Beach Boys Set to Take Off for Alaska Airlines Arena By Steve Dion
Tuesday- February 7th
2017
Boys
3A
Metro
Rainier Beach High School
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Final
Eastside Catholic
13
16
9
17
55
Rainier Beach
23
12
23
31
89
Kevin Porter Jr. Defending Eastside Catholic’s Inbound Pass
After a snow day on Monday that canceled most school, Tuesday night Eastside Catholic came to the Jamaal Crawford court at Rainier Beach with upset on their mind. Nearly a month ago they played the Vikings in a tight contest that Beach was able to hold on to win 71-66 1/9. Brock Mackenzie got 22 that night (15 in the 1st Qtr) and the team jumped out to a 24-18 lead. The Crusaders needed the junior to step up again as Rainier Beach is playing with the confidence of a team that has been to the 3A state championship game 5 years in a row and winning 4.
Eastside Catholic got up 6-2 early. Quick buckets from Malik Putney and O’Landa Baker, off Beach turnovers and a pair of Mackenzie free throws and the Crusaders looked to be off an running. Fred Roberson knocked down a 3 and would end with 10 in the quarter as the Vikings went on a 21-7 run and were up by 10, 23-13 after the first 8 minutes. Four Crusader 3’s in the second period, 2 from senior Michael Clemens, Baker and Mackenzie cut the lead to 6 points at half 35-29. Eastside poised to come out of the locker room and maybe get Rainier Beach on their heels. Brock Mackenzie knocked down a long 3 to cut the lead in half, but Kevin Porter Jr and Fred Roberson combined for 19 of the teams 23 points to put the game out of reach 58-38. The Crusaders Mackenzie hit 3 3’s in the quarter but those were the only field goals for Eastside Catholic. Kevin Porter Jr would add 11 4th quarter points and leave the game with 4:08 remaining with 31 points, 3 dunks, a pair of 3’s and 7-8 from the line. Roberson would finish with 18. Crusader junior Mackenzie would lead his team with 19, giving his all, fouling out with just over 3 minutes remaining. O’Landa Baker added 12, but Eastside Catholic could not keep pace with the Vikings, as they were out scored 31-17 in the final 8 minutes.
The Final Score
Rainier Beach 89, Eastside Catholic 55.
Top Performers: Rainier Beach
Kevin Porter Jr.- 31 points
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
West Seattle, Cleveland Prevail in Unity Hoops Showcase By Steve Dion
Friday- January 13th
2017
Boys
3A
5pm
Garfield High School
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Final
West Seattle
15
14
6
18
53
Eastside Catholic
8
7
17
12
44
Friday- January 13th
2017
Boys
3A
7pm
Garfield High School
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
OT
Final
Cleveland
10
18
14
22
6
70
Franklin
16
11
18
19
4
68
Cleveland & Franklin Battling For the Rebound at the End of Regulation
The 4th Annual Unity Hoops Showcase at Garfield High School featured a Metro League doubleheader starting with West Seattle taking on Eastside Catholic & the nightcap between Cleveland & Franklin.
West Seattle’s commitment to their gameplan which emphasized defensive intensity and precision offensive execution carried them to a sizable lead in the first half. The Wildcats kept Crusader sharpshooter Brock Mackenzie at bay while Yusuf Mohamed put his versatile scoring ability logging 10 of his game-high 16 in the first half.
Eastside Catholic stormed back in the third frame thanks Noah Springborn finding a groove from beyond the arc. Only leading by three heading into the final quarter, West Seattle relied on their trusty senior Nate Pryor to carry them to the finish line to the tune of a 53-44 victory.
Game two matched the Cleveland Eagles & Franklin Quakers both eager to pick up a crucial league win. The tandem of Marquan Williams and Maurice Bennett was hot out of the gates with electrifying ball handling by Williams and thunderous dunks by “Mo Buckets”. Cleveland relied on their leader C.J. Elleby to lead the charge including a pair of triples in the final moments of the first half to give the Eagles a one point leading heading into halftime.
