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THE DAILY NEWS
TDNPREPS.COM
ES ATHLETE OF TH YEAR Grant McEwen & Kaelyn Shipley
BEST BEST OF THE
A SUPPLEMENT TO
AREA’S TOP TEAMS P. 10 MEMORABLE GAMES P. 16 SCHOLAR ATHLETE P. 20 TOP COACH P. 24 PH
THE DAILY NEWS
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DAILY NEWS YEAR IN REVIEW
Bill Wagner / The Daily News
Spencer Best takes a look back at first base during his near no-hitter against the R.A. Long Lumberjacks.
ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
ACADEMIC ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
6 GRANT MCEWEN
20 SARAH LUEDKE
Toledo's senior three-sport star picked things up immediately for the Indians.
The Harvard-bound Lumberjill was busy on and off the court.
8 KAELYN SHIPLEY
23 SENIOR SCHOLARS
Kalama's javelin champion has a bright future ahead of her — and maybe a new truck.
A listing of the area's top senior student-athletes.
TEAM OF THE YEAR
COACH OF THE YEAR
10 MARK MORRIS GIRLS HOOPS
24 CARY GRAY
For three magical seasons, the Monarchs owned winter in Longview.
The Columbians leader has brought consistency and titles to Rainier softball.
12 THE FAB 14
26 CLIPBOARD KINGS
Each area school had at least one team that made a mark this year. We highlight a few of them.
Five more coaches who guided their teams to plenty of success this year.
PHOTOS OF THE YEAR
GAME OF THE YEAR 16 THE SHOT(S) Woodland's Ryan Sturdivan became an overnight sensation after beating Kelso with a pair of prayers.
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18 MORE INSTANT CLASSICS
28 THE MOMENTS
Capturing a few of the many memorable Five more games that stood out from a year filled with plenty of high-stakes matchups and moments that made up the 2014-15 prep last-second drama. sports calendar.
THE DAILY NEWS STAFF Rick Parrish
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DAILY NEWS BOYS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
GRANT McEWEN E BY TH RS E B M NU
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Touchdown receptions for McEwen in the Indians’ 28-22 state semifinal loss to Napavine at the Tacoma Dome. He finished the season with 886 total yards of offense and seven interceptions.
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Games in which McEwen had at least 10 points, five rebounds and four assists on the basketball court this winter. He registered one triple-double and led the team in all three statistical categories.
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Extra-base hits slugged by McEwen — a team high — in his first and only season with the Indians varsity baseball team. He also had a team-high .471 batting average.
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INDIANS’ THREE-SPORT STAR A QUICK STUDY Story by Matt Schubert mschubert@tdn.com
I
n his first plate appearance in his first baseball game in five years this spring, Grant McEwen drew a walk. By the time he made his way over to third base, Toledo coach Jeff Davis could see the disappointment in McEwen’s eyes. “Coach,” the Indians senior said, “that’s not how I pictured my first at-bat.” And what, pray tell, did McEwen see in his mind’s eye? Well, a home run, obviously. Three trips later, after two more walks, he finally got a chance to swing the bat in the top of the sixth, and sent the ball screaming over the right-field fence — a home run, in his first official at-bat. “Amazing,” Davis said. The Daily News boys athlete of the year has made a habit of the amazing over the years, which is all the more remarkable considering the road he traveled to get here. The product of a broken home in his native Houston, McEwen didn’t arrive in Toledo until the fifth grade. Evicted and in search of a place to live, his mother decided she could no longer take care of Grant and his older brother. So she sent them to live with their Aunt Larae in Western Washington. “It was definitely eye opening,” McEwen said of coming to Toledo. “My situation in Texas wasn’t good at all. If I had stayed there, I probably wouldn’t be alive today. Moving up here is probably the best thing that happened in my life.” Indeed, in one fell swoop, McEwen discovered two things he never before had in his life — stability and organized sports.
STAT-SHEET STUFFER
TWO-WAY FORCE
TEAM LEADER
The first was provided by his aunt and uncle, who ran a daycare business out of their home. The second came once Grant tagged along with his cousin, Forrest Wallace, a multi-sport standout who was the same age and excelled at pretty much everything. “I just followed in his footsteps,” McEwen said. It wasn’t easy at first. McEwen was an overgrown, brutish grade-school athlete, and it took him some time to harness his physical tools in a meaningful way. But once he got a glimpse of former Toledo basketball coach Scott Merzoian running the show at Sunday night open gyms, drilling pull-up 3-pointers, taking on five defenders at once and owning the court from start to finish, McEwen found his muse. “I would just watch him,” McEwen said. “I would watch what he does, try to copy it.” By the time McEwen reached high school, many of the other boys had
either caught up to or surpassed him in height. But the 5-foot-10 block of granite had something else going for him — determination. “Probably one of the fiercest competitors I’ve ever coached,” said Merzoian, who coached McEwen for three years before leaving Toledo this season. “He just hates to lose. Once he attached to basketball, he just took off.” McEwen transformed himself into a shut-down defender on the Indians’ state championship team as a sophomore in 2013. A year later, when the Indians’ collection of seniors had moved on, he took over as team leader — his clenched-fist, all-out physical game a triple-double waiting to happen. After all that time and effort, however, he came to the realization that the basketball scholarship he had focused his efforts on wasn’t likely to come his way. So his senior year, McEwen finally gave in to the relentless recruiting efforts from coaches, teachers and fans
throughout the community and took up a couple of new hobbies — football and baseball. Of course, he immediately excelled at both, first as a ball-hawking all-state defensive back and wide receiver, then as a spark-plug lead-off hitter and outfielder. Both teams eventually made the state semifinals, while his final year on the basketball court ended a win short of Spokane. “He’s touched so many people, he’s had so much more success,” Merzoian said. “I’m just so happy for him.” Now, as his prep sports career fades into the background, McEwen plans to attend Central Washington and major in education. He’s decided he wants to be a coach and math teacher, just like his mentor Merzoian. “He changed my life tremendously,” McEwen said. “I want to do that for kids, too. Teach them more than just basketball, like he’s done for me.” Knowing McEwen, he should be an instant success.
