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Meg Wochnick specializes in high school sports coverage for The Olympian and has been with the newspaper since March 2007. She earned a journalism degree from Pacific Lutheran University, where she was an NCAA Div. III All-American in track and field. She maintains this blog and will provide insight on high school sports in South Sound. She can be reached at: mwochnick@theolympian.com.
Assistant Sports Editor
Adam Thaler
253-597-8512
athaler@theolympian.com
Sports Reporter
Gail Wood
360-754-5443
gwood@theolympian.com
Sports Reporter
Meg Wochnick
360-754-5473
mwochnick@theolympian.com
Archbishop Murphy advanced to the 2A state semifinals for the second straight season after its 14-7 win over Chehalis on Saturday at Tumwater District Stadium.
Chehalis, 2A Evergreen Conference champions, ends its season at 11-1. Archbishop Murphy (11-1) will play the winner of tonight's Sequim-Lynden game in the semifinals at the Tacoma Dome either next Friday or Saturday. Lynden defeated ATM, 21-13, during last year's semifinal.
You can read more about the Chehalis-Archbishop Murphy game -- along with the Montesano-Cascade Christian game -- in Sunday's Olympian.
Well, here we are. We're down to two South Sound football teams left, and both will play at Tumwater District Stadium as part of a tripleheader Saturday. Preview capsules of today's quarterfinals games involving South Sound teams ...
MVP: Leon LaDeaux, sr., South Kitsap
Offensive MVP: Jordan Pine, sr., Olympia
Defensive MVP: Scott Crichton, jr., Foss
3A All-Western Cascade Conference girls soccer team ...
Co-MVPs: Devon Walker, Yelm and Alyssa Edenstrom, Capital
Co-Coaches of the year: Shelley O'Dell, Yelm and Anna Boatright, Capital
3A Olympic/Western Cascade all-league football team ...
League MVP: Larry Dixon, sr., Olympic
Offensive MVP: Jordan Radcliffe, sr., Timberline
Defensive MVP: Dylan Swanstrom, sr., Timberline
Coaching staff of the year: Timberline
Team sportsmanship: North Kitsap and Olympic
Boys and girls basketball, boys swimming, gymnastics, and wrestling kicked off Monday as all winter sports are now underway. Bowling started back on Nov. 2.
As promised, here are the 3A and 2A all-tournament volleyball teams, as voted on my media members covering the state volleyball tournament at the Toyota Center in Kennewick.
Black Hills earned its fifth trophy in 10 trips to state, taking the third-place trophy defeating Fife, 3-2, late Saturday night.
After three days of covering state volleyball, I've definitely seen my fair share of quality teams and players.
Even though I'm in Kennewick covering state volleyball, I'm still keeping track of how our football teams are doing inbetween volleyball matches, interviews, stat-gathering and everything else.
Capital rallied back from being down two sets to none against Holy Names to win, 3-2, and advance to tonight's quarterfinals match against Mount Spokane. Kristyn Ross had a monster match, posting a whopping 42 kills.
KENNEWICK -- After suffering a 25-9, 25-16, 25-12 loss to top-ranked Mead in the quarterfinals, the Olympia Bears bounced back to defeat Skyview in a loser-out match late Thursday night. The match ended at 10:35 p.m. -- well after The Olympian's deadline.
I arrived in Kennewick Wednesday afternoon to cover the 4A/3A/2A state volleyball tournament, which starts Thursday with the 4As. The 3As and 2As kick off Friday.
2009 All-Pacific 2B team
MVP: Erica Edwards, sr., Northwest Christian
Coach of the year: Pat Bowker, Northwest Christian
2009 All-SWW 1A Evergreen League volleyball team
MVP: Samantha Gordon Sr. Onalaska
Coach of the year:Debbie Gibson, Montesano
2A All-Evergreen Conference girls soccer team
Offensive Player of the Year: Lexy Fancher, Black Hills, senior
Defensive Player of the Year: Ashley Villm, Tumwater, senior
Coach of the Year: Tino Sanchez, Chehalis
North Thurston senior Riley Baker hit the game-winning, 27-yard field goal with 1 minute, 46 seconds left in the fourth quarter to give the visiting Rams a 17-14 win over Seattle Prep in the teams’ Class 3A state preliminary round game at Seattle’s Memorial Stadium on Saturday night. The win means North Thurston (7-3) will advance to the first round of the 3A state playoffs for the first time since 2004. The Rams will travel to face Lakes next week at Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood next week.