The pace of play shifted into overdrive in the third quarter with the pace ramping up into the final frame of regulation which saw the Franklin guards attacking the rim with reckless abandon and the Eagles countering with transition buckets in bunches. Cleveland led by a pair in the final seconds of regulation. After coming up with the defensive rebound, instead of waiting to be fouled, they turned the ball over to Franklin in which Cejay Garrison Jr. was able to capitalize with a clutch bucket to tie the game and send the game into OT.
A pair of back-to-back buckets early in the extra period gave Cleveland the needed lift to come away with the win against a tough Quakers squad. This game was an appropriate ending to a great night of high school hoops at Garfield High School.
The Final Score
West Seattle 53, Eastside Catholic 44
Cleveland 70, Franklin 68
Top Performers: West Seattle
Yusuf Mohamed- 16 points
Balanced Beach Attack Sinks Tough Battle Against Cru By Steve Dion
Monday- January 9th
2017
Boys
3A
Metro
Rainier Beach High School
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Final
Eastside Catholic
22
9
11
22
66
Rainier Beach
18
19
12
22
71
Rainier Beach Senior N’Keil Nelson
In a rare Monday night game in the Metro League, Rainier Beach hosted the Eastside Catholic Crusaders for to make up their regularly scheduled matchup that was postponed earlier this season. Given the current standings with Beach keeping pace at the top and the Cru jockeying for position in the middle of the pack, the stakes were high for this league clash.
The first quarter belonged to the Crusaders, specifically junior Brock Mackenzie who knocked down a flurry of buckets totaling 15 points in the first eight minutes. He would go on to lead all scorers with 28. Jorell Saterfield & N’Keil Nelson led the charge for the Viks in the first half logging eight apiece many of which set up nicely by Kevin Porter Jr. The home team led by 4 at the break.
As the second half progressed, it reached a critical moment when Porter was charged with his fourth personal foul. Could Eastside Catholic rally with the Beach star benched? O’landa Baker answered the call with a spree of slash and dash trips to the cup to give the Crusaders a chance down the stretch.
As the game reached the balance, Nelson took over as he’s done so many times and knocked down the tough buckets while the Crusaders came up empty on a few crucial possessions. The Vikings start their three game week on a good note as they will take on the Lakeside Lions tomorrow and then get set for a mammoth battle on Friday against Garfield.
The Final Score
Rainier Beach 71, Eastside Catholic 66.
Top Performers: Rainier Beach
N’Keil Nelson- 19 points
Kamiakin Spoils Crusader Three-peat Bid, Title Game Bound By Steve Dion
The two teams representing the 3A state championship game were to be determined at Pop Keeney Stadium in a double dip, the first of which between reigning back-to-back champs and their challenger Kamiakin Braves.
In typical Crusader fashion, they were up a touchdown before anyone could blink when Chris Lefau scampered 62 yards to the house putting the Braves in a hole early in the ballgame. Kamiakin was able to move the ball down the field following the EC touchdown, but came away emptyhanded when it stalled and resulted in a missed field goal.
The Cru were able to grab their first double digit lead of the game when Scott Lees knocked through a 27 yard field goal before the first quarter expired.
Kamiakin needed a big momentum swing and they got it with a heavy dose of old school ground and pound football. The one-two punch of Zach Borisch and Jethro Questad moved the ball at will and scored 17 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a halftime lead. This included a pair Borisch quarterback keepers from 6 and 15 yards out respectively and a Garrett Paxton field goal.
Just like the game started, the Crusaders started the second half with a bang by recovering an onside kick. This led to a game tying score minutes later. Eastside continued to roll with 10 more unanswered point to take their second double digit lead.
Could the Braves fight back again?
Another string of chunk runs on the ensuing drive set up a tremendous touchdown reception by Benson Smith who hauled in a tipped ball showing complete concentration. The Kamiakin defense started to heat up and gave their potent offense another crack at the Cru. Isaiah Brimmer gave KHS the lead again on a picture-perfect fade route. The missed point after made the score interesting with the Braves only up by three.