ST E B
Hunter Esary
Brandon Budd
OF THE RES
Eli Whitmire
T
Shawn Godinho
Dustin Nading
Kalama | Junior
Wahkiakum | Senior
Woodland | Senior
Castle Rock | Senior
R.A. Long | Senior
A bulldozer of a linebacker/ tight end, double-double machine in the post and centerpiece of the Kalama batting order, the threetime all-Trico pick was the strength that powered the Chinooks to postseason bids in all three sports.
A down year for the Mule boys could not be laid at the feet of Budd, who was a two-way menace on the football field, explosive scorer on the basketball court and dependable bat on the diamond.
A record-breaking blur on both the football field and the track, Whitmire needed only two sports to establish himself as one of the area’s top athletes, with three state medals and a GSHL 2A Offensive MVP award to his name.
The Godinho family has made its bones on the mat, and Shawn was certainly no different as a third-place finisher at Mat Classic. Still, as an all-Trico defensive back and catcher, his impact wasn’t just reserved for the winter.
Nading made his gains the hard way — one step at a time. Be it the final climb of a cross country race, the waning moments of a threeround wrestling match, or the final lap of a 1600-meter duel, the three-time state placer never failed to push his opponents to the limit.
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DAILY NEWS GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
KAELYN SHIPLEY E BY TH RS E B M NU
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Times in her prep career that Shipley has failed to make state. She’s a combined 6 for 6 in volleyball, basketball and track.
1 Sophomores in the United States who posted a better distance in the javelin this spring than Shipley. Her season-long throw of 148 feet, 10 inches ranked 13th among all prep athletes this year and first in Washington.
37-9 Kalama’s combined record this year in volleyball and basketball. Both teams lost to the eventual state champion in the round of 16.
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A STAR IN THE MAKING
Story by Kevin Dowd kdowd@tdn.com
K
aelyn Shipley didn’t know much about throwing the javelin at the start of her freshman year, but she knew she liked the old man with a handlebar mustache who was helping her learn. And so she asked Bob Stewart: Will you coach me for the rest of my career here at Kalama? “Honey, I’m 82 years old,” Stewart replied. “I can’t make promises like that.” Nonetheless, the octogenarian javelin coach and the lanky teenage track star immediately hit it off. After Shipley placed third in the state as a freshman — she’s a quick study — she and Stewart made a wager for her sophomore season: If Shipley took first, Stewart had to lose 20 pounds. In late May The Daily News girls athlete of the year held up her end of the deal, topping a loaded 1A field with a throw of 137 feet, 8 inches. It’s a good thing Stewart didn’t agree to her originally proposed stakes. Instead
FORCE AT THE NET
TRICO MVP
STATE CHAMPION
“When she walked into the gym her freshman year, I said, ‘Who are you, and who do you belong to?’ It of her coach shedding some weight, was obvious she was special,” said Shipley wanted his truck, a maroon 1972 Chevrolet pickup with customized Kalama volleyball coach Jeni O’Neil. “What Kaelyn has inside of her can’t be plates reading STEW 72. taught. It’s something within that is so “It’s my favorite vehicle,” Stewart amazing, that all-around competitivesaid. “She’ll probably end up with it.” ness, that heart.” Through the first two years of her Said Stewart, who’s taught javelin for Chinooks career, there appears to be no nearly 40 years: stopping Shipley. “She certainly shows the greatest In volleyball, she was a middle blocker potential of anyone I’ve ever coached. … for a Kalama team that made state beShe will attempt anything that I suggest fore falling to the eventual champions. In basketball, she was named Southwest and is serious about trying it. She’s the 1A Trico Division player of the year for a perfect student. She makes an old, fat, team that, again, made state before fall- bald-headed coach feel better.” Growing up, Shipley always thought ing to the eventual champs. her future was in basketball. But her And on the track, she brought home rapid rise to prominence throwing the a state title of her own. Shipley’s best javelin may mean a change of plans. throw on the season, a toss of 148-10, “I never thought I’d be a state javelin was the farthest this year by any girl in champion. That totally opened my the state. eyes,” she said. “I thought I was pretty Yet the most impressive thing of all good at it before, but now it’s like, ‘Wow, may be the praise she draws from those I could go places.’” around her.
Continued from Page 8
ST BE
Bailey Hockett T outle Lake | Senior Like all of our honorees, Hockett excelled in three sports this year, leading a talented TL volleyball team and helping guide the Ducks to top-five finishes in the state in both basketball and softball.
Tori Wegdahl
OF THE RES
Kady Bruce
She’ll spend the summer trying to qualify for the National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships in Florida. Her state-winning throw from this season would have been good enough to take third in the country in her age group last year. In the meantime, Shipley will also be playing basketball and volleyball for Kalama’s summer league teams. While her long-term future may be in the jav, all three sports still have her heart. “My favorite sport is whatever I’m doing at that time,” Shipley said. “If I’m at basketball practice, basketball is my favorite sport. If I’m at volleyball practice an hour later, that’s my favorite. You can’t compare them.” No matter where Shipley is, she tends to dominate. And with two more years to go, it would be a surprise if this spring’s state title is her last. So some advice to Chinooks fans: Buckle up, and enjoy the ride. “Just don’t show her your truck,” Stewart said.
T
Jessica Flanagan
Mariah Horton
Wahkiakum |Senior
Kelso | Senior
Woodland | Junior
Kelso | Senior
A powerhouse hitter in volleyball, a do-it-all post on the hardwood and a slugging pitcher on the diamond, few area athletes can match Wegdahl’s versatility. She was a major reason the Mules took second in the state in volleyball and basketball.
Whether she was setting the school record for most 3-pointers in a game or throwing no-hitters, Bruce had a historic final year with the Lassies. Hoops teammates Loryn Musgrove and Jamilee Iddings also deserve mention for their multi-sport excellence.
The talent is tough to miss. A less-obvious fact about Flanagan is that she is ultraclutch: Whenever the Beavers basketball team needed a long 3-pointer or the softball team required a key base hit, it was their superstar who rose to the occasion.
