Liberty girls basketball team finishes third in KingCo
February 3, 2012
NEW — 11:30 a.m. Feb. 3, 2012
The Liberty High School girls basketball team bounced back from two tough losses earlier this week to defeat visiting Mount Si 57-46 Thursday in the Patriots’ final regular-season contest.
Liberty finished third in the KingCo Conference 3A/2A standings with a 10-4 record. The Patriots, 14-6 overall, host Mercer Island at 7 p.m. Feb. 6 in the opening round of the league tournament.
The Patriots, who lost to co-leaders Lake Washington and Juanita earlier in the week, shot to a 17-12 first-quarter lead against Mount Si and never looked back. Liberty held a commanding 27-17 halftime lead on Senior Night.
Appropriately for the Patriots, seniors played a major part in the victory. Senior Aspen Winegar scored a game-high 17 points. Seniors Stephanie Year, Megan Tsutakawa and Morgan Safley contributed nine, seven and three points respectively. Sophomore Sierra Carlson added 16 points.
Forfeits hurt Patriots against Mount Si
January 31, 2012
Shane Small (top) wrestles Mount Si High School’s Tye Rodne at Bellevue Jan. 28. Small, a 152-pounder from Liberty High School, defeated Rodne, 8-4, but Mount Si overcame the Patriots, 51-21. By Sebastian Moraga
The Liberty High School wrestling team tried but could not overcome Mount Si, losing 54-21 Jan. 28 at Bellevue High School.
Both teams, along with Mercer Island and Sammamish, went to Bellevue to make up KingCo Conference 3A/2A matches the mid-January snowstorm had postponed.
“I don’t think it’s ever helpful,” Patriots assistant coach Wright Noel said of the time away from the mat. “It takes a while to get the kids back in it after they have done nothing for a week. But all the schools have had to deal with the same issues.”
The delay caused the Liberty upperclassmen to not have a Senior Night, he said.
“That’s always tough on our seniors,” he said.
The squad that showed up on Wolverine Way to grapple with Mount Si was not a full-force band of Patriots, as evidenced by the four forfeits that gave the Wildcats 24 points. Liberty forfeited at 285, 195, 113 and 106 pounds.
“And we have a couple of kids injured, so that hurt,” Noel said. “But Mount Si did a good job.”
Unbeaten Issaquah wrestlers overwhelm Newport
January 27, 2012
NEW — 1 p.m. Jan. 27, 2012
The unbeaten Issaquah High School wrestling team had too much muscle for Newport on Tuesday as the Eagles produced a 64-15 KingCo Conference 4A victory.
Jordan Hamilton (113), Louden Ivey (120), Jerdon Helgeson (138), Joseph Tonnemaker (145), Taylor Evans (152), Andrew Ramirez (170), Matt Solusod (220) and Jonathan Norris (285) all had pins for Issaquah. David Tickman (106) won his match with a major decision.
Issaquah High School wrestlers give alumni entertaining week
January 17, 2012
Almen Thorpe, Issaquah High School senior, has Dalton Mann of Woodinville in trouble on the way to a pin in his 132-pound match Jan. 11 on 50th anniversary Alumni Night. Thorpe also won matches by pin last week against Garfield and Bothell. By Greg Farrar
The Issaquah High School wrestling program, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, gave its alumni plenty to cheer about last week. The Eagles won four matches and placed third in the Jack Reynolds Invitational.
Liberty High School wrestlers topple KingCo foes
January 17, 2012
Liberty posted two easy KingCo Conference 3A/2A victories Jan. 12 when the Patriots walloped Juanita, 53-21, and crushed Sammamish, 48-18.
In the Juanita match, Conner Small (138) and Austin Whitley (152) had pins for Liberty. Hamilton Noel (160) won his match with a technical fall.
In the Sammamish match, Small and Noel Brandon (195) had pins for the Patriots.
At the Jack Reynolds Tournament, in addition to Small’s title in the 138-pound class and Tierney placing second at 170, Noel placed second in the 160-pound class. Brandon was third in the 182-pound division.
Liberty wrestlers take down two KingCo opponents
January 13, 2012
NEW — 4:45 p.m Jan. 13, 2012
The Liberty High School wrestling team posted two easy KingCo Conference 3A/2A victories Jan. 12 when the Patriots walloped Juanita 53-21 and crushed Sammamish 48-18.
In the Juanita match, Conner Small (138) and Austin Whitely (152) had pins for Liberty. Hamilton Noel (160) won his match with a technical fall.
In the Sammamish match, Small and Noel Brandon (195) had pins for the Patriots.
Spartans rack up wrestling wins
January 10, 2012
Conner Small, Liberty High School freshman, puts the shoulders of Redmond's Bryan Lapierre on the mat for a pin during the Liberty Wrestling Invitational Jan. 7. Small went on to win the 138-pound division. By Greg Farrar
Local high school wrestlers were plenty busy last week with Skyline and Issaquah both competing in league matches and invitational tournaments, and Liberty hosting its annual invitational.
Patriots wrestling team places second in Knott Classic
December 20, 2011
The Liberty High wrestling team finished second Dec. 17 at the Barry Knott Classic at Seattle’s Nathan Hale High School.
Federal Way won the team title with 196 points. The Patriots were second with 166.
Liberty’s Conner Small won the 138-pound division. Romney Noel (152) and Noel Brandon (195) placed second in their divisions.
On Dec. 15, Liberty lost to Interlake, 48-30, in a KingCo Conference 3A/2A match. Michael Shaw (120), Tyler Le (145) and Quin Magendanz (170) had pins for the Patriots.
A challenge to change the status quo
December 6, 2011
Hall Monitor Dawson Solly Liberty High School
Fall sports have just ended and the start to a new season has begun for winter high school sports such as basketball, gymnastics and wrestling.
For teams that moved into the playoffs and continued to the state championships, like the Skyline High School football team, it is an experience of a lifetime, but one thing missing from the playoffs is fan support. I think we need fan support from the district student body as a whole.
I know our district high schools have been rivals in the past and compete against each other, but times have changed as Skyline and Issaquah left 3A and moved on to 4A competition; the fan support should change, too. Instead of Liberty seeing Issaquah and Skyline as a rival in the playoffs we need to realize we are all part of the same district and that we all have an effect on our reputation as a whole.
Many may think that if this were to happen there would be a lot of conflict between schools, but think of how much our reputation as a district and community would improve. Districts across the state would think of our district as a trendsetter and a start to a new legacy.
Being an athlete at Liberty, I would see it as a positive, getting more support and gaining confidence because of it. Other athletes at Liberty agree — the more fans the better — particularly in sports such as wrestling, swimming/dive, gymnastics, tennis, and track and field, where individuals are on “the stage” alone.
A ‘cannonball’ rolling all year long
April 26, 2011
Hamilton Noel, Liberty High School junior running back, eludes the last Bellevue defensive player during a 34-yard touchdown run in a football game in November. By Greg Farrar
Liberty wrestler Hamilton Noel has become a dominant three-sport athlete
For as long as he can remember, Liberty High School wrestler Hamilton Noel has learned from the best. His father, Wright Noel, was a state championship high school wrestler and an NCAA First-Team All-American wrestler at Brigham Young University.
