Tag Archives: 3A-Metro-Mountain

REWIND- 2017 Metro League Semifinal Match-up
Nathan Hale vs West Seattle

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Hale Survives Scare By West Seattle in Metro Semis
By Colin Caruso

Wednesday- February 8th 2017 Boys 3A Metro Semifinals
Alaska Airlines Arena 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
West Seattle 16 24 9 10 59
Nathan Hale 18 16 17 21 72

Video Highlights

In the historic Hec Edmundson Pavilion and Alaska Airlines Arena, the Metro tournament was back in action for a semifinal matchup between West Seattle High School and the #1 team in the country, the Nathan Hale Raiders. Although suffering two defeats this year at the hands of Nathan Hale, the West Seattle Wildcats were not to going to back down to the juggernaut Raiders.

West Seattle led for the majority of the first half. Despite the large Hec Ed facility, they seemed right at home knocking down 3 after 3. Led by PG Nate Pryor in the first half, they took a 40-34 lead into the locker room at halftime. Despite good shooting by Michael Porter Jr. of Nathan Hale, the constant double teams forced him to pass, exactly what coach Keffrey Fazio of West Seattle wanted. At one point in the second quarter, all five Wildcats on the floor were smothering Michael Porter at the high post.

Nathan Hale received a motivating chat at halftime from coach Brandon Roy and came out on fire to start the third. Seven unanswered points gave them the first lead since early in the second quarter, 41-40. Even this quick burst did not intimidate Pryor and the Wildcats, they continued to battle and trailed by just two, 51-49 entering the fourth quarter.

After exchanging buckets for the first few minutes of the quarter, Michael Porter Jr. took the game into his hands. He followed up a missed free throw put back dunk with two mid-range jumpers and a thunderous dunk to take a 65-55 lead with under three minutes to play. West Seattle had no answer for the acrobatics of the Porters, Jontay and Michael, who scored all Nathan Hale’s points in the first 14 minutes of the second half. Nathan Hale, despite trailing at half, cruised to a 72-59 win.

The Final Score
Nathan Hale 72, West Seattle 59

Top Performers:
Nathan Hale
Michael Porter Jr.- 42 points

West Seattle
Nate Pryor- 26 points

REWIND- 2017 Metro League Semifinal Match-up
Garfield vs Bishop Blanchet- Girls

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Bush Steers Blanchet to Metro Championship
By Steve Dion

Wednesday- February 8th 2017 Girls 3A Metro Semifinals
Alaska Airlines Arena 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Garfield 17 14 11 13 55
Bishop Blanchet 18 12 19 14 63

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Bishop Blanchet Senior Taylor Chambers

The second Metro girls semifinal game at Alaska Airlines Arena featured the undefeated top-ranked Bishop Blanchet Braves and a surging Garfield squad.

It was a neck-and-neck ballgame throughout the first half with both teams’ primary playmakers finding the cup. Blanchet’s rock down low Jadyn Bush recorded 15 of her game-high 29 in the first two quarters. On the other side, Lady Bulldogs guard Juanita Agosto thrived on transition opportunities as she is accustomed to. Leading by a point at the break, could Garfield hand the Braves their first loss of the season?

Bush picked up where she started by cobbling together a tremendous third quarter that propelled them into the late stages of the game. However, Garfield wasn’t finished. Sam Tolliver knocked down some big three pointers to trim the lead, but the clock quickly became the enemy and Blanchet’s lead held to send them to yet another Metro League Championship game on Friday night against West Seattle.

The Final Score
Bishop Blanchet 63, Garfield 55

Top Performers:
Bishop Blanchet
Jadyn Bush- 29 points

Garfield
Juanita Agosto- 14 points

REWIND- 2017 Metro League Semifinal Match-up
Garfield vs Rainier Beach

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Garfield Conquers Rainier Beach, Plays Nathan Hale in Metro Final
By Colin Caruso

Wednesday- February 8th 2017 Boys 3A Metro Semifinals
Alaska Airlines Arena 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Rainier Beach 24 18 14 14 70
Garfield 25 16 15 20 76

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Garfield Senior Jaylen Nowell

In the fourth and final game at historic Hec Edmundson Pavilion and Alaska Airlines Arena, the defending state champion Rainier Beach Vikings took on the Garfield Bulldogs for a trip to the Metro finals to face Nathan Hale.  These two programs have produced the last seven state champions for Washington State boys 3A basketball.

Defense was relatively non-existent in the beginning of the game, with 12 total points scored in the first minute of play.  The strenuous pace and back and forth transition play continued throughout the first, with Garfield taking a 25-24 lead into the second quarter.

The transition heavy first quarter changed to a half court set heavy second quarter.  Both coaching staffs knew their teams could not keep the frantic pace for the 32 minutes of play.  Rainier Beach took a slim 42-41 lead into the break.

Beach extended their lead to as many as 8 points in the middle of the third, but the Bulldogs would not go away.  In the waning moments of the third, Garfield converted on a layup, and an immediate steal by Jaylen Noel led to a three point play for the Bulldogs, who trailed by just two.  Kevin Porter traveled on the next Rainier Beach possession and a layup at the buzzer from Daejon Davis of Garfield tied the game at 56 going into the final frame.

Two early mid-range jumpers from J’Raan Brooks put Garfield in front by four early in the fourth, but a Khalil Shabazz Beach three pointer and layup brought Beach back in front.  Noel followed with back-to-back layups for the Bulldogs, pushing the lead to three for Garfield.  Two free throws from the Vikings cut the lead to just one with under two minutes to play.  After Davis went one for two from the line, the Vikings turned the ball over late in the shot clock, handing the ball back to the Bulldogs with one minute remaining.

Eddie Turner of the Bulldogs converted on a runner after a Garfield timeout, and a turnover by Rainier Beach led to another Garfield possession.  After drawing a foul, Davis missed the front end of a one and one, the rebound to Kevin Porter for Beach who was fouled in transition.  He made both free throws to cut the Bulldog lead to two with 30 seconds on the clock.

Rainier Beach was forced to foul, and Eddie Turner made both free throws to put the Bulldogs up four with 17 seconds remaining.  A missed three from Porter and a rebound to the Bulldogs sealed the deal for Garfield, who won 76-70 and will take on #1 in the country Nathan Hale on Friday.

