March 2016

After graduating from Ballard High School thirteen years ago, Ross Humphries is Ballard’s new Head Football Coach.

Humphries graduated in 2003 and has been coaching since 2004. Aside from Ballard, he has been involved in programs at Mt. Rainier and West Seattle, where he coached in all three aspects of the game. Most recently, Coach Humphries has worked under Aaron Maul for the last six years as Assistant Head Coach.

“The staff and I are incredibly excited to get back into the Ballard community! We have a responsibility to give back to the school that gave us so much. We are fired up to work with the students and develop relentless competitors both on and off the field we are excited to run a program that will bring pride to the Ballard community,” Coach Humphries.

Humphries and family Ballard Senior Night 2002.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Tyee grad took talents to Alaska

Tyee graduate Arinesha Smith is a Nanook of the North.
Smith is in her senior season playing for the Nanook women's basketball team at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Smith tallied 12 points for Fairbanks in its 57-49 loss to Western Washington University Thursday, Feb. 16, and is averaging 8.3 points per game.

She also has a 2.8 rebounding average and a 3.0 assist average for the Nanooks.

Smith made the Greater Northwest Athletic Conference all-academic team recently with her 3.37 grade point average in Business Administration.

Saling wrestling for Pacific

White Center's Wyatt Saling is now a college wrestler for the women's team at Pacific of Oregon.

Penner pummels net for 23

Kennedy graduate Mitch Penner scored 19 of his 23 points in the first half of a 93-67 Seattle Pacific University win over Montana State Billings on Saturday and added four assist.

Penner hit 12 points with six rebounds in a 58-51 win over Western Washington University on Thursday.

Gandy enjoys a big week

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

West Central District No. 6 seed Kennedy Catholic rose up to knock off Eastern Washington No. 1 seed Shadle Park, 40-32, in state Class 3A regional action at the University High School of Spokane gymnasium Saturday.

The Lancers now advance to play in the state final eight tournament in the Tacoma Dome, opening the action with a 9 a.m. game against Bellevue this Thursday.

The tournament will continue Friday and conclude with final placement games Saturday.

Keannu Royster paced the Kennedy squad with 12 points this past Saturday and Emilio Mancol tossed in 10.

Mancol -- a 5-foot, 9-inch junior guard, led the Lancers in scoring for the season up until that game with a 19.2 points per game average.

Royster is also a 5-9 junior guard for Kennedy and he was next with a 10.2 scoring average.

Trevor Hoffman is a 6-3 junior wing who averaged 8.8 points, while 6-4 senior forward James Jolly averaged 7.6 points and 6-1 junior guard Matthew Sasonoff averaged 7.4.

Jarad Thurber is a 6-3 junior wing who averaged 6.5 points and 6-0 sophomore guard Simon Harris averaged 4.6.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Shorewood Christian gunned its way into the state Class 1B boys basketball tournament with a 63-43 regional victory over the Naselle Comets at Renton High School on Saturday.

The Lions of West Seattle open state final eight action at the Spokane Coliseum this coming Thursday, playing the Yakima Tribal school at 12:15 p.m. ahead of rival Seattle Lutheran of West Seattle's 2 p.m. game against Almira-Coulee-Hartline.

The tournament runs through Saturday.

Shorewood Christian carries a 19-4 overall record into the tournament, while the Comets finished at 13-11.
The Lions are coached by Alfonso Gonzales, who is assisted by David Nguyen.

The team consists of 6-foot senior guard Axel Yemane, 5-7 senior guard Matt Munson, 5-8 senior point guard Stan Domingo Jr., 6-3 sophomore forward Spencer Howell, 5-10 senior forward Nicko Morris, 5-9 junior guard Lucas Sollesvik, 6-3 junior forward Jovi Fevaleaki, 6-2 junior forward JJ Young, 5-11 senior forward Parker Boyd and 6-2 senior center Quin Malo.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Seattle Lutheran leveled the Columbia Adventist Kodiaks, 71-32, in regional action Saturday to earn a second-straight trip to Spokane for the Class 1B state final eight boys basketball tournament.

The Saints open state action Thursday with a 2 p.m. game against Almira-Coulee-Hartline at the Spokane Coliseum. The game will immediately follow West Seattle rival Shorewood Christian's 12:15 p.m. game against Yakima Tribal.

Seattle Lutheran carries a 22-1 overall record into Thursday's contest, with its only loss this year being to Bellevue Christian by a 55-51 score Dec. 30.

The Saints have won 16-straight games since then.

Columbia Adventist finished its season at 16-5 with Saturday's loss to Seattle Lutheran in the Renton High School gymnasium.

