16
Curtis vs. Kentwood

Posted on March 5, 2016 by Randall Novak

Varsity Hoops Live Every Friday Night
on Sports Radio 950 KJR-AM

4A	Curtis Vikings
#	Player	FG	3FG	FT	REB	A	F	PTS
1	Zack Paulsen	1-2	1-2	0-0	0	0	2	3
2	Nate Ward	3-6	2-3	1-4	1	3	4	9
3	Aushant Potts-Woods	8-25	1-10	0-0	7	0	4	17
4	Glenn Jordan	6-11	0-2	5-6	4	3	3	17
5	Jordan Parker	0-0	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	0
11	John Moore	2-9	0-0	3-7	8	2	4	7
12	Gage Ferguson	0-0	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	0
15	Sindou Diallo	2-5	0-1	2-2	6	1	2	6
34	Trevor Morrow	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0

4A	Kentwood Conquerors
#	Player	FG	3FG	FT	REB	A	F	PTS
1	Elijah Millon	0-2	0-1	0-0	0	0	1	0
2	Koby Huerta	5-8	2-2	1-2	1	1	3	13
3	Rayvaughn Bolton	4-10	0-2	2-6	7	3	1	10
5	Davonte Sanchez	9-14	0-0	0-0	7	0	4	18
15	Beau Roggenbach	0-4	0-2	2-3	6	3	4	2
21	Armann Gill	0-1	0-1	0-0	1	0	1	0
23	Eli'sha Sheppard	1-1	0-0	0-0	1	0	1	2
25	Darius Lubom	9-10	1-2	2-6	5	4	1	21

Friday- March 4th	2016	Boys	4A	Semi-Finals
Tacoma Dome	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Curtis	14	10	19	16	59
Kentwood	14	13	24	15	66

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

Player Stats
Curtis vs. Central Valley

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Randall Novak

Varsity Hoops Live Every Friday Night
on Sports Radio 950 KJR-AM

4A	Curtis Vikings
#	Player	FG	3FG	FT	REB	A	F	PTS
1	Zack Paulsen	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0
2	Nate Ward	4-8	1-2	2-2	2	2	2	11
3	Aushant Potts-Woods	4-15	1-3	1-2	7	1	2	10
4	Glenn Jordan	2-10	0-1	3-4	5	2	0	7
5	Jordan Parker	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0
11	John Moore	4-7	0-0	5-7	6	0	3	13
12	Gage Ferguson	1-2	1-1	0-0	1	1	0	3
15	Sindou Diallo	4-6	1-1	0-0	2	0	2	9
23	Jase Paulsen	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0
30	Mekhi Hughes	0-1	0-0	0-0	1	0	1	0
32	Brandon Mauss	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0
34	Trevor Morrow	0-0	0-0	1-2	0	1	2	1

4A	Central Valley Bears
#	Player	FG	3FG	FT	REB	A	F	PTS
10	Ryan Rehkow	7-13	0-1	3-4	9	1	4	17
12	Cameron Tucker	1-10	0-3	1-2	9	4	3	3
14	Justis Simmons	1-8	1-7	0-0	2	2	3	3
20	Eli Emerson	2-6	1-4	2-2	5	1	1	7
22	Landon Daines	0-2	0-0	0-0	4	1	1	0
24	Marty Munyon	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	1	0
30	Tanner Sloan	2-5	2-5	0-0	0	1	2	6
32	Michael Plunkitt	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0
34	Jase Edwards	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	2
42	Josh Thomas	2-7	2-4	0-2	6	1	1	6
44	Billy Ames	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0
50	Correy Quinn	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0

Thursday- March 3rd	2016	Boys	4A	State Tournament
Tacoma Dome	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Curtis	15	9	15	15	54
Central Valley	10	16	7	11	44

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

Corosdale Punches Bothell’s Ticket to Tacoma

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Steven Dion

Corosdale Punches Bothell’s Ticket to Tacoma
By Steve Dion

Friday- February 26th	2016	Girls	4A	Regionals
Bellevue College	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Curtis	7	5	13	12	37
Bothell	16	6	16	7	45

Bothell senior Jhasmin Shelton

The nightcap regional game on Friday at Bellevue College featured one-loss Bothell and the Curtis Vikings. With a trip to the tournament on the line, Bothell proved their consistency this season by jumping out to a comfortable first half lead through major contributions by top scorer Taya Corosdale. The senior post recorded 13 of her game-high 17 in the first two quarters to help the Cougs take a 22-12 lead into the break.

Bothell’s lead continued to grow in the third quarter with a series of a transition buckets by Keyonna Jones, Sydney Cowan, and aforementioned Corosdale. However, Curtis sparked a fourth quarter run as a final move of desperation to preserve their season. Jalaiya Frederick and CeDrice Howard recorded a big chunk of their 13 and 11 points respectively down the stretch to draw the contest within six and the momentum in their hands.

Bothell was able to weather the storm by protecting the basketball in the remaining possessions to walk away with an eight point victory. The Cougars will finish their season in Tacoma with a chance to hoist the hardwoood!

The Final Score
Bothell 45, Curtis 37.

Top Performers:

Bothell
Taya Corosdale- 17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks

Curtis
Jalaiya Frederick- 13 points
Cedrice Howard- 11 points, 10 rebounds

Puyallup Secures 2nd Place in SPSL-South Over Jags

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Steven Dion

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

Audio Recap: Emerald Ridge vs. Puyallup

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Steven Dion

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.

Hoops Preview: Narrows & SPSL

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Steven Dion

League Preview presented by theFinalScore.TV

Listen to the Narrows/SPSL Hoops Preview by clicking on play button below

Narrows/SPSL Hoops Preview with TJ Cotterill from The News Tribune

Hoops Preview: Narrows/SPSL- TJ Cotterill from The News Tribune
12-16-15

Federal Way Wins Mismatch 4A Boys State Title

Posted on March 10, 2015 by colincarusoZUMA

Federal Way Wins Mismatch 4A Boys State Title
By Colin Caruso

Saturday March 7	2015	Boys	4A	State Final
Tacoma Dome	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Davis	16	5	11	14	46
Federal Way	20	12	15	18	65

Federal Way Eagles

Let’s get something straight to start this game. This game was the 4A state final. These two teams met on December 6th and Federal Way beat Davis 88-43. I will write that twice for emphasis. 88-43. At Davis High School. A win for Davis would be the biggest, and I mean biggest, in high school basketball history.

Don’t worry, it didn’t happen.

Davis was outmatched at every position on the floor. Not only outmatched but also significantly outsized. But the Pirates hung tough in the first quarter, only trailing by four after one.