The Final Score
Garfield 76, Rainier Beach 70

Top Performers:
Garfield
Jaylen Nowell- 28 points

Rainier Beach
Kevin Porter Jr.- 23 points

REWIND- 2017 Metro League Semifinal Match-up
West Seattle vs Rainier Beach- Girls

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West Seattle Outlasts Beach, Metro Title Game Bound
By Steve Dion

Wednesday- February 8th 2017 Girls 3A Metro Semifinals
Alaska Airlines Arena 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
West Seattle 11 12 21 7 51
Rainier Beach 8 16 13 8 45

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West Seattle Wildcats

The Metro League semifinals at Alaska Airlines Arena tipped off with the girls #2 vs. #3 seed game between Rainier Beach & West Seattle.

For playing less than 24 hours prior, the young West Seattle squad was ready to compete taking an early lead with Jasmine Gayles & Jenna McPhee leading the charge. Beach countered with a flurry of buckets in the post by talented freshman Dalayah Daniels. The second seeded Lady Viks were able to take a one-point lead to the locker room 24-23.

The Wildcats emerged from the locker room ready to take control of the game with Meghan Fiso scoring six of the Wildcats 21 in the quarter. Grace Sarver continued to tack on to extend the lead as the defense started to clamp down in unison. A late surge by the Vikings wasn’t enough to climb back into the game as West Seattle advances to the championship game.

The Final Score
West Seattle 51, Rainier Beach 45

Top Performers:
West Seattle
Jasmine Gayles- 16 points

Rainier Beach
Karizma Loeffler- 13 points

Metro League Semifinals move to Alaska Airlines Arena at UW

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2017 Metro League Tournament just got Bigger!

ANNOUNCEMENT

The Metro League announced their plans to move their semifinal basketball match-ups to Alaska Airlines Arena on Wednesday, February 8th.  The Boys and Girls final four teams will go head-to-head as part of the Metro League Tournament.

Former Garfield Bulldog and current Nathan Hale coach, Brandon Roy, was interviewed by KJR personalities Mitch Levy and Dick Fain about the Raiders upcoming game against his Alma Mater Garfield this Friday Night at Garfield High School.

This battle of #1 Nathan Hale vs. #2 Garfield has received unprecedented coverage and includes live broadcasts on both ESPNU-TV and Sports Radio 950 KJR-AM. This is the first game televised Live from Garfield High School since Roy was a senior for Garfield back in 2002.

Mitch and Dick of Sports Radio KJR then broke the news that the Metro League Playoffs will move its semifinal games to Alaska Airlines Arena on Wednesday, February 8th.  This will allow all fans an opportunity to see in person what experts are saying is the toughest league in Washington state history, if not the toughest league in the country.


“Metro Athletics represents quality student athletes from public and private schools in all sports,” stated Eric McCurdy, Executive Director of Athletics of Seattle Schools. “We are proud to have Varsity Hoops Live and theFinalScore.TV produce this event as they continue to positively impact high school students through events and programs on and off the court.”



Game and Broadcast Schedule

2017 Metro League Tournament Semifinals schedule of events:

• Winner #6 Metro vs #3 Metro Play-in vs. Metro #2 seed – Girls 3:30pm*
• Winner #5 Seattle Prep vs #4 West Seattle Play-in vs. Nathan Hale – Boys 5:30pm*
• Winner #5 Metro vs #4 Metro Play-in vs. Bishop Blanchet – Girls 7:00pm*
• Winner #6 Metro vs #3 Rainier Beach Play-in vs. Garfield – Boys 8:30pm**

* Varsity Hoops Live Broadcast on www.theFinalScore.TV
** Varsity Hoops Live Broadcast on Sports Radio 950 KJR-AM

The event has several media partners including Sports Radio 950 KJR-AM, POWER 93.3-FM and www.theFinalScore.TV.

All games will be carried via a live audio broadcast over the internet or on radio.

“Our hope is to celebrate great teams in a great venue. We look to showcase amazing high school students on and off the court throughout the day! We are excited to produce the event while broadcasting the games live over the web,” stated Randy Novak, President of ZUMA Media.

 

Ticket Information

Tickets are available for general admission seating and good for all four games. Tickets will be available the day of the event ONLY beginning at 3:00pm at the HUSKY STADIUM Box Office located on the westside of the Stadium.

Once fans enter Alaska Airlines Arena for the event, they can stay for all four games. However, they will not be able to re-enter the event if they leave. Ticket prices are as folllows:

Adults/students without ASB: $10
Students with ASB: $ 7
Kids K-8: $ 5
Seniors 62yrs +: $ 5

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VIDEO -Varsity Hoops Live
Metro League Clash
Rainier Beach vs. West Seattle

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2016 Varsity Hoops Live – Metro League Clash
Saturday, December 18, 2016

Video – 2016 copyright ZUMA Media

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Garfield’s Nowell Leads Charge Past Prep

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Garfield’s Nowell Leads Charge Past Prep
By Steve Dion

Tuesday- December 13th 2016 Boys 3A Metro
Garfield High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Seattle Preparatory 13 13 22 15 60
Garfield 19 26 29 16 90

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Garfield Sophomore Jamon Kemp

In the final week before holiday break, the Garfield Bulldogs and Seattle Prep Panthers squared off for a Capitol Hill showdown. The guard-strong Bulldogs and post-laden Panthers showcased their strengths early as Jaylen Nowell scored 15 of his game-high 25 in the first half while Nic Lynch anchored Prep with 11 in the first two quarters.

The double digit lead accrued in the first half by Garfield continued to grow in the third quarter highighted by a flurry of steals leading to dunks including an alley-oop slam by J’Raan Brooks who scored 19 for the Bulldogs. Kalu Stricklin continued to battle for Seattle Prep even with the game out of hand recording 15 tough points in the second half.

When the clock hit triple zeros, Garfield picked up their fourth win to continue a perfect start to the season handing Seattle Prep their first loss of the season.

The Final Score
Garfield 90, Seattle Prep 63.

Top Performers:
Garfield
Jaylen Nowell- 25 points

Seattle Preparatory
Kalu Stricklin & Nic Lynch-19 points

2016 Christmas Classic
returns to Vancouver

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2016 Christmas Classic

Top Teams Square off on Saturday, December 10th and Sunday, December 11th

A special holiday basketball tournament will take place in Vancouver, Washington December 10th and 11th.  Local venues will host the top club and school boys/girls teams from around the Pacific Northwest at the 2016 Christmas Classic. These 10U-14U teams will go head-to-head all weekend long for the right to be named Champion on Sunday.