No prep athlete came closer to winning two individual state titles than Horton, who placed second in the 135-pound weight class in wrestling during the winter and second again in the javelin this spring (behind Lassies teammate Kirstin Mury).
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DAILY NEWS TEAM OF THE YEAR
John Markon/The Daily News
Mark Morris starters — from left, Tayler Teeters, Karley Eaton, Kourtney Eaton, Ashley Coons and Elaina Flores — celebrate on the bench as time expires in the Monarchs’ win over W.F. West in the Class 2A state championship game in Yakima.
One of a kind For three brilliant years, the Mark Morris girls basketball team did things no Monarchs squad has done before
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hese Monarchs were unique for their talent: Few prep basketball teams win 74 games in the span of three seasons. They were unique for their style: Even fewer can thrive at the sort of souped up pace that would make Mike D’Antoni blush.
Story by Kevin Dowd kdowd@tdn.com
THE PATH specializing
DEC. 2 MARK MORRIS 62, SKYVIEW 57 They couldn’t have known it at the time, but no other team in Washington state would test the Monarchs like the Storm did during their season opener. Skyview used a serious size advantage to bully its smaller opponents, building a big lead on the glass. But MM’s three stars proved too much: The Eaton twins and Ashley Coons combined for 59 of their team’s 62 points, with Karley providing the dagger 3-pointer in the final minute. DEC. 28 SOUTH SALEM 63, MARK MORRIS 40 In the second round of the Nike Interstate Shootout, the Saxons provided MM with a lesson in humility: No matter how good you are, someone, somewhere, is always a little bit better. With multiple major Division I recruits on the roster, South Salem was too much for the Monarchs from the outset. And the Saxons continued to be too much for the rest of the teams on their schedule, going on to a state championship in Oregon’s largest classification. JAN. 19
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MARK MORRIS 78, WHITE RIVER 47 For the first two months of the season, White River and W.F. West loomed as MM’s only real danger in Class 2A. The Hornets’ status as a threat was all but nullified in this demolition on Martin Luther King Day, the state’s first real clue at the degree to which the Monarchs stood over the rest of the competition. FEB. 9
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MARK MORRIS 88, R.A. LONG 59 The MM senior class saved one of its best performances for their final regular-season outing on Ted M. Natt Court, setting a school mark for points in a game while topping the rival Lumberjills to complete a fourth straight undefeated year in the league.
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FEB. 20 MARK MORRIS 67, W.F. WEST 40 The Monarchs and Bearcats would play again a couple weeks down the line in the state title game, but that outcome wasn’t much in doubt for those who saw the district title game in Lacey. The thought was that WFW’s interior tandem of Julie Spencer and Tiana Parker would be able to make MM pay. But Kourtney Eaton had other ideas, making mincemeat of the Bearcats on her way to a sterling 33-point performance.
And they were unique for their closeness: Ever since they were in first grade, playing for the aptly named Crushers, the group of Kourtney Eaton, Karley Eaton, Tayler Teeters and Ashley Coons had imagined winning a state title together at Mark Morris. “We all used to talk about it,” Coons said. “Like, ‘Our senior year, we’re gonna take it.’ I don’t know why, but we always said senior year for some reason.” The reason might be that the Monarchs never could have imagined all this, not even in their wildest dreams — two state championships and one
runner-up finish in three seasons, all the records, all the memories. “Maybe we didn’t know just how good we were,” Kourtney said. There was no debate in selecting The Daily News team of the year. The Mark Morris girls were so good, so dominant, that the numbers can boggle the mind. The Monarchs won 21 of their 27 games by more than 15 points. Only one team in Washington held them below 60 in a night, and nobody in the state managed 60 against the MM defense.
Continued on Page 13
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360-575-9804 www.elamshf.com Photo for illustrative purposes.
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“
Maybe we didn’t know just how good we were.” — Kourtney Eaton, Mark Morris senior
BEST OF THE REST KELSO
— Matt Schubert/The Daily News R.A. LONG
WOODLAND
CASTLE ROCK
SOFTBALL
BOYS SOCCER
SOFTBALL
BOYS BASKETBALL
Highlight: GSHL 3A title Story: The 19-game winning streak and league title that came with it were definitely nice. But the Lassies, no doubt, would give a little of that back for a chance to replay the season-ending walk-off loss to Prairie that denied them their rightful piece of state hardware.
Highlight: State berth Story: A program plagued by a half decade of turbulence found its footing with a talented freshman class and new, experienced head coach to lead them in former MM boss Dan Nickerson. The surprise state run that followed signals a bright future on the horizon.
Highlight: Fourth in state Story: A third straight state trophy is an accomplishment worthy of celebration for any program. But when it’s taken home by the runt of the 2A litter — as was the case with this spring’s Beaver softball team — it comes with a little extra shine.
Highlight: Sixth in state Story: An up-and-down opening two months gave way to a brilliant closing kick from the Rockets, as the Johnson brothers rained 3s, Mason Klingberg held down the post and CR’s army of role players filled in the blanks to win the program’s first state trophy in 20 years.
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Continued from Page 11 Their lone brush with mortality was brief. In back-to-back days at the Nike Interstate Shootout in Lake Oswego, the Monarchs fell 63-40 to South Salem and 70-61 in overtime to Clackamas, two schools from Oregon’s largest classification. Even after all the year’s highlights, it’s the loss to Clackamas that Kourtney can’t get off her mind. “We should have had that one,” she said. “I missed a free throw to put us up by three, and they hit a layin to send it to overtime. We should have won. That’s definitely the game I look back on as my worst of the season.” Back on its own side of the border, though, MM destroyed the rest of the Greater St. Helens 2A League, finishing with an undefeated conference record for the fourth year in a row. In their marquee nonleague matchup of the regular season, the Monarchs beat White River (then ranked third in the state) by 31 points. In the district title game, they hammered W.F. West (then ranked second in the state) by 27. And yet they saved their finest performances for the biggest stage of all — the 2A state tournament in Yakima. In three days, MM beat the teams that went on to finish fourth, third and second by an average of 22 points each. “It was the best we ever played,” Kourtney said. “Easy.”