Federal Way was able to extend their lead on the back of poor shooting and questionable execution on offense from the Pirates. They resorted to far too many jump shots and did not run any sets in the half court. There were too many possessions of either one or no passes and then a ridiculous shot. Federal Way led 32-21 at the half.

Federal Way kicked off the second half with an 11-2 run to extend their lead to 20, the largest of the game. That lead would be cut to 15 to end the quarter, 47-32.

Davis would come as close as 12 in the fourth quarter. Hats off to them, this was much more of a contest than their 45 point loss to the Eagles in December. Balanced scoring from the Eagles allowed them to finish off a 65-46 victory.

Top Performer:
Federal Way
Jalen McDaniels – 16 points 8 rebounds

Federal Way Claws Their Way to a State Final

Posted on March 7, 2015 by colincarusoZUMA

Federal Way Claws their way to a State Final
By Colin Caruso

Friday February 7th	2015	Boys	4A	State
Tacoma Dome	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Federal Way	26	14	11	10	61
Union	7	20	19	12	58

Federal Way Eagles

In a much deserving matchup of two of the top teams in the state, the Union Titans faced off against the Federal Way Eagles, with an opportunity to face Davis in the 4A state finals. Davis would be a favorable matchup for the Eagles, who doubled up the Pirates early in the year, 88-43.

This game got out of control early. The athleticism of the Eagles was far too much for a one loss Union team to handle. Before anyone in the Tacoma Dome knew what was going on, Federal Way was off to a 23-6 lead and closed the first at 26-7.

Union finally woke up in the second quarter. Coach Conley emphasized defense and taking care of the basketball and that focus brought Union within 12. Unfortunately, they still could not stop Viont’e Daniels. He was in complete control of the first half and at one point had as many points (18) as Union had as a team. The Eagles led by 13, 40-27 at the half.

If you are down 13 at the half and are completely outmatched in both the half court and transition, it pays dividends to come out in the second half with more intensity than your opposition. That is what the Titans did, going on an 8-2 run to start the third, cutting the Eagle lead to just seven. Their momentum continued in the third quarter, and for some reason, Federal Way took their foot off the gas pedal and began to coast offensively. It was a close game going into the fourth, with the Federal Way lead down to just five points.

An immediate three to start the fourth from Micah Paulson of the Titans pulled Union within two points. Two free-throws by Paulson with 6 minutes remaining tied the game, the first tie since the game began. After a few back and forth possessions, Riley Hawken found himself at the line with 2:18 left, shooting two and down two. He made one, and the Eagles led 59-58. Ferron Flavors hit one free-throw for the Eagles to push the lead up to two, 60-58. A beautiful block by Jalen McDaniels gave Federal Way the ball back, but a steal by Hawken put the ball back in the Titans hands with 44 seconds remaining.

Without knowing the time remaining on the shot clock, Union turned the ball over and immediately fouled Christian Jones. Jones missed the front end, but the Eagles pulled an offensive rebound and got the ball to their star, Viont’e Daniels. He also missed the front end, giving Union a chance at the win with a rebound. Paulson got it for the Titans, pulled up for a transition three with 10 seconds remaining and missed everything, rebounded by the Eagles. Jones made one of two, giving the Titans yet another opportunity to tie, but this time Cameron Cranston’s three missed just left, and the Eagles pulled the hang on victory 61-58.

Top Performers:
Federal Way
Viont’e Daniels – 27 points

Union
Micah Paulson – 18 points 5 assists
Riley Hawken – 14 points 11 rebounds

4A State Finals Preview, Bothell vs. Chiawana

Posted on December 5, 2014 by colincarusoZUMA

4A State Finals Preview, Bothell vs. Chiawana
By Colin Caruso

Talk about the matchup of the year in this one. The Bothell Cougars, widely regarded as the top team in 4A all season long, facing off against the defending champions, the Chiawana Riverhawks. I had the unbelievable privilege to watch the Riverhawks in the state final last year, in the best comeback in Washington state football history. Down 13 points with 1 minute to play, the Riverhawks pulled off a miracle victory over the Camas Papermakers. I have never felt so much remorse for a losing team, a team that played perfectly all season and 47 minutes in the championship game, but couldn’t close the door on a team driven by a tenacious defensive line and a quarterback with a will to win.

But this is a new season, and a new team for the Riverhawks. And their competition is tested and ready for battle. The Cougars have looked unbeatable all year. Bothell quarterback Ross Conners is looking like one of the top QBs in the state, but the loss of star running back Sam McPherson may prove costly. Chiawana had the best defensive line in 4A last year, and returned three of those starters last season.

Look for another spectacular game and finish in this one. Chiawana has just one loss this season, to the Papermakers of Camas. Bothell is undefeated and deservedly so, they have outscored their opponents 597-133 on the year. Who will lift the trophy in Tacoma? Come join the action on Saturday night, December 6th, at 7:30pm.

theFinalScore.TV
4A State Football Rankings Week 9

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Randall Novak

theFinalScore.TV
4A State Football Rankings Week 9
By Steven Dion

There has been a little movement this week with teams in the Top 10. Federal Way jumped a couple of spots to number 6. Here is our breakdown of the top teams in the 4A Classification.

1) Camas 9-0, 6-0 League
Coach Eagle has his eyes set on unfinished business from 2013. The Papermakers season will likely wrap up in the woodshed again, but can they raise the hardware?

2) Bothell 9-0, 6-0 League
These Cougars has some serious firepower posting a 422-79 combined scoring tally in the regular season. The blue and white have the pieces to contend.

3) Chiawana 8-1, 7-0 League
Don’t sleep on the reigning champs. This team posted another solid season with the lone loss a non-league clash with fire-breathing Papermakers.

4) Gig Harbor 8-1, 6-0 League
The Tides are playing like tsunamis right now as Coach Chantler’s gradual building of a program has a Narrows 4A title in the bank and a great deal of momentum heading into the playoffs.

5) Union 8-1, 5-1 League
A team that has shown the ability to rise up in nail biters can bode well in November when most games are settled in the waning minutes. The mighty, mighty Titans are not a team to take lightly.

6) Federal Way 7-2, 5-0 League
The Eagles have been dominant since opening the season with a pair of losses. With a healthy linebacker unit and game-breaker Chico McClatcher, the sky is the limit.

7) Kentwood 8-1, 4-0 League
A staunch defense is the cornerstone of Conks football and the regular season did not disappoint as only 78 points have been surrendered in 9 games thus far.

8) Lake Stevens 8-1, 6-0 League
Clawing out a victory over Kamiak may be just what the doctor ordered as the Viks prepare for the postseason. The more reps young Eason gets, the more dangerous Lake Stevens becomes.

9) Gonzaga Prep 8-1, 6-1 League
The parity in the Greater Spokane league has given the Bullpups a well-balanced schedule in which there has not been any push-over weeks. A league championship may not be enough for Prep.