The 2016 Christmas Classic brings teams together from Portland, Vancouver and Seattle-Tacoma for hoops and more. “Our hope is that the Christmas Classic is a way to bring people together who wouldn’t normally get to play each other,” said DeLano Morgan. “Vancouver is an amazing community and it has embraced this event supporting local non-profits with strong support from community partners. We feel fortunate to have community leaders, business partners, and friends support our initiative to bring families and communities together.”

A special guest speaker will be joining us at 10am to address the teams and fans in attendance. The weekend should prove to be a great basketball weekend while enjoying the best of SW Washington. Christmas Classic is proud to benefit Evergreen School District, Seton Catholic Boosters and the Share House with a portion of the proceeds.

1st Game
Team 1st Game Schedule – Click Here

Complete Weekend Schedule will be posted at 11PM Friday Night.

Team Registration
Step 1: Complete Registration Form
Tournament Registration – Click here
Step 1: Complete Registration Form
Tournament Registration – Click here

Step 2: Once your team is a confirmed participant:
If the Tournament Director has confirmed your team’s participation in the Christmas Classic, all team registration payments are due by Friday, December 2, 2016.

All checks are made payable to Team Impact:

Team Impact
Attn: Christmas Classic
13215 SE Mill Plain Blvd. C8 #229
Vancouver, WA 98684

Event Rules
Tournament Rules – Click here

Ticket Information
General Admission $6 – Good for All Day
Students 18 & under $5 – Good for All Day
Children (5 & under) and (Veterans) – Free
Doors open 15 minutes prior to the start of the first game. Entry fee is good as an all-day pass for both facilities.

A special discount will be given to fans who bring a new bath towel or new pair of socks to the event.
We are proud to support the Share House in Vancouver!
 ShareHouse



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3A State Rankings
Football Week #3

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WASHINGTON STATE RANKINGS WEEK #3


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3A LIVE 5! Football Week #3
# School League Record
1 Eastside Catholic Metro 3-0
2 O'Dea Metro 3-0
3 Squalicum Northwest 3-0
4 Ferndale Northwest 3-0
5 Peninsula South Sound 3-0


3A IN THE HUNT Football Week #3
# School League Record
6 Oak Harbor WesCo 3-0
7 Bellevue KingCo 0-1
8 Lynnwood WesCo 3-0
9 Garfield Metro 3-0
10 Interlake KingCo 3-0


3A ON THE BUBBLE Football Week #3
# School League Record
- Bonney Lake Pierce Country 2-1
- Lincoln Pierce County 2-1
- Kamiakin Mid-Columbia 2-1
- Timberline South Sound 2-1
- Mount Tahoma Pierce County 2-1

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3A State Rankings
Football Week #2

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WASHINGTON STATE RANKINGS WEEK #2


TFS-WA-4AFootball-Rankings

3A LIVE 5! Football Week #2
# School League Record
1 Eastside Catholic Metro 2-0
2 Kamiakin Mid-Columbia 2-0
3 O'Dea Metro 2-0
4 Squalicum Northwest 2-0
5 Ferndale Northwest 2-0


3A IN THE HUNT Football Week #2
# School League Record
6 Lynnwood WesCo 2-0
7 Peninsula South Sound 2-0
8 Oak Harbor WesCo 2-0
9 Kelso Greater St. Helens 2-0
10 Mount Tahoma Pierce County 2-0


3A ON THE BUBBLE Football Week #2
# School League Record
- Interlake KingCo 2-0
- Yelm South Sound 2-0
- Mountain View Greater St. Helens 1-1
- Gig Harbor South Sound 1-1
- Bellevue KingCo 0-0

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3A State Rankings
Football Week #1

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WASHINGTON STATE RANKINGS WEEK #1

 

TFS-WA-4AFootball-Rankings

3A LIVE 5! Football Week #1
# School League Record
1 Eastside Catholic Metro 1-0
2 Bellevue KingCo 0-0
3 Squalicum Northwest 1-0
4 Kamiakin Mid-Columbia 1-0
5 O'Dea Metro 1-0


3A IN THE HUNT Football Week #1
# School League Record
6 Mountain View Greater St. Helens 1-0
7 Lakes Pierce County 0-1
8 Peninsula South Sound 1-0
9 Ferndale Northwest 1-0
10 Gig Harbor South Sound 0-1


3A ON THE BUBBLE Football Week #1
# School League Record
- Bonney Lake Pierce County 0-1
- Kennewick Mid-Cloumbia 0-1
- Lincoln Pierce County 0-1
- Southridge Mid-Columbia 1-0
- Juanita KingCo 0-1

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3A State Rankings
Basketball

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WASHINGTON STATE RANKINGS – January 17, 2017

 

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3A LIVE 5!
# School
1 Nathan Hale
2 Garfield
3 Rainier Beach
4 Lincoln
5 West Seattle


3A IN THE HUNT
# School
6 Seattle Preparatory
7 Shorecrest
8 Stanwood
9 Cleveland
10 Shadle Park

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3A LIVE 5!
# School
1 Blanchet
2 Kamiakin
3 Lincoln
4 Seattle Preparatory
5 Garfield


3A IN THE HUNT
# School
6 Stanwood
7 Bellevue
8 Snohomish
9 Shorewood
10 Gig Harbor

Crusaders Defense Stymies Bullpups in Battle of Champions

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Friday Sep 2nd 2016 4A/3A Boys Football
Eastside Catholic Stadium 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Gonzaga Prep 7 0 0 0 7
Eastside Catholic 14 0 7 0 21

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See game recap below
 

Crusaders Defense Stymies Bullpups in Battle of Champions
By Steve Dion

Week one of the 2016 high school football season placed a pair of undefeated teams from last year on the same field to determine supremacy between the 3A and 4A classifications. Gonzaga Prep who claimed the 4A title over Skyline headed west to take on the Eastside Catholic Crusaders who are back-to-back 3A champs.

The new-look Crusader offense led by Ze’Shaun Lewis who coach Jeremy Thielbahr said he is very confident in on our interview earlier in the week opened the scoring early when he found scat-back Tyler Folkes up the seam from 12 yards out.

Dave McKenna who talked about his smash-mouth style of football in our exclusive game week interview demonstrated such by pounding the rock against the EC defense all night. Kasey Anthony evened the score with a 8 yard dash to the goal line.

Before halftime, Eastside found the endzone once more, a 7 yard strike from Lewis to Aiden Hector giving the home team a one-score leading heading into the locker room.

As the game wore on and Prep struggled to create big gains on offense, EC’s defense clamped down even more. Chris Lefau anchored a staunch front seven that kept the Bullpups of the scoreboard for the final three quarters of the game.

The Final Score:
Eastside Catholic 21, Gonzaga Prep 7.

