From the Goal Line

A while back I put out some information that Eastside Catholic was considering a bid to join KingCo as a 3A school.  Well sounds like the process is still going on (thanks to an update from my colleague Joel Willits at the Bellevue Reporter). In his blog, after discussing the recent new Interlake football hire, Art Kuehn, Interlake’s AD, made a quick mention of the Crusaders bid.

Check out From the Sidelines to see what Kuehn had to say about EC and the Saints new coach. As we hear more we’ll keep you posted!

This was just passed along to me from MIHS Athletic coordinator Ann Meisner about Friday’s dedication of the MI gym to former boys head coach Ed Pepple. On the night the Islanders host league rival Bellevue the community is going to get a chance to say thanks for Pepple’s many years of service.

The school is expecting the gym to be standing room only for the event, which will take place between the girls and boys varsity games Friday night. The girls tip off at 6:30 p.m. and sometime likely between 7:50 and 8:15 p.m. the ceremony will start, which Meisner said they expect to last 15 to 20 minutes.

The presentation is going to include Pete Nordstrom, of the Mercer Island basketball alumni group, Gary Plano, MISD’s superintendent, Janet Frohnmayer, MISD board member, Craig Olson, MIHS athletic director and Pepple. During the ceremony the gym will be dedicated and a plaque will be present to Pepple.

Following the ceremony the varsity boys teams will have 15 minutes of warm up in the main gym and approximately between 8:25 and 8:45 p.m. the boys game will start.

Because the school is expecting so many people there will be two ticket selling stations for the evening and those who plan to attend either the games or the ceremony are encouraged to arrive early and plan for a crowd. There is no pre-sale of tickets for the evening. Parking is available at any of the high school lots, as well as parking in the neighborhood around the high school.

Meisner also said the concession stand (featuring pizza, soda, water and snacks) will open at 5:30 p.m., but that only water is allowed in the gym, so tables and chairs will be available in the commons for people to eat.

Should make for not only a good night of basketball, but a great chance to see the school and community thank Pepple for all his work.

Mercer Island local and member of the Washington Stealth professional lacrosse team, Jason Bloom, has been named a captain for the team with Cam Sedgwick and Kyle Sorensen named assistant captains.
Jason, who is in his fourth year as an National Lacrosse League player, previously playing for Boston and Colorado, grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia.
I had the chance to interview Jason a couple of weeks ago at his ‘other’ job as a real estate professional in downtown Bellevue. He was great to talk to and really gave me a sense of just how accessible lacrosse is at the professional level (a goal of most teams, players and the league in general).
During the 2009 season with the Boston Blazers, Jason played in 16 games, had 13 goals, 10 assists and earned 23 points for the team, all while commuting for games and practices from Florida, where he was finishing his master’s degree.
In a press release sent out by the Stealth head coach Chris Hall said “Jason was an obvious choice for us” and that he has shown exceptional leadership qualities during the short time he’s been with the team (Jason was an offseason acquisition to the team this summer).
The Washington Stealth kick off their season Jan. 9 at Comcast Arena in Everett, taking on Colorado Mammoth (Jason’s old team) in the first professional lacrosse regular season game in Washington state.
Check out www.stealthlax.com for more information on the upcoming season.

After what feels like much more than a week off here’s our latest basketball poll. The 4A boys stayed pretty much the same, with the exception of Lake Washington jumping from the ‘other’ category to No. 5 with a 7-1 record. In 4A girls Newport jumped up to No. 2, staying undefeated after defeating Mercer Island last week in a non-conference match up. Lewis and Clark fell from No. 2 all the way down to No. 6 after two straight losses during the break. The boys of Rainier Beach in the 3A poll fell from No. 1 to No. 3 after going 1-3 over the break (which coincidentally is the same record the MIHS boys had over the holidays – except they haven’t made the poll yet). So undefeated Enumclaw and Bellevue take the top two spots. The Mercer Island girls stayed in the No. 6 spot for the 3A girls, White River and Kennedy Catholic  swapped the No. 2 and 3 positions, while Holy Names stayed firmly in the top place.