In Eastside’s final drive in the closing minutes, they were able to move the sticks, but the Braves prevented a big play by one of their many capable stars and closed the deal with a Brimmer pick with just over a minute remaining. A new 3A champion will be crowned this year.
Does Kamiakin have 48 more minutes of magic this season?
The Final Score:
Kamiakin 30, Eastside Catholic 27.
O’Dea Dethrones Crusaders in Downtown Thriller By Steve Dion
Friday night under the Space Needle at Memorial Stadium featured a heavyweight bout between #1 Eastside Catholic & #2 O’Dea. Both teams entered the contest undefeated with bragging rights as top dog in the state on the line and a fast-track to a league title.
It is never good to start with a three and out and that’s unfortunately what O’Dea did. The Crusaders made them pay when Ze’shaun Lewis connected with Marcus Stoebner for a 53-yard score less than 3 minutes into the contest.
O’Dea regrouped with a drive highlighted by some nice Jamyn Patu runs. Patu eventually punched it in from 10 yards out to tie it up.
If there was any doubt about Hunter Bryant’s recovery process from knee injury in the Skyview game, it was put to rest when he took a screen pass 72 yards to the house to put EC back on top.
The half ended with a bit of controversy when the Cru were on the doorstep of breaking the game open. With 5 seconds remaining in the second quarter, they opted for a corner fade to Bryant which was broken up by Dominique Gates. The scoreboard read triple zeros, but the officials claimed there was one second remaining. Eastside Catholic was able to boot in a field goal for a 17-7 lead at the break with a fire-breathing Monte Kohler making his way to the locker room.
The Crusaders received the ball to start the second half and within the first minute, an errant snap rolled into the endzone and resulted in a safety making it an 8 point game.
O’Dea built some momentum off this play and kept the Cru attack at bay throughout the 3rd quarter.
The Irish had a chance to tie it up pending a two point conversion early in the 4th, but were stuffed by a gutsy goal line stand from the Eastside defense and settled for 3 cutting the deficit to 5 points. The Cru regained possession and were on the move to seal it. As they moved into Irish territory, Dominique Gates hauled in a massive interception for O’Dea.
This time, they took full advantage of the opportunity and from six yards out O’Dea quarterback Warren King rolled out and bolted to the corner pylon to take the lead. There was some déjà vu on the two-point conversion as King dashed to the goal line giving his team a 3-point lead.
Eastside had their shot. They moved the ball down the field in a hurry and were facing a 4th down deep in O’Dea territory. A Lewis pass was broken up, but defensive pass interference gave them a fresh set of downs.
The Cru moved it to the 3 yard line and called a timeout with less than 20 seconds remaining. On third down, Lewis drops back, sees a receiver streaking across the goal line, he lets it fly. Interception. Shea Carstens. Ballgame. O’Dea hands Eastside Catholic their first in-state loss since the 2013 season. Stay tuned the remainder of the season, there may be a sequel!
On a beautiful September night in Samammish, Washington, the heavily favored Eastside Catholic Crusaders hosted the Seattle Prep Panthers. Eastside Catholic is coming off 2 straight state titles, poised to repeat again with the amount of force they have on both sides of the ball.
In a blowout, it is rare to have one play significantly change the dynamics of a game. Prep was hanging with Eastside for the first third of the game. With 6:45 remaining in the second quarter, with Eastside up 17-0 and driving, the Panthers intercepted Ze’Shaun Lewis’ pass and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown. This would have made the game 17-6, with the PAT pending. Instead, Eastside gets a first and goal on the pass interference penalty, and scores on the next play, making it 24-0. This sequence drove the nail into the coffin for the Panther fans and spirits.
Eastside Catholic went on to score another 22 points, while Prep scored a late touchdown to avoid the shutout.
Eastside Catholic won the battle.
The Final Score:
Eastside Catholic 46, Seattle Preparatory 7.