Top Performer

Eastside Catholic
Tyler Folkes-2 receiving TDs (18, 23)

Gonzaga Prep
Kasey Anthony-8 yard rushing TD

Player Stats- 3/4/16
Kennedy Catholic vs. O’Dea

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on Sports Radio 950 KJR-AM

3A Kennedy Catholic Lancers
# Player FG 3FG FT REB A F PTS
2 Emilio Mancol 3-14 0-5 0-0 5 2 2 6
5 Keannu Royster 3-9 0-0 3-7 6 4 2 9
10 James Jolly 3-7 1-3 3-4 9 1 5 10
14 Matthew Sasonoff 11-17 2-2 2-2 6 2 4 26
20 Andrew Ellingson 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
22 Simon Harris 0-2 0-1 1-2 2 0 1 1
24 Jared Thurber 3-8 0-4 2-2 3 0 4 8
34 Daeshaun Wilson 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0

3A O'Dea Fighting Irish
# Player FG 3FG FT REB A F PTS
3 Quin Barnard 2-7 1-4 2-4 2 1 2 7
5 Michael Carter 5-16 0-2 10-10 6 2 0 20
11 Xavier Smith 3-7 1-2 2-2 4 1 1 9
14 Noah Williams 4-5 0-0 2-3 2 3 5 10
24 Cal Hansen 2-3 0-0 0-0 3 0 0 4
4 Ryan McAloon 3-4 0-0 2-6 2 1 3 8
12 Tommy McAloon 0-2 0-0 0-0 2 0 2 0
22 Race Porter 1-1 0-0 0-0 2 0 2 2
33 Peter Jones 0-0 0-0 1-2 1 0 0 1

Friday- March 4th 2016 Boys 3A Semi-Finals
Tacoma Dome 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Kennedy Catholic 12 13 16 19 60
O'Dea 14 15 8 24 61

Catch Championship Saturday Live on Sports Radio 950 KJR-AM beginning at 3PM

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Spiller and King Propel Lakeside Past Juanita in District Playoff

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Spiller and King Propel Lakeside Past Juanita in District Playoff
By Steve Dion

Friday- February 19th 2016 Girls 3A SeaKing
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Juanita 18 11 19 8 56
Lakeside 13 1 14 15 57


Lakeside senior Kallin Spiller

In a topsy-turvy elimination game on Friday between Lakeside and Juanita, a late momentum swing sparked by Kallin Spiller and Kimijah King propelled the Lions to a dramatic victory.

Junior Tea Adams carried the bulk of the Rebels offensive production netting a game-high 24 points, many of which scored in transition. Shalexxus Aaron added a dozen as well in addition to a major role in the paint pulling down key rebounds. A three-pointer at the halftime buzzer by Lakeside’s Kelly Keen cut the Juanita lead to a single point heading into the break.

Trailing by six with less than three minutes remaining, the Lions were on the ropes and needed spark. Kallin Spiller buries a critical three point to cut the deficit to one possession. Lakeside followed up the bucket with defensive stops to set up Kimijah King with a pair of buckets to take the lead with less than a minute remaining. Juanita was unable to knock down its contested desperation shot from the corner at the buzzer. The Lions bench sprung from their chairs with excitement after a come-from-behind victory by a single point. Afterward Lions Head Coach Patrick Chinn talked the mentality heading into the game stating, “If we lose, the team is better than us. We’re trying not to beat ourselves. We’re trying to make enough plays to get out of there.”

The win keeps Lakeside alive for another day as they await their matchup for the fifth-place seeding game with the next opponent set to be the winner of Rainier Beach and Roosevelt.

The Final Score
Lakeside 57, Juanita 56.

Top Performers:

Lakeside
Kimijah King- 21 points
Kallin Spiller- 17 points

Juanita
Tea Adams- 24 points

Varsity Hoops Live – Steve Dion – 3A SeaKing

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Varsity Hoops Live Game Recaps- 3A SeaKing

Listen to Steve Dion’s game recaps by clicking on play button below

Game Recap 2/19: Steve Dion from theFinalScore.TV
2-19-16

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Crusaders Capture Metro Title, Primed for Postseason Run

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Friday Oct 30th 2015 3A Metro Boys Football
Leon H. Brigham Field at Memorial Stadium 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Eastside Catholic 12 28 0 0 40
Ballard 0 0 0 3 3

See game recap below
 

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Crusaders Capture Metro Title, Primed for Postseason Run
By Steve Dion

The final week of the regular season coincidentally pitted the top two Metro League teams in Eastside Catholic and Ballard for the city championship. For Jeremy Thielbahr and his high-flying Crusaders, this is just step one for a program designed to make another state title run. For Joey Thomas and Ballard, this game served as an opportunity to show how far the Beavers have progressed in a short period of time. Ballard has won as many games in 2015 as they did in the previous two seasons combined. The deck was stacked against the Beavs to go toe to toe with Eastside Catholic, how would they approach the challenge?

Like many opening drives for Eastside Catholic, the result was a touchdown. However, this was a drive that ate up nearly six minutes and pushed the Cru offense to convert on long yardage third and fourth downs. A long pass from Harley Kirsch to Hunter Bryant set up Brandon Wellington for a 3 yard score. The response drive by BHS was stalled at midfield forcing a punt which was not struck well. The short field for ECHS simply allowed them to score their second touchdown faster as Devon Arbis-Jackson hauled in a reception near midfield on a crossing route and took it 65 yards to the house. Ballard was walking on a tight rope at this point. The Beavs were moving up the field with chunks of yardage eaten up by Davine Tullis and Antoine Patton. Unfortunately, the possession took a turn when the ball was coughed up and taken 60 yards the other way by Malik Putney leading to a Tyler Folkes touchdown. The rout was on. By halftime the scoreboard read 40-0.

Joey Thomas deserves a great deal of credit for rallying his team at halftime facing an insurmountable deficit. Ballard would win the second half by preventing the Crusaders from adding to their point total albeit against the depth chart of Eastside Catholic. This game would not be a shutout as Jack Dineen punched a field goal through the uprights in the fourth quarter. With the win, Eastside Catholic demonstrates they have gas in the tank which will propel them in November and likely December. For Ballard, they will also be a postseason team with the experience of facing the state’s finest.