31.9
The average margin of victory for the Monarchs as they racked up a 12-0 record in Greater St. Helens 2A League play. Only two contests were closer than 20 points.
52.6
The combined scoring average of guards Kourtney Eaton, Karley Eaton and Ashley Coons, on its own more than five of the six other teams in the GSHL 2A.
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Free throws made by Coons without a miss at 2A state, a tournament record.
74-7
MM’s combined record the past three seasons, leading to two state titles and one runner-up finish.
Continued on Page 15
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COWLITZ DRIVING SCHOOL Celebrating
KALAMA
ILWACO
TOLEDO
VOLLEYBALL
GIRLS BASKETBALL
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Highlight: District title Story: The Chinooks’ unique blend of power, pace and polish produced a repeat district championship and fifth straight trip to Yakima. Alas, another brutal state draw saw Kalama fall to the eventual 1A champions in the first round — a fate that befell the girls basketball team as well.
Highlight: Pacific 2B champs Story: It didn’t take long for the Fish to get acclimated to the waters in their new, smaller Class 2B pond. And no Ilwaco team looked more comfortable than Ned Bittner’s bunch, whose unblemished run through the Pacific 2B League helped break a four-year state tournament drought.
Highlight: State semifinalist Story: The Indians’ first year in Class 2B turned out to be a success across all three seasons, as each of the big three boys teams reached state. Still, only one got to play under the bright lights of the Tacoma Dome on the final weekend in November. And that will always take precedence.
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“
They all just looked up to us. Them saying, ‘I want to be just like you when I’m in high school,’ that’s just a great thing to hear.” — Ashley Coons, Mark Morris senior, pictured center
Continued from Page 13
TOUTLE LAKE
WAHKIAKUM
WINLOCK
NASELLE
SOFTBALL
GIRLS BASKETBALL
BASEBALL
SOFTBALL
Highlight: Third in state Story: Their quest for a third straight state championship was denied by Napavine in the 2B semifinals, but the Ducks didn’t let that kill their fighting spirit. Two victories later, they had a third-place trophy to bring back to Toutle, not to mention a 12-1 state record between the past three seasons.
Highlight: State runner-up Story: In reality, one could pick either of the Mules’ Class 2B second-place squads (volleyball and girls basketball) and not go wrong. Both featured many of the same athletes, as well as the Mules’ trademark never-say-die grit. That the hoops team also claimed a district crown gives it the slight edge.
Highlight: 3-1 finish Story: There were no trophies, no playoff games or even a late-season meeting with postseason implications. It was just slow, steady improvement from a Cardinals team that started the season with eight runs in its first 11 games and finished with 13 in a season-ending victory over Onalaska.
Highlight: State participant Story: One of two Comets programs to reach the 1B state tournament — the volleyball team being the other — softball gets the nod thanks to the offensive fireworks manufactured by a lineup that featured eight starters with batting averages of .300 or better.
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Continued from Page 13 For much of the year, it was Coons and the Eaton twins who carried the scoring load. In the season opener, for instance, a 62-57 win over Skyview, they combined for all but three of MM’s points. But that had changed by the time the Monarchs got to Yakima, when nine different players scored at least two points during the three-day stay. For all intents and purposes, the championship game against WFW was decided midway through the first half, when sophomores Madison Early and Zsaleh Parvas made 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions. If the underclassmen were going to come off the bench and start shooting like the Eaton twins, there was no hope left for the competition. “That didn’t happen all year, and then it happened in the state championship game,” Karley said. “Crazy.” Karley sank five 3-pointers of her own that game to tie a tournament record. The MM team set tournament records for 3-pointers attempted and made. Coons made all 17 of her free throws in Yakima. And no 2A team this millennium dispatched of its opponents at state by so many points. “The average margin of victory record we set, I think it will be a long time before that gets broken again,” Kourtney said. On their way to history, the Monarchs turned into the closest things to rock stars that can exist in Longview. Before every home game, the Eaton twins and Coons were mobbed by little girls with white headbands strapped across their blonde hair, the next generation doing its best to emulate their idols. “They all just looked up to us,” Coons
THREE RIVERS CHRISTIAN BOYS BASKETBALL
Highlight: CV League champs Story: The last season of “Beast Mode” could not quite match the successes of the winter that preceded it — a run that included a district crown and fourthplace state finish. But a return to state and second straight league title is certainly nothing to scoff at.
GOOD JOb mONARcHS HILANDERS
FAMILY DENTAL
Mark Morris’ Tayler Teeters caught fire at state. said. “Them saying, ‘I want to be just like you when I’m in high school,’ that’s just a great thing to hear.” After all, it wasn’t too long ago that Coons and her teammates were those little girls themselves, dreaming of what they might accomplish on the biggest stage they could imagine. But it’s all over now. School is done, and summer league basketball has started up again, with a new group of players wearing the red, white and blue of MM. Now, it’s someone else’s turn. “I was looking at my phone the other day, and I saw a picture of us sitting with each other on the bench (after the state title game). And I got kind of teary-eyed,” Teeters said. “That was when I got to play with my best friends for the last time.”
CLATSKANIE
NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS!
Go Rockets!
RAINIER
BASEBALL
SOFTBALL
Highlight: State semifinalist Story: First-round fodder for the past two seasons, the Tigers’ collection of seniors made good on their final ride together this spring, matching the program’s best-ever state finish by making it all the way to Oregon 3A’s penultimate round.
Highlight: State runner-up Story: The Columbians’ three-peat bid came down to the very last day of the season. While they may not have claimed the top prize this time around, they defended their crown to the bitter end. With several players coming back next spring, they may very well reclaim it 12 months later.
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15
DAILY NEWS GAME OF THE YEAR
Shot(s) in the dark A sparsely attended early-season matchup went from afterthought to leading SportsCenter Story and photos by John Markon jmarkon@tdn.com
T
he few hundred people who made it out to Kelso’s gym on the night of Dec. 15 had no idea they were about to witness this season’s TDN game of the year. “It was an early-season, nonleague game on a Monday night,” recalled Woodland coach Jason Buffum. “There was no reason to think anything special was going to happen.”
