by Sam Reed

The Seahawk’s 2010 Fall sports season was a very successful one, in that it saw solid team improvement, outstanding individual achievements and tremendous overall achievement both in the field of play and in the classroom. Overall 175 student-athletes donned helmets, knee pads, shin guards, running shoes or spikes and represented Chief Sealth International in Metro League competition.

One of the teams making major improvement this season was Girls Soccer, who was led by head coach Ron Johnson. In his 14th year as head coach, Johnson had the unique challenge of getting a very young team ready for the tough Metro League competition. Seniors Molly Freed and Ally Stariha provided leadership to a team featuring as many as six freshmen starters. Freed set the league on fire, leading the league in scoring and finishing with 41 total points (17 goals, 7 assists). Freshmen Darienne Gibson finished 3rd in the league with 25 points (10 goals, 5 assists) while goalkeeper Rachel Varney, a fellow freshman, had four shutouts on the season. As a team, the Seahawks finished 3rd in the Metro Sound division with a 6-4 record before falling to Bishop Blanchet 3-0 in a well-played league playoff game. As much success as was achieved on the field, it doesn’t compare to what this group achieved in the classroom. Led by Freed, a National Merit Scholar semifinalist, the Varsity Girls Soccer team finished the first quarter with a team GPA of 3.74.

Another team that “set” themselves up for future success this season was the Girls Volleyball team whose season wrapped up late last week with a District playoff loss to a tough Juanita team. The girls finished 7-5 in league, good for a 3rd place finish in the Metro Sound division, including a playoff clinching victory over Franklin on Senior Night. Behind first year head coach Lorna Considine, the girls nearly snuck up on some top teams with their hard-nosed, scrappy play. Seniors Elizabeth Kirk and Sara Schendel provided a steady lead and a consistent hand while, sophomores Katherine Kirk, Zoe Haywood and Madeleine Twombley all came through with eye-opening performances. All-league honors will be handed out the week of the 15th, and a handful of Sealth volleyball players are positioned for recognition.

Moving back to the gridiron, the Football team supplied plenty of excitement even if their win/loss total wasn’t what they would have wished it to be (2-8 overall). Behind head coach Asosa Sailiai (4th year), the Seahawks gave the large crowds something to cheer about in book-end home victories over Ingraham on the first Friday of the school year and over Lakeside to end the season. Senior wide receiver Misioka Tupuola and offensive lineman Peter Huynh were recognized for their efforts with 1st team Metro Sound selections, while standout running back Devante Meullion received second team honors while rushing for over 1,100 yards. Meullion was also named a state finalist in the Wendy’s High School Heisman program. As the page turns toward another off-season, coaches are excited about the building blocks returning next year, including sophomore quarterback Max Sarver and junior linebacker/offensive lineman Motu Tupuola.

In his 8th year as head coach, Jason Glover has seen a lot of runners come and go over the years, but the 2010 Cross Country crew may have been his most talented, hard working group in memory. This year saw improvement across the board in both team and individual scoring. Senior captain Daniel Perrine turned in consistent top times, and qualified for the District meet where an unfortunate injury kept him from making a run at State. The girls had a team score that qualified them for Districts, led by strong performances from freshmen Kenaia Neumann and sophomore Isabella Proctor. These runners set the pace in the classroom as well, as the Varsity Cross Country team finished 1st quarter with a 3.73 team GPA.

Finally, eleven dedicated student-athletes followed long-time head coach Davie Hendrix out the course every day as part of the Golf team. Sophomores Cody Horn and Michael Hafermann showed great improvement, while lone senior Anthony Rose was often matched up against other schools’ top golfer. Lone female, freshmen Maleena Thach, participated in the Metro League tournament, gaining experience that should carry her forward into next year.

Behind the scenes there are many other supporters that helped to make this season so successful. Marcus Pimpleton’s outstanding marching band and drum line gave players and fans plenty of music to pump them up, while the cheer squad, under the direction of coach Keiosha Williams, was there every step of the way. Chief Sealth Athletics reached an agreement with photographer Bob Watford of iSportPhotos ( HYPERLINK "http://www.isportphotos.com/" http://www.isportphotos.com/) who was around to capture outstanding action shots and team photos of all the student-athletes.

Special thanks also goes to the parents, teachers and administration who were all integral in helping guide and nurture our student athletes to success on and off the field. Thank you for all you do!

Go Seahawks!

Sam Reed is the Athletic Director / Activity Coordinator for Chief Sealth International High School