SAMMAMISH REVIEW
June 8, 2011 •
Spartan 9-U Green wins tournament
Griffin Continued from Page 18
Contributed
Coaches Mike Dardis, back row from left, Craig Brenner, Ryan Brown and Manager Ben Boulware, and players Evan Wate, middle from left, Luke Rohleder, Daniel Hirose, Kyler Boulware, Marcus Chin, Alec Dardis and Brandon Quinn, front row from left, Alexander Brenner, Collin Brown, Jake Michaels, Cole Fontenelle, Josh Ruffner pose after winning a tournament championship game during Memorial Day weekend. The Spartan Baseball Club 9-U Green beat out 11 other teams to win the Pasco Memorial Day Classic May in the Tri-Cities, said Mike Dardis, president of the Spartan Baseball Club. The tournament is one of the largest of the season, he said. The nine-year-olds beat the Kennewick Express 16-8 in the championship game. It cranked up the offense and won all five of its games. The boys scored 74 runs and batted .435 as a team, Dardis said. In the final two games, the Spartans outscored their opponents 40-13.
O’Connor Continued from Page 18
myself further than I thought possible.” On the trail or track, O’Connor came a long way since her freshman year. Steen noted her change in confidence before and during meets. Her focused, bigpicture attitude helps teammates get in the zone. “She used to be really nervous and now has gotten really calm. She’s uplifting. She keeps her
cool,” Steen said. “She doesn’t just think about what’s best for just the one race or one day but for the season.” O’Connor said she never cared about placing at state. She just loves to run; to compete; to see if she can run faster or farther. She said she and Steen both plan to run for the WWU track and cross country teams. O’Connor plans to major in biochemistry, she said. “Her running career has just begun and I suspect her college running will be very fruitful,” Anderson said.
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about our game is that it doesn’t stop.” Soccer is a year-round gig for Griffin, between playing for Skyline and the Crossfire Premier club team. While he has seen plenty of success with Skyline, Griffin built up a list of accolades in his years playing club ball, too. In 2009, his team was ranked top-10 nationally by Top Drawer Soccer, and he was the league’s top scorer. He was the team’s top goal scorer in 2010 and helped win state with Crossfire 92A in 2008. “It’s one thing for adults to recognize your strengths, but it’s another for your peers to,” coach Don Braman said about Griffin’s teammates choosing him as a captain in 2011. “He’s the guy they can turn to when they need results.” Griffin graduates as Skyline’s No. 2 career point-scorer, tallying 65 (2 points for a goal, 1 point for an assist), Braman said. Fellow senior Travis Strawn led with 70 points. Griffin also capped his high school career being named to the 2011 first team All-KingCo 4A. While performing among the best in the state, Griffin also did the Running Start program to earn college credits during high school. When thinking back on his Skyline career, Griffin, who was
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supposed to go to Issaquah High School, proudly reveled in the memory of his game-winning header into the net with three minutes left against the Eagles in 2010. His goal secured Skyline’s 100th win in school history and bragging rights against Issaquah. “It’s great that one of greatest players we ever had at Skyline was able to secure the 100th win,” Braman said. He’s also faced some adversity. In the Central Kitsap game May 17, Griffin scored on a penalty kick, but left the game with a partially torn left meniscus. The injury kept him out for the next week, until the last 20 minutes of the state final against Eastlake, he said. He even called his surgeon that morning to see if he could play. Chomping at the bit and full of energy, he hit the pitch to see if he could help turn the tables on the Wolves. “My knee felt fine,” Griffin said. “I had so much adrenaline.” He had surgery June 1 to repair the damaged knee. Griffin is headed to play for Humboldt State University in Northern California, on scholarship, with teammate Jake Bechtel. He said he’s excited to help build a strong team and play at the school’s new soccer facility. Ultimately, he hopes to impress professional scouts, he said. “I hope to go super far with soccer,” Griffin said. “No one’s shut me down yet.”
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