MSGBB 2012-02-23 OH @ NW

The first of at least two OHMS vs NWMS girls basketball games was held Thursday afternoon at NWMS.

In the 7th grade game, the first quarter ended with NW leading by 1 point, 5-4, and the Cougars increased their lead to 13-9 at halftime.

Oak Harbor cut that lead to just 2 at the end of the third, 17-15, but the Panthers couldn't keep it going and fell to the home Cougars 27-21.

For the visitors, Ally scored 7 to lead her team. Virginia and Julie hit for 4 each, and Kyanna, Aujuna and Sydney scored 2 each.

Bryn scored 8 to lead the Cougars and led all scorers. Rahsanna and Jaden finished with 6 each, and Lauryn M, Lauren, and Mikala had 2 points each.

Photos from the 7th grade game are posted HERE. Included in the photos are several group photos of the NWMS team.

Video clips are posted HERE.

In the nightcap, it was all Panthers as the Cougars didn't have an answer for the OHMS speed. OH led 9-6 at the first horn and 19-8 at the half on their way to a 42-20 victory.

Jinai led the Panthers and all scorers with 15 points. Deja scored 8 and Taylor D 7. Rickell and Lexus each finished with 4 points, Matti with 3 and Taylor H with 1.

The Cougars' lead scorer was Rosie with 10 points. Hannah scored 6 and Annabelle 4.

8th grade photos are HERE

8th grade video clips are HERE.

Both teams are at home next week, with the Cougars hosting Anacortes and LaVenture at OHMS. On Thursday at 3:30pm, OH and NW play again. Right now the game is scheduled for OHMS, but shifting the game to the high school gym is being looked at, details to be announced.




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Powderpuff Football 2012-02-24

Friday evening the Junior and Senior girls got together for the annual Powder Puff football game.

The juniors got on the board first and built a 13-0 halftime lead. With less than two minutes left in the game it was looking like the juniors would nap the shutout, but the Seniors were able to punch it in from a few yards out to make the final score 26-6.

Over 100 photos from the game are posted HERE.

These photos are free for anyone to right-click and download to their computer. If you want to order prints, the only cost will be Shutterfly's wholesale price plus shipping and tax.

MSGBB 2012-02-21 - OHMS vs Mt. Baker

The OHMS girls basketball team played at home Tuesday night against Mt. Baker MS from Mt. Vernon, with the Panthers winning both games.

In the 7th grade game, OHMS scored first, with 5:10 to go in the the first and Mt. Baker didn't score until almost halfway through the period. With 4:10 left, OHMS led 6-2, with all Panther scoring by Julie Jansen. At that point the Panther offense stopped, and at the horn for the first quarter, the score was tied 6-6.

Mt. Baker came out on fire in the 2nd, torching the Panthers for 14 points. OHMS scored another 6, but the Grizzlies held a 20-12 halftime lead.

In the 3rd, the Panther defense stepped up and held Mt. Baker to only 5 points total. The OH girls chipped away at the Grizzly lead, tying the score at 22 at the end of the third. With just 4 seconds left, Oak Harbor held a 28-27 lead, but Mt. Baker was going to get the ball under their own basket. They got the shot off, but it did not go in, leaving OHMS with the victory. Julie led the Panther scoring with 10 pints and Lydia was close behind with 8. Virginia, Kyanna, Ally, Kristen and Sidney each scored 2 points.

Click HERE to see some video highlights from the 7th grade game.

Get to the photos by clicking HERE.


In the 8th grade game, Oak Harbor needed a stifling defense and blazing team speed to win, and they delivered. At the end of the first period, Oak Harbor led 26-4, allowing just 4 free throws. Mt. Baker didn't score a field goal until late in the second period and trailed 47-17 at the half. The Panthers continued to play tough defense and went on to win 64-30. Due to the aggressive Panther defense, there were numerous fouls against Oak Harbor. Of the 30 points scored by Mt. Baker, half came from free throws.

Jinai Ekberg led the OHMS scoring with 20 points. Rickell Piloneo and TaylorDeconzo were also in double figures with 17 and 10 points respectively. Taylor Heidt scored 6, Matti Miesle 3, and Hannah Faught, Suzanne Kaltenbach, Lexus Jones and Deja Bunch scored 2 each.

OHMS travels to NWMS today, Feb 23, for the first of a pair of meetings. 7th grade starts around 3:30 and 8th around 5pm.