Top Performers
Eastside Catholic
Ze’Shaun Lewis- 18-24 for 264 yards and 3 TDs, 1 INT
Chris Lefau- 13 carries for 111 yards and 2 TDs
Gee Scott- 3 catches for 64 yards and 1 TD
Eastside Catholic Fends Off Skyview in Memorial Classic Finish By Steve Dion
The 3rd Annual Memorial Classic concluded with a dandy of a matchup between two of the top teams in the state: defending back-to-back 3A champs Eastside Catholic and 4A up-and-comer Skyview from Vancouver. Could the Storm end the in-state win streak held by the Crusaders which dates back to 2014?
Eastside opened the scoring on a roll-out by Ze’Shaun Lewis who found his favorite target Hunter Bryant dashing toward the endzone. Bryant was forced to sit the majority of the contest after getting banged-up on a kickoff shortly thereafter. Hayden Froeber responsed with a four yard punch-in to tie the game back up.
The second frame was big for the Crusaders who tacked on ten more points courtesy of a Chris Lefau touchdown and Ben Petersen field goal. Could the Storm rally in the second half?
Skyview answered the call in similar fashion when Tavis Chunphakvenn-Pinkney broke multiple tackles to find pay dirt and swing the momentum back in the Storm’s favor. The fate of the game was in the balance heading into the final frame with EC up by a single point at 17-16.
Thielbahr’s Cru responded with one of their pillars of success over the past few seasons which is ‘Finish’. Tyler Folkes put Eastside up by eight on a goal line blast early in the fourth which set preceded a Lewis pass to Gee Scott moments later to put the nail in the coffin. Skyview put up a tremendous fight, but Eastside’s composure was an impressive display of their continued success.
The Final Score:
Eastside Catholic 31, Skyview 16.
Friday, September 10th & Saturday, September 11th at Memorial Stadium in Seattle
The Third Annual Memorial Football Classic is a special two-day event to celebrate Seattle high school athletes, to raise money for all Seattle public high school athletics, and to build support for the Metro League.
Media day for the Memorial Classic was held at Ballard High School Tuesday afternoon to meet coaches and players from the participating schools for a Q&A session. Also, speakers at the event included Seattle City Council President Bruce Harrell (Garfield & University of Washington alum), former Seattle Seahawks Paul Johns & Edwin Bailey, and Seattle Public Schools Director of Athletics Eric McCurdy.
Additionally, founder of the event Joey Thomas (Garfield head coach, Kennedy Catholic alum, NFL veteran) has selected Monte Kohler for the “Icon Award” from his long and distinguished coaching career at O’Dea and “Legends of the Game Award” to Terry Metcalf (Franklin alum, NFL veteran) for his outstanding coaching tenure locally.
Schedule of Events
Friday, September 9, 2016
5:00 pm – Archbishop Murphy vs. Bishop Blanchet
7:30 pm – Shelton vs. O’Dea
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Noon – Kennewick vs. Cleveland
2:30 pm – Juanita vs. Garfield
5:30 pm – Roosevelt vs. Ballard
8:00 pm – Skyview vs. Eastside Catholic
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.
2016 Varsity Football Live Interview Eastside Catholic Crusaders – Head Football Coach
Jeremy Thielbahr
Football season is back!
Join us as Steve Dion catches up with Coach Jeremy Thielbahr as his back-to-back state title team opens their season with Gonzaga Prep.He talks about last year’s 3A championship game which featured one of the most memorable comebacks in state history and how this year’s crop of talent will look to keep the winning tradition rolling. Coach Thielbahr points out the leaders on this season’s team and takes a look at the schedule including an overview of the challenging Metro League.
To catch the complete radio interview with Eastside Catholic Coach Jeremy Thielbahr, simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.
Eastside Catholic Erases 28 Point Deficit in 3A Thriller By Steve Dion
This is the game Washington high school football fans wanted to see. This is the game that seemed inevitable. The most dominant high school football program in the state during the 21st century against their neighbor that has gradually built a powerhouse of their own. A fourth straight matchup for the 3A title would match Bellevue who won the first two in ’12 & ‘13 and Eastside Catholic the victor a year ago.