Olympia had a 20-0 lead in the second quarter, but Rogers stormed back to win 29-26 to end Olympia's season at 8-2. The game started close to 8 p.m. because the Rams' team took 2.5 hours to get to Olympia because of traffic on Interstate 5.
2A All-Evergreen Conference football team ...
League MVP: Cody Peterson, senior, Black Hills
Offensive MVP: Ben Ternan, senior, Chehalis
Defensive MVP: Jake Steelhammer, senior, Chehalis
Coach of the year: Bob Wollan, Chehalis
Class 4A
1, Bothell (7) 9-0 70
2, Skyline 7-2 59
3, Auburn 9-0 58
4, Jackson 9-0 47
5, Curtis 9-0 38
6, Wenatchee 9-0 34
7, South Kitsap 9-0 33
8, Eisenhower 9-0 18
9, Marysville-Pilchuck 9-0 14
10, Mead 7-2 8
2009 Evergreen Conference all-league volleyball team
MVP: Kailah Lenz, senior, Black Hills
Co-coaches of year: Tana Croft, Tumwater and Neil Sharp, Centralia
The River Ridge Hawks won the 5-way tiebreaker at South Sound Stadium and will play Mark Morris (8-1) at 5 p.m. Saturday at Longview Memorial Stadium. It's the Hawks' first district crossover berth since 2004.
There are plenty of high school postseason events going on Tuesday night. Perhaps the biggest one is the wacky five-way football tiebreaker in the Evergreen Conference. That will take place tonight at 6 p.m. at South Sound Stadium. A five-way tiebreaker has never happened in Western Washington, so this is your chance to witness something special.
2009 WCC all-league volleyball team
MVP: Kristyn Ross, junior, Capital
Coaches of the Year: Krista Manke, Timberline and Natalie Zukowski, Capital
Class 4A
1. Mead
2. Graham-Kapowsin
3. Skyview
4. Richland
5. Monroe
6. Gig Harbor
7. Olympia
8. Southridge
9. Kamiakin
10. Eisenhower
11.Kentwood
12. Curtis
13. Kamiak
14. Auburn Riverside
15. Woodinville
16. Jackson
The Elma Eagles’ second straight win has helped create a five-way tie for one playoff spot. Thanks to Elma’s 48-14 upset of the Hoquiam Grizzlies at Hoquiam and Centralia’s 21-14 loss to Tumwater on Friday, there will be a five-way tiebreaker between the Class 2A Evergreen Conference football teams with 2-5 records in league play – Aberdeen, Centralia, Elma, Hoquiam and River Ridge – to determine the league’s fourth and final playoff spot.
All military personnel in uniform (or with ID) will receive free admission and will be recognized at halftime of Friday night's Timberline-North Thurston football game at South Sound Stadium.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association named four South Sound fall sports teams as academic state champions Wednesday.
Class 4A
1, Skyline (7) 7-1 79
2, Bothell (1) 8-0 73
3, Auburn 8-0 64
4, Jackson 8-0 55
5, Curtis 8-0 41
6, Wenatchee 8-0 39
7, South Kitsap 8-0 38
8, Eisenhower 8-0 18
9, Marysville-Pilchuck 8-0 14
10, Mead 6-2 9
Others receiving 6 or more points: 11, Bethel 7
The state volleyball rankings, along with win-loss records, are provided by Tanya Campbell of the WSVCA ... records are as of Monday.
Capital, Timberline and North Thurston will represent the Class 3A Western Cascade Conference in next week's subdistrict volleyball tournament with the top three teams in the Olympic League. Capital will be the league's No. 1 seed, even though the Cougars and Timberline finished with identical records in WCC play (5-1). Since Capital defeated Timberline in fewer sets (3-0), the Cougars earn the top seed and the Blazers are seeded second.
I just got off the phone with River Ridge football coach Steve Schultz, as he and his Hawks players gear up for their biggest game of the season Thursday night at home against Aberdeen. And as you can imagine, the River Ridge players are pretty excited to play in a game that may mean a district crossover game in Week 10 should they come out with a win.