8th grade video highlights are posted HERE.

Click HERE for photos from the 8th grade game




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Wrestling - Mat Classic Day 2

Day 2 was nicer to the Wildcats as day one.

First an update on the girls 170 lb class. Brittany Johnston lost her second consolation bracket match and did not place.


Jennifer Fremd lost in an overtime 7-5 decision in her semifinal match then pinned two opponents to stand on the podium at the end of the day in 3rd place.

After losing his first match on Friday, Cody Fakkema also rebounded well, winning all but one of his consolation matches by pin, and the one that wasn't a pin was an 11-6 decision. Cody also ended the day on the podium in 3rd place.

In team scoring, the girls finished with 23 points and was in 27th place out of 104 teams. 31 teams scored no points at all. The girls team champion was Sedro Woolley with 83 points. Stanwood and Mt. Vernon were also in the top 10. The only WESCO 3A team to finish higher than the Wildcats was Everett, in 21st place with 27 points.

For the boys, the Wildcats earned 28.5 points and finished in 26th of 61 3A schools. The team champion was Enumclaw with 126 points. The top local team was Sedro in 6th place with 69 points. Glacier Peak (12), Shorecrest (15), and Everett (16) were WESCO 3A teams that finished ahead of Oak Harbor in the team standings.

AAU BBB 2012-02-18

We were able to get coverage of two more teams from Oak Harbor in the 2012 SWISH league.

The 8th grade Purple team took on TCYBA, a team from Vancouver, Canada at Sedro-Woolley High School. The Wildcats spotted the Canadians a 10-0 lead, but closed the gap to 17-23 at the half. Late in the 3rd Oak Harbor had cut the lead down to just 4 points, but a late flurry of scoring allowed TCYBA to hold a 37-29 lead going into the 4th, and they were able to maintain to win 46-39.

Photos from the 8th grade Purple game are posted HERE.

A few video highlights are posted HERE.

Later that afternoon, the 6th grade Purple team was at Mt. Baker Middle School in Mt. Vernon to take on Arlington White. This game was close early, but the Wildcats were able to lead 11-6 at the first horn. Arlington got back into the game, closing to within one point at halftime, but OH still held the lead, 19-18. The 3rd quarter ended in a 28-28 tie, but then the Wildcat offense got going. The Wildcats outscored the Eagles 14-3 in the final period to win 43-31.

6th grade photos are HERE

6th grade video clips are HERE.



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Wrestling - Mat Classic Day 1

After the first day of wrestling, only 3 Oak Harbor wrestlers are still alive in the tournament.

Jennifer Fremd, at 145 lbs, got a pin in her first round match then won 7-2 to put herself in the semi-finals.

Brittany Johnston got pinned in her first round match but rebounded to pin her opponent in just 24 seconds. Her third match results are not posted yet.

For the guys, Cody Fakkema got pinned in the 3rd round of his first match, then pinned his next two opponents in 1:44 and 2:44 to stay alive in the consolation bracket.

Mark Johnston, Jahleel Vester, Jeremy Vester and Josh Crebbin are all eliminated.

BBB 2012-02-14 Playoff at Ferndale

Continuing their run in the postseason, the Wildcat boys basketball team traveled to Ferndale to take on the Eagles, minus some key players. Paul Johannsen was still out due to illness while Jojo Webster and Chris Hailer were not able to play.

Ferndale took quick advantage of the gaps in the Wildcat lineup and took a 16-5 first quarter lead and extended it to 31-19 at the half.

Ferndale maintained through the second half to win the game 57-45, ending the Wildcat's season.

Drew Washington topped the 'Cats with 15 and brother Mike scored 13. Kevawn Brooks finished with 6, Diamonte Ridley, Elias Whitefoot and Matt Burgoyne 3 each and Zach Jones 2.

Video highlights are posted HERE

Photos are posted HERE




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Wrestling 2012-02-11 - Regional Tournaments

Eight Oak Harbor wrestlers started the 3A Region 1 tournament at Skyline HS on Saturday and five of them are going on to state with one more going as an alternate.

Freshman Jeremy Vester and brother Jahleel Vester, a sophomore, both finished 4th to move on to State.

At 126 lbs, Junior Cody Fakkema was the regional champion, winning by pin, 4-0, and 4-1.

Mark Johnston, another freshman, will go to state at 132 pounds after finishing 3rd.