10) Graham-Kapowsin 8-1, 5-1 League
The second of two SPSL Eagles in the top ten rankings finished second to Emerald Ridge in the league standings, but are a top ten talent in the state. Foster Sarell can wreak havoc moving forward.

On the Bubble:
Wenatchee 8-1, 6-0 League
Emerald Ridge 7-2, 6-0 League
Kamiak 7-2, 6-1 League

theFinalScore.TV
4A State Football Rankings Week 7

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Randall Novak

theFinalScore.TV
4A State Football Rankings Week 7
By Steven Dion

Our team has scoured the entire state of Washington to see who might raise the trophy over their heads in December. As league play comes to an end and the playoffs quickly approach, here is our breakdown of the top teams in the 4A Classification.

1) Camas 7-0, 4-0 League
The 2013 state runner-up a season ago has wins over 3 of the top 10 in 4A (Camas, Federal Way, Union) earning the Papermakers the top spot.

2) Bothell 7-0, 5-0 League
Last week’s 56-0 dismantling of Skyline on the plateau was impressive. Bainter’s Cougs are firing on all cylinders as the playoffs approach.

3) Chiawana 6-1, 5-0 League
The defending state champs took down a tough Walla Walla team on the road last Friday. Falling to a hungry Camas squad by two points in week one is the only blemish on the schedule.

4) Union 6-1, 3-1 League
The Titans earned a road win against top-10 Federal Way in the season opener. Their only loss? Last Friday against Camas by the score of 37-20.

5) Gig Harbor 6-1, 4-0 League
Beating Olympia 45-14 is a clear indicator the Tides are steadily climbing up the 4A ranks. As the season unfolds, the win over Peninsula looks more impressive. Eastlake is the only loss on the record.

6) Gonzaga Prep 6-1, 4-1 League
The Bullpups shut-out Bellarmine Prep 17-0 early in the season and also have a nice win over Mt. Spokane. The lone blemish this season is a fluky loss against league opponent Shadle Park.

7) Kentwood 6-1, 3-0 League
The Conks are only allowing one touchdown per game this season. Yep, 7 points! The 35-14 win over Emerald Ridge was nice but a recent loss vs. Federal Way may be the only true test thus far.

8) Lake Stevens 6-1, 5-0 League
Since falling to Marysville-Pilchuck in week two, the Vikings have rolled out some blowout wins. Jacob Eason and the Viks square off against a tough Kamiak team on Friday.

9) Graham-Kapowsin 6-1, 3-1 League
Taking down the Spartans at Skyline HS on September 10^th in front of a packed house shows the Eagles have grit to close out games. Losing to Emerald Ridge by a field goal is GK’s one trip-up this season.

10) Federal Way 5-2, 4-0 League
Meagher’s Eagles were slow out of the gates as they squandered a lead to #4 Union in week one and were blown out in week two by #1 Camas. Since then? 5-0 including a win over #6 Kentwood on the road.

Graham-Kapowsin Shocks Skyline

Posted on October 16, 2014 by colincarusoZUMA

Friday	Oct. 10th	2014	4A	Boys	Football
Spartan Stadium	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Graham-Kapowsin	0	14	3	0	17
Skyline	7	7	0	0	14

Graham-Kapowsin Shocks Skyline
By Colin Caruso

On a beautiful evening on the Issaquah plateau, the Graham-Kapowsin Eagles travelled north to face off against the home side Skyline Spartans. It was homecoming for the Spartans and their crowd was in full force expecting a win in this non-conference matchup. The Eagles and their strong fan base had different plans.

The game began in typical Skyline fashion, with a long drive of both passing and running, capped off by a 1 yard touchdown run by Rashaad Boddie. After a failed fourth and goal attempt for the Eagles on their next drive, the Eagles forced a punt from the Spartans and capitalized mid-way through the second on an Asbjornsen pass to Walkinshaw to tie the game at 7.

Skyline responded, as they typically do, with another great drive, and a touchdown pass from Blake Gregory to Derek Loville. Loville had a huge day for the Spartans; he finished the day with 162 yards receiving. But he wasn’t targeted as much in the second half despite single coverage, and this proved catastrophic for the Spartans.

Graham-Kapowsin tightened their defense immensely in the second half. The Eagles held the Spartans to negative 32 yards rushing in the second half, negative 11 from Boddie. The Eagles 6’6″ 310 pound sophomore Foster Sarell became the big play maker, clogging up the line on defense and blocking well against one of the state’s best pass rushers, Skyline’s Cameron Saffle.

This stifling defense did not allow a point in the second half, while the Eagles added just one field goal, which proved to be the game winner. Graham-Kapowsin came up with the big road win, 17-14.

Top Performers:
Graham-Kapowsin
Trevor Asbjornsen – 17-28 for 192 yards and 1TD
Shannon Edwards – 20 carries for 114 yards and 1TD

Skyline
Blake Gregory – 20-37 for 282 yards and 1TD
Derek Loville – 9 catches for 162 yards and 1TD

Prosser Tramples Emerald Ridge

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Randall Novak

Saturday	Sept. 6th	2014	2A/4A	Boys	Football
Memorial Stadium	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Prosser	7	28	13	14	62
Emerald Ridge	7	7	6	0	20

Game Recap below

Prosser Tramples Emerald Ridge
By Colin Caruso

When a 2A team matches up with a 4A team, we all assume the 4A team with over 800 more students would have a distinct advantage. Not when you play Prosser, who maintains one of the best football programs in the state. The third matchup in the annual Emerald City Kickoff Classic turned sour quickly for the Emerald Ridge Jaguars, who faced off against the Prosser Mustangs.

Both teams battled well in the first quarter, with a score of 7-7 going into the second. This is when Prosser moved into a second gear.

The Mustangs scored 28 straight points in the second quarter, capitalizing off of turnovers from Emerald Ridge. On the back of Kason Blair and Cardell Jones, the Mustangs continued to build their lead into the third and fourth quarters.

The big difference in this game was the rushing game. Prosser had 39 total carries for 269 yards, while Emerald Ridge had 16 carries for 15 yards. Griffin Meyers, quarterback of the Jaguars had a good day with three touchdown passes, but the Emerald Ridge defense could do nothing to stop the storming Mustangs. Prosser took this one 62-20.

Top Performers:
Prosser
Isaiah Sanders- 13 carries for 101 yards
Cardell Jones- 3 catches for 107 yards and 2 TDs

Emerald Ridge
Griffin Meyers- 12-28 for 186 yards and 3TDs

Gonzaga Prep Comes Back from 12 down to Win State Title

Posted on March 10, 2014 by colincarusoZUMA

Saturday	March 8th	2014	4A	Girls	Basketball
Tacoma Dome	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Gonzaga Prep	17	10	15	11	53
Mount Rainier	16	18	13	4	51

Gonzaga Prep Comes Back from 12 down to Win State Title
By Colin Caruso

The Tacoma Dome was rocking for the 4A girls state final between the one loss Gonzaga Prep Bullpups and the Mount Rainier Rams. Mount Rainier is led by Brittany McPhee, a former Gatorade state player of the year and one of the states finest players.

