South Sound Sports Blog

Meg Wochnick writes The Olympian’s South Sound Sports blog, covering the area high school and college sports scene, and community activities. She can be reached at: mwochnick@theolympian.com.

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Assistant Sports Editor
Adam Thaler
253-597-8512
athaler@theolympian.com

Sports Reporter
Meg Wochnick
360-754-5473
mwochnick@theolympian.com


  • 2A District IV girls tournament begins tonight; Updated District IV 2A, 1A, 2B, 1B basketball schedules/matchups

    posted 02:23 AM 02/10
    Permanent Link.

    Today is the start of the 2A District IV girls basketball tournaments. River Ridge is looking to earn its third consecutive district title and opens play tonight at 7 against Hockinson. Side note: First-year River Ridge coach Jackie Robinson's father-in-law is former Seattle Sonics coach and current Denver Nuggets coach George Karl.

    Here's tonight's 2A District IV girls schedule:

    Game 1: Hockinson at River Ridge, 7 p.m.
    Game 2: Tumwater at Mark Morris, 7 p.m.
    Game 3: North Thurston at Woodland, 7 p.m.
    Game 4: Black Hills at WF West, 7 p.m.

    Highlights from Thursday's girls basketball playoff games

    -- Sophomore post Nike McClure exploded for a triple-double of 26 points, 12 rebounds, 10 blocks to lead Tenino to a 58-38 victory over Montesano in the first round of the 1A District girls basketball tournament at WF West High School. The Beavers (17-4) advance to play undefeated Castle Rock, champions of the Trico Division, at 6 p.m. Saturday at WF West in the district semifinals, which is a winner-to-regionals game. McClure had a slow start offensively with just six first-half, but had 20 of her 26 points after halftime. This was Tenino’s third win of the season over Southwest Washington 1A Evergreen-rival Montesano. Janelle Young and Kaitlin Forest chipped in with 11 and eight points, respectively for the Beavers.

    -- Morton/White Pass 47, NW Christian 37: The Navigators played catch-up all night against the Timberwolves in their 2B District IV opening-round loss in Centralia. NWC got as close as 43-36 with a minute-and-a-half left in the game on a bucket by Hailey Bredeson. Senior Kami Bates, who is the school’s all-time leading scorer and surpassed 1,000 career points two week ago, finished with a team-high 15 points. The loss moves the Navigators into the loser’s bracket and will play a yet-to-be-determined opponent at 8 p.m. Tuesday right back at Centralia.

    -- Castle Rock 48, Rainier 35: The Mountaineers drop to the consolation bracket of the 1A District IV tournament following their opening-round loss to the state-ranked and undefeated Rockets. Rainier now faces league-rival Montesano at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Chehalis in a loser-out game.

    2A Southwest District IV tournament

    BOYS (bracket)
    Saturday’s first-round games
    Game 1: Washougal at North Thurston, 7 p.m.
    Game 2: Black Hills at Mark Morris, 7 p.m.
    Game 3: WF West at Hockinson, 7 p.m.
    Game 4: Tumwater at River Ridge, 7 p.m.

    Wednesday, Feb. 15
    -- Semifinals (winner-to-district title game; earns regional berth)
    Game 7: Game 1 winner v. Game 2 winner, 6 p.m. (location TBD)
    Game 8: Game 3 winner v. Game 4 winner, 7:45 p.m. (location TBD)
    -- Consolation (loser-out games)
    Game 5: Game 1 loser v. Game 2 loser, 6 p.m. (location TBD)
    Game 6: Game 3 loser v. Game 4 loser, 7:45 p.m. (location TBD)

    Friday, Feb. 17
    District title game: Game 7 winner v. Game 8 winner, 8 p.m., Saint Martin’s Marcus Pavilion

    Saturday, Feb. 18
    -- Consolation (loser-out games)
    Game 9: Game 9 loser v. Game 5 winner, 6 p.m. (at RA Long or Mark Morris)
    Game 10: Game 6 winner v. Game 7 loser, 7:45 p.m. (at RA Long or Mark Morris)