In what many were calling the match of the day, junior Josh Crebbin lost in the championship match by one point, 15-14, but will go to state as the 2nd place finisher.

The final OH state competitor is yet another freshman, Jackson Constant, at 285 pounds, who finished in 5th place and will go to state as an alternate.

Senior Colling Higinbotham and sophomore Ray Quinday both wrestled in the regional tournament but will not advance.

In Bellingham, Oak Harbor had 3 girls on the mat - Kylene Ayer at 106 lbs, Jennifer Fremd at 145 and Brittany Johnston at 170.

Kylene won the district title and was seeded 1st in the regional tournament, but a nagging back injury affected her wrestling and she finished in 6th place and will not advance.

Senior Johnston had a first round bye, and although she lost her first match against eventual winner Allen of Mt. Vernon, she won her first consolation match by fall to guarantee a trip to the state tournament. She finished the regional tournament in 4th place.

Fremd, also a senior, only wrestled 3 times in the tournament, winning each of her matches by pin. She is seeded 2nd in the state tournament next weekend at the Tacoma Dome.

Video highlights from the girls tournament are posted HERE.

Photos from the girls tournament are HERE.

BBB 2012-02-10 Playoff at Glacier Peak

In their 3rd meeting this year, the Glacier Peak Grizzlies had the Wildcats figured out.

Their defense held Mike Washington to just 15 points and brother Drew to just 3 points. Both scored over 20 points in Tuesday's win over Shorewood.

After taking an early 4-1 lead, Oak Harbor gave up ground to the Grizzlies, trailing 15-8 at the first break and 22-13 at the half,

Glacier Peak broke the game open in the 3rd, boosting their lead to 20 points, 43-23.

Late in the game the Oak Harbor subs made the game closer, but Glacier Peak won the game 54-37.

The Wildcats play next Tuesday night, Feb 14th, at Ferndale against the Eagles.

Photos from the GP game are posted HERE.

Video highlights are HERE.

BBB 2012-02-08 playoff at Shorewood

The Oak Harbor Wildcat boys basketball team lost twice to Shorewood during the regular season, 61-44 at Shorewood and 67-50 at home.

Wednesday night the two teams faced each other in the opening round of the District 1 tournament, and it looked like the third game was going to go the way of the other two, as Shorewood grabbed an early 11-2 lead and led 47-37 starting the 4th period.

In that 2nd half, Mike Washington picked up where his brother left off. Drew scored 15 points in the first half then Mike scored 15 in the 2nd and the 'Cats went on a 15-5 run in the 4th period to tie the game late, then Jojo Webster scored on a steal to give OH the lead, 54-52. A final 3-pointer by Drew ensure a Widlcat win, 57-52.

The 'Cats go to Glacier Peak friday night to take on the Grizzlies. The winner of that game goes on to play the winner of the Mountlake Terrace/Shorecrest game for the district title. If OH loses, they will play the loser of the Ferndale/Everett game.

Drew Washington finished the game with 24 points to lead all scorers while Mike ended with 22. Matt Burgoyne scored 5 and Zach Gibbs, Kevawn Brooks and Webster each netted 2 points.

Wrestling 2012-02-03 and 04 Sub-regional tournament

Oak Harbor did well at the 3A District 1 tournament held at OHHS last weekend, with 7 wrestlers placing in the top 5 and moving on to the regional tournament. In addition, the future looks good for the Wildcat wrestling team as all of the placers are underclassmen, and 3 are Freshmen!

District champions are juniors Cody Fakkema, currently ranked 2nd in state at the 3A level at 126 lbs and Josh Crebbin, currently ranked 11th at 152 lbs.

Sophomore Ray Quinday finished 2nd at 220 lbs.

Brothers Jeremy and Jahleel Vester both finished 3rd in their weight brackets. Freshman Jeremy at 106 lbs and Sophomore Jahleel at 120 lbs.

Finishing in 4th place were freshmen Mark Johnston at 132 lbs and Jackson Constant at 285 lbs.

Senior Collin Higingbotham (170)and Freshman Carl Meders (195) both finished in 6th place and will go to the regional tournament as 1st alternates.

Also, in the girls tournament at Squalicum, Senior Jennifer Fremd and Junior Kylene Ayers both placed first and will compete in the regional tournament this weekend at Bellingham HS.

Video highlights are HERE.

Day 1 photos are posted HERE.

Day 2 photos are posted HERE.