The Final Score:
Eastside Catholic 40, Ballard 3

Garfield Ends Rainier Beach’s Reign

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Garfield Ends Rainier Beach’s Reign
By Colin Caruso

Saturday March 7 2015 Boys 3A State Final
Tacoma Dome 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Garfield 11 15 18 22 66
Rainier Beach 12 14 15 10 51


Garfield Bulldogs

In a rematch of the Metro championship game, and a matchup of the two best teams in the state of Washington, the stage was set in Tacoma to watch the athleticism unfold between Rainier Beach and Garfield. Both inter-city Seattle schools, both defending state champions (Garfield won 4A last year) with the coveted 3A crown to take home.

The game began with a frantic pace, as it always does with these two teams. Beach got off to a quick lead behind eight first quarter points from star De’Jounte Murray. But the Bulldogs responded on the back of Jaylen Nowell, a sophomore star who responded with seven in the first.

Neither team slowed down in the second quarter; the pace remained at the highest level of the tournament. Even with the extremely fast pace both teams took care of the ball quite well, not allowing the opposition to get easy buckets in transition. Both defenses held firm, and the halftime score was tied at 26.

The Tacoma Dome was electric to start the second half. Neither team was able to pull away in the third quarter, but Garfield appeared to have more control going into the fourth.

After a back and forth third, Garfield held a 44-41 lead entering the final frame.
Shadeed Shabazz started the quarter hot for the Vikings, converting on two straight layups in under 30 seconds to take a one point lead. The teams exchanged baskets, and Garfield continued to attack the basket, getting into the bonus, and knocking down their free throws. With three minutes to play, the Bulldogs held a five point lead.

De’Jounte Murray responded with a beautiful reverse layup, but the Bulldogs answered with a put back layup by Jaylen Nowell. After a Rainier Beach miss, Austin Anderson for the Bulldogs knocked down two more from the line to take a seven point lead, the largest of the game for either team. From there, the Bulldog floodgates opened, ending the game on a 17-2 run.

Congratulations to Garfield, the back to back state champions! This Garfield win ended a Rainier Beach run of three consecutive 3A boys state titles.

Top Performers:
Garfield
Jaylen Nowell – 23 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals
Alphonso Anderson – 17 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks

Rainier Beach
Shadeed Shabazz – 22 points
De’Jounte Murray – 15 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks

Beach Cruises to Another State Final

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Beach Cruises to Another State Final
By Colin Caruso

Friday February 7th 2015 Boys 3A State
Tacoma Dome 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Rainier Beach 22 4 13 22 61
Eastside Catholic 10 7 10 6 33


Rainier Beach Senior Dejounte Murray

The big question most coaches ask when facing the back, to back, to back, state champs, “What can we do to stop them?” Coach Bill Liley and his Eastside Catholic Crusaders were faced with that question on Friday night in the Tacoma Dome.

The Crusaders fell to the mighty Rainier Beach Vikings twice during the regular season, both times by double digits. The goal of this contest was to keep Rainier Beach out of transition, force a half-court game, and knock down shots.

Unfortunately for the Crusaders, they were unable to keep Beach out of transition, and struggled from the perimeter. Rainier Beach took a 22-10 lead into the second, backed by an emphatic De’Jounte Murray alley-oop slam.

Rainier Beach failed to score for the first six minutes of the second quarter. This obviously played into the Crusaders hands, who started the quarter on a 7-0 run. In a low scoring second, Beach took a 26-17 lead into the break.

With the first six points in the third quarter, the Crusaders turned this into anybody’s game. Down just three, Eastside had the momentum and the Vikings struggles from the floor did not subside. But the shooting woes that plagued the Vikings transferred to the Crusaders, and they finished the third quarter with just 27 points.

Beach rolled in the fourth. Ivy Smith and Shadeed Shabazz began to knock down jumpers for the Vikings, as they extended their lead to as many as 28. Rainier Beach won the game 61-33, finishing the game on a 16-2 run. They will face off against the Bulldogs of Garfield for the 3A state title.

Top Performer:
Rainier Beach
De’Jounte Murray – 16 points, 14 rebounds, 3 steals

Garfield’s Big First Half Leads to Win Over Seattle Prep

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Garfield’s Big First Half Leads to Win Over Seattle Prep
By Colin Caruso

Friday February 7th 2015 Boys 3A State
Tacoma Dome 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Seattle Prep 17 13 17 13 60
Garfield 25 21 7 11 64


Garfield Bulldogs

Coaches will always tell you it is difficult to beat a team three times. The fate of the Bulldogs lay in those circumstances Friday night, as the final four teams in 3A boys all came from the same league, the Seattle Metro league.

This matchup is distinctly size versus speed. The Panthers start three players over 6 foot 7 and the Bulldogs don’t have a single player above 6 foot 6. But speed has prevailed in their previous matchups, with the Bulldogs controlling the pace and the game.

The speedy Bulldogs set the pace early, amassing 19 points to the Panthers nine in under five minutes of play. But back to back threes by the Panthers put them right back in the game. Garfield held an eight point lead going into the second.

The eight point lead ballooned to 20 quickly, with seemingly every player on Garfield getting in on the action. Coach Haskins uncharacteristically used ten players in the first half. His team is typically 5-6 deep, but he opened up his bench and let them roll over the Panthers in the first half. They led by as many as 24 in the second, but the Panthers cut it to 46-30 at the half.

Garfield’s heat in the first half turned to ice in the third. They scored just four points in the first six minutes of the quarter, allowing the Panthers to cut the lead to eight. The bleeding continued to for the Bulldogs, as there seemed to be a seal over their basket. The Panthers trailed by just six entering the fourth.

Prep kept their momentum early in the fourth. A Colin Welp three for the Panthers cut the Garfield lead to just three, 56-53 with 5:30 to play. The three point lead was maintained for the next three minutes as neither team was able to convert on the offensive end. Jaylen Nowell broke the cold streak with a pair of free-throws to push Garfield up 60-55 with 1:30 on the clock. Aaron Nettles responded for the Panthers with a mid-range jumper, cutting the lead back down to three with under one minute to play.

Nowell answered again for the Bulldogs, converting on a spin move floater off the glass to extend the lead back to five with 32 seconds on the clock. The ensuing possession resulted in another Welp three pointer, electrifying the Panther crowd, now just down 2 with 10 seconds to go. The Panthers, forced to foul, fouled Terrell Brown, who hit both free throws, icing the game with a four point lead. A Jack Stewart three for the Panthers missed just long, and the Bulldogs took the contest 64-60.