Woodland’s Ryan Sturdivan, left, howls with delight after his long 3-pointer at the final buzzer gave the Beavers a 49-47 win at Kelso.
16
Both Woodland (4-0) and Kelso (5-0) were undefeated, but it was a little too early in the season to get too excited about that. There was a ripple of excitement just before halftime, however, when senior guard Ryan Sturdivan gave Woodland a lift by hitting a 3-pointer from the big, blue “K” at half-court as time expired. The lift seemed temporary. Kelso led 42-33 early in the fourth quarter. With 4.2 seconds remaining, Hilanders guard Xavier Parker-Mendez stole a Woodland pass and drew an intentional foul — giving Kelso a 47-46 lead, two free throws and possession of the ball. A few spectators, convinced the night’s tale had been told, grabbed their jackets and headed for the exits, unaware of what was to happen next. Given a chance at four points from the free-throw line, Kelso failed to make one. Woodland, still down by only a point, called time out with 1.6 seconds remaining.
Castle Rock Rockets Toutle Lake Ducks And Toledo Indians on all your accomplishments this year!
Kelso appeared to have secured a win over Woodland when Xavier Parker-Mendez stole a pass intended for the Beavers’ Tanner Froeber with 4.2 seconds remaining. Buffum didn’t over-complicate his endgame strategy. “Coach Buffum looked at me and said ‘Ryan, you made one long one tonight. That means you can do it again,’” recalled Sturdivan. Closely defended by Kelso’s Mike Pierce, Sturdivan launched a jumper from in front of the scorer’s table. It was a few feet longer than the shot he’d made at the close of the first half and defied every law of probability by going directly through the hoop and into the net as the sound of the final horn filled the air. Woodland 49, Kelso 47. Final. Sturdivan owes most of his subsequent fame to Woodland athletic director Paul Huddleston, who had video of the two shots posted on the Internet before midnight. Among the thousands who found it was a web editor working an overnight shift at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn. By the next day, Sturdivan was well on his way to a two-day round of watching his shots replayed on SportsCenter, being interviewed on ESPN’s “The Round Table” and gaining official temporary celebrity status. “I wasn’t sure I’d like all that, but I wound up really enjoying it,” Sturdivan said. “It was just something cool that I got to do — a ‘once in a lifetime’ thing.”
Continued on Page 19
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The number of times the Woodland High School Athletics Department’s video of Ryan Sturdivan’s two half-court shots vs. Kelso has been viewed on YouTube (as of June 1).
95
The estimated combined length of Sturdivan’s shots, in feet. The first was launched from almost the middle of the center jump circle, about 45 feet from the basket. The second was shot at an angle with Sturdivan slightly behind the half-court stripe.
Complete Auto RepAiR
46
Percentage of Woodland’s points scored in the game by Sturdivan. He had 24.
1
Where ESPN voters ranked video of Sturdivan’s two shots on the next day’s SportsCenter Top 10.
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BEST OF THE REST W.F. West 28
— Matt Schubert/The Daily News
Woodland 21
2A STATE PRELIMINARY FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS Nov. 7 in Kalama: In hindsight, it was a game that foreshadowed a year of heartbreak to come for Woodland boys athletics. From fall, to winter, to spring, each of the Beavers’ big three teams saw their seasons end in agonizing fashion, the state playoffs within full view. Still, the football squad’s finish was the cruelest of them all, if only because it came by the narrowest of margins. Four yards from the end zone on fourth-and-goal in the final moments, Wyatt Harsh was hurried into a quick throw to Jared Cloud at the 1-yard line. Cloud’s momentum, and W.F. West linebacker Eric Braun’s muscle, made sure that’s where the tight end stayed. W.F. West ran out the clock a play later as Harsh looked on in tears — the freshman wunderkind’s transcendent performance (297 yards passing with three touchdown throws to Trevor Huddleston) one yard short of being enough to save Woodland’s season.
Morton/White Pass 67
Toledo 62 (2 OT)
2B DISTRICT BOYS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP Feb. 21 in Chehalis: The W.F. West gym was packed to the rafters, and the Indians were brimming with confidence, a month removed from nearly ending MWP’s two-seasons-long winning streak in a crazy 52-47 affair. After going back and forth through two quarters, the game had swung wildly in the Indians’ favor by the time Brent Wood knifed into the lane to give his team nine-point lead with 6:35 to go. Ah, but these T-Wolves won 50 games in a row for a reason. A late rally sent the game to overtime, and a last-second 3-pointer from Grant McEwen forced a second extra session. Kaleb Poquette took over after that, scoring 11 of his game-high 23 points in the second OT. Toledo never got another shot at MWP, its season halted in the 2B regional round a week later. As for the T-Wolves? They never trailed in a fourth quarter again, eventually extending their streak to 55 games en route to a second straight 2B state crown.
Wahkiakum 59
La Conner 51 (OT)
2B STATE GIRLS BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS March 6 in Spokane: Oh, those Mules. How stubborn they were all year. In the fall, they were two points away from defeat in the first round of the 2B state volleyball tournament, yet somehow rallied to make it all the way to the championship match. In the winter, with another dream run to the finals on life support, down 10 to the Braves in the fourth quarter, they refused to give in yet again. Peyton Souvenir knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, Kaylee Bryant scored twice around the hoop, and suddenly the Mules trailed by only four with a minute to play. Bryant scored once more to draw Wahkiakum within two. Then the Mules press produced a loose ball that found its way into the hands of Tori Wegdahl, who laid it in to force overtime. With all the momentum on its side, Wahkiakum dominated the extra period, punching its ticket to the championship round for the second time in four months. Just like in November, however, the Mules’ run ended with a runner-up finish in the title game. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.