    Tuesday, Feb. 21
    -- Third-place game (winner-to-regional) Game 11: Game 9 winner v. Game 10 winner, 8 p.m. (at Chehalis)

    GIRLS (bracket)
    Friday’s first-round games
    Game 1: Hockinson at River Ridge, 7 p.m.
    Game 2: Tumwater at Mark Morris, 7 p.m.
    Game 3: North Thurston at Woodland, 7 p.m.
    Game 4: Black Hills at WF West, 7 p.m.

    Tuesday, Feb. 14
    -- Semifinals (winner-to-District title game; earns regional berth)
    Game 7: Game 1 winner v. Game 2 winner, 6 p.m. (location TBD)
    Game 8: Game 3 winner v. Game 4 winner, 7:45 p.m. (location TBD)
    --Consolation (loser-out games)
    Game 5: Game 1 loser v. Game 2 loser, 6 p.m. (location TBD)
    Game 6: Game 3 loser v. Game 4 loser, 7:45 p.m. (location TBD)

    Friday, Feb. 17
    District title game: Game 7 winner v. Game 8 winner, 6 p.m. at Saint Martin’s Marcus Pavilion

    Saturday, Feb. 18
    -- Consolation (loser-out)
    Game 9: Game 8 loser v. Game 5 winner, 6 p.m. (at RA Long or Mark Morris)
    Game 10: Game 6 winner v. Game 7 loser, 7:45 p.m. (at RA Long or Mark Morris)

    Tuesday, Feb. 21
    -- Third-place game (winner-to-regional)
    Game 11: Game 9 winner v. Game 10 winner, 6 p.m. (at Chehalis)

    1A Southwest District IV tournament

    BOYS (bracket)

    Friday’s first-round games
    Game 5: Castle Rock v. Toledo, 8 p.m., at Kelso
    Game 6: Kalama v. Forks, 6:30 p.m., at Centralia
    Game 7: Tenino v. Onalaska, 6:30 p.m. at Centralia
    Game 8: Hoquiam v. Ridgefield, 6:30 p.m., at Kelso

    Tuesday, Feb. 14
    -- Semifinals (winner-to-District title game; earns regional berth)
    Game 11: game 5 winner v. Game 6 winner, TBD at Chehalis/Kelso
    Game 12: game 7 winner v. Game 8 winner, TBD, at Chehalis/Kelso
    -- Consolation (loser-out games)
    Game 9: Game 5 loser v. Game 6 loser, TBD at Black Hills/Kelso
    Game 10: Game 7 winner v. Game 8 winner, TBD, at Black Hills/Kelso

    Thursday, Feb. 16
    -- Consolation (loser-out, winner-to-regionals)
    Game 13: Game 9 winner v. Game 12 loser, TBD, at Chehalis
    Game 14: Game 10 winner v. Game 11 loser, TBD, at Chehalis

    Saturday, Feb. 18
    District title game: Game 11 winner v. Game 12 winner, 8 p.m. at Chehalis (both to regionals)
    Third/fourth-place game: Game 13 winner v. Game 14 winner, 6 p.m. at Chehalis (both to regionals)

    GIRLS (bracket)

    Thursday’s first-round games
    Game 5: Castle Rock 48, Rainier 35
    Game 6: Tenino 58, Montesano 38
    Game 7: Elma 51, Ilwaco 32
    Game 8: Onalaska 65, Stevenson 28

    Saturday’s games
    -- Semifinals (winner-to-District title game; earns regional berth)
    Game 11: Tenino v. Castle Rock, 6 p.m. at Chehalis
    Game 12: Elma v. Onalaska, 7:30 p.m. at Chehalis
    -- Consolation (loser-out games)
    Game 9: Rainier v. Montesano, 2:30 p.m. at Chehalis
    Game 10: Ilwaco v. Stevenson, 4 p.m. at Chehalis