Top Performers:
Seattle Prep
Jack Stewart and J’Raan Brooks – 16 points each

Garfield
Jaylen Nowell – 21 points
Alphonso Anderson – 16 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals

Lakeside Controls 2nd and 3rd Quarter, Rolls Against Mercer Island

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Lakeside Controls 2nd and 3rd Quarter, Rolls Against Mercer Island
By Colin Caruso

Friday February 20 2015 Boys 3A Metro
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Lakeside 13 19 20 16 68
Mercer Island 17 5 11 21 54

Most games in high school basketball do not have the pressure of a loser out game. To both of these teams, a loss marks the end of the season and looking towards next year.

Mercer Island, the underdog in this game, came out in the first quarter with a masterful game plan. Knowing that they would have trouble guarding Daejon Davis and Isiah Brown in transition, they focused on using the duration of the shot clock and slowing the game dramatically. The athleticism favored Lakeside, and Mercer Island’s only hope was to control the tempo.

The Islanders looked great in the first quarter. A 12-2 run in the first gave the Islanders a 17-13 lead going into the second. And then the wheels fell off. Fast forwarding to the second quarter, the Lions began getting into transition and finding Kiki Boyle on open threes; he hit 6 on the day. The closed the quarter on a 12-0 run, and extended that to 19-2 into the third.

16 points in a quarter is a good amount of points for a high school team. When you score 16 points over the course of two quarters, against a team from the Metro conference, you are in trouble. The shots that fell for the Islanders in the first were not falling in the second and third. The turnovers piled up, and the Islanders found themselves down 19 points entering the fourth quarter.

Mercer Island never gave up, they continued to battle in the fourth. Unfortunately, the deficit was insurmountable against a team as defensively strong as the Lions. Lakeside took this game, ending the Islander season, by a final of 68-54

Top Performers:
Lakeside
Isiah Brown – 31 points
Kiki Boyle – 20 points

Mercer Island
Sam Nordale and Andrew Pickles – 14 points each

The #1 Bulldogs Handle Seattle Prep, Advance to Metro Final

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The #1 Bulldogs Handle Seattle Prep, Advance to Metro Final
By Colin Caruso

Wednesday February 11 2015 Boys 3A Metro
Ingraham High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Seattle Prep 14 11 15 9 49
Garfield 20 14 16 14 64

Seattle Prep knew they were in for a tough matchup when facing the #1 3A ranked team in the state, the 4A defending champion Garfield Bulldogs. Garfield came out swinging early in the first frame of this contest, putting up a cool 20 on the Panthers, who had no match for the speed and quickness of the Bulldogs. But Prep would not go down without a fight, scoring 14 points on the back of Collin Welp’s 7 to trail by just six going into the second.

The first five minutes of the second quarter all belonged to Seattle Prep. The Panthers zone defense was stifling to the quicker but smaller Bulldogs. Prep cut the Bulldog lead to just one, 26-25 with three minutes to play in the half. But the Bulldogs responded, as they normally do, with a commanding 8-0 run to end the first half with a nine point lead.

Garfield extended their lead again in the third quarter, with sophomores Jashaun Agosto and Jaylen Nowell leading the charge. Prep continued to hang around, but the Bulldogs were in control.

The fourth quarter came down to the final three minutes, with the Bulldogs clinging to a six point lead. Prep could really never get over that barrier, as Agosto forced two late turnovers that sealed the contest for the Bulldogs, 64-49. What a great game!

Top Performers:
Seattle Prep
J’Raan Brooks – 12 points
Jack Stewart and Collin Welp – 11 points

Garfield
Jaylen Nowell – 22 points
Jashaun Agosto – 21 points
Alphonso Anderson – 16 points

Rainier Beach Advances to Metro Final

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Rainier Beach Advances to Metro Final
By Colin Caruso

Wednesday February 11 2015 Boys 3A Metro
Ingraham High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Eastside Catholic 16 17 14 13 60
Rainier Beach 24 20 18 17 79

With a trip to the coveted Metro final at stake, the Rainier Beach Vikings and Eastside Catholic Crusaders clashed at Ingraham High School in front of a packed house. Rainier Beach was a clear favorite in this game, the three time state champs are always ready for the toughest competition in the state.

Beach demonstrated their #2 in state ranking by putting up 24 points in the first quarter. On the back of unbelievable shooting by Shadeed Shabazz and DeJounte Murray, the Crusaders had no response for the shot making and athleticism displayed by the Vikings.

The second quarter was not much better for Eastside Catholic, who struggled defensively and struggled bringing the ball up the floor. Rainier Beach’s lateral quickness is rivaled by only Garfield’s, and it is difficult for any team to bring the ball up against Ivy Smith. Beach extended their lead in the second and took an 11 point lead into halftime.

Eastside began to come back early in the third, cutting the lead to just six points midway through the frame. But the Vikings always had answers, Shabazz and Murray were seemingly un-guardable throughout the contest.

The game turned into more of a blowout later in the fourth, with the Vikings walking away with a comfortable 79-60 win.

Top Performers:
Eastside Catholic
Mandrell Worthy – 16 points
Max Hudgins – 15 points
Andrew Padilla – 14 points

Rainier Beach
DeJounte Murray – 27 points
Shadeed Shabazz – 24 points

Rainier Beach Handles Prep on Senior Night

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Rainier Beach Handles Prep on Senior Night
By Colin Caruso

Friday February 6 2015 Boys 3A Metro
Rainier Beach High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Seattle Prep 16 9 11 18 54
Rainier Beach 14 18 20 9 61

In a clash of titans in the metro league, the Seattle Prep Panthers traveled south to take on the Rainier Beach Vikings. Both teams walked into this contest with 16 wins under their belt, clearly putting themselves in the elite conversation for Metro and for state in 3A hoops.

Prep started the game on a great run, capitalizing on the size mismatches they bring to every game. It is tough for a high school team to matchup against three starters that all measure 6’8″, and that is what the state has to be prepared for against the Panthers.

Prep got off to an early lead, stemmed by a 10-0 run and Jack Stewart’s 2 three pointers. But Beach battled back to trail the first quarter by just two, closing the quarter on a 35 foot bank shot by Washington commit DeJounte Murray.

Beach began to put their foot on the gas in the second quarter. Ivy Smith and Shadeed Shabazz forced numerous turnovers in the Panther backcourt, leading to easy layups and dunks. The second and third quarter were a little messy for the Panthers, who only put up 20 points total against Beach’s 38.

But Prep would not stop battling. Beach assumed they had the game in hand with such a comfortable lead in the fourth, but the Panthers scratched and clawed to cut the lead to just 4 with under two minutes to play. The Vikings again stepped up with their tenacious defense, forced two critical turnovers, and sealed the win with a 61-54 final.