R.A. Long 2
Mark Morris 1 (2-1 shootout)
GREATER ST. HELENS 2A BOYS SOCCER MATCH May 14 in Longview: Let’s just pretend the first 72 minutes of this match didn’t happen. For all intents and purposes, it was lost time, a dull answer to the up-and-down drama that marked the teams’ initial meeting — a 3-2 RAL win in OT at Northlake Field. In a vacuum, that was the better of the two Civil War soccer matches. But this one had playoff implications. And those stakes hit a fever pitch with eight minutes to go, when Aidan Johnson curled a left-footed strike around the outstretched arms of RAL goaltender Jesus Radillo for a 1-0 MM lead. RAL pushed forward, desperate for an equalizer, and got one after drawing a penalty kick in the very last minute that Alonso Hernandez slotted past Alex Wisdom. Two five-minute overtimes turned out to be a stalemate. Then Radillo redeemed himself in the penalty kick shootout with three diving saves, one more spectacular than the next, the last of them clinching RAL’s first postseason bid in five years.
O’Dea 8
Kelso 7 (10 innings)
3A STATE BASEBALL REGIONALS May 24 at Yelm: Some may remember this game for how it ended, with catcher Zak Schueller’s throw to third base skittering down the left-field line to let in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning. But to do so would be to miss the point entirely. In a sane world, after all, that throw never would have happened. The game would have ended in the seventh inning — as most do when the home team holds a six-run lead going into the final frame. But as the Scotties illustrated so beautifully that morning, it is when this world loses its collective mind that sports are at their best. So it was that Kelso put together a stunning last-gasp rally, ripping off four hits during a six-run seventh, the last a Steven Christen two-out single that scored Davis Radcliffe and Quinton McDaniel to knot the game at 7-all. Unfortunately for the Scotties, that was all the magic they had left. Their season ended when O’Dea scored a run without registering a single hit in the 10th, and the miraculous seventh transformed into a prelude to heartbreak.
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Continued from Page 17 He received another rare honor before he left Kelso. “Our players,” said Kelso coach Joe Kinch, “voted to give Ryan the game ball. That was a tough defeat to swallow, but we all just felt he should have it.” Buffum created a display case from wood and glass, and the game ball now sits on the most prominent shelf in Sturdivan’s room at home. Sturdivan went on to have a good senior season, although there were no more game-winning buzzer-beaters. He hit other long-ish shots, but nothing from halfcourt. Defenses, in general, were less willing to let him shoot from the outside. He’s now in the process of leaving the game behind. As a freshman this fall at Pacific Lutheran University, he’ll play golf and hopes he can work intramural basketball into his schedule. “That’s why the Kelso game ball will always mean a lot to me,” Sturdivan said. “Having that ball is like having every experience and memory I have of being a high-school athlete… all wrapped up in one thing.” The game of the year didn’t prove to be a dramatic turning point for either of the teams involved. Both Woodland and Kelso went on to post winning records, but had their seasons end short of qualifying for state. “I think that game made us tougher and helped us win some other close games we might have lost,” Buffum said. “If our season had a ‘moment,’ it came in that game. “It was our moment of the year and Ryan’s moment of a lifetime.” For Kinch and the Kelso players, it was more “a moment in a lifetime” than “the moment of.” “It was a tough, tough loss, but we recovered,” Kinch said. “We didn’t do it the next day, but we did recover. I also think having been through something like that made us a better team, just as it made Woodland a better team.” Even though he knows the heartbreaker ending never changes, Kinch said he’s watched video of the game several times. “Every time I see it,” he said, “it hurts a little bit less.”
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DAILY NEWS SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
John Markon/The Daily News
R.A. Long’s Sarah Luedke will head to Cambridge next fall, where she is committed to play basketball for the Harvard Crimson.
a
Cinderella
story
Sarah Luedke has wanted to attend Harvard since she could remember; her dream comes true this fall By Lauren Kronebusch lkronebusch@tdn.com
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Roger Werth / The Daily News
R.A. Long’s Sarah Luedke fights for a rebound against Mark Morris’ Karley Eaton.
S
arah Luedke’s mom did not like that her daughter applied to only six colleges. Not enough, she thought, for a girl with Ivy League aspirations backed up by a resume brimming with athletic and academic success. And she was letting Sarah hear it on their way home from a volleyball tournament, when, suddenly, the R.A. Long senior’s phone buzzed alive in her lap — a message from a Harvard recruiter Sarah had long since written off. “That shut my mom up for a while,” she said with a laugh. The recruiter wanted to talk. Would the Lumberjill post play basketball for the Crimson if she were accepted into Harvard? Sarah, of course, confirmed. Her dream wasn’t reality yet, however. She’d have to wait months before Harvard decided whether to admit her. It was a stressful time for the valedictorian busy-body who was a member of numerous student clubs and played four sports at R.A. Long, yet still found time to read books until her shelves overflowed with them. Harvard was a goal she’d had her eye on for years, ever since she tested into an advanced program in middle school and discovered how much she loved to read and be challenged. That desire inspired her to join DECA, a club that teaches students business-related skills through com-
out. She inspired “them.SheShewentcreated campaigns to get them involved. She just has a way to get everyone she talks to excited about life.”
Sue Edmunson, DECA adviser petitions, team projects and community service. It’s a decision that’s paid off as she rose from club member to president the past two years. When she was a freshman, there were six students in the club. This year, there are 45. DECA adviser Sue Edmunson credits the boom to Sarah. “She went out. She inspired them. She created campaigns to get them involved,” Edmunson said. “She just has a way to get everyone she talks to excited about life.” Sarah qualified for nationals twice and placed but didn’t win with her business partner Kenni Michaels last year. In January, she ran a school campaign called “Expect Respect” to raise money for the Emergency Support Shelter, which supports victims of domestic violence, and spread awareness of teen relationship violence. During one girls basketball game, Sarah and her team raised $500 for ESS
Continued on Page 22
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Continued from Page 21 through T-shirt sales. “I’m super passionate about women’s rights,” she said, adding that she’d witnessed teen relationship violence become more prevalent during high school. “I really enjoy service, and I wanted to create something myself that I could drive personally.” That leadership showed up on the volleyball and basketball courts as well. RAL girls basketball coach Brad White said he’s never seen Sarah’s hectic life affect her play or her positive outlook on life. He remembers Sarah’s modesty when she put up 37 points one night and 30 the next. “She wasn’t excited,” he said. “It shows how down to earth she is.” White said Sarah’s busy life makes her a great role model for how young athletes can do more than just focus their talents on the court. “We’re kind of in the age of a one-sport athlete,” he said. “She’s a walking example of someone who can be good at many things.” Three months out from graduation, Sarah was still itching for an answer from back east: Would Harvard open its arms to her? On March 31, she got an email instructing her to open her application. Waiting in front of her computer was killer. The application opened, and there was her miracle: She was a part of the 2.8 percent of applicants to be accepted into Harvard’s class of 2019. “I just sat there and stared with a smile on my face,” she said. Sarah wanted to attend Harvard for as long as she can remember for its academic prestige, diversity and big-city appeal. She hasn’t decided on a future career, but she’s thrilled to start the next chapter. “(Harvard) is like a Cinderella story,” she said. “Who can say their dream comes true?” Roger Werth / The Daily Daily
R.A. Long’s Sarah Luedke returned to the volleyball court after a year away and was an allleague selection.