The first half showed a lot of McPhee, who worked hard to get her shots and scored a half high 17 points. Hannah Caudill for the Bullpups led her team with 11 points in the first, and kept them within striking distance for the second half. Mount Rainier took a seven point lead, 34-27 into the locker room.

McPhee kept up her scoring in the third quarter. She added nine more in the frame and Mount Rainier began to pull away from the Bullpups, ahead by ten points with three minutes remaining. But Gonzaga Prep put together a much needed 6-0 run to cut the lead back down to four. The Rams led by five, 47-42 going into the fourth.

Early in the fourth belonged to the Bullpups. Otiona Gildon converted on back to back pick and roll layups, trimming the lead to just one with four minutes remaining. With two minutes of no scoring, Gildon converted on two more layups, going on a personal 8-0 run and putting the Bullpups up by three with under a minute to play.

Kaiti Freeberg finally ended the Rams drought, converting on a layup with 17.5 seconds on the clock. Still trailing by one, the Rams were forced to foul to put the Bullpups on the line. Unfortunately they only committed three team fouls and there was less than one minute remaining. So when they finally got to a bonus situation, there were just three seconds on the clock. Caudill converted on one of two from the line for the Pups and Mount Rainier was unable to get a good shot off before the buzzer. Congratulations to the Bullpups in a 53-51 win!

Top Performers:
Gonzaga Prep
Otiona Gildon – 18 points, 15 rebounds
Laura Stockton – 11 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks

Mount Rainier
Brittany McPhee – 28 points, 19 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 steals

Undefeated Richland Advances to 4A State Final

Posted on March 8, 2014 by colincarusoZUMA

Saturday	March 8th	2014	4A	Boys	Basketball
Tacoma Dome	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Todd Beamer	12	8	21	20	61
Richland	14	19	22	20	75

Undefeated Richland Advances to 4A State Final
By Colin Caruso

In the nightcap 4A boys game, the undefeated Richland Bombers faced off against the 22-4 Todd Beamer Titans. Outside of Nathan Streufert for the Bombers at 6’7”, Beamer had a complete size advantage in this matchup. This did not bother the Bombers, as they put together a nice 10-2 run in the first and took a 14-12 lead into the second.

Beamer struggled offensively throughout the second; their one on one mentality resulted in a lot of misses and no second chance opportunities. On the other side of the floor, Richland found no problems putting the ball through the hoop. Bomber Steven Beo had a great first half with 11 points, and Richland went into the locker room feeling good with a 13 point lead.

Beo took over to start the third quarter. He hit three straight three pointers for the Bombers, pushing their lead to 19. But Beamer would not let the game get out of hand. They continued to battle and clawed their way back to a ten point deficit on threes from Quadir Williams and Bogdon Bliznyuk. Fouls began to plague both teams late in the quarter, as Raybonne Freeman for the Titans and Nathan Streufert for the Bombers both gathered their fourth. Richland extended their lead to 14 going into the fourth.

The 14 point lead ballooned to as many as 20 for the Bombers, who were not bothered at all by the Beamer press. Beamer could not get back into this one; too many miscues on offense and phenomenal shooting from the Bombers. Richland took this one with ease, 75-61, and will face the Garfield Bulldogs for the 4A state final.

Top Performers:
Todd Beamer
Charles Frazier – 13 points, 8 rebounds

Richland
Steven Beo – 29 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Jacob DeVries – 18 points, 8 rebounds
Nathan Streufert – 8 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists

Beamer Fever Advances to State Semis

Posted on March 7, 2014 by colincarusoZUMA

Thursday	March 6th	2014	4A	Boys	Basketball
Tacoma Dome	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Gonzaga Prep	14	14	10	11	49
Todd Beamer	12	4	19	22	57

Beamer Fever Advances to State Semis
By Colin Caruso

In one of the bigger size mismatches of the day, the Todd Beamer Titans faced off against the Bullpups from Gonzaga Prep to secure a spot in the 4A state semifinal. Beamer started the game on a strong 8-2 run, utilizing their size and strength to get shots close to the hoop. But Gonzaga Prep answered with a 12-4 run to close the quarter with a two point lead 14-12.

The Bullpups made up for the size differential with a higher level of intensity. Gonzaga Prep added a 7-0 run on top of their 12-4 run in the first to take an early nine point advantage, 21-12. Beamer seemed very stagnant on the offensive side, too much standing around and not enough screening and cutting. Gonzaga Prep took a 28-16 lead into half.

Beamer finally adopted their diamond full court trap to start the second half, which completely stifled the Bullpup offense. Beamer’s length was in the passing lanes on every possession and they started the quarter on a 15-2 run to take their first lead since the first quarter. Gonzaga Prep recaptured their lead on back to back threes, but Beamer was back in the game, trailing by just three going into the fourth 38-35.

Beamer closed the three point lead in a hurry, and the teams repeatedly exchanged leads down the stretch. The Titans snagged the lead by two on a Bogdon Bliznyuk three with two minutes to play. Quadir Williams added two free-throws for Beamer, extending their lead to four. Sam Dowd answered for the Bullpups with two free-throws of his own, trimming the lead to two with one minute to play. The Titans answered with a Charles Frazier layup, a defensive rebound, and two more Quadir Williams free-throws to take a six point lead. Another miss for the Bullpups led to two more free-throws for the Titans, extending their lead to eight with less than thirty seconds to play. But a quick two and a turnover for the Titans led to a three pointer by Brendan McClary. The Bullpups were within three with just 22 seconds remaining. Frazier hit one from the line to extend the lead to four, and Williams added two more from the stripe to take a six point lead with ten seconds to play. The Titans put together a great comeback, winning 57-49 and advancing to the state semifinal.

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Top Performers:
Gonzaga Prep
Sam Dowd – 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals
Brendan McClary – 12 points, 4 steals

Todd Beamer
Quadir Williams – 18 points, 6 rebounds
Trey Burch Manning – 15 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals

Garfield Dominates one-loss Kentridge

Posted on March 7, 2014 by colincarusoZUMA

Thursday	March 6th	2014	4A	Boys	Basketball
Tacoma Dome	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Kentridge	10	2	10	19	41
Garfield	17	17	15	14	63

Garfield Dominates one-loss Kentridge
By Colin Caruso

In another rough quarterfinal matchup, the one loss Garfield Bulldogs faced off against the one loss Kentridge Chargers for a berth to the 4A state semifinal. Both teams’ losses came late in the year to teams still playing, with Garfield’s loss coming to Issaquah and Kentridge’s loss coming to Todd Beamer.