The Crusaders received the opening possession and were forced to punt when the drive stalled deep in their own territory. The punt was mishandled and recovered by Parker Davidson to give the Cru the ball back before they could relinquish it. Two plays later, Chris Lefau burst into the endzone to give Eastside Catholic the first points of the contest. Benaiah Ellington made up for the punt return fumble by picking off EC quarterback Harley Kirsch later in the first. This set up Ercle Terrell for his first of four unanswered touchdowns including one from 54 yards up the gut. Brandon Wellington had seen enough and returned the kickoff 97 yards to cut the Wolverines lead to 14. Despite only having 1:38 to work with in the half, the Wolverines charged down the field once again and Tyson Penn who dropped what would have been a touchdown earlier made a spectacular diving grab to put BHS within striking distance. Wolverine quarterback Justus Rogers was content with feeding the hot hand so he went to Penn once again; this time in the corner of the endzone. Bellevue stampeded into halftime with a commanding 35-14 lead. They were led by Terrell’s 129 first half rushing yards and quartet of scores as part of their 232 to 53 total yards advantage over their counterpart.
A three touchdown deficit to Bellevue is a tall task to overcome. The prospects of a comeback became less of a reality when the lead extended to four touchdowns midway through the third when Christoph Hirota punched it in for the sixth Bellevue score. The Crusaders appeared to be at their breaking point. Harley Kirsch who had thrown a rare pair of interceptions in the game returned to their potent aerial attack immediately by finding Hunter Bryant on a 28 yard toss to the back corner of the endzone. The Cru defense did their part to get the ball back to their playmakers. Kirsch would find Bryant once more before the third quarter closed. Down 14 points with one frame remaining, could Bellevue hang on?
Coach Butch Goncharoff ran the ball 56 times in this game and even as his team’s lead dwindled, he did not stray from his game plan. On a crucial fourth and three, Wellington stopped Omar Dyles from moving the chains. Six plays later, Matt Laris pulled in a four yard toss to bring EC one score away from evening up the score. The Cru could taste it. With the pressure on Bellevue to hold on, their next drive was thwarted when Steve Moran stripped Justus Rogers to which Davidson recovered once again. At this point, Eastside was on a crash course to the endzone to which Wellington was behind the wheel. The senior tailback tied the game up leaving only 1:24 on the clock. Bellevue failed to advance the ball to field goal range in the final seconds and we were headed to overtime!
Bellevue took the first crack in extra time. On second down, Rogers passed to Penn in the endzone and Victor Guevara batted the ball away in a courageous effort. On fourth down, Bellevue lined up for a 39 yard field goal. The ball was mis-hit and all EC need now was a score of any kind. A pitch to Wellington resulted in a dive to the pylon that was one yard short of the game winner. Eastside Catholic hurries to set up into formation. Kirsch takes the snap, hands off to Wellington, initially stopped at the point of attack, but a second effort allowed for just enough room to dive past the plane of the goal line. Crusaders win! The team and coaching staff rush onto the field knowing they just completed one of the premier comebacks in the history of the Gridiron Classic. The trophy stays in the plateau for another year.
Moments after the game, a glowing Coach Thiebahr said, “I’m so happy for our seniors and for our community. I’m just really happy to show what we are; the resilience that our school has and the resilience of our football program. One of these seniors “Coach T” was referring to is Brandon Wellington who scored the game winning touchdown and when asked about his four years with Thielbahr, an emotional Wellington replied, “He’s a great teacher…he has pushed me to that next level. I’m gonna miss him.” After three years as the starting Crusader quarterback in which he collected two state titles, Harley Kirsch remarked, “It’s weird to think it’s all over…I was thinking a couple days ago ‘wow, that’s our last practice’ and now I’m thinking wow, that’s it.”
The Final Score:
Eastside Catholic 48, Bellevue 42
2015 State Championship Preview: 4A/3A 4A & 3A
Dick Fain & Steve Dion
With the 2015 Gridiron Classic at the Tacoma Dome coming up this weekend, Dick Fain from Varsity Football Live on Sports Radio 950 KJR and Steve Dion break down the 4A and 3A title games to project what they expect to see at the Woodshed this weekend!
To catch the complete State Tournament Preview with Dick Fain & Steve Dion, simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.