This Friday the Islanders will be taking on Bellevue, both girls and boys teams. It will be a good chance to check out the Wolverines undefeated boys team and to see Aaron Bright in action, and another conference test for the girls. Tip off is 6:30 p.m.

Week Five Basketball Poll

The Reporter Newspapers Basketball Poll is voted on by members of various Reporter Newspapers across the state.
Class 4A
1. Federal Way (7-0)
2. Jackson (7-0)
3. Curtis (10-0)
4. Gonzaga Prep (7-1)
5. Lake Washington (7-1)
6. Decatur (7-2)
7. Foss (7-2)
8. Kamiakin (8-0)
9. Richland (7-0)
10. Walla Walla (6-2)
Others who receiving votes: Lake Stevens (6-3), Kentridge (7-3), Skyline (6-1), Davis (6-1)

Class 4A girls
1. Auburn Riverside (9-0)
2. Newport (8-0)
3. Woodinville (8-0)
4. Issaquah (7-1)
5. Kentwood (6-2)
6. Lewis and Clark (5-3)
7. Federal Way (6-2)
8. Kentlake (8-0)
9. Edmonds-Woodway (6-1)
10. Monroe (8-1)
Others receiving votes: Bellarmine Prep (5-3), Jackson (6-1), Garfield (4-3)

Class 3A boys
1. Enumclaw (7-0)
2. Bellevue (10-0)
3. Rainier Beach (5-3)
4. Mount Si (7-2)
5. Lakes (6-1)
6. Shadle Park (7-2)
7. Seattle Prep (6-3)
8. O’Dea (7-2)
9. Bainbridge (6-2)
10. Union (5-3)
Others receiving votes: Capital (6-1), Foster (6-2), Shorecrest (5-2), Cascade (6-2), Hudson’s Bay (6-1), Hazen (7-2)

Class 3A girls
1. Holy Names (8-2)
2. White River (7-1)
3. Kennedy Catholic (6-2)
4. Lakes (6-2)
5. Bonney Lake (7-2)
6. Mercer Island (7-3)
7. Shadle Park (6-3)
8. Prarie (7-3)
9. Mount Rainier (7-1)
10. Cleveland (4-2)
Others receiving votes: Ferndale (4-2), Meadowdale (5-2), Mount Tahoma (8-2), Yelm (8-1)

The Reporter sports writers are taking a break from the basketball poll this week, not many new wins or losses in the last week to make any difference to our teams. Next week we’ll be back in full swing.

A big game to note however is tomorrow night the Mercer Island girls will take on Newport (who is currntly undefeated) at Newport (a change from the original schedule) starting at 7:30 p.m. While the team’s are not in the same classification anymore it used to be a big rivarly and still is a game both sides look forward to each year. I’ll be updating live from the event with scores etc. at MIRsports from Twitter if you want to follow along!

So tune in next week to see where the MI girls and boys fit into the state’s top 10 4A/3A girls and boys teams.

The latest poll is out, with a few changes, as most high school teams take a break for the holidays this week and next. There are still quite a few undefeated teams, except in the girls 3A poll, where none of the ranked teams are undefeated.

The MIHS girls bumped back up to 6th this week, after playing down in Arizona at the Nike Tournament of Champions over the weekend. Next week the girls return for their first game back in Washington, taking on undefeated Newport, in a game that will surely test both sides.

The Islander boys team made the other category this week. They whopped on Interlake last week, beating the Saints by 20 points, but had trouble against a strong O’Dea squad the weekend before. Their first home game back from the break will be Bellevue on Jan. 8

In the 4A boys poll Kentwood dropped from the poll completely, after the team continues to play without Josh Smith.

The Reporter Newspapers Basketball Poll is voted on by members of various Reporter Newspapers across the state.