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SENIOR SCHOLAR-ATHLETES Varsity athletes who graduated in the top 5 percent of their class KELSO
Kady Bruce Christian Graff Jamilee Iddings Andrew Murray Savannah Sargent Loryn Musgrove Ashley Gwin Megan Troupe Heather Humphreys Jazmine Edmiston
MARK MORRIS
Karley Eaton Meagan Forsman Kourtney Eaton Riku Kusakabe Julia Wygant Keara Bennett
R.A. LONG
Sarah Luedke Katie Morgan Addison Bailey Natalie Wallace Victoria Tran Anastasia Fischer Cara Caldwell
WOODLAND
Adeline Dinehart Ryan Forcier Will Trevena Matthew Young Ryan Sturdivan
CASTLE ROCK
Nicole Seidl Hiral Patel Barbara Millward Mikayla LaFontaine
KALAMA
Shalese Jorgenson Jazzmine Rowland Mackenzi Badger
TOUTLE LAKE
Tea Bruce
TOLEDO
Brent Wood Lauren McElhaney
WINLOCK
Sarah Howsden Evan Mitchell
WAHKIAKUM
Jessica Thomas Megan Thompson
ILWACO
Valerie Lindstrom Kenneth Price Kenneth Sheldon
GPA
VARSITY SPORTS
4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.98 3.96 3.96 3.95 3.93
soccer, basketball, softball cross country, track volleyball, basketball, track cross country cheerleading soccer, basketball, track soccer, tennis volleyball, track, wrestling girls soccer tennis
4.0 3.98 3.98 3.97 3.93 3.9
soccer, basketball soccer, track soccer, basketball tennis, baseball swimming, cross country, track soccer, track
4.0 4.0 3.97 3.96 3.96 3.94 3.92
basketball, volleyball, track soccer, basketball, track volleyball, softball volleyball, tennis volleyball swimming golf
4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.93
golf cross country, soccer track, cross country cross country, track golf, basketball
4.0 3.97 3.92 3.9
volleyball softball cross country, tennis tennis
4.0 4.0 3.98
basketball, softball soccer, basketball, track basketball, softball
3.75
softball
3.97 3.90
basketball softball, volleyball
3.94 3.76
soccer, wrestling, track football, basketball, track
3.91 3.77
cross country, basketball, softball softball, volleyball
3.97 3.91 3.90
basketball, track cross country, track basketball, golf
THREE RIVERS CHRISTIAN
Nikki Schmidt 3.99 Danielle Leslie 3.99 Danny Hull 3.98 Kiley Kirby 3.98 Karsten Rentner 3.93 Ian Hoffman 3.91
RAINIER
Jennifer Westlund
CLATSKANIE
Griffin Haas German George Taelor Kay Colten Puzey
wrestling, cross country, volleyball, basketball, track cheer basketball equestrian cross country, basketball, track basketball
4.0
basketball, softball
4.0 3.91 3.87 3.87
basketball, baseball basketball, baseball volleyball, softball baseball, basketball, football
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DAILY NEWS COACH OF THE YEAR
Bill Wagner, The Daily News
Rainier softball coach Cary Gray led his team to the state title game for a third straight year, falling just short of a three-peat in the final.
Putting the puzzle together Rainier’s Cary Gray has built the Columbians softball program into a state powerhouse by focusing on the big picture Story by Rick McCorkle rickmc@tdn.com
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C
onsistency has been the secret to Cary Gray’s coaching success. Over the last four seasons, the Columbians have won two Oregon 3A state softball crowns, advanced to the state championships a third time, and reached the state semifinals the other year. During those four seasons, the Columbians amassed a gaudy 93-18 record. “When I came to the program I was determined to get the kids to buy in to what we were doing,” Gray said. “We run a lot State champiof high-pressure onship game practices so they have no surprises.” appearances by First and the Columbians foremost, Gray during Gray’s fourpreaches account- year tenure as ability. head coach. “We put goals on the board,” he said. “Accountability is huge, and Percentage of there are expectagames won by the tions on each girl for the team and Columbians since each other. This is Gray took over. a puzzle, and I tell them they aren’t going to figure it out in five minAverage margin of utes. It might take victory for Rainier an inning or mayduring the past two be two, but they’ll seasons. figure it out.” Gray is also quick to praise a number of sumState championships mer tournament won by the softball softball proprogram prior to grams which have Gray’s arrival. also prepared his troops for high-level competition. “What the girls learn during the summer is successful for our team but theirs as well,” he said. “Teams including the Washington Illusion, Blaze, Raptors and LadyHawks have done a good job teaching the girls and helping to get them to the next level.” Support from parents of the players has also factored into the Columbians’ success.
3
Go ks!
Duc
83.8 8.5 0
Continued on Page 27
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Bill Wagner / The Daily News
Rainier’s Sarah Probasco is the latest in a line of ace Columbian pitchers.
B
OF ES T
THE RE ST
Jeremy Thibault
Damon Yeo
Steve Rooklidge
Jeff Nesbitt
Tom D’Aboy
Toledo | Football Whether he’s calling five onside kicks in a row to start the second half or programming Toledo’s attacking defense, Thibault always thinks outside the box. Having Taylor Hicks at running back helped, of course, as the Indians played their way to the 2B state semifinals in the Tacoma Dome.