Crusaders Jump Out to Big Lead Early, Headed to State Final Again By Steve Dion
Eastside Catholic entered Friday with an opportunity to earn its fourth straight 3A championship game berth. To do so, they would have to contend with a surging Lakes team that collected wins over O’Dea, Kamiakin, and Kennewick to make their way to the nearby Tacoma Dome.
Crusader senior Brandon Wellington made his impact felt early in this one as he took the opening kickoff 84 yards to the house. The Lancers were clearly caught off balance in the first quarter as ECHS proceeded to score three more unanswered touchdowns in the first eight minutes of the contest including a pair by Devon Arbis-Jackson and a 81 yard reception from Harley Kirsch to Hunter Bryant. Lakes finally put their foot down and strung together a drive that was capped off with a Christopher Hun score from Jaiave Magalei. Wellington responded on another kickoff return for touchdown, this time from 82 yards.
Lakes regained momentum during the second quarter by cutting the deficit to 34-14 on a Andrew Bostic touchdown. The Lancers then recovered a fumble in Crusader territory and were on the doorstep of making it a two possession game. Ryan Taylor had other plans. The Eastside Catholic sophomore hauled in an interception that set up Wellington’s third score that zapped the Lancer mojo.
The second half did not have a competitive element as the Cru did enough in the first half to cruise to a 49-21 victory. After the game, Wellington stated he hopes to face Wolverines for the fourth straight year, but not “if Bellevue isn’t the best team out there…because if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.”
Cru Rolls Past Bonney Lake, Advances to Semis By Steve Dion
Jeremy Thielbahr’s defending 3A champion Crusaders has looked the part of a team poised to defend their crown all season long. Eastside Catholic entered Friday three wins away from a repeat, but to advance to the semifinal round had a date with Bonney Lake. The 7-4 Panthers were fresh off a head-turning win against Lincoln last week and hungry for more. Coach Jason Silbaugh would get a crack at the state’s best with his team peaking in November.
The opening kickoff was taken 86 yards to the endzone by Eastside’s Brandon Wellington, but an illegal block in the back penalty negated the big play and gave the Panthers an early sigh of relief. The methodical Cru offense eventually punched the opening drive into the endzone on a 33 yard reception by Matt Laris on 4th and 14. The point after sailed wide right and the scoreboard read 6-0 early. Bonney Lake did what few teams do which is return the favor. A run-heavy drive was capped off with a 23 yard touchdown by Ethen Koepke on a screen pass by Dane Wagner in which several EC defenders were staved off en route to the goal line. The Panthers grabbed gained the lead. The Crusaders regained their composure and another drive highlighted by several Laris catches resulted in a 2-yard quarterback sneak by Harley Kirsch. Bonney Lake did not respond this time or any other drive for the remainder of the contest. A fumble at midfield in the second quarter was capitalized on by Eastside Catholic on a Tyler Folkes rushing touchdown and a dagger in the final moments of the first half; a 23 yard receiving touchdown by the always dangerous Devon Arbis-Jackson.
A 28-7 deficit against the Crusaders is a tall task to overcome and the Panthers were not able to climb back into this one. The implementation of a wildcat offense by Bonney Lake to start the 3rd quarter was effective in moving the chains early, but the direct snaps to Jason Day did not equate to points. The relentless ECHS offense recorded another pair of touchdowns in the third frame to put the game out of reach. The 47-7 final score was not fully indicative of the battle Bonney Lake waged in this contest. The Panther defense’s inability to hold the Cru on 3rd and 4th down was the difference maker in this one. Eastside Catholic advances to face the winner of Kennewick and Lakes. Bonney Lake’s 2015 campaign comes to an end.
The Final Score:
Eastside Catholic 47, Bonney Lake 7
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.
Eastside Catholic Remains Unscathed, Tops Blanchet on Senior Night By Steve Dion
First year coach of Bishop Blanchet Kyle Moore led his team to one of the biggest wins in program history in week five of the 2015 campaign as they knocked off O’Dea for the first time in over two decades. The Braves were rewarded by putting their 5-0 record on the line against the top team in the state Eastside Catholic at Acosta Field on the plateau. Coach Thielbahr’s Crusaders are firing on all cylinders in the state championship title defense season. Two teams entered the contest undefeated, which record would remain intact?