GBB 2012-01-31 at Glacier Peak and 2012-02-02 vs Getchell

The Oak Harbor girls basketball teams finished their season with games at Glacier Peak and then at home for Senior Night against Marysville-Getchell

In the Glacier Peak games, the Grizzlies showed why they were one of the top teams in WESCO 3a, beating all three OH teams easily. In the C team game, GP jumped to an early 14-5 leand then set it on cruise control to the 51-23 final. KC Winfield and Tierra White each scored 6 points for the Wildcats, Irene Gribble 5, and Jessica Hollins, Kenna Prosch and Kaitlyn Haley 2 each.

The final in the JV game was 55-24 for the Grizzlies. Individual OH scores were not available.

Things started well in the varsity games. Two long passes from Morgan Young to Dominique Jackson ended in 4 points for the Wildcats, then Annie Leete made it 6-5 for Oak Harbor. Glacier Peak woke up about that time and went on a 16-3 run to end the first period 21-9. The two teams went back and forth in the second, which ended with GP ahead 35-24, but in the 3rd extended the lead to 50-28 on the way toa 72-36 win.

Leete finished the game with 14 pints, DJ had 8, Kelsey Rankin 6, Jalani Bobo and Morgan Young 3 each and Ciera Wiser 2.

Glacier Peak video clips are here

GP photos are HERE

On Feb 2nd, the OH "C" team had their highest scoring game of the year, destroying the visiting Chargers 66-28. The Wildcats held their opponents to just 2 points in the first quarter then exploded for 22 points of their own in the final period to set the final score. Three Wildcats finished in double figures - Tierra White with 18, Angelica Brown with 12 and Jessica Hollins with 10. Kenna Prosch and KC Winfield each added 9 points and Irene Gribble 8.

Offense again proved the Achilles Heel of the JV squad as they scored only 26 points while allowing Getchell 35. Down by 5 at halftime, the Wildcats rallied and took an 18-17 lead with 3:35 left in the third, but Getchell scored 13 to Oak Harbor's 7 in the final period to win the game 35-26. Liz Lym scored 9 to lead the 'Cats, Brook Peplinski and Danielle Teasley 6 each, Melanie Callaway3 and Haley Lundstrom 2.

The varsity game started with Senior Night activities and the introduction of the 6 graduating seniors and their parents. Playing their last game in a Oak Harbor uniform were Erika Flores, Lia Pantoleon, Tatiana Cumming, Kaileen Burleson, Rayan Russell and Dominique Jackson (DJ). After the intros, Rayan Russell went up in the bleachers to get the microphone from announcer Jay Long and sang a stirring rendition of the National Anthem.

When the game got underway, the 'Cats grabbed an early 13-6 lead and extended it to 28-15 at halftime. Getchell hung with Oak Harbor in the third, which ended 34-23 in favor of OH, but the Wildcats went on to beat Getchell for the second time this year, by a 45-33 score. None of the Wildcats scored in double figures, but 10 players got on the board. Russell and junior Morgan Young each finished with 7 points, DJ had 5 and Lia Pantoleon 4. Scoring 2 points each were Jalani Bobo, Tatiana Cumming, Kaileen Burleson, Marissa Lewis, Kelsey Rankin and Ciera Wiser.

Click HERE for Getchell video highlights

HERE are photos from the Getchell game

BBB 2012-01-30 vs Glacier Peak - Senior NighT

Before Monday night's varsity game, the team took time to recognize the five graduating seniors and their parents. Kevawn Brooks, Matt Burgoyne, Paul Johannsen, Michael Washington and Elias Whitefoot all escorted their parents to center court where they all received a round of applause from the spectators.

While Oak Harbor took an early 6-4 lead, the Grizzlies came back and built a 16-10 first quarter lead and outscored the Wildcats in every quarter except the last. Jojo Webster scored 16 to lead Oak Harbor, while Mike Washington and Matt Burgoyne were both in double figures as well with 13 and 11 points respectively. Kevawn Brooks finished with 4, Drew Washington with 3 and Paul Johannsen with 2 points in the 61-49 loss.

In the early game in the main gym, Glacier Peak jumped to a 25-8 first quarter lead and led 47-19 at the half on the way to a 70-32 win. Gabe Groenig scored 9 for Oak Harbor, Zach Jones 8, Andre Grey 5, Diamonte Ridley 4, and Anfernee Angkaw, Matt Zafra and Casiano Atienza each finished with 2 points.