    Wednesday, Feb. 15
    -- Consolation (loser-out, winner-to-regionals)
    Game 13: Game 9 winner v. Game 12 loser, TBD, Kelso
    Game 14: Game 10 winner v. Game 11 loser, TBD, Kelso

    Friday, Feb. 17
    District title game: Game 11 winner v. Game 12 winner, 8 p.m. at Chehalis (both to regionals)
    Game 13 winner v. Game 14 winner, 6 p.m. at Chehalis

    2B Southwest District IV tournament

    BOYS (bracket)
    NW Christian 72, Napavine 58 (Wednesday) NW Christian v. Toutle Lake, Saturday at Rochester (time TBD)

    GIRLS (bracket)
    Morton/White Pass 47, NW Christian 37
    Up next: NW Christian v. TBD, 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14 at Centralia

    1B Southwest District IV tournament

    BOYS (bracket)
    Seton Catholic at Mary M. Knight, 7 p.m. Saturday

    GIRLS (bracket)
    Mary M. Knight 46, Seton Catholic 35
    Up next: Mary M. Knight v. King's Way Christian, 5 p.m., Feb. 18 at Montesano
    Seton Catholic at Mary M. Knight, 7 p.m. Thursday


    Comments

  • Round III of Olympia-Bellarmine boys basketball takes place Friday

    posted 02:31 PM 02/09

    Olympia and Bellarmine wrapped up the regular season Wednesday night and are co-champions of the 4A Narrows League with identical 13-1 league records.

  • Girls basketball: Timberline secures second seed into district tournament with 66-52 win over Yelm

    posted 12:32 AM 02/09

    Timberline secured the second seed from the 3A Narrows League after its 66-52 win over Yelm Wednesday night at Timberline High School.

  • Boys basketball: River Ridge earns No. 1 seed into District IV tournament with 72-48 win over Aberdeen

    posted 01:32 AM 02/08

    River Ridge boys basketball team claimed a share of the 2A Evergreen Conference title with North Thurston, but earned the No. 1 seed into the District IV tournament after the Hawks' 72-48 victory over Aberdeen Tuesday night.

  • Basketball: District IV 2A, 1A, 2B, 1B tournament schedules

    posted 12:15 AM 02/09

    The 2A Evergreen Conference is still up in their with some teams on both the boys and girls sides. The third seed on both sides have been secured by WF West (boys) and North Thurston (girls).

  • Bowling: All-2A Evergreen Conference team

    posted 08:46 PM 02/05

    Here is the All-2A Evergreen Conference bowling team ...

  • Who turned out the lights? After 48-minute delay, Tumwater girls top Black Hills, 61-44

    posted 01:55 AM 02/04

    After a 48-minute power outage delay Friday night, Tumwater’s girls basketball team topped Black Hills, 61-44, at Tumwater High School.

  • Girls basketball: Tenino improves to 14-5 overall with 50-32 win over Montesano

    posted 01:07 AM 02/03

    Tenino's girls basketball team -- having its best season since 2003 -- inches closer to earning the second seed from the Southwest Washington 1A Evergreen after its 50-32 victory over Montesano Thursday nightat Brock Court at Tenino High School.

  • GNAC welcomes 2 schools for men's soccer starting this fall

    posted 04:21 PM 02/02

    The University of Mary, which is located in Bismarck, N.D., and the University of Sioux Falls of Sioux Falls, S.D., have agreed to become affiliate members of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in men's soccer, GNAC Commissioner Dave Haglund announced Thursday.

  • Week 4 AP statewide basketball rankings

    posted 09:06 PM 02/01

    SEATTLE — How a state panel of sports writers rates Washington high school basketball teams in the weekly Associated Press poll, with won-lost record and total points (first-place votes in parentheses).

  • Signing Day: Timberline, Tumwater lead the way with a combined five football signees

    posted 03:55 PM 02/02

    Whether it’s the rosy-red artificial turf or Eastern Washington’s NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision title in 2011, Jordan Thompson wasn’t short on good reasons to play college football for the Eagles.

