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July 17, 2013
COMMUNITY
SAMMAMISH REVIEW
Summer fun at KidsFirst! series
Connor Meng, 1, plays with a soft Frisbee passed out by the Sammamish Kiwanis Club, a concert sponsor. Five-year-old Raeed Rahman, right, plugs his nose as Eric Herman and the Thunder Puppies sing a song about stink bugs. Children and parents turned out in droves on July 9 to listen to Eric Herman and the Thunder Puppies at Beaver Lake Park. The concert was the first of the summer in the KidsFirst! Performance Series. A warm, sunny day greeted concert-goers, who were treated to several family-friendly songs and dance routines. For dates and locations of more in the series, visit the calendar on the city’s website www. sammamish.us. Ten-year-old Becca Endres, the daughter of Eric Herman, performs “The Star Spangled Banner” prior to the concert.
Photos by Neil Pierson
Madeline Johnson, 5, enjoys the sunshine while dancing along to the songs.
Two-year-old Avery Cays, left, enjoys a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before the concert gets going.
Eric Herman, center, leads the crowd in a song-and-dance routine filled with animal noises and gestures.
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SportS
July 17, 2013
SAMMAMISH REVIEW
Eastlake softball wins state title By Neil Pierson
When the Eastlake Little League softball all-stars played July 9 in the semifinals of the majors division state tournament, the pressure didn’t appear to faze them. They kept physical errors to a minimum. They hit the ball with authority. Manager Steve Pollis was even praising the girls for properly backing up throws to various bases. In short, Eastlake did all the little things right, and they added up to a 16-6 victory in four innings over the Mill Creek/ South Everett all-stars at Sunset Park in Auburn. Two days later, when the teams met again in the July 11 championship game, Eastlake had to gut out a 9-8 victory and punched its ticket for the Little League Western Regional tournament that starts July 19 in San Bernardino, Calif. After the semifinal victory, Pollis said his team has borrowed a phrase from legendary basket-
ball coach Bobby Knight: “Smart wins.” “The girls have kind of grasped smart wins,” Pollis said. “There’s more than just the big hit, the big run. It’s the head game. And they’re doing that quite well.” Mill Creek took advantage of an anxious pitcher early in the game. But Eastlake’s Sophia Robinson settled down after a walk and two wild pitches gave the opposition a 1-0 lead. “I needed more time to warm up at the beginning, and then it took a little bit to get used to everything,” Robinson said. Robinson got comfortable after that, and helped ignite Eastlake’s offense against Mill Creek pitcher Emily Wininger. Robinson’s RBI double was part of a four-run first for her team, and Eastlake never trailed again. They piled on six more runs in the second inning. Three errors compounded Mill Creek’s troubles, and pinch hitter Hannah Butterklee delivered a two-out, two-run single. Mill Creek rallied a bit in the
Photo by Neil Pierson
Eastlake’s Courtney Zaidi speeds around second base during her team’s 16-6 victory over Mill Creek/South Everett in a state Little League all-star tournament softball game on July 9. third, posting four runs on three hits and two Eastlake errors. But Eastlake responded with five in its half, keyed by third baseman
Georgia Robinson’s ground-rule double over the fence in center field. Needing a run in the fourth
to invoke the 10-run mercy rule, Eastlake used a two-out rally to See SOFTBALL, Page 11
Eastlake’s Lewis has big-time football plans at UW By Neil Pierson
Photo by Neil Pierson
Eastlake High School senior Drew Lewis had interest from several big-name schools, but has chosen to give an oral commitment to the University of Washington for the 2013 season.
Drew Lewis is the kind of football player most NCAA Division I schools covet. The Eastlake High School senior is fast, so many opponents won’t catch him in the open field, but he’s also big enough – 6-foot-2, 190 pounds – to run over tacklers in a crowd. Lewis is part of a family full of talented athletes. His father, Will, had a brief stint playing with the Seattle Seahawks in the early 1980s. His older brother, Ryan, led Eastlake to the Class 4A state quarterfinals in 2011, and now plays at the University of Pittsburgh. His twin brother, Troy, also has some gifts, winning a medal in the 200-meter dash at May’s state track meet and solidifying a spot as an outside linebacker for the Wolves. Drew Lewis is making his own mark on the family tree. He recently gave an oral commitment to play at the University of Washington, spurning offers from seven other schools, including Pittsburgh. Playing many of his college games in Seattle will be nice for Lewis, but it isn’t why he chose
UW. “My No. 1 goal was to play football at a school that I really wanted to play at,” he said. “I’ve known these coaches for so long because I’ve been going to camps at UW since I was in seventh grade. The coaches have changed, but the atmosphere has stayed the same.” Don Bartel, Eastlake’s firstyear head coach, raves about Lewis’ abilities. “Drew is incredibly talented,” Bartel said. “He’s got a great skill set in terms of strength, speed and size. He definitely impresses.” Bartel, who was the defensive coordinator at Skyline High last season, will also serve in that position at Eastlake. He’s brought in Kyle Snell, a longtime friend, as offensive coordinator, and they’re aiming for Lewis to be at the forefront of the Wolves’ efforts on both sides of the ball. Lewis stars at running back and safety for Eastlake, but Washington is looking to use him as a linebacker, he said. “Safety and linebacker do have See LEWIS, Page 11