Top Performers:
Seattle Prep
J’Raan Brooks – 14 points
Jack Stewart – 14 points

Rainier Beach
DeJounte Murray – 16 points
Vincenzo Reiser – 15 points

Monster Second Quarter Propels Roosevelt Over Lakeside

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Monster Second Quarter Propels Roosevelt Over Lakeside
By Steven Dion

Tuesday- February 3 2015 Boys 3A Metro
Roosevelt High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Roosevelt 8 23 11 28 70
Lakeside 13 6 10 32 61


Roosevelt Senior Lewis Gregerson-Spencer

The final week of regular season hoops kicked off with a full slate of matchups Tuesday night. A Metro League game with playoff implications attached was the clash between host Roosevelt and Lakeside who are vying for postseason berths. The Lions feature leading Metro scorer in Isiah Brown at 27.6 points per contest where the Riders counter with senior Cam Haslam with a shade under 20 per game. This game carried major weight for deciding the final seeds coming out of the most competitive league in the state.

Lakeside’s tenacious interior defense in the first quarter provided a spark to grab a quick lead. They prevented the Riders from finding a groove on offense early in the game. The gameplan for each team contrasted greatly as the Lions attacked the rim early and Roosevelt ate the bulk of the shot clock by distributing the ball. LHS sophomore Daejon Davis knocked down a difficult lay-up and one at the first quarter buzzer to give his team a 13-8 lead after one frame.

Roosevelt woke up in a big way in the second quarter to the tune of a 16-0 run over the first five minutes. Haslam started heating up by notching 10 of his team-high 26 points in the quarter. The Riders capitalized on Lakeside’s inability to get shots to fall through the cup by setting up good looks to a variety of scorers such as Jakob Bauer and Jonathan Lang. The Lions finally registered their first points of the quarter at 2:06, but were trailing by double digits at that point. At intermission, the home team was buzzin’ as they led by a dozen!

When the second half commenced, Roosevelt kept the pedal down by extending their lead to nearly 20 points and placing the Lions in danger of having the ability to climb back into the game. Isiah Brown reached a point where enough was enough and started to will his team to make a comeback. He used his explosive first step to shed his defender and elevate to the rim. The junior would shoot lights-out from the free throw line in the second half en route to 24 of his game high 30 in the second half. At the end of the third, LHS cut the deficit to 42-29 and their body language displayed they could taste blood in the water.

As the Lions playing eight minutes of frantic catch-up, Roosevelt responded by knocking down timely buckets to quell momentum swings. Lewis Gregerson-Spencer and Carl Salvino made their presence felt by converting on crucial possessions down the stretch. Lakeside’s Davis finished a two-handed slam which sparked a late surge for the visitors including a 5-point boost by Isaiah de la Fuente. At 1:36, the score was 58-51, but the margin of error was razor thin and the Roughriders were able to put the final nail in the coffin. Coach Bart Brandenburg picked up a quality win for the green and yellow.

The Final Score: Roosevelt 70 Lakeside 61

Top Performers:
Roosevelt
Cam Haslam-26 points

Lakeside
Isiah Brown-30 points

Worthy, Thybulle Register 15 Apiece as Crusaders Defeat Prep

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Worthy, Thybulle Register 15 Apiece as Crusaders Defeat Prep
By Steven Dion

Tuesday- January 27 2015 Boys 3A Metro-Mountain
Seattle Prep High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Eastside Catholic 20 10 11 19 60
Seattle Prep 11 10 17 12 50


Eastside Catholic Mandrell Worthy

Any given Tuesday in the Metro League will deliver exciting basketball and showcase some of the top talent in the state of Washington. This particular night featured a clash of top ten squads as Seattle Prep would host the 2013 3A runner-up Eastside Catholic. The Mountain division leader heading into the contest was the Panthers, but a win for the Coach Liley’s Cru would yield identical league records with a tie breaker to Eastside Catholic.

The visitors jumped out to a nice start by converting several offensive possessions into easy buckets through well executed sets. ECHS made use of the shot clock to earn good looks at the cup from crisp ball movement. University of Washington commit Matisse Thybulle netted seven of his fifteen points in the first quarter to help his team pick up an early 20-11 lead. However, the senior forward found himself in foul trouble and Seattle Prep responded with a boost in tempo. Sophomore guard Aaron Nettles dazzled the crowd with crafty passes to teammates and smooth ball handling to get penetration in the paint to open up offensive options. Each time the Panthers picked up momentum, Eastside was able to knock down a rally killer to protect their nine point lead heading into the locker room.

When play resumed, Mike Kelly drew up a new defensive scheme for Prep by plugging Jordan Kitchen into EC’s backcourt. His long 6’8” frame created havoc for the Crusader offense and caused turnovers which sparked a Panther run to tighten up the contest. A 9-2 scoring spree to begin the third quarter caused Eastside Catholic to call a timeout as their lead shrunk to a deuce. J’Raan Brooks established his post presence by finishing tough shots near the cup and registering 8 of his 14 points in the third quarter. Nettles also drained a big three-pointer to help the blue and white climb back into the game heading into the final frame.

Eastside regained their composure in the fourth quarter and knocked down big shots to put pressure on Prep as the clock winded down. The free-throw contest in the final minute put EC to the test as SP tried to extend the contest. They passed with flying colors draining 11 of 13 from the charity stripe. Mandrell Worthy buried the final dagger on a cross-up jumper to give his team a lead they would not sacrifice. With the win, the new leader in the Metro-Mountain division hails from the Sammamish plateau.

The Final Score: Eastside Catholic 60 Seattle Prep 50

Top Performers:
Eastside Catholic
Mandrell Worthy (4/5 FTs) & Matisse Thybulle (2/2 FTs)-15 points

Seattle Prep
Aaron Nettles-17 points (8/10 FTs)

Garfield Remains Unbeaten, Tops Lakeside

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Garfield Remains Unbeaten, Tops Lakeside
By Colin Caruso

Friday- January 9 2015 Boys 3A Metro
Garfield High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Lakeside 23 12 18 14 67
Garfield 15 17 23 28 83

With Lorenzo Romar in the house, watching two of Seattle’s and Washington State’s finest, the Garfield Bulldogs overcame an early deficit but pulled away late to claim their 12th win of the year.

Lakeside started this game on fire, Isiah Brown had 8 points in the first quarter and Daejon Davis had 9, propelling the Lions to a 23-15 lead after one. In speaking with a Lakeside coach after the game, this was one of their best quarters of basketball all year long.