Garfield jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead in this one, but Kentridge leading scorer Jawan Stepney would not let Garfield make it a blowout. Stepney answered with back to back threes for the Chargers, which kept them in the contest, as the Bulldogs kept their foot to the pedal. Garfield led 17-10 after one quarter.

Kentridge needed to answer to start the second, and it simply did not happen. Garfield held the Chargers to two points in the second quarter, while putting up 17 on their own. Turnovers were the story; 12 total for the Chargers leading to 14 Garfield points off. Kentridge could not get good shots up and Garfield continued their tenacious defensive pressure. Garfield took a commanding 34-12 lead into the half.

The second half looked a lot like the first half in this game, with Garfield controlling the scoring and the pace. Kentridge closed the gap significantly late in the fourth to lose by 22. Their largest deficit was 28 points early in the fourth. Garfield will advance to the 4A state semifinal.

Top Performers:
Kentridge
Jawan Stepney – 13 points, 3 rebounds

Garfield
Tramaine Isabell – 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals

Mount Rainier Takes down Inglemoor, Advances to State Semis

Posted on March 7, 2014 by colincarusoZUMA

Thursday	March 6th	2014	4A	Girls	Basketball
Tacoma Dome	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Inglemoor	11	17	7	22	57
Mount Rainier	20	17	15	12	64

Mount Rainier Takes down Inglemoor, Advances to State Semis
By Colin Caruso

In an unfortunate matchup in the round of eight between two of the state’s best 4A girls programs, the McPhee led Mount Rainier Rams took on the Inglemoor Vikings. The Rams are 24-3 on the year, with big wins over two final eight teams, Kentwood and Skyview. Inglemoor is led by post Deja Strother, and they are 21-3 on the season.

Mount Rainier exploded offensively in the first half. They played quicker and with more poise than their competition, and led by as many as 12 points. The McPhee twins combined for 18 points in the first half, but the team was led by Aqeelah Williams’ 11. Strother and Mackenzie Gardner kept the Vikings in the contest with 12 points each, but only two other players for the Vikings scored in the first half. Mount Rainier led 46-33 at the break.

Mount Rainier continued to play fundamentally sound basketball in the third, pushing their lead to as many as 19. It seemed as if the Rams got their hands on every entry pass to Strother, gathering the loose balls and getting out in transition. After three, Mount Rainier led 52-35.
Inglemoor needed a big run to get back into this game, down 17 entering in the fourth. They picked up their defense and the shots began to fall for the Vikings, who started the quarter on a 13-7 run. But it was too little too late. The Vikings won the quarter 22-12, but lost by seven, 64-57. The win for the Rams avenged an earlier season loss to the Vikings, a game Inglemoor won by 15.

Top Performers:
Inglemoor
Deja Strother – 25 points (11-15 FG), 18 rebounds (9 offensive), 2 blocks
Mackenzie Gardner – 14 points, 4 assists

Mount Rainier
Brittany McPhee – 19 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals
Jordan McPhee – 12 points, 4 steals

Emerald Ridge Extends Season With Victory Over Tahoma

Posted on February 21, 2014 by colincarusoZUMA

Saturday	Feb 15th	2014	4A	Boys	Basketball
Mount Tahoma High	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Emerald Ridge	7	19	24	15	65
Tahoma	6	13	13	15	47

Emerald Ridge Extends Season With Victory Over Tahoma
By Steven Dion

Game two of the slate of District 3/4 matchups at Mount Tahoma High School on Saturday featured another consolation game with loser-out stakes attached to it and winner advances. The teams set to play were the Emerald Ridge Jaguars from South Hill and Tahoma Bears. This battle between SPSL South and North was prime for exciting play from both sides. Both teams suffered close losses in the first round of districts. Emerald Ridge fell to Stadium by one point on short rest whereas Tahoma was defeated by five points against the defending state champs in Curtis.

Tahoma picked up an early lead in the game by way of a 6-0 run in the opening minutes. Emerald Ridge had open looks, but nothing was falling until their first points of the game came with 2:51 left in the first frame on free throws. Jaguar senior post Goa Mal was a key bench player as his length in the paint created solid interior pressure. ER finally got rolling and rattled off seven straight to take the lead. They would not look back the rest of the way. Jaguar guard Marcus Harris was not afraid to let it fly in this game and despite spotty shooting at times, the senior made enough to keep warranting opportunities. Tahoma’s leading scorer Coleman Wooten was held to five points in the first half who averages nearly 26 a ballgame. At the break, the Jags led 26-19.

Much like Mal’s impact noted earlier, more of Emerald Ridge’s several role players were highlighted in the second half. Guillermo Alcaraz knocked down some back-breaking And-1s that extended the ER lead in the third. The final minute in the quarter was the Raeshon Scales Show as the sophomore buried 3 triples including one at the buzzer in front of his own bench where he was promptly mobbed afterwards. Leading 50-32 in the final quarter, the Jags were in the driver’s seat. Tahoma was resilient and earned 10 trips to the free throw line in the final eight minutes, making 8. However, Harris’ 31 points and solid contributions up and down the roster sealed a respectable victory for the Jaguars, who live to see another day in districts.

Top Performers:
Emerald Ridge
Marcus Harris-31 points (10/14 FT’s including making both after getting poked in the eye)

Tahoma
Coleman Wooten-20 points (7/11 FT’s)

Reigning Champs Curtis Prevails Over Conks

Posted on February 21, 2014 by colincarusoZUMA

Tuesday	Feb 11th	2014	4A	Boys	Basketball
ShoWare Center	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Curtis	17	21	16	10	64
Kentwood	14	11	13	14	52

Reigning Champs Curtis Prevails Over Conks
By Steven Dion

The battle for third and fourth place in the final regular season standings of the South Puget Sound League featured the defending 4A champions in Curtis and a dark horse Kentwood squad. Tim Kelly’s Vikings are mostly a new-look squad compared to the victorious team of last year with some familiar faces. However, Curtis is still a formidable contender to make a run in the 4A tournament. The Conks have firepower primarily through freshman guard Darius Lubom. Blake Solomon’s Kentwood team is able to contend with top teams now, but is built for a bright future with their young talent.

Curtis established their desire to execute on both sides of the court and were able to shoot an efficient 64% from the field in the first quarter while limiting the opposition to 40% field goals. The Viking defense effectively forced several turnovers by pressuring the Conks to dribble through traffic. Kentwood seemed to struggle finding continuity offensively, but managed to put up enough points to keep the game within reach needing a strong second half. Lubom’s ten points in the first two frames helped to cut a big KHS deficit to 13 before the break.