The home team put their offense on the field following a quick defensive stop and turned the possession into a score by Devon Arbis-Jackson in which the senior wideout shed multiple tackles. The critical drive following this Cru touchdown was highly successful for Blanchet as Alex Freeman marched his team down the field and O’Shea Trujillo closed the deal by crossing the goal line shortly after BBHS converted on a 4th and 21. Minutes later, Harley Kirsch found himself in the endzone after a 4-yard quarterback sneak to put ECHS up by 8. The Crusader defense started to clamp down on the green and yellow clad Braves as linebacker Noah Failauga among others controlled the middle of the field. A 62 yard punt return for touchdown by captain Jonathan Webster extended the Eastside Catholic lead and the blowout was starting to take form.
Missed opportunities for Blanchet such as not recovering a fumble forced on their 1 yard line played into their inability to keep pace with the state champs. Trailing 35-6 at the break, the fate of the game was virtually sealed as Kirsch and Co. entered halftime on a 6-yard touchdown run at the buzzer.
The lopsided matchup continued into the second half as the home squad would log 19 more points for a total of 54. What’s more is the Crusader defense disallowed any second half points for Blanchet. With the win, EC will likely run the table in league play with bigger goals in mind during late November and early December. Blanchet will retain its position in the second tier of Metro and fight for seeding once postseason play begins.
The Final Score: Eastside Catholic 54 Bishop Blanchet 6
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.
Henn’s Explosive Second Half Propels Bellevue Past Crusaders By Steven Dion
Tuesday- February 17
2015
Boys
3A
SeaKing
Bellevue College
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Final
Bellevue
12
15
21
21
69
Eastside Catholic
12
10
9
16
47
Bellevue Senior Kyle Foreman
The 3A District 2 tournament is underway and the second round was played on Tuesday night including a pair of contests at Bellevue College. The nightcap featured the 3A runner-up in the state championship tournament Eastside Catholic and a surging Bellevue squad who enjoyed a sense of home-court advantage due to close proximity. The winner would advance to the quarterfinals where they would take on Garfield who won the early game over Franklin. Conversely, the losing squad would move to the other side of the bracket where they would have a chance to finish up to fifth place in the highly competitive SeaKing district.
A buzzing gym with packed sidelines may have taken a toll on the nerves of both teams in the opening minutes, but it did not take long for each side to find a rhythm. An emphatic dunk by Gunther Klimes gave Bellevue a burst. EC responded moments later when Matisse Thybulle elevated for a one-handed tip jam that brought many people to their feet.
Tied at dozen apiece heading into the second quarter, the ability for one team to create some separation was available. The Wolverines seized the opportunity by stringing together an 11-0 run that ate up nearly five minutes. Sharif Khan scored five in the frame and Javon Jefferson provided a lift off the bench by knocking down two buckets in the quarter. Max Hudgins finally got the Cru off the scheid at the 3:30 mark when the senior knocked down a three-pointer. This allowed ECHS to close the quarter strong by outscoring the Wolverines 8-4 in the final minutes of the first half to cut the deficit to five points at 27-22.
Bellevue’s versatile post Mikey Henn had a quiet three points in the first half, but that quickly changed in the second. A few early buckets including a monstrous two-handed slam earned the junior more time with the ball in his hands as the half progressed. Senior guard Kyle Foreman distributed the ball nicely to Henn in addition to knocking down shots of his own. He buried a pair from downtown en route to 15 points and ten by Henn helped Bellevue blow the doors off the game in the pivotal third quarter. The final frame was on cruise control for Chris O’ Connors Wolverines as they chewed up clock and used precision passing to neutralize the Crusaders press. Henn netted eight more points to pad his game-high 21 point total. The BHS bench was emptied to protect the starters down the stretch and the clock wound down quickly as Bellevue ran away with a 22 point win.
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
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
