Illness decimates Liberty High School wrestlers
January 22, 2013
Connor Small (top), Liberty High School sophomore, controls Hazen junior Malik Haythorne during their 152-pound match Jan. 15, taking an 8-1 victory. Small would also win his match Jan. 17 against Bellevue by a technical fall. By Greg Farrar
As the nation struggles through a particularly aggressive flu season, many Liberty High School wrestlers know only too well the ailments that accompany the illness.
The flu knocked out nearly the entire team last week, when the Patriots dropped matches to Hazen and Bellevue, Liberty coach Manny Brown said.
“With injuries and sickness, I think I had maybe six wrestlers that are at full strength,” he said. “But the other teams have illnesses too.”
Despite going into the matches with a short-handed squad, Brown said the remaining Patriot wrestlers stood tough through adversity.
Skyline crushes winless Garfield girls basketball team
January 15, 2013
The Jan. 11 basketball game being hosted by the KingCo 4A Crown Division-leading 8-1 Skyline girl cagers, which featured winless Garfield as the guests, was like a train wreck. As a hoop humanitarian you wanted to look away, but morbid curiosity prevented you from doing so.
The lopsided result of the mismatch was a 67-17 onslaught in favor of the Skyline girls in the green-and-white uniforms, and the silver lining in the massacre was the fact that every single player on the Skyline bench got plenty of minutes on the hardwood.
Ballard Beavers scorch Skyline Spartans in boys basketball, 49-41
January 8, 2013
Skyline junior Blake O’Brien works his way around Ballard’s defense in the Jan. 4 KingCo 4A game. By Lillian O’Rorke
The Skyline boys basketball team came out ready to start the new year off with a victory Jan. 4 in its first league game following winter break. But Ballard thwarted their plans, running away with a fourth quarter win, 49-41.
Eagles girls basketball team falls to Roosevelt by one
January 8, 2013
It was parity Friday in KingCo 4A girls basketball Jan. 4 as Skyline visited Ballard and won a narrow 54-53 decision, while Issaquah traveled to Roosevelt and struggled against the Roughrider girls, losing 41-40 in regulation, to fall to 3-3 in league play.
Issaquah boys basketball team roughs up Roosevelt
January 8, 2013
The Issaquah boys basketball squad reached the midway juncture in its campaign recently and was able to stay in the hunt by staving off a physical Roosevelt contingent on the road Jan. 4, winning 53-49 to escalate its KingCo 4A mark to 4-2.
“I was really pleased with the way our players adapted to Roosevelt’s physical style of play,” Issaquah head coach Jason Griffith said. “In our league, you have to be able to adjust to the several different styles and looks that your opponents throw at you. They enter the games with the idea of imposing their will on you. The Roughriders aren’t any different in that they play hard and make you earn everything you get.”
Community mourns longtime sports editor Bob Taylor
January 1, 2013
Robert L. “Bob” Taylor, former longtime sports editor of The Issaquah Press, died Christmas Eve morning, Dec. 24, 2012, at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. He was 63.
Bob Taylor
Taylor, of Renton, was diagnosed with cancer in 2006, and was battling that and leukemia at the time of his death. He wrote about his illness many times in The Press.
He married his wife, the former Pauline Namit, who he called his best friend, in 1976, and she was his main caregiver in his last years. He was very proud of his son, David, 34, a University of Washington graduate. Family meant everything to him. He also loved his dog Katie.
Taylor was half Finnish and proud of his heritage. He was born Oct. 4, 1949, in Vancouver, Wash., to Hilda (Kopra) and Layton Taylor, and raised on a farm in Southwest Washington.
Issaquah Eagles rally for 59-51 win against Ballard Beavers
January 1, 2013
Just before the holiday break, the Issaquah High School boys basketball squad hosted a heavily favored Ballard squad and racked up a KingCo 4A triumph, bashing the Beavers, 59-51.
In the second half, Issaquah rallied to outscore Ballard, 36-23, and sail to an easy victory that escalated its league record to 3-2. Ryan Sexton and Ty Gibson combined for 29 points, most of which came in the second half.
Community mourns former sports editor Bob Taylor
December 28, 2012
NEW — 3:05 p.m. Dec. 28, 2012
Robert L. “Bob” Taylor, former longtime sports editor of The Issaquah Press, died Christmas Eve morning, Dec. 24, 2012, at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. He was 63.
Bob Taylor
Taylor, of Renton, was diagnosed with cancer in 2006, and was battling that and leukemia at the time of his death. He wrote about his illness many times in The Press.
He married his wife, the former Pauline Namit, who he called his best friend, in 1976, and she was his main caregiver in his last years. He was very proud of his adult son, David, a University of Washington graduate. Family meant everything to him. He also loved his dog Katie.
Taylor was half Finnish and proud of his heritage. He was born Oct. 4, 1949, in Vancouver, Wash., to Hilda (Kopra) and Layton Taylor, and raised on a farm in Southwest Washington.
Issaquah School District teams reflect on 2012 missions accomplished
December 25, 2012
Jubilant members of the Issaquah High School boys swim team and their coaches hoist their state 4A second place team trophy and give themselves a cheer Feb. 18 at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way. By Greg Farrar
The Issaquah School District high school sports teams have a strong tradition of excellence, and 2012 was no different.
Eagles eke out victory over winless Spartans
December 18, 2012
Ty Gibson (5), Issaquah High School sophomore guard, collides with Skyline junior guard Jonah Eastern, who goes to the floor as Nels Thorsrud (left) looks on during their Dec. 14 matchup. By Don Borin/Stop Action Photography
Thousands of prep basketball fans jammed into Issaquah High School’s gymnasium Dec. 14 to witness the annual pre-holiday KingCo 4A hoopfest between winless Skyline and the 4-1 hosting Eagles, who pulled out a 49-48 nail-biter in regulation.
Skyline, seeking its initial victory, appeared to be well on its way to doing just that as the Spartans held a 24-19 advantage at intermission, behind the shooting of Jonah Eastern, who wound up being the leading scorer with 20 points.
“I told our guys in the locker room at the break, that if they wanted to win this game, they were going to have to earn it. It was apparent from the way that the Spartans were playing, that Skyline wasn’t going to just hand over the triumph to us. That is what this rivalry is all about, though. These battles with Skyline are almost always barnburners,” Issaquah head coach Jason Griffith said. “Ty Gibson, Jake Henke and Cory Nevin, among others, all really stepped up tonight in the fourth quarter especially, doing a better job of executing our sets and attacking the basket.”
Gibson and Henke were the top point getters in the showdown, combining for 32 points.