It appeared Curtis had the Conks on the ropes early in the second half as the lead continued to grow early in the third, but the Viks seemingly took their collective foot off the pedal slightly. Free throws began to rim out and sloppy offensive play gave Kentwood a window to climb back into the contest. The Conks cut down the Curtis lead to single digits, but there was not enough clock for KHS to reach the summit. At the end of regulation, the 2013 4A champs came away with a 64-52 win, good for a third place finish in the South Puget Sound League. The Viks have their work cut out for them if their season is to wrap up at the Tacoma Dome again come March.

Top Performers:
Kentwood
Darius Lubom – 14 points (5/8 FG’s, 3/5 FT’s)

Curtis
Aushanti Potts-Woods – 19 points (8/15 FG’s, 3/3 FT’s)

Kentwood Girls Conquer the Viks in Third Place SPSL Showdown

Posted on February 21, 2014 by colincarusoZUMA

Tuesday	Feb 11th	2014	4A	Girls	Basketball
ShoWare Center	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Kentwood	17	13	10	17	57
Puyallup	8	16	8	14	46

Kentwood Girls Conquer the Viks in Third Place SPSL Showdown
By Steven Dion

The first of four matchups at the ShoWare Center on Tuesday night was the battle for third place in the SPSL between Kentwood and Puyallup. The Conks are led by University of Hawaii commit Sarah Toeaina, a 12-letter varsity earner. Puyallup features a dynamic guard/post duo of Braylie Jeffers and Addie Picha. This north versus south battle would provide an admirable third place finish in a competitive South Puget Sound League.

Kentwood took an early grip of this contest by grabbing a double digit lead in the first half. The physicality of this game was prominent as there were Vikings and Conquerors strewn along the hardwood fighting for loose balls. The Lady Viks were able to pull themselves out of a big deficit before the conclusion of the first half, primarily through a pair of triples by Jeffers and Sarah Steimle. The Conks took a 30-24 lead into the locker room.

As if the intensity in the first half was not enough for those in the grandstands, the second half jumped up another notch in the final sixteen minutes. Coach Ainslie put Christina Holland on the floor in the third quarter for PHS and picked up a noticeable return in energy and momentum for the Viks. The Conks countered with strong play by Alycea DeLong, a primarily contributor of offensive rebounds and second chances at the offensive end of the floor. Puyallup clawed back in the contest and were within one to two possessions during the fourth quarter, but the intentional foul game started. Toeaina demonstrated the senior leadership by knocking downs shots from the charity stripe and effectively sealed the deal for the Conquerors. Final score: Kentwood 57 Puyallup 46.

Top Performers:
Kentwood
Sarah Toeaina – 16 points (10/14 FT’s)

Puyallup
Addie Picha – 14 points

Kentridge Remains Undefeated With Win Over Auburn

Posted on January 28, 2014 by colincarusoZUMA

Friday	Jan 25th	2014	4A	Boys	Basketball
Kentridge High	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Auburn	8	12	11	16	47
Kentridge	14	14	18	18	64

Kentridge Remains Undefeated With Win Over Auburn
By Steven Dion

The Chargers are one of the few teams in the state that has not lost a single game this season and is quietly emerging in the state rankings as one of the top teams in 4A. Hailing from the SPSL North, Kentridge would have to contend with the second place Auburn Trojans (8-3 league, 10-5 overall) to keep the blemish-free mark in the standings. The gut reaction heading into this contest was the size advantage down low for the host Chargers as Chris Adams and Danny Torlai standing at 6’7 and 6’6 respectively had a distinct size advantage to Auburn’s forwards that peak at the 6’3 range. It was intriguing to see if Ryan Hansen could draw up a plan to upset first place Kentridge.

The first frame consisted of both teams trading buckets early as a Marquise Prater three-ball energized the visiting Trojans. However, the Chargers offense got rolling and carried a 14-8 lead after one frame of play. Kentridge built on this lead by using their size advantage down low to convert on close range buckets. Auburn was able to tie the ball game at 18 apiece midway through the second by forcing Kentridge to take some outside shots, which were not falling. A 10-2 run to close the first half by KRHS gave the home team a 28-20 lead going into the half.

Dave Jamison’s Chargers picked up where they left off in the third quarter as the monstrous presence of senior Chris Adams on defense led to smooth offensive transitions which consisted of no-look passes by either Deon Thomas or Jawan Stepney to Danny Torial under the bucket time after time. Thomas nailed all six of his points on consecutive possessions as a three-pointer, defensive stop, and another triple built a 46-31 lead after three quarters. Auburn senior Rio Paul scored a big chunk of his game-high 24 points in the final frame by knocking down tough shots. With a comfortable lead, Kentridge was content to challenge Paul, but not over-extend defensively and give the 6’2 wing extra points from the charity stripe. An alley-oop dunk from Thomas to Stepney followed by an Adams two handed slam and a fourth and final block by the big senior put a bow on this contest to keep Kentridge undefeated at 17-0.

Top Performers:
Auburn
Rio Paul – 24 points

Kentridge
Danny Torlai – 20 points, 9 rebounds

Jefferson (OR) Barely Hangs on to Defeat Beamer

Posted on January 23, 2014 by colincarusoZUMA

Monday	Jan 20th	2014	4A	Boys	Basketball
Garfield High	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Jefferson (OR)	24	24	5	14	67
Todd Beamer	11	11	21	17	60

Jefferson (OR) Barely Hangs on to Defeat Beamer
By Colin Caruso

In the final game of the Unity in the Community Showcase, the Todd Beamer Titans hosted the Jefferson Democrats from Oregon. Unfortunately for Root Sports they did not televise this game, as this was by far the most entertaining matchup. Jefferson has one loss on the year, to the mighty Rainier Beach Vikings. Beamer also had one loss entering this contest, to the Lincoln Abes.

Jefferson began this contest unconsciously hot from long range. Back to back 24 point quarters with a total of eight three pointers made put the Beamer Titans in a big hole. Also, Beamer couldn’t get past the two towers for the Democrats, both standing over 6’9″ and turning away most shots at the rim. Jefferson led convincingly 48-22 at the half.

The Beamer staff decided that after the first half it was time to put into effect the terrorizing Beamer full court press. Todd Beamer is an interesting team in that they have five or six players who all hover around the 6’4″ and 6’5″ range who all move well. Their diamond press proved extremely challenging for the Democrats, who only put up 5 points in the third quarter.

By pressing with your best players, you also risk the occurrences of random fouls far away from the basket. This began to hurt the Titans, as their leading scorer in the contest and captain Trey Burch-Manning fouled out. This put a cap to the fantastic comeback for Todd Beamer, who once came as close as four points late in the fourth quarter. But Jefferson held on while only scoring 19 points in the second half to a 67-60 win.