Class 4A boys
1. Federal Way (7-0)
2. Jackson (6-0)
3. Gonzaga Prep (5-0)
4. Curtis (7-0)
5. Decatur (6-1)
6. Walla Walla (4-1)
7. Lake Stevens (6-0)
8. Foss (5-1)
9. Mead (5-1)
10. Davis (6-0)
Others receiving votes: Lake Washington (6-1), Kentridge (3-1), Richland (6-0)

Class 4A girls
1. Auburn Riverside (7-0)
2. Lewis and Clark (5-1)
3. Newport (7-0)
4. Issaquah (6-0)
5. Kentwood (6-1)
6. Woodinville (5-0)
7. Kentlake (7-0)
8. Edmonds-Woodway (5-1)
9. Bellarmine Prep (4-1)
10. Federal Way (5-2)
Others receiving votes: Jackson (5-1), South Kitsap (7-0), Monroe (6-1)

Class 3A boys
1. Rainier Beach (4-0)
2. Enumclaw (4-0)
3. Seattle Prep (6-1)
4. Bellevue (7-0)
5. Franklin (3-1)
6. Shorecrest (5-1)
7. O’Dea (5-2)
8. Lakes (5-1)
9. Mount Si (4-1)
10. Chief Sealth (2-1)
Others receiving votes; Shadle Park (5-1), Union (4-2), Mercer Island (3-2), Bainbridge (5-1), Lakeside (2-4), Evergreen (4-1)

Class 3A girls
1. Holy Names (7-1)
2. Kennedy Catholic (4-1)
3. White River (5-1)
4. Bonney Lake (6-1)
5. Lakes (6-1)
6. Mercer Island (4-1)
7. Prarie (6-2)
8. Lakeside (5-2)
9. Cleveland (4-2)
10. Shadle Park (4-2)
Others receiving votes: Bellevue (3-4), Mount Rainier (6-0), Chiawana (4-0), Ferndale (2-1), Meadowdale (4-2), Cleveland (4-2)

This is a little delayed, but between weird schedules, deadlines and the upcoming holidays (which always seem to send things into chaos) I guess better late than never!

Here are Gavin Cree’s thoughts on the last week of games, including the win over Juanita last Friday and the team’s loss to top ranked O’Dea at Bellevue College.

“I thought we got better this weekend. We defended very well in both contests. Against Juanita, I think our size was a little overwhelming for them to handle. With our length, we are able to contest shots really well – it is hard to shoot over us. We outrebounded them 42-16, which is the way it should be. We’ve still got to take better care of the basketball on the offensive end.”

He said O’Dea was a nice test for the Islanders. O’Dea is currently ranked 6th in the Reporter sportswriter’s basketball poll.

“O’Dea was a nice test for us. If we connect at the free throw line and block out down the stretch I think we win that game. O’Dea is one of the more athletic teams in our district, and we know that we can play with them. Despite the loss, I think our team gained a great deal of confidence from that game. Any time you hold your opponent to 43 points you expect to win the game. Right now our defense is ahead of our offense which isn’t unusual early in the year. We’ve got to develop a chemistry offensively which will come with time. There are a lot of guys out there without much experience, so we will keep getting better.”

The Islanders are 2-2 so far this season and will play Interlake tomorrow night (Friday, Dec. 18) with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

I had a meeting this morning with MIHS athletic director Craig Olson and we got to chatting about the WIAA’s reclassification information, released a couple of weeks ago.

He said Mercer Island is going to stay in the 3A classification, despite the fact their numbers are closer to a 2A school. Olson said he talked with the various coaches and everyone overwhelmingly said to opt-up into 3A. Part of the decision is around how far the students would have to travel for games if they were 2A, but technically MIHS is apart of the 3A/2A KingCo league – but only compete against 3A schools in playoffs. Another reason; everyone at the school feels that 3A is the right level of competition for the students and it’s where the teams want to be.

Olson said Lake Washington High School will likely be dropping down from 4A to 3A, which means MIHS would compete against as a league opponent and that both Sammamish and Interlake High Schools would be 2A. Currently, Interlake competes at the 2A level.