Glacier Peak also took control early in the dome, building a 22-3 first-period lead and won 65-33. Brad Nehring scored 14 to lead the team, Gage Eccleston scored 9, Chris Humphries 8, Ben Fikse 2 and Jacob Sturdevant 1.

The boys finish the regular season Wednesday night at Marysville-Getchell then on Feb 8th the varsity team travels to the WECO #2, which looks to be either Shorecrest or Shorewood for the first round of the WESCO 3A tournament.

Video highlights are HERE.

Freshman, JV and varsity photos are posted HERE.

BBB 2012-01-27 and 28 vs Mountlake Terrace and Shorewood

It was a long week for the OHHS boys basketball team as they played 4 games in 5 days, including 3 in a row, making up for snowed out games.

Thursday the boys were at home against #3 ranked Mountlake Terrace. The Hawks held the Wildcats to just two points, both free throws, in the first quarter. Oak Harbor didn't score a field goal until the 6:15 mark in the 2nd period and ended up falling to the visitors 64-27. On the plus side, senior Michael Washington scored his 1,429th career point, breaking the school record.

Washington finished with just 6 points for the game. Brother Drew was the team's leading scorer with 10 points. Jojo Webster scored 5 and Zach Gibbs, Kevawn Brooks and Chris Hailer each had 2.

The JV team had a decent offensive night, but was still no match for the very talented Terrace squad. The final score in that game was 72-42 in favor of the Hawks. Diamonte Ridley scored 9 for the 'Cats, Gabe Groenig 7, Andre Cumberbatch 6, Rhys Mattila and Zach Jones 5 each, Isaiah Rennes and Andre Grey 4 each and Atienza Casiano 2.

In the freshman game, Gage Eccleston score 10, Chris Humphries 9, Tre Bobo 5, and Jonathon Bright and Jacob Sturdevant 2 each in the 71-28 loss.

Photos from the Mountlake Terrace game are posted HERE.

Terrace video clips are HERE.

Saturday's game vs Shorewood was the makeup game from almost two weeks ago.

Over in the dome Chris Humphries scored 25 points for the Wildcats, accounting for nearly half the team's points, but it wasn't enough as the 'Cats fell 74-54. Other Wildcats getting points were Ben Fikse with 8, Jacob Sturdevant with 6, Brad Nehring and Hunter Adams with 5 each, Jonathon Brith with 3 and Gage Eccleston with 2.

The JV team also spread out the scoring in a 44-35 loss. Zach Jones, recently moved up from the freshman team, scored 10 to lead the team. Diamonte Ridley and Gabe Groenig scored 7 each, Andre Cumberbatch 5, Rhys Mattila 3, Isaiah Rennes 2 and Atienza Casiano 1.

At the end of the first quarter in the varsity game, the Wildcats were down 14-7 but crawled back and with 1:32 to go in the half were down by just one point, 23-22 and when the horn sounded it was 27-24 for Shorewood. In the third, the Thunderbirds exploded for 23 points and built a 50-37 lead and increased it to a 67-50 final.

Mike Washington, Jr. finished with 19 points and Jojo Webster and Kevawn Brooks scored 9 each. Drew Washington scored 3 and Matt Burgoyne, Zach Gibbs, Elias Whitefoot, Chris Hailer and Paul Johannsen had 2 points each.

The Wildcats finish their regular season this week with two games. First is Senior Night on Monday against Glacier Peak, and the boys travel to Getchell on Feb 1st for their final game before prepping for the league tournament.

Click HERE for Shorewood game photos

Shorewood video clips are HERE.

Wrestling 2012-01-26 vs Marysville-Getchell

The Wildcats finished their regular season Thursday at OHHS by honoring the graduating seniors before the match, then went on the mat and pounded the visiting Getchell Chargers 56-15.

For their first year in sports, Getchell had a large team, which led to a total of 18 JV matches. Oak Harbor won 10 of them, all by pin. JV winners were Bertram, Zaiha Sams, Pralle, Charlesworth, Cheeseboro, Dedobbelaere, Shavers, Carter, Wotring and Adamson.

Bertram, Sams, Cheeseboro and Shavers all took less than a minute to pin their opponent.

In varsity action, Jahleel Vester and Cody Fakkema both won by pin, Mark Johnston won 12-0, Nate Stanford and Josh Crebbin both pinned their opponent, David Payne won 13-5 and Collin Higingbotham 8-4. Josh Orritt was down 5-9 in the third period when he scored a takedown then pinned his opponent.

