Special Olympics regional tournament is Sunday at community center
February 6, 2010
NEW — 6 a.m. Feb. 6, 2010
Special Olympics Washington hosts the King County Regional Basketball Tournament Feb. 7 from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Issaquah Community Center.
The tournament will feature more than 800 Special Olympic athletes from the county. Teams will compete for an opportunity to advance to the Winter Games, March 5-7 in Wenatchee.
Sports update — Friday
February 5, 2010
NEW — 3 p.m. Feb. 5, 2010
Local athletes sign letters of intent
It was big day Feb. 3 for several local high school senior athletes as they signed national letters of intent.
Four members of Skyline High School’s Class 4A state championship football team signed letters of intent — linemen Evan Day and Jase Butorac with Eastern Washington, linebacker Anthony DeMatteo with Central Washington University, and linebacker Cooper Pelluer with the University of Washington.
Day and Butorac will join Skyline grads Jason Harris and Tyler Washburn at Eastern.
Pelluer, who had earlier verbally committed to Hawaii, changed his mind and decided to become a Husky. His father Scott was a star linebacker for Washington State University and his uncle Steve was a standout quarterback for WSU.
The list of Spartans bound for the college ranks also includes quarterback Jake Heaps, who signed his letter of intent in the fall with Brigham Young University.
Spartans overcome Falcons
February 3, 2010
NEW — 11:27 a.m. Feb. 3, 2010
The Skyline High School boys basketball pulled away in the fourth quarter Feb. 2 to defeat the visiting Woodinville Falcons 52-44 in a 4A KingCo Conference contest.
Skyline’s Cory Hutsen led all players with 25 points. Teammate Kasen Williams contributed 12 points.
Woodinville led by four points in the first quarter, but Skyline came back to lead 26-23 at halftime. The Falcons reclaimed the lead in the third quarter, but the Spsrtans outscored the visitors 17-8 in the final period to win the game.
With their third straight victory, the Spartans improved their league record to 10-3. Skyline remained tied with Garfield for first place in the Crest Division. The leaders have a one-game edge on Eastlake, which whipped Inglemoor 64-58. Garfield topped Roosevelt 47-45.
In other KingCo action, Issaquah fell to visiting Bothell 57-47.
Bothell led by nine points af halftime. However, Issaquah fought back in the third quarter to pull within six points of the Cougars. Bothell was led by MIke Hartvigson, an all-league tight end in football. Hartvigson scored 19 points. Joe Evans also had 19 points for Issaquah, and Nick Price added 13 points.
Eagle named to Swedish national lacrosse team
February 2, 2010
Kevin Powers, a midfielder on the Issaquah High School lacrosse club, battles against a Skyline player in a game last spring. By David West
Kevin Powers has always been proud of his Swedish heritage. This summer, the Issaquah High School junior will show his pride as a member of the Swedish national men’s lacrosse team.
Powers qualified for the team because he was born in Sweden and spent the first five years of his life as a resident of the Scandinavian country.
Liberty takes KingCo Crest title with wins over Issaquah, Skyline
February 2, 2010
Hamilton Noel, of Liberty (top), grimaces while pushing Issaquah’s Sean Novak down to the mat during their 145-pound bout, which Noel won by a pin. By Greg Farrar
Liberty, Issaquah and Skyline high school wrestling teams finished off the regular season Jan. 28 in a dual meet that featured the three schools as well as Mount Si.
Liberty defeated Issaquah 41-30, and also defeated Skyline 46-26. With these victories, the Patriots finished their regular season undefeated and took the 3A/4A KingCo Crest title.
“These guys have worked hard for it,” Liberty head coach Manny Brown said about Liberty’s seniors and their quest to win the division. “They’ve put the time in the last four years.”
Also at the meet, Skyline and Issaquah defeated Mount Si by scores of 45-33 and 48-33, respectively.
The match between Issaquah and Liberty kept those in attendance on the edges of their seats, as the Patriots had not beaten Issaquah in several years. Brown also used to be an assistant coach at Issaquah. Read more
Patriots top Spartan swimmers
February 2, 2010
Jarrett Brown, of Liberty, swims in the 500-yard freestyle race against Skyline Jan. 26 at Julius Boehm Pool. By Christopher Huber
Going into the Jan. 26 meet with Skyline High School, Liberty standout Logan Briggs needed just one more stellar performance to qualify for all eight individual events at state.
He knew he could win the 100-yard butterfly — he had previously swum it as fast as 56.23 seconds. The problem was, he had run up a mountain over the weekend during a workout. He was a bit sore and not quite sure what to expect in terms of hitting the state mark, he said. Read more
Skyline edges Eastlake 65-62
February 2, 2010
Skyline’s Connor Gacek goes up for a shot as Eastlake’s Chad Marxen defends. By Christopher Huber
From the way Skyline High School’s boys basketball team came out of the gates against Eastlake Jan. 29, it could have been over by the end of the first half.
But that wasn’t the case as the Wolves adjusted early on, contained Skyline’s offense and nearly outlasted the Crest Division-leading Spartans.
After two straight league-game losses, Skyline spent its practice that week refocusing, said head coach J. Jay Davis. It paid off.