Josh Meyer -- a 6-foot, 4-inch junior forward -- paced the Saints with 20 points against the Kodiaks and 6-2 senior guard/forward Xavier Turner swished in 17.

Meyer led the team with an 18.2 scoring average going into the Columbia Adventist game while Turner averaged 15.9.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

The defending state champions got in the way of West Seattle on its path to a second-straight final eight state tournament appearance.

Lynnwood dealt the Wildcats a 59-34 state regional loss at Everett Community College on Saturday, ending their season with a 22-4 overall record.

Lynnwood's Royals now carry a 24-0 record into the quarterfinals, which open Thursday at the Tacoma Dome and run through Saturday.

West Seattle finished sixth in the state Class 3A ranks last season and at one point boasted a 21-0 record this year.

The Wildcats were listed as high as No. 3 in the Seattle Times' state rankings.

Lexi Ione -- a 5-foot, 9-inch senior guard forward -- led West Seattle in scoring against Lynnwood with 10 points.

Unversity of Oregon-bound 6-7 senior center Lydia Giomi was held to only 1-for-8 shooting from the field by the Royals. Giomi hauled down nine rebounds and added three blocked shots, however.

Giomi led the Wildcats with a 15.7 scoring average going into the game while Ione averaged 12.2 points per game.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

The Mount Vernon Christian Hurricanes breezed past Seattle Lutheran of West Seattle, 36-24, to end the Saints' season Saturday.

Seattle Lutheran finished with a 13-8 overall record with the state regional girls basketball loss at Mount Vernon High School while the Hurricanes rode an 18-9 record into the state Class 1B final eight tournament in Spokane.

The Saints were led by retiring 35-year head coach Bruce Carlson, who was assisted by Bailey Menashe and Sacha Mann.

Seattle Lutheran loses five seniors to graduation in 5-foot, 2-inch guard Taylor Stordahl, 5-3 guard Abbi Sanders, 5-6 forward Emma Figgins, 5-8 forward Katnis Liang and 5-3 forward Brea Kelley.

Juniors on the team were 5-8 forward Sage Klein and 5-8 forward Gratia Doerr.

The lone sophomore listed on the roster was 5-7 forward Izzy Jones, while the freshmen class consisted of 5-6 forward Maddie Jensen, 5-2 guard Dea Seraile and 5-1 guard Emma Stordahl.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

High schools

Boys basketball
Three area basketball teams are advancing into state final eight tournament action this week.
Kennedy Catholic will be going to the Tacoma Dome for the Class 3A tournament, playing Bellevue in a 9 a.m. quarterfinal Thursday.
Seattle Lutheran and Shorewood Christian are both playing in the quarterfinals of the Class 1B tournament in Spokane.
Seattle Lutheran's Saints play Almira-Coulee-Hartline at 12:15 p.m. Thursday, followed by the Shorewood Christian Lions playing at 2 p.m. against the Yakima Tribal school.
Both tournaments continue through Saturday with game times depending on earlier results.

Spring sports

High school spring sports practices got underway in the state of Washington on Monday, with the first possible action at the end of next week.

Pros

Stars
Tacoma opens professional indoor soccer playoff action Wednesday, taking on the San Diego Sockers at 7:35 p.m. at the Showare Center in Kent.

The Highline Historical Society has launched its' 10th Annual online auction, this year running through March 20. Click here (www.highlinehistory.org) to shop and bid on over 50 items from trips, museum admissions and memberships, restaurants, hotels, and fun and decorative accessories for your home and yard. This year the "fund an item" is a defibrillator for the new Highline Heritage Museum. Proceeds from the auction will be used to fund the new museum, which is expected to open later this year.

If you or your business would like to donate a auction item, they will be accepting donations throughout the auction. You can contact the Society through the auction.

Shoreline, Washington resident, Gertrude Chandler, “Gertie” or “Trudy,” 88, peacefully passed and met her Lord February 21, 2016, with her loving husband of 68 years, Ernie Chandler, and her daughters, Abbie and Lorna, by her side. Born February 3, 1928 in Tacoma, WA, the fourth of seven children to Marjorie and Morris Langton, she grew up in Walla Walla, WA where she graduated from high school in 1946.

In 1947 she met and married Ernie. They moved and raised their five children in West Seattle and Burien, WA., where she worked as a telephone operator, taught swimming at several Southwest Seattle pools, sold jewelry, and had her own Mary Kay Cosmetics business.

Her passions included singing in or directing her church choirs at Highline and Kent United Methodist Churches, tending her rose garden, antiques, RV traveling with Ernie, and treasure hunting at local thrift stores.

She especially adored her five grandchildren, Loren (Amanda), LiLi, Song Mei, Amanda and Zachary.