  • Tuesday's highlights: North Thurston boys, girls top Black Hills

    posted 12:29 AM 02/01

    North Thurston's boys and girls basketball teams both posted victories Tuesday night over Black Hills with the boys team winning in overtime, 61-59, with the girls beating the Wolves, 75-62, in the nightcap.

  • Three-OT thriller: Capital boys outlast Foss, 104-100, in triple overtime

    posted 01:36 AM 01/31

    Capital's boys basketball team is back in the playoff race after its wild 104-100 triple-overtime victory over Foss Monday night at Capital High School.

  • Updated boys and girls basketball standings (through Jan. 29)

    posted 07:40 PM 01/29

    Here are updated boys and girls basketball standings from the Narrows, EvCo, SWW 1A and Pacific 2B leagues.

  • Black Hills, Shelton, Timberline bowling teams advance to state Feb. 3-4

    posted 10:49 PM 01/28

    Three South Sound bowling teams advance to state Feb. 3-4 after their performances this weekend in Tacoma and Longview.

  • Boys basketball: River Ridge dials in from 3-point range in 67-58 win over Black Hills

    posted 01:39 AM 01/28

    River Ridge put on a show from long distance Friday night against Black Hills, nailing 10 3-pointers en route to a 67-58 victory over Black Hills in the teams' 2A Evergreen Conference boys basketball game at Black Hills High School.

  • Thursday's highlights: Yelm wrestlers take down Timberline; NW Christian player surpasses 1,000 career points

    posted 01:27 AM 01/27

    Yelm wrestlers capped off an unbeaten 3A Narrows League campaign with a 52-21 dual meet victory over Timberline Thursday night at Yelm High School. The Tornados started off the match with six consecutive victories, including Darren Harris' epic win at 113 pounds over Timberline's Dean Reginio with a 4-minute, 40-second pin. Harris and Reginio are ranked Nos. 1 and 3, respectively, in the latest 106-pound state rankings.

  • Week 3 Associated Press statewide basketball rankings

    posted 04:10 PM 01/26

    Here's the third installment of the weekly Associated Press statewide boys and girls basketball rankings, as voted on by sports writers and editors across the state, including The Olympian:

  • Wrestling: New statewide rankings

    posted 09:23 PM 01/24

    Here's the latest installment of the WashingtonWrestlingReport.com's statewide wrestling rankings, updated Jan. 19:

  • With weekend tournament canceled, River Ridge wrestling team helps clean up debris for neighbors

    posted 02:40 AM 01/23

    With last week's storms wiping out all of high school sports in South Sound -- including Saturday's wrestling tournament at River Ridge High School -- members of River Ridge's wrestling team helped out their Lacey neighbors over the weekend to help clean up debris and damage left behind from the record-breaking snowfall, freezing rain and ice.

  • College basketball: Evergreen's games moved to Sunday, Monday

    posted 08:58 PM 01/20

    The Cascade Collegiate Conference announced late Friday night that Saturday's co-ed basketball header between The Evergreen State College and Corban University has been postponed because of safety concerns and power outages on the Evergreen campus.

  • UPDATE: Friday's Evergreen-NCU basketball games moved to Sunday; SPSCC games postponed

    posted 02:37 PM 01/19

    Because of the weather, the South Puget Sound men's and women's basketball games tonight against Tacoma Community College have been postponed and are rescheduled for Monday, Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. (women) and 8 p.m. (women) in Tacoma. The games originally were scheduled for Wednesday and moved to today (Thursday) before school administrators decided to postpone the games once again to Monday.

  • Associated Press state basketball rankings -- Week 2

    posted 06:02 PM 01/18

    Here's how a panel of sports writers and editors -- including The Olympian -- across the state voted on this week's Associated Press statewide boys and girls basketball polls. First-place votes in parentheses, followed by record, total votes and last week's ranking.