Jeremy Alonzo won a very close 6-5 match, Jacob Dugin won by pin and Christian Bertram won by forfeit to finish the night's wrestling.

Next for the wrestlers is the sub-regional tournament, which this year is being held at OHHS on Feb 3rd and 4th.

Volunteers are still needed to help with concessions and at the scoretables. If you can help go to the team website at LeagueLineup.com for more information.

Varsity photos are posted HERE.

JV pics are HERE.

Video highlights are HERE.

GBB 2012-01-25 vs Meadowdale

It was another rough night for the OHHS girls basketball teams as they went up against the Meadowdale Mavericks.

On the "C" team, the Wildcats were down by 5 at the first horn and a manageable 7 at halftime, 21-14, then closed the gap to just 6 points at the end of the third, but the Mavs finished the game by holding OH to just 4 points in the final period, winning 36-14. Kenna Prosch was the lead scorer with 9 points. Irene Gribble finished with 6, KC Winfield and Tierra White 4 each and Kaitlyn Haley 1.

In the JV game, the Wildcats didn't score until the 4:48 mark in the first quarter when Danielle Teasley sank a pair of free throws. By game's end, the 'Cats had scored only 14 points against an aggressive Meadowdale press while the Mavericks finished with 59 points.

Teasley led the Wildcat scoring with 6 pints, Liz Lym scored 4 and Brook Peplinski and Cassidy Gurich 2 each.

Free throws kept the varsity team alive in the first half. Oak Harbor was 10-for-12 in the first half from the line and a buzzer-beating shot by Annie Leete made the score 21-18 in favor of Meadowdale at halftime.

Meadowdale came out of the locker room on fire and scored 18 points in third to Oak Harbor's 10 and finished the game with a 48-33 win.

Leete topped Oak Harbor with 12 points - three 3-pointers and three free throws. Ciera Wiser scored 7, and Dominique Jackson and Marissa Lewis had 3 each. Jalani Bobo, Lia Pantoleon, Rayan Russell and Morgan Young scored 2 each, all from 100% free throw shooting.


JV, Varsity and C team photos are posted HERE.

Video highlights are posted HERE.

Wrestling 2012-01-24 at Meadowdale vs Meadowdale and Mountlake Terrace

Due to a missed date due to the snow last week, the OHHS wrestling team wrestled in two meets last Tuesday night at Meadowdale. The first was the make up, against Mountlake Terrace. The Hawks did not field a JV team, so there are only varsity results.

Out of the 14 weight classes, Terrace forfeited five to the Wildcats. Of the 9 matches wrestled, Oak Harbor won 8, 6 by pin. The final score was 72-3 in favor of OH.

MLT video highlights are posted HERE

MLT photos are HERE.

In the Meadowdale matchup, there were 12 JV matches. Oak Harbor won 9 of them, with Ben Pralle, Chris Carter, CJ Shavers, Jen Fremd, Kekai Tarrant all winning their matches by pin. Shavers and Carter wrestled twice and won by pin both times.

While Oak Harbor dominated the varsity event, Meadowdale was still able to score team points against the Wildcats.

Jahleel Vester, Mark Johnston, Josh Crebbin and Jacob Dugin all won by pin. Johnston's pin was probably the fastest of the year - he needed just 14 seconds.

Other OH varsity winners were Cody Fakkema (tech fall), David Payne (6-5) and Collin Higingbotham (10-7)

The final score in the Meadowdale meet was 47-24 in favor of OHHS.

HERE are the Meadowdale video clips

Click HERE for Meadowdale photos.

The Wildcats are in action again tonight, hosting Marysville-Getchell for Senior Night. Tonight's meet ends the regular season. This weekend, Oak Harbor is hosting the sub-regional tournament. Wrestling starts Friday afternoon then continues all day Saturday.

GBB 2012-01-23 vs Everett

It was not a good night for the OHHS girls basketball teams Monday night against the visiting Everett Seagulls.

The "C" team did not score any points in the first quarter while allowing 16 and never got on track offensively. In the end it was Everett 45, OH 22. Tierra White scored 8, Irene Gribble and KC Winfield 5 each and Jessica Hollins 4.

