A wild prep sports weekend
Spotlight on Sports
Scooter Chapman
What a weekend for preps sports, and Sequim will have athletes this weekend in Kennewick, Federal Way and Poulsbo.
They will be joined by a large contingent of Port Angeles state-bound swimmers and PAHS’s volleyball team.
Even the Rider football team has made it into the first round of the state football playoffs. If things break just right, a Sequim/P.A. gridiron rematch is possible.
Splashers
The Wolves and Riders will take part in the state 2A swim and dive championships Thursday and Friday in the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.
Last weekend, Rachel Hardy led the Sequim girls in the West Central District meet at Hazen. She finished fifth in the 50 free and sixth in the 100 free to qualify for state as the top seven swimmers made it to Federal Way.
Sequim’s other girls did well in tough competition and swam their fastest times of the season in most cases.
Port Angeles won the Olympic League crown and qualified 10 for state, including three divers. The Riders were led by third-place finishes from Tracie Macias and two of their three relay teams that included Macias, Ashlee Reid, Jenna Moore, Tarah Erickson and Kelly Winn.
Tori Bock and Katelin Fairchild also qualified on the 400 free relay with Winn and Reid.
The Riders will be in nine events and they will be rooting for Hardy as well.
Spikers
While the swimmers were in Renton, Sequim and P.A. were in Federal Way taking part in the district 2A volleyball tourney with six of the 12 teams going to state.
It was a great weekend for the Olympic League as North Kitsap placed third; Port Angeles, fourth, and the Wolves, fifth.
Sequim’s strong team beat Sumner, lost to White River, the eventual champion, and then beat Evergreen and Olympic. The Wolves won a coin toss with Interlake to decide fifth.
Port Angeles will be making their first tourney appearance since 1989 and it will be the first P.A. team in a state tournament since the Rider soccer girls played in state action in 2000.
The Riders beat Evergreen and Interlake, then bowed to Fife (second) and N.K.
The state volleyball tourney opens Friday in the Toyota Center in Kennewick and both Sequim and P.A. have shots at finishing in the top eight teams.
Gridders
It’s old hat for Sequim, something brand new for Port Angeles following the district football games in the rain last Saturday in Poulsbo.
The Wolves are in the 2A state playoffs for the fifth time in five years, and coach Erik Wiker has a team that can make it all the way.
Last year they won their first playoff game against Burlington-Edison before losing to Lynden, the eventual champion.
The Wolves will play in Poulsbo again Saturday night and they have the power, the speed and the finesse to beat the Tigers.
The Wolves walked all over Washington in the rain last week and showed they can play in any kind of weather.
Port Angeles won a nail-biter 28-21 against Sumner last Saturday before the Wolves walloped the Patriots.
It’s a tribute to the new Rider head coach and his staff to have brought a team that was 0-10 last year to a playoff spot at 9-1. It’s the Roughriders’ first time in a state game since 1992. They can thank Sequim for the success, as the Wolves showed the Riders what is expected of a state team at Civic Field two weeks ago.
Last weekend’s scores, however, are foreboding. Burlington beat Lakewood, 43-12, while Interlake, the P.A. foe Saturday, beat North Mason 55-34 and Clover Park 54-35.
Port Angeles will try to slow down the march of the Saints while the Wolves try to tame the Tigers.
Boot stuff
Congrats to the Peninsula Pirate soccer teams as both are in the NWAACC soccer playoffs. The young Pirate women beat Green River 2-0 and Highline lost so the Lady Pirates are second to Bellevue.
The Pirate men needed Bellevue to tie or lose and they tied, so the Pirates are West Division champions for the second year in a row.
The Pirate ladies play against Spokane today at 1 p.m. at Civic Field in Port Angeles and the Pirate men play Saturday at 2 p.m.
Sports miscellany
Can the Washington Huskies rebound from two big losses and win three to become bowl eligible? Don’t count on it.
Can the Seahawks bounce back from two big losses? Won’t happen.
Will the Cougars break their losing streak in Pullman? The Cougs will be at Oregon State on Saturday and could pull off an upset, but then they rest until Dec. 4 when they host the Huskies in the latest Apple Cup ever.
That could be their streak buster.
Reach Scooter Chapman at scooter@olypen.com.