  • Wednesday's high school sports postponements

    posted 09:53 AM 01/18

    More snow fell Wednesday, which means more postponement of high school sports.

  • Tuesday's high school sports canceled; makeup dates announced

    posted 06:16 PM 01/17

    Since all school districts in The Olympian's circulation area were closed Tuesday, that means all after-school sports and activities were postponed.

  • Capital swimmer Tyler Sharp is an inspiration for what he doesn’t have

    posted 12:52 AM 01/17

    As a reporter, I’ve come across a lot of touching stories, and Capital High School junior Tyler Sharp is the most inspirational person I’ve had the pleasure to write about.

  • Friday's basketball highlights: Black Hills girls, Tumwater boys win big

    posted 02:15 AM 01/14

    The Black Hills girls and Tumwater boys dominated in their basketball games Friday night at Black Hills High School, as the Wolves beat the Tumwater girls, 65-46, and the Tumwater boys cruised to a 78-49 win over Black Hills.

  • Aberdeen will leave the 2A Evergreen Conference for football only starting this fall

    posted 03:46 PM 01/12

    Aberdeen High School will leave the 2A Evergreen Conference to join the 2A Greater St. Helens League in football for the next two seasons starting this fall.

  • Wrestling: Olympia will honor longtime coach Rockey Isley Thursday night

    posted 07:24 PM 01/10

    Longtime Olympia wrestling coach Rockey Isley will be retiring at the end of the season, and the school will honor him in the Bears' final home match of the season Thursday night against Gig Harbor.

  • Football: Olympia hosts nationally-ranked Lake Oswego (Ore.) in Week 1 of 2012 football season

    posted 04:16 PM 01/09

    Olympia has scheduled a home-and-home series with Oregon 6A powerhouse and nationally-ranked Lake Oswego (Ore.) High School starting this fall. The Lakers will travel to Ingersoll Stadium to face Olympia in the 2012 season opener Aug. 31, then Olympia will travel to Lake Oswego School District Stadium for a Week 1 showdown against the Lakers to open the 2013 season. Earlier this fall, Lake Oswego dispatched eventual Washington 4A state champion Skyline, 56-46. Lake Oswego is also the high school alma mater of current NBA star Kevin Love.

  • Basketball: Tumwater forward signs NLI with Northwest Christian University

    posted 06:36 PM 01/08

    Tumwater senior forward Haley VandenHazel has signed a letter of intent to play women’s basketball at Northwest Christian University in Eugene, Ore.

  • Saint Martin's men, women snap losing streaks vs. Simon Fraser

    posted 03:53 AM 01/08

    Saint Martin’s snapped its four-game losing streak with a 64-57 Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory over Simon Frasier in women’s basketball Saturday night at Saint Martin’s University’s Marcus Pavilion.

  • Wrestling: New statewide rankings

    posted 02:39 PM 01/06

    Here's the latest installment of the WashingtonWrestlingReport.com's statewide wrestling rankings:

  • Tuesday's highlights: River Ridge girls knock off previously-unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Chehalis, 63-54

    posted 10:16 PM 01/03

    River Ridge’s speed outweighed Chehalis’ size, as the Hawks knocked off the previously-unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Bearcats, 63-54, to move into first place in the 2A Evergreen Conference girls basketball standings.

  • South Sound's Top 10 sports stories from 2011

    posted 03:25 PM 12/30

    The year 2011 was filled it hurras to heartbreak for sports in South Sound. For the first time, Lacey and Olympia hosted three state tournaments – 3A state fastpitch and 4A/3A and 2A state volleyball. And to top it off, two local volleyball teams, Tumwater and Olympia, played in the state title games in front of hometown crowds. In-between were a handful other athletes in tennis, golf, wrestling and track and field who were crowned state champions. But with the good comes tragedy. We saw a signature Thurston County athlete pass away too young and an athletic complex at Shelton, constructed by students, burn to the ground as a result of arson.

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