In the JV game, OH lead 8-6 at the first horn, but scored only a single free throw in the 2nd and only 4 points in the 3rd. Everett won 31-20. Liz Lym scored 8 for the 'Cats, Hayley Lundstrom 4, and Melanie Callaway, Brook Peplinski, Sierra Southwick and Danielle Teasley scored 2 each.

Annie Leete scored 11 of 17 Oak Harbor points in the first quarter and drained six 3-pointers in the game, but OH could not keep up with the Everett offense, falling 72-37. Leete finished with 22 points, Ciera Wiser 7, Dominique Jackson 3, Jalani Bobo and Marissa Lewis 2 each and Rayan Russell 1.

The girls are at home again Wednesday against Meadowdale, then hit the road Friday at Mountlake Terrace, then Saturday in a makeup game at Shorewood. Next week, on Feb 2nd, the girls have senior night against Marysville-Getchell.

Photos are posted HERE

Video clips are posted HERE.

GBB 2012-01-21 vs Lynnwood

After a long, unexpected layoff, the Wildcat girls basketball team returned to action on Saturday in a makeup game against Lynnwood.

The C game in the dome was a foulfest from beginning to end. Oak Harbor ended the game shooting 42 free throws and Lynnwood made 19 attempts. Both teams' FT shooting percentage was right around 25%. Oak Harbor led 10-4 at the first horn and held on to the 6-point lead into the half, 21-15. The second half belonged to the Wildcats as they bumped their lead to 36-20 in the third and won 46-24. Jessica Hollins and Tierra White were both in double figures in scoring, Hollins with 15 and White with 11. KC Winfield finished with 9, Carmen Riveiro-Moreno and Kenna Prosch both with 4 and Angelica Brown with 2.

A missed free throw with just 4 seconds left in overtime was the difference in the JV game. After taking nearly 3 minutes off the clock before either team scored, Oak Harbor led 9-8 at the end of the first period. The Lynnwood defense held OH scoreless in the second, but the Royals scored only 4 points of their own and led 12-9 at halftime. The Wildcats crawled back and were down 23-22 at the end of the 3rd, and a late score tied the game 30-30 at the end of regulation.

In the Overtime period, Oak Harbor scored early and led 35-33 late when a Royal player was fouled on a shot attempt. The Lynnwood player sank the first free throw but missed the second. The ball was rebouned by Hayley Lundstrom who was able to hold on until the buzzer sounded. The Wildcats scored 2 field goals and made one of two free throws in the extra session, while Lynnwood made 1 field goal and missed on 3 of 5 free throw attempts.

Lundstrom led the JV scoring with 13 points. Liz Lym scored 6, Brook Peplinski and Sierra Southwick 5 each, and Danielle Teasley, Melanie Callaway and Natalie Fiallos finished with 2 each.

The varsity game was all Lynnwood from the start. The Royals jumped to an early 14-4 lead and never looked back, winning 44-26. Ciera Wiser and Annie Leete both finished with 8 points, Kelsey Rankin 6, Rayan Russell and Marissa Lewis 2 each.

The girls play next Monday night at OHHS against 7-4 Everett.

Photos from all 3 games are posted HERE.

JV and varsity video highlights are posted HERE.

Wrestling 2012-01-12 vs Everett

Thursday night at OHHS two unbeated teams matched up for what was likely to be the WESCO 3A championship on the line.

Everett was ranked #7 in 3A and #16 in the state across all classifications and had two wrestlers currently ranked as #1 in 3A.

Oak Harbor came into the meet with a #8 and #9 ranked wrestlers, but missing their 3rd ranked wrestler and 3 other varsity men due to medical issues.

The night started with #9 ranked Mark Johnston vs #1 ranked Jessie Lopez, and that match ended with Lopez ahead 11-3. Everett also won the next match by major decision to take an 8-0 lead. Sheyenne Sams and Josh Crebbin then both pinned their opponents, putting OH ahead 12-8.

Following 4 straight losses, the Wildcats were down 30-12, but a pair of forfeits to the Wildcat heavyweights closed the gap to 30-24.

Dropping to the 106 weight class, Everett fielded Justine Palabrica, currently #3 in state against Tricia Desquitado. Tricia wrestled well but was pinned, putting Everett up 36-24.

At 113 lbs, Jeremy Vester hit the mat against Bagdadi. Bagadadi took a 5-0 lead into the 3rd round, but an escape by Vester, a penalty point for stalling, then a takedown made it 5-4. With time running out, Jeremy needed a takedown for the win, but the match was stopped with 3 seconds left due to Everett blood, and it turned out to be 2 seconds too little, as Jeremy took down his opponent just after the buzzer ending the match.