But the scoring slowed down in the second for the Lions, and the Bulldogs began to heat up. A 35-33 halftime lead for Lakeside meant that they needed to come out with a third quarter like their first quarter to keep the momentum.

Garfield began their 3/4 court triangle trap to begin the second half. This caused fits for the Lions, who’s turnovers led to easy leak out baskets for Jashaun Agosto and Jaylen Nowell. Garfield took their first lead with 4:09 remaining in the third, and did not look back from there.

The points came easily to the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter, 28 in total in just 8 minutes. Alphonso Anderson proved his worth scoring 6 in the last frame, as the Bulldogs rolled to remain undefeated on the year.

The Final Score: Garfield 83, Lakeside 67

Top Performers:
Lakeside
Isiah Brown and Isaiah de la Fuente – 17 points

Garfield
Alphonso Anderson – 18 points
Jashaun Agosto – 21 points

Inglemoor Prevails in Nailbiter Over Blanchet

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Inglemoor Prevails in Nailbiter Over Blanchet
By Steven Dion

Monday- January 5 2015 Girls 4A/3A Non-League
Inglemoor High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Inglemoor 13 16 14 9 52
Bishop Blanchet 17 6 14 13 50


Inglemoor Senior Jordana Price

Monday night at Inglemoor High School provided a sneak peek of the kind of basketball seen at the Tacoma Dome in March as the host Vikings battled against the 2013 3A runner up Bishop Blanchet. Unfortunately, these top girls squads in the state will not have a chance to meet in the Hardwood Classic.

Blanchet was able to grab an early lead as three Braves players knocked down 3 pointers in the first quarter. It appeared that this was an integral part of Coach Willison’s game plan due to the Vikings size advantage in the paint. Deja Stother accounted for 6 of the Vikings 13 first quarter points on high ball screens allowing her to attack the rim. However, Strother picked up her second foul late in the first forcing coach John Augustavo to place the senior center on the bench. Jordana Price was able to pick up the slack by burying a pair from downtown for 6 of her 14 big points in the game. The Braves offense stalled in the second frame and in doing so allowed Inglemoor to take the lead. Jadyn Bush fought through some pain from a collision under the hoop in the first quarter which limited her to 4 first half points, but the sophomore leader had a big second half in store as BB trailed by six at the break.

The pace of the game picked up early in the third quarter as both team were getting offensive production up and down the roster. Braves guard Taylor Chambers dished out some great passes to driving teammates and notched some points in the process. Strother picked up some assists in the form of full court heaves to Kennedy Nicholas and Amanda Luckett. Ella DiPietro helped Blanchet cut the lead to one point with 4 minutes remaining. Then, Bush converted on an and-one to give the Braves the lead. However, Jordana Price came up clutch with a three-ball with 38 seconds remaining. This would prove to be the winning score as Inglemoor held onto the slim lead they regained. An exciting finish between the best the state of Washington has to offer!

The Final Score: Inglemoor 52 Bishop Blanchet 50

Top Performers:
Inglemoor
Deja Strother-17 points/Jordana Price-14 points (4 3-pt FGs)

Bishop Blanchet
Jadyn Bush-15 points (5/6 FTs)

The Mighty have Fallen; Eastside Catholic Ends Bellevue’s Reign

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varsity-football-live-webarticle2

Friday Dec. 5th 2014 3A Boys Football
Tacoma Dome 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Bellevue 7 6 0 0 13
Eastside Catholic 0 14 7 14 35

Game Recap below

14-WA-FBall-EastsideCatholic-TeamChamps-12.7-Article2

The Mighty have Fallen; Eastside Catholic Ends Bellevue’s Reign
By Steven Dion

Since 2001, Butch Goncharoff has led Bellevue to 11 of 13 state championships including the previous six consecutive titles. Defeating the Wolverines has taken truly special teams in their era of dominance. Eastside Catholic coach Jeremy Thielbahr had his sights set on becoming the next challenger to the 3A crown and had his fair share of growing pains in the process including back-to-back defeats by Bellevue in the 2012 and 2013 championship games.

The Crusaders and Wolverines steamrolled through their seasons to find themselves playing December football once again. The first two title games these teams played were blowouts in the favor of Bellevue. Everyone at the Tacoma Dome witnessed another lopsided result, but this had a different tune.

Per usual, the Wolverines scored a touchdown on their opening drive, a 5 yard Sam Richmond touchdown run. Playing from behind is never a good way to start against a team approaching its 68th consecutive victory. The Crusaders managed to strike back with a 9 yard touchdown scamper by Brandon Wellington who would score twice more in the contest. Less than a minute later, Isaiah Gilchrist ran a reverse 56 yards to the house to regain the lead. The Wolverines botched the extra point which appeared to give EC a dose of confidence after conceding a big scoring play. The half would close with several read option runs by Crusader quarterback Harley Kirsch which moved the chains and set up a 6 yard strike to Hunter Bryant to give the underdogs a halftime lead.

Bellevue’s commitment to the run was an unsuccessful endeavor in the second half as the Eastside defensive line grew stronger and more aggressive. Justus Rogers had three pass attempts in the game, none of which were completed. Midway through the third, Kirsch found Devon Arbis-Jackson on a short pass which he carried several defenders with him to the goal line for the score. Leading 21-13, the possibility of an upset was becoming a reality. The Wolverines ineptitude on offense was alarming as they ran only 25 offensive plays to EC’s 83 and did not convert a single third or fourth down. The total yard figures were 158 to 414 in favor of the Crusaders.

Early in the fourth quarter Brandon Wellington put Eastside up by two scores on a 1 yard dive play. On the ensuing kickoff, EC recovered the football. Eleven plays later, Wellington was in the end zone again to ice the game. There was 4:18 left on the clock at this point, but leading 35-13, Eastside’s sideline was starting to realize what they had accomplished. Bellevue’s offense was stalled one final time and ECHS was able to run down the clock at their discretion.

When the scoreboard read 0:00, waves of joy, shock, and disappointment were felt throughout the Tacoma Dome as Eastside Catholic defeated Bellevue in convincing fashion. Coach Goncharoff said the better team won the game and he was concerned going into the game about being undersized at the line. Winning coach Jeremy Thielbahr said they had to create an entirely new offensive scheme which Bellevue hadn’t seen them do before. The 3A crown is taking a short trip east to the Issaquah plateau for a year, and maybe more.

Top Performers:
Eastside Catholic
Harley Kirsch-20/22, 188 passing yards and 2TD, 94 rushing yards
Brandon Wellington-33 rushes, 110 yards, 3 touchdowns