Top Performer:
Jefferson
Silas Melson – 25 points

Clash of Nobility Resulted in King’s Knights Victory over Royals

Posted on January 3, 2014 by colincarusoZUMA

Thursday	Dec 26th	2013	4A-1A	Boys	Basketball
Kennedy High	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
King's	16	16	14	18	64
Kent Meridian	12	10	14	20	56

See game recap below

Clash of Nobility Resulted in King’s Knights Victory over Royals
By Steven Dion

Game three of the first round of the Christmas Classic at Kennedy High School mashed up a 1A school in King’s against the 4A Royals of Kent-Meridian. The guard duo of Quincy Brown and Romaine Jackson would prove to be a tough matchup for a King’s roster loaded with forwards. However, Rick Skeen’s has prepared his Knights to be able to play up against higher classification teams.

The Royals quickly established they wanted to run up and down the floor on both sides of the ball. King’s adjusted nicely and their ball movement was able to counteract KM’s energy. The backcourt presence of Royals guards opened up the King’s attacking zone and their superior ball-movement led to easy buckets. Seven Knights scored in the first quarter and as a result led 16-12 after the first quarter. KMHS head coach Brian Lockhart made a defensive adjustment in the second frame to apply slightly less pressure in the King’s backcourt forcing them to move the ball up the floor. Brown and Jackson began to jump into passing lanes and set up the Royals for some transition buckets. Junior Chris Lewis nailed another three pointer in the period; one of his five from downtown in the contest. However, King’s was able to match their sixteen points from the first quarter to carry a 32-22 lead into the break.

Trailing by double digits meant Kent-Meridian would have to take some chances on the offensive end to claw back into the contest. Shooting triples appeared to be their strategy in doing so. Lewis knocked down a pair from downtown in the third, but the team shooting percentage was low. King’s continued their gritty attack in the paint and protected their ten point lead going into the fourth. The Royals put together a solid fourth quarter, but failure to bury buckets from close range dashed their hope of vying for the lead. Freshman Knight Corey Kispert pulled down several critical rebounds in addition to scoring a game-high twenty points. When the buzzer sounded, King’s claimed a 64-56 win.

Top Performer:
King’s
Corey Kispert – 20 points (4/7 FT’s)

Cleveland Rings in New Year With Win Over Lynnwood

Posted on January 3, 2014 by colincarusoZUMA

Wednesday	Jan 1st	2013	3A-4A	Girls	Basketball
Cleveland High	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Lynnwood	11	16	19	13	59
Cleveland	14	3	11	21	49

See game recap below

Cleveland Rings in New Year With Win Over Lynnwood
By Steven Dion

The first day of 2014 granted high school hoops fans a great New Year’s gift in the form of a matchup between undefeated Lynnwood and defending 3A champions Cleveland. It was evident that this game was the place to be in Seattle on Wednesday night because the Eagles gymnasium was packed. The line to enter extended outside the school and did not shrink until the second quarter. The stage was set for a showdown between two of the top girls basketball programs in the state.

Lynnwood jumped out to an early lead by knocking down shots from the paint. The Royals were able to move the ball well in the half-court offense and set up high percentage scoring opportunities. The host Eagles were able to keep pace and trailed LHS by three after one quarter. The second quarter completely changed the complexion of the game. The Royals shots stopped falling and Cleveland’s pesky defense translated to points on the other end of the floor. Alexia Mefi’s blocks brought the capacity crowd to its feet. The Eagles outscored the Royals 16-3 in the second quarter and led 27-17 at the break.

CHS picked up where they left off in the third quarter as senior Makayla Roper drained four field goals in the frame. The deficit increased as the fourth quarter commenced with a 46 to 28 lead in favor of Stephenie Wheeler-Smith’s squad. The contest garnered some interest in the fourth as Lynnwood was able to extend the ball game and get to the free throw line. The Royals were able to cut the Eagles lead to eight points late, but Cleveland held on to pick up a 59-49 victory.

Top Performer:
Cleveland
Makayla Roper – 17 points (2/3 FT’s, 3 3 pt FG’s)

Stanwood Proves too much for Jefferson

Posted on December 27, 2013 by colincarusoZUMA

Saturday	Dec 21st	2013	3A-4A	Boys	Basketball
ShoWare Center	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Stanwood	13	16	19	11	59
Jefferson	6	16	11	12	46

See game recap below

Stanwood Proves too much for Jefferson
By Colin Caruso

In the fourth game on the day at the ShoWare Center in Kent, in a non-league matchup, the Jefferson Raiders took on the Stanwood Spartans for bragging rights. Jefferson had a tough time finding the hoop in the first quarter, falling behind 13-7 after one. They were down as many as nine in the first half twice, but continued to battle back on spread out scoring from their starters. The Raiders cut the lead to just six at the half, despite shooting below 50% from the line and allowing two more made three pointers.

The Spartans came out of the locker room early, getting a few shots up prior to starting the second half. Jefferson came out after the halftime horn blew, giving them no shots and no touches on the ball during the half. This seemed to favor Stanwood, as they put together another strong quarter, exploiting the Jefferson 2-3 zone and converting on easy layups. Stanwood led 48-34 going into the fourth.

With a comfortable lead entering the fourth, the Spartans were able to slow the game down for the final eight minutes. Four Spartans scored in double figures, led by Josh Thayer with 17 and Drew Stang with 15. Only one Raider ended up in double figures, Xavier Scott, who scored all 12 of his points in the second half. Stanwood took the non-league contest 59-46.

Top Performers:
Stanwood
Skout Roberson – 14 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals
Josh Thayer – 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals

Jefferson
Xavier Scott – 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals
Cordae Mcafee – 8 points, 8 rebounds

Timberwolves Claw Their Way to Victory in Win Over Auburn-Mountainview

Posted on December 23, 2013 by colincarusoZUMA

Saturday	Dec 21st	2013	4A	Girls	Basketball
ShoWare Center	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Jackson	13	14	12	20	59
Auburn Mountainview	16	8	18	11	53

See game recap below

Timberwolves Claw Their Way to Victory in Win Over Auburn-Mountainview
By Steven Dion

In the opening round of the ShoWare Shootout, Wesco met SPSL in a matchup between Jackson and Auburn-Mountainview. The Timberwolves’ dynamic guard combo of Faithaleen Lopez-Flores and Sierra Anderson accounted for the bulk of Jackson scoring. In addition to their 17 and 25 points respectively, they logged all thirty-two minutes of play. AMHS grabbed a first quarter lead, but an eight point second quarter found them trailing 24-27 at the half.