Skyline beat Eastlake 65-62 at a packed Eastlake High School gym. The Spartans (13-3 overall, 9-3) remain tied with Garfield for first in the 4A KingCo Crest Division. Eastlake (11-5, 8-4) is in third.
“That’s a game men win,” Davis told his players in the locker room after the game.
It was all Skyline in the first half, but Eastlake honed its defense against the 6-foot-9 Cory Hutsen and leaping Kasen Williams. Skyline led 9-0 to start the game, but Eastlake junior guard Conner Iraola scored eight straight points, including two 3-pointers, to make it 9-8. The Spartans led 13-8 going into the second quarter.
“I really liked the way we came out … with energy and focus,” Davis said. “Our focus was good from the jump.”
As focused and energetic as Skyline was throughout the game, Eastlake pulled ahead to lead 29-28 at halftime. It relied on successful perimeter shooting from Iraola and guard Dillon Pericin. Senor forward Michael Russo showed composure in the paint and shooting from the outside.
“They shoot that well. They’re very difficult,” Davis said. “Eastlake is a very good basketball team.”
Eastlake shot 49 percent from the field. Iraola finished with four 3-pointers and Pericin had 14 points, making five of seven free throws. Russo had 19 points and four rebounds.
“We played good enough to win,” Russo said after the game. “We never gave up.”
Eastlake continued its rally in the third quarter, at one point leading 41-36.
After Eastlake led 46-45 to end the third quarter, Skyline came roaring back in the final period. The Spartans strung together a quick bout of scoring in the final five minutes of the game to go up 59-57 and managed to hold Eastlake off down the stretch.
Skyline senior forward Miles Edwards played aggressive defense in the paint all night and also hit shots at crucial points in the game, including to break the 18-18 tie in the second quarter and to put the Spartans up 47-46 in the fourth.
“It was important to establish (ourselves) as king of the conference this game,” said Skyline’s Miles Edwards. “It was good to establish confidence going into the playoffs.”
Edwards made four of four free throw attempts.
“I guess I played with a chip on my shoulder,” Edwards said.
Russo said he was disappointed but confident that the two teams would meet again.
“We’ll see ‘em in the post season,” he said.
Vikings top Spartans
Skyline lost to host Inglemoor 49-45 Jan. 26 despite a big second-half comeback.
The Vikings shot to a 20-6 first quarter lead and were ahead by 13 points at halftime. Skyline outscored Inglemoor 18-9 in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t overcome the Vikings.
Hutsen had 18 points to lead Skyline.
Eagles drop two
Issaquah dropped two 4A KingCo contests last week.
The Eagles lost to Woodinville 59-50 Jan. 26, despite 20 points from Nick Price. Issaquah also lost to Garfield 62-53 Jan. 29. The Eagles mounted a strong comeback in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs, 22-12.
Price and Derek Quan each had 12 points for Issaquah.
Spartans overcome Eastlake in final seconds, win 49-47
February 2, 2010
Skyline freshman guard Haley Smith, yanks the ball from the reach of Eastlake sophomore forward Lauren Files in the fourth quarter Jan. 29 at Eastlake High School. By Christopher Huber
It was the Eastlake High School girls basketball team’s game to lose and Skyline took it at the last moment.
The Skyline girls improved to 6-6 in 4A KingCo Conference Crest Division play after sophomore Morgan Farrar made a hectic lay-in with 17 seconds remaining Jan. 29.
In front of a packed and noisy crowd at Eastlake High School, Skyline beat Eastlake 49-47.
“I was afraid I would miss,” Farrar said as she left the court after the game. “I finally just finished.”
Eastlake went to 5-7 in league and 9-7 overall for the season. The win gives Skyline some confidence as the season comes to a close, and it may give them a fighting chance for the playoffs, Farrar said.
“We had to win this,” she said. Read more
Scoreboard
February 2, 2010
Prep boys basketball
4A KingCo Conference
CREST DIVISION Read more
Woodinville tops Eagles in battle of division leaders
January 28, 2010
NEW — 11:34 a.m. Jan. 28, 2010
The Issaquah High School girls basketball team got off to a hot start like it has done often this season, but the Eagles couldn’t keep up with host Woodinville in the third quarter Jan. 27 and fell to the Falcons 54-47 in a battle of 4A KingCo Conference division leaders.
Issaquah led 18-13 at the end of the first quarter and was tied with Woodinivlle 26-26 at halftime. Woodinville outscored the Eagles 17-10 in the third quarter to take the lead for good.
Amanda Frost scored 17 points for Woodinville, which has a 10-1 record and leads the Crown Division. Maddey Pflaumer had 17 points for Issaquah. Teammates Mackenzie Schiltz and Blaire Brady contributed 12 and 11 points respectively.
The loss was Issaquah’s first in league play and just its second of the season. The Eagles, 10-1,dropped in to a tie with Newport for the Crest Division lead.
In other action, Skyline downed Inglemoor 58-51.
Kassia Fortier, of Skyline, scored game-high 22 points. Haley Smith added 12 points for the Spartans, who are 5-6 in league play.
In 3A/2A KingCo action, Liberty lost to visiting Bellevue 41-33. Bellevue outscored Liberty 12-8 in the final quarter to pull away. Aspen Winegar topped Liberty with 12 points. Danni Sjolander added 11 points for the Patriots, who are 3-5 in league play.