Woodland | Softball The soft-spoken Yeo led the smallest public school in Class 2A to a fourth-place finish at state. If that’s not enough, appreciate the metronomic perfection that he brings while hitting a session of pregame infield.
Mark Morris | Girls basketball Rooklidge’s willingness to let his players shape the program can’t be overstated as a factor in the Monarchs’ drive to two state championships in the past three seasons. Sure, he had outof-this-world talent to work with, but he also knew how to use it.
Woodland | Volleyball Nesbitt catered his team’s attack to its strengths, relying on middle blockers Kate Swett and Haley Yoder to carry the offense. It worked well enough for the Beavers to win their first-round match at state for the first time since 2004.
Kelso | Baseball Far from falling off, the Scotties got even better once D’Aboy took over for head coach Scot Meeker in the middle of April. Kelso won its first nine games with D’Aboy calling the shots before eventually falling in the first round of the Class 3A state tournament.
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Rainier’s Jessica Gibson thrived during the past four years under Coach Gray.
Continued from Page 25 “All of the parents have been very good and are at everything the girls do,” Gray said. “They’re also very supportive of taking the girls to clinics for hitting and pitching. I couldn’t ask for a better group of parents and players. They’re what makes you a success.” A former baseball coach at Rainier, the 42-year-old Gray had little trouble converting his strategies to softball. “I watched a lot of college softball and watched a number of different philosophies,” he said. “I’ve taken a lot from a number of programs and adopted college workouts. I put all this with my baseball background and made it my own.” Gray, who has one son who played baseball at Rainier and three daughters who either have played or will be playing softball at Rainier, jumped at the opportunity to coach softball shortly after his son graduated. “I knew a lot of the girls coming up were ones I had coached during the summer,” he said. “I felt it was a nice time to make the transition.” A former fastpitch player in California, Gray is enamored with the speed of softball compared to baseball. “I love everything about the faster-paced game,” he said. “It’s exciting and has an entire different outlook than baseball. There’s a lot of bunting, slapping and moving players, and the fielders are closer to the ball and are reacting at a quicker pace. “There’s no messing up or bobbling the ball, and you have to be clean.” Rainier’s consistent success over the last four years hasn’t surprised Gray. “We’ve had great talent, and we still have great talent,” he said. “I’ve worked hard to get them to buy-in to what I’m selling. That has happened, and I’m not surprised with our success.”
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DAILY NEWS PHOTOS OF THE YEAR
THE MOMENTS By Kevin Dowd Some seasons ended with championships, others with heartbreak. But for every prep athlete in the Lower Columbia region, the past nine months provided moments to remember, when all the hours of preparation, perspiration and potential finally turned into something real. Here are our favorite images from the 2014-15 school year — the moments we won’t soon forget.
FOG OF WAR It was a misty night in Naselle on Sept. 26, when the Oakville Acorns came to town for the Comets’ first game as an eightman football program. With Tony Lopez and Franco Smith leading the way, Naselle sprinted to a 56-14 win over the Acorns.
FOWL WEATHER Mint Valley Golf Course was in no
condition for a match, but the Southwest 2A District Tournament had to be played. “It was nasty,” said Woodland senior Ryan Sturdivan, who shot 78 on the day on his way to a second-place finish. With Sturdivan and Hayden Huddleston leading the way, the Beavers brought home the team title.
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Thanks to a whole lot of ill-timed rain, the
R.A. Long softball team only played three games during the season’s first month. Here, Coach Jennifer Hefley helps pitcher Madison Cathcart clean some mud from her cleats on March 17, when RAL’s scheduled game with Castle Rock was eventually washed away.
DIRTY BUSINESS
DUST UP Mark Morris outfielder Jordan Frost
inhales some dust after diving back to first base in a game against R.A. Long. The Lumberjacks won 2-1 after Kaden Vanderwerf tied things up in the bottom of the seventh with RAL’s first hit of the game and later scored on an MM error.
ALL HANDS ON DECK It was a special season for the Ilwaco
girls out on the coast, where Hannah Ellsworth and the Fish were just about untouchable in Pacific 2B League play. In this, its home finale against Raymond, Ilwaco pulled away for a 61-48 victory that clinched the outright league title.
DIVING IN Mark Morris’ Colton Gowan gets off
the block in a hurry in the no-nonsense 50-meter freestyle race at the Southwest Washington Invitational. Gowan went on to win and eventually placed at state in both freestyle sprints.
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Woodland running back Eli Whitmire hits Kalama defender Brandon
STRONG ARM
Thompson with a stiff-arm during this year’s Eight Mile War football game, a 50-0 victory for the Beavers. Whitmire ran for 130 yards and scored three times in the win, part of a senior season that saw him finish with a staggering 25 touchdowns.
JUMPING FOR JOY Natalie Wallace screams in delight after
R.A. Long wrapped up a 3-1 win over rival Mark Morris. The Monarchs got their revenge when it counted, however, eliminating RAL from the Southwest 2A District Tournament with an upset win in November.
CLOSE UP Referee Bob Keller gets a
closer look at the proceedings between Kalama’s Brandon Speed, top, and Castle Rock’s Ben Patrick at the Southwest 1A Trico subregional tournament. Speed got the better of Patrick to earn the league title at 145 pounds.
FREE FALLING Abby Weiler begins to celebrate
after clearing 12 feet, 6 inches, to win the girls pole vault title at the Southwest 2A District meet. At the state meet a week later, Weiler topped the same height to finish second.
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UNDER PRESSURE Toutle Lake
Jazzmine Rowland, far right, skies over her Kalama A HEAD teammates as the Chinooks attempt to wall off a free kick ABOVE by Castle Rock’s Tessa Hensley in a game last September.
sophomore Britzy Hockett shows off her talent for harassment in a 50-19 regional win over Friday Harbor. The point guard averaged an areabest 6.1 steals per game for the Ducks, who went on to take fourth at the Class 2B state tournament in Spokane.
HEADS UP Davis Radcliffe of Kelso takes a welltimed duck away from a high pitch during the Scotties’ 5-1 win over Hazen in the 3A Bi-District Tournament. Kelso won both of its home district games en route to clinching its first state bid in three years.
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