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

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

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

Spanaway Lake Offense Erupts Versus Mount Rainier

Posted on November 8, 2013 by colincarusoZUMA

Thursday	Nov 7th	2013	4A	Boys	Football
Highline Memorial	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Spanaway Lake	8	16	8	6	38
Mount Rainier	0	0	6	0	6

See game recap below

Spanaway Lake Offense Erupts Versus Mount Rainier
By Steven Dion

The final game for both SPSL’s Rams and Sentinels was played at a windy, rainy Highline Memorial Stadium Thursday night. This game did not have any playoff implications but school pride was on the line, and the effort displayed during all 48 minutes was evident. Spanaway Lake set the tone early by establishing the running game and finding the end zone on a 14-yard run by Kyle Mason. The Sentinels’ ability to pound the ball up the field on the ground led to lengthy possessions. Joseph Martin punched in a 3-yard QB keeper to give Spanaway Lake a 14-0 lead early in the second frame. A safety and another Martin score were added before intermission to give SLHS a 24-0 lead.

The teams emerged from the locker room to close out their seasons with a more competitive second half of play. Ram senior quarterback Matthew Dammeier remained poised in the pocket despite heavy pressure by the likes of Augustus Ndow. Mount Rainier found the scoreboard on a goal-line push, but the incompletion on the two-point conversion squelched any chance of a comeback. The Sentinels were able to find the end zone twice more before the final buzzer to finish the season on a high note with a 38-6 win.

Kentwood Conquers Mount Rainier

Posted on September 23, 2013 by colincarusoZUMA

Saturday	Sept. 21	2013	4A	Boys	Football
French Field	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Mount Rainier	0	0	0	0	0
Kentwood	27	9	7	7	50

See game recap below

Kentwood Conquers Mount Rainier
By Colin Caruso

Kentwood struck early and often in their Saturday night matchup versus the Mount Rainier Rams. After the Washington Huskies pulled a 59-0 win, the Conquerors of Kentwood did their best to match their local college with a 50-0 destruction of the Mount Rainier Rams. The beginning of this game saw a punt from both teams, seemingly a well balanced matchup. But halfway through the first quarter the onslaught began, and it didn’t end until the final whistle. Senior running back Derrick Bell broke the scoreless tie with 5:57 remaining in the first quarter with a rushing touchdown, only to be followed less than three minutes later with his second rushing touchdown. Kentwood added two more scores in the first after forcing a three and out and recovering a fumble, to lead 27-0 after one quarter of play.

Mount Rainier began the second quarter with a chip on their shoulder, and senior running back Donovan Moi added a 57 yard run for the Rams all the way down to the Conqueror 8 yard line. But Kentwood held strong, and Bell again came up huge with an interception in the end zone two plays later. Kentwood would add another rushing touchdown and a safety in the second to take the lead 36-0 going into the half.

By this point, with the game largely in hand for the Conquerors, Kentwood put in their second and third string players to play the majority of the second half. They added two more touchdowns to end the punishment, winning 50-0.

Top Performers:
Kentwood
Derrick Bell – 3 carries 48 yards, 2TD, defensive INT
Brandon Sytsma – 16 carries 88 yards, 2TD

Girls- Mount Rainier jumps on Todd Beamer early, wins West Central District Title by 18

Posted on February 19, 2013 by rnovak@zumamedia.com

Monday- Feb. 18	-3A-	West	Central	District
ShoWare Ctr.	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Todd Beamer	2	9	11	11	33
Mount Rainier	14	10	11	16	51

Girls- Mount Rainier jumps on Todd Beamer early, wins West Central District Title by 18
By Colin Caruso

In the 4A Girls West Central District championship game, the Todd Beamer Titans were matched up against the #1 ranked Mount Rainier Rams. Mount Rainier dominated the first, not allowing a basket until 14 seconds left in the quarter. Offensively, junior Brittany McPhee was able to completely control the game, leading the Rams with 10 points in the quarter to take a 14-2 lead into the second.

The Beamer offense opened up in the second, scoring nine points and reaching double digits on the game. Jordan McPhee led all scorers in the quarter with six points on two three pointers, and Mount Rainier took a 13 point lead into the half, 24-11.

Brittany McPhee had another strong quarter in the third, with seven points and two rebounds. Todd Beamer began to execute better offensively, only turning the ball over twice in the quarter and matching Mount Rainier’s quarter total with 11 points. Mount Rainier led 35-22 heading into the fourth.

The 11 point lead for the Rams at the end of three was extended to as many as 20 points in the fourth. Todd Beamer was forced to double team Brittany McPhee, which opened up passing lanes and shooters. Brittany still scored seven points in the quarter off the double team, and Mount Rainier won the district title 51-33.

Top Performers:
Todd Beamer
Nia Alexander (13 points, 7 rebounds)
Quinessa Caylao-Do (12 points, 4 steals)

Mount Rainier
Brittany McPhee (26 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals)
Jordan McPhee (13 points, 2 steals)