The Lions dominated several key statistical categories that are general indicators of victory including second-chance points and bench scoring, but low field-goal percentage on the game (30%) plagued Auburn-Mountaiview’s ability to sustain scoring momentum. With the game in the balance, Jackson’s reliable senior Anderson stepped up and knocked down clutch buckets and converted at the charity stripe with a perfect eight for eight. For this Timberwolves squad to be a front-runner in the 4A Wesco league, they will need to incorporate more scoring options, especially their forwards. Auburn-Mountain is almost entirely composed of seniors, so it is imperative for the Lions to play with urgency to make a run come February.

Top Performers:
Jackson
Sierra Anderson – 25 points (8/14 FGs, 8/8 FT’s), 4 assists, 3 steals

Todd Beamer’s Stifling D Smothers Inglemoor

Posted on December 16, 2013 by colincarusoZUMA

Saturday	Dec 14th	2013	4A	Boys	Basketball
Highline CC	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Inglemoor	7	4	7	15	33
Todd Beamer	8	20	12	13	53

See game recap below

Todd Beamer’s Stifling D Smothers Inglemoor
By Colin Caruso

The Todd Beamer Titans gave the Inglemoor Vikings a long Saturday afternoon, allowing just 11 points in the first half to the Vikings, and forcing nine steals. The first quarter was close, with Beamer taking the slightest one point lead into the second. But with a veteran team with the likes of Trey Burch-Manning and Bogdon Bliznyuk, you knew the Titans were going to start heating up.

The Beamer 1-3-1 press in the second quarter was stifling. They forced turnover after turnover and the Vikings could not seem to figure the press out. After a 20-4 second quarter in favor of the Titans, the game was fully in Todd Beamer’s hands.

Beamer came out in the second half still hot from the second quarter, but slowed the game down as the third quarter winded down. In the fourth, Lynnwood was finally able to break the 10 point mark in a quarter, scoring 15 against the Titan reserves. Beamer showed a great defensive performance in this game. Don’t be surprised if you see them playing late in February like they did last year.

Top Performers:
Inglemoor
William Luckett – 9 points, 8 rebounds

Todd Beamer
Trey Burch-Manning – 16 points, 8 rebounds
Bogdon Bliznyuk – 12 points, 8 rebounds

Lynnwood Girls Take Down Mount Rainier in Double OT Thriller

Posted on December 16, 2013 by colincarusoZUMA

Saturday	Dec 14th	2013	4A	Girls	Basketball
Highline CC	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	OT1	OT2	Final
Lynnwood	13	12	11	9	5	7	57
Mt. Rainier	7	14	10	14	5	4	54

See game recap below

Lynnwood Girls Take Down Mount Rainier in Double OT Thriller
By Colin Caruso

In a battle between some of the best girls basketball teams in the state of Washington, the Lynnwood Royals took on the Mount Rainier Rams in the 2013 Muscle Milk Preview tournament at Highline Community College. Lynnwood took charge in the first half, doing well containing the dangerous McPhee twins by holding them to just nine first half points. The Royals also dominated the glass, grabbing ten more rebounds than the Rams leading towards ten more first half shot attempts. Lynnwood took a four point lead into the half, but they controlled the pace of play and led by as many as nine.

Mount Rainier began to heat up in the second half on the back of Emily Fiso, who finished with 15 points on the day. She hit a layup with just over a minute to play to cut the Royal lead to two points, 42-40. After the Royals failed to convert on their next possession, Jordan McPhee knocked down a three pointer for the Rams with just 22 seconds left on the clock, giving them their first lead since the first quarter. But Monty Cooper responded for the Royals with just 12 seconds left with a three of her own, giving the Royals a two point lead. You know Brittney McPhee was going to get into the action at some point, and the future Stanford Cardinal made a game tying layup on Mount Rainier’s next possession to send the game to OT.

Lynnwood controlled the first overtime as well, going ahead by as many as five points in the short frame. But Fiso struck again for the Rams, knocking down a three with 13 seconds in the frame to tie the game at 50 and send this great game to another overtime.

Lynnwood again took control of the second overtime, as both McPhee twins fouled out early in the final frame. This proved to be the difference in the game, without Jordan and Brittney the Rams were in trouble. Lynnwood closed out the game at the free-throw line, and a last second attempt from Rams guard Aqeelah Williams fell just short to give Lynnwood a 57-54 win.

Top Performers:
Lynnwood
Mikayla Pivec – 12 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals
Jasmin Edwards – 19 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals
Monty Cooper – 14 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals

Mount Rainier
Brittany McPhee – 18 points, 20 rebounds, 3 steals
Jordan McPhee – 10 points, 11 rebounds
Emily Fiso – 15 points, 6 rebounds

A Tale of Two Halves; Federal Way Tops Richland

Posted on November 23, 2013 by colincarusoZUMA

Friday	Nov 22th	2013	4A	Boys	Football
Federal Way Memorial Stadium	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Richland	14	14	0	6	34
Federal Way	7	14	14	6	41

See game recap below

A Tale of Two Halves; Federal Way Tops Richland
By Colin Caruso

In a contest that filled both sets of stands and Memorial Stadium, the Federal Way Eagles hosted the Richland Bombers for a spot in the 4A state semifinals. Richland, making the almost 250 mile trip to Federal Way, started the scoring onslaught early. The Bombers put up 14 points in the first quarter on a touchdown run from Nathan Perry and a touchdown pass from Zach Whitby to Hayden Whitby. The Eagles, with a smaller and faster team, started slower and did not break their scoring drought until late in the first with a Keenan Curran QB keeper, his first of two touchdowns on the day.

The scoring continued in the second quarter, with Nathan Perry punching in two more scores for the Bombers and Curran and star running back Chico McClatcher both rushing in scores for the Eagles. The Bombers held a 28-21 lead going into the half and looked poised to make a good push in the second.

The confidence and speed that the Bombers held going into the locker room dwindled during the 15 minute halftime. Federal Way came out executing on all cylinders in the second half, with a half-back passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown from McClatcher in the third quarter alone. Federal Way’s defense began to heat up as well, forcing five turnovers and a punt in Richland’s first six possessions in the second half.

The Bombers were on the ropes early in the fourth, down two scores to a high octane Federal Way offense and a second half smothering defense. McClatcher added two interceptions in the fourth quarter to seal the win for the Eagles, 41-34. Federal Way will play the winner of Chiawana vs. Wenatchee for a trip to the state final. This is the first appearance for the Eagles in the state semifinal since 1976.

Top Performers:
Richland
Nathan Perry – 3 total TD, rushing of 18 and 4 yards, 13 yard catch

Federal Way
Keenan Curran – 20 carries for 211 yards, 2 rushing TD, defensive INT
Chico McClatcher – 20 carries for 104 yards, 3 rushing TD, passing TD, 2 defensive INT