third frame and was dangerously close to hitting double digits, but Beach fought back. Tijohn Rodde knocked down a pair from downtown Seattle as part of an extended run for the home team which brought the score within two heading into the final quarter.
Sam Cunliffe who led all scorers with 25 continued to attack the rim with ferocity and helped the Vikings grab the lead and start to pull away. Daejon Davis who led GHS with a team-high 21 battled back with acrobatic finishes at the cup to keep the champs within striking distance. Needing a clutch bucket late, Agosto answered with a monster three-pointer to draw the game within a point leaving only 26 seconds to spare. Rainier Beach’s ability to bury free throws in the final possessions allowed them to create separation and secure a seven point victory.
The Final Score
Rainier Beach 76, Garfield 69.
Top Performer:
Rainier Beach
Sam Cunliffe- 25 points
Garfield
Daejon Davis- 21 points
Listen to T.J. Cotterill’s game recap by clicking on play button below
Game Recap 1/29: T.J. Cotterill from The News Tribune
1-29-16
Listen to Mike McDonnal’s game recap by clicking on play button below
Game Recap 1/29: Mike McDonnal from KONA Radio
1-29-16
Game Recap
Kentridge vs. Kent-Meridian 1-28-16
Kentridge Senior Forward Joran Ticeson
A pivotal SPSL-Northeast contest between Kentridge and Kent-Meridian took center stage at the ShoWare Center Thursday night. Listen as Nic Beckman provides an audio recap of the contest including post-game comments by Kentridge senior forward Joran Ticeson!
To listen to the game recap, simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.
Game Recap
Kentridge vs. Kent-Meridian (Girls) 1-28-16
Kentridge Head Coach Bob Sandall
The opening game of the Kent Shootout placed the Kentridge Chargers against the Kent-Meridian Royals. Listen as Nic Beckman provides an audio recap of the match-up including post-game comments from Kentridge coach Bob Sandall!
To listen to the game recap, simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.
Game Recap
Puyallup vs. Rogers-Puyallup 1-29-16
Friday was rivalry night and crosstown opponents Puyallup and Rogers-Puyallup met for the second and final time this season. Listen as Nic Beckman provides an audio recap of the game!
To listen to the game recap, simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.
Game Recap
West Seattle vs. Bishop Blanchet 1-27-16
West Seattle Head Coach Darnell Taylor
Wednesday night featured the much anticipated Metro League match-up between undefeated West Seattle and Bishop Blanchet. Listen as Nic Beckman provides an audio recap of the contest including post-game comments from West Seattle head coach Darnell Taylor!
To listen to the game recap, simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.
Puyallup Runs Past Rams on Rivalry Night
By Nic Beckman
| Friday- January 29th | 2016 | Boys | 4A | SPSL-South | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rogers High School | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
| Rogers-Puyallup | 27 | 11 | 13 | 6 | 57 | |
| Puyallup | 24 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 72 | |
The final night of regular season play in the SPSL-South had two Viking teams heading to South Hill. First place Curtis brought their 11-0 record into Emerald Ridge who were coming off their overtime win at Puyallup. The Jaguars were looking to knock off the top dog and secure the second spot in the division heading into post season play. Meanwhile, another Viking team was invading the opposite flank of the hill, Puyallup was at Rogers. This long standing rivalry game had meaning for both. Puyallup chasing Emerald Ridge for the second spot was in a must win situation after the one point OT loss to the Jags just three days ago. Rogers with only 4 wins in the division was in the spoiler role on senior night and claiming victory against a fierce rival provided incentive enough that would be a highlight of a tough season. Seniors Konnor Bandley’s 7 and Braden Hannold’s 10 points in the first quarter provided the push to give the Rams a 27-24 lead after the first. But Puyallup sophomore Landen Neff kept the Viks close hitting three 3’s and a field goal for 11.
As the adrenaline of the opening period started to dissipate the shooting cooled off but the intensity remained. At 3:01 of the second, the game was tied at 33, Jaden Vollmen at the rim and another Landen Neff 3 put the Viks up 38-33 at just under two minutes. The Rams responded with 5 of their own, Braden Hannold fouled on a tap back got the and one for his only points of the quarter tied the game again at 38 with 1:01 on the clock. The halftime score 38-38, Landen Neff leading all scorers with 15 on four 3’s in the half. Hannold leading the Rams with 13.
After a couple Rams baskets by seniors Daniel O’Brien and Hannold to get a 42-38 lead, PHS seniors Jaden Vollmen and Deven Neff each with 7 first half points got the Viks going in the third and went on a 10-0 run to put the Viks up 48-42. But O’Brien and the Rams responded with back to back scores and the lead was down to a possession. Vollmen with 10 third quarter points would give Puyallup a four point lead after three, Viks up 55-51.
Meanwhile, at Emerald Ridge, the Vikings of Curtis held a tenuous one point advantage at 55-54 over the Jaguars. The fourth quarter at both gyms would answer a lot of questions and maybe create a couple more depending on the final score.
At Rogers, defense would decide the outcome. The Vikings coach Scott Campbell had taken off the back court pressure most of the night had his team turn up the heat. Puyallup held the Rams to just 4 points in the first 4 minutes but the Rams defense and rebounding where keeping the Viks from pulling away, with 3:33 left Rogers was behind by just a couple of Deven Neff three’s at 61-55. Neff with a right handed tear drop in the lane stretched it to 63-55 followed by a Tyler Torgerson steal and basket had the Rams looking at a 10 point deficit with just 2:43 remaining. Puyallup would out score Rogers 17-6 in the fourth and finish going away, 8 by Deven Neff, 4 more by sophomore brother Landen. The sophomore would spoil senior night for the Rams and lead all scorers with 21. The difference in the defense showed up in the final quarter, but the difference in the score came from beyond the arc. Both teams with four 3’s to open the game, it was Puyallup who finished with 10 3’s, while the Rams could only tally one more for five 3’s on the night. The Final Score Vikings 72 Rams 57.
While final game congratulations were being handed out at Rogers the final from Emerald Ridge was being spread like wildfire. Curtis with five players in double digits lead by Aushanti Potts-Woods with 24 and Glenn Jordan with 15 held off the Jags Daniel Gregory’s 21 point night and Jason Cassens with 15 to get the second Viking win on South Hill Friday night, The Final Score 74-70.
Second place in the SPSL South is now the prize to be claimed at a neutral sight on Tuesday night. Emerald Ridge and Puyallup will face off for the second time in a week to see who will be the number 2 seed in the SPSL-South division heading into the playoffs.
The Final Score
Puyallup 72, Rogers-Puyallup 57.
Top Performers:
Puyallup
Landen Neff- 21 points
Deven Neff- 18 points
Jaden Vollmen- 17 points
Rogers-Puyallup
Braden Hannold- 18 points
Konnor Bandley- 14 points
Daniel O’Brien- 11 points