By Katherine Kelly, Sports Editor
Winter sports are coming to a close, and many of the teams have experienced what is known as a “building block season” – when most of the athletes are underclassmen, or new to the sport altogether. This forced some of the younger athletes to step up and take leadership roles as the season progressed.
Girls Basketball:
Girls basketball finished their season with five wins and 15 losses. Considering the age and experience of many of the athletes, the team was pleased with the outcome. Many underclassmen girls worked hard and took the varsity positions. Two notable underclassmen were sophomore forwards Chloe Kuyper and Ava Butler. Kuyper scored 168 points this season and played in 16 games, which averages to 9.3 points per game. Butler, who also plays center, in addition to forward, has 66 points. Butler played in 18 games and averaged 3.7 points per game.
“In the beginning it was really stressful because it’s a new team, and it’s a fresh start,” Kuyper said. “We had to learn to build from it. It was a work in progress, and it takes time to make the chemistry.”
Boys Basketball:
The boys basketball team was named Nisqually League Champions after finishing their season with 14 wins and seven losses. Cascade Christian and Bellevue Christian trailed behind them with 11 wins overall. Top scorer and senior forward Casper Forest had a total of 282 points from his 18 games and averaged 15.7 points per game. Junior guard and forward Noah Edmonds is the team’s second-highest scorer with 152 points and an average of 8.4 points per game. He also played in 18 games. The team lost to Cascade Christian 51-41 at the 2017 West Central District Ⅲ 1A Boys Basketball Tournament on Feb. 18, and took second place.
They advanced to the regional competition on Feb. 25, but were eliminated after their first game against Kings Way Christian, to whom they lost 40-53.
Wrestling:
The wrestling team was named co-champions of the Nisqually League and took second place at the West Central District Ⅲ Tournament. They were 1-1 in their conference season, and 2-2 in their overall season, leading then to first place in the Nisqually League.
“I’ve watched this team start off small and careless and grow into … being scrappy and fierce,” junior captain Luke Larson said. “The commitment of everybody has strengthened, and the work ethic is unmatchable among other sports.”
Winter Cheer:
The cheerleaders had a very young squad this year – consisting mostly of freshmen – but it is expected to grow in the coming years.
“I think we had a really good season,” junior McKinley Jacobs said. “We had a really good coach, and all of the girls who are on the team were really fun and made it a very worthwhile couple months.”
The cheer squad had a new coach, Corrine Pruett. Junior Presley Roggenbuck praised Pruett, calling her a “fantastic coach,” and said that the cheer squad is lucky to have her as a leader in the coming years.