Another bit of news Olson mentioned is that Eastside Catholic has applied to be a member of the KingCo league. Right now the 2A Crusaders play in the Metro league in district two. EC is making a case for joining KingCo as a 3A school, which would mean opting up a classification size. Olson said their request will be voted on by high school principals in the league in January.

Here’s the Week 2 basketball poll. Records as of Tuesday (12/15) morning. Local schools are in bold.

The Mercer Island girls actually fell a place in the polls, despite the fact they’ve won their last four games in a row. The MI boys have yet to make the list, especially following a close loss to O’Dea over the weekend. A couple wins over solid opponents, which in KingCo is almost everyone, and I would imagine the boys would enter our list.

There were two big changes this week in the boys 4A poll. First the Kentwood boys team fell from third in the 4A poll to eighth. This comes after Josh Smith, counted as one of the best players in the state and UCLA recruit, suffered an injury to his knee. His current status is unknown – he may be undergoing surgery to get it fixed. The second big change was Ferris dropping from fourth to 10th as the team has played only one game this season and lost.

It’s always tough before the teams really get into their season to predict who will be where. As injuries, tough opponents and the season wears on we’ll get a better idea of who will likely end up where. Check back next week for another update!

Class 4A boys
1. Federal Way (4-0)
2. Gonzaga Prep (3-0)
3. Walla Walla (3-0)
4. Decatur (5-0)
5. Jackson (4-0)
6. Garfield (2-0)
7. Curtis (5-0)
8. Kentwood (2-1)
9. Lincoln (3-1)
10. Ferris (0-1)
Others receiving votes: Kentridge (3-1), Lake Stevens (3-0), Skyline (2-0), Foss (3-1), Mount Tahoma (4-1), Davis (5-0)

Class 4A girls
1. Auburn-Riverside (5-0)
2. Lewis and Clark (2-1)
3. Newport (6-0)
4. Kentwood (4-1)
5. Issaquah (3-0)
6. Woodinville (3-0)
7. Mead (2-1)
8. Edmonds-Woodway (4-0)
9. Federal Way (3-2)
10. Jackson (3-1)
Others receiving votes: Chiwana (3-0), Bellarmine Prep (2-1), Garfield (1-2), Kentlake (5-0), Pasco (3-1)

Class 3A boys
1. Rainier Beach (2-0)
2. Franklin (2-0)
3. Enumclaw (2-0)
4. Bellevue (4-0)
5. Seattle Prep (5-0)
6. O’Dea (4-1)
7. Mount Si (3-1)
8. Shorecrest (4-0)
9. Lakes (2-1)
10. Chief Sealth (1-0)
Others receiving votes: Meadowdale (3-1), Evergreen (4-0), Union (1-0), Shadle Park (1-0)

Class 3A girls
1. Kennedy Catholic (3-1)
2. Holy Names (4-1)
3. White River (4-0)
4. Bonney Lake (5-0)
5. Prarie (3-2)
6. Lakeside (4-0)
7. Mercer Island (4-1)
8. Bellevue (3-2)
9. Ferndale (2-0)
10. Shadle Park (1-2)
Others receiving votes: Cleveland (3-2), Shorecrest (3-1), Hanford (1-1)

You might have noticed a story on our Web site yesterday afternoon detailing the first 4A/3A basketball poll done by the Reporter sportswriters. A group of us from around the Reporter newspapers network vote each week on our top 10 picks for the boys and girls teams throughout the state in each classification.

I’ve posted on our site the list for the first week of games. It will be updated each week, probably Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Joel Willits, my counter-part at the Bellevue Reporter posted his thoughts on his blog From the Sidelines.

The Mercer Island girls are currently ranked 6th, the Bellevue boys team was ranked 6th as well. Keep checking back to see how the local teams are doing. Both the Mercer Island boys and girls will be playing at Juanita tomorrow night – the boys start at 6 p.m. and the girls tip off at 7:30 p.m. (note – the times are different than typical regular season games).

Thoughts or comments on the teams listed/voted in this week? Let me know!