Brother Jahleel (ranked #8) made up for the loss by pinning his opponent in just 54 seconds, but Everett still led 39-30 with just one match left.

Ben Pralle wrestled one of his best matches this year, but also came up just seconds short of winning, as opponent Norton won 9-8.

The JV matches were exciting, with two matches standing out. Ewing took on Everett's Walkley, and it was a back and forth battle all the way. With time running out, Ewing was on top but down by one point, 13-14. He tried his best to turn his opponent and get near-fall points, but the buzzer sounded before the official started his count. As the wrestlers shook hands, even the referee applauded their efforts.

The other match was Holloman vs Turner. It was Holloman's second match of the day, having been pinned in the first match of the day. She wasted no time at all getting Turner on his back and getting back points, but Turner held her off until the end of the period. In the second, Hollman needed just 30 seconds to turn her opponent and record an emotional pin.

Other JV winners Thursday night were Scrum (12-7), King (pin), Adamson, Tarrant and B. Johnston.

The wrestlers travel to Renton Friday night for a double-dual fundraiser for Pancreatic Cancer, and on Saturday the varsity squad goes to Mercer Island and the JV team to Everett for tournaments.

The Wildcats return home on Thursday, Jan 26th for senior night against Marysville-Getchell.

Video clips from the meet are posted HERE.

Photos are posted HERE.

MSBBB 2012-01-10 OHMS vs LaVenture

At OHMS on Tuesday, the Panthers hosted LaVenture and left the gym with a sweep.

In the 7th grade game, OHMS led 12-7 at the first buzzer, but LaVenture came back, taking a 19-17 lead at halftime. Opening the 2nd half, the Panthers went on an 11-2 run to retake the lead 28-21, and added more in the 4th, winning 48-28.

The Panthers led throughout the 8th grade game, but liberal substituting by coach Nuqui made the game closer that it otherwise would have been. OHMS led 16-10 at the end if the 1st period and 26-16 at halftime before finishing with a 57-50 win.

The Panthers finish the season with a game at home vs Cascade on Jan 17th then travel to Cascade the next day for their final game.

The Cougars of North Whidbey finish their season on the road, traveling to Anacortes on the 17th and to to LaVenture on the 19th.

8th grade highlights from the 1st half are posted HERE.

7th grade highlights from the 2nd half are posted HERE.

7th grade photos are HERE

8th grade photos are HERE.

BBB 2012-01-10 vs Shorecrest

Just a few more seconds is all they needed. In the first league game of the season the Oak Harbor boys basketball team lost to Shorecrest 68-51 at Shorecrest.

In the rematch at OHHS Tuesday night, the Wildcats came back from 8 points down at the beginning of the 3rd quarter and outscored the Scots 21-16, but came just 3 points short as time expired, 63-60.

It was a great game and close through the entire first half. At the buzzer in both the first and second quarter, the score was tied. 12-12 in the first and 24-24 in the second. Shorecrest pulled ahead in the 3rd and held on for the win.

Mike Washington led the scoring with 28 points and Jojo Webster had 13. Dayne Herron and Kevawn Brooks scored 6 each, Matt Burgoyne 4, Elias Whitefoot 2 and Chris Hailer 1.

The JV team also improved starting the second half. In the first matchup with the Scots they lost by 37 points but cut that margin in the rematch to just 24 points, 52-28. Diamonte Ridley scored 16 for the 'cats, Gabe Groenig 4, Andre Cumberbatch, Matt Zafra and Casiano Atienza 2 each and Isaiah Rennes and Rhys Mattila 1 each.

It was a nail-biter in the dome. After falling behind 20-8 in the first quarter and 34-16 at the half, the Freshman team chipped away at the Shorecrest lead, closing the gap to just 2 points with 1:34 remaining, but that's as close as it would get as the 'Cats fell 43-49. Zach Jones scored 22 for Oak Harbor and James Clay was also in double figures with 10. Chris Humphries finished with 4, Gage Eccleston with 3 and Jacob Sturdevant and Ben Fikse with 2 each.

Photos from all 3 games are posted HERE. Also posted are varsity team and individual photos.

Video highlights from the varsity game, including a dunk by Mike Washington, are posted HERE.

Next up for the boys is a trip to Lynnwood on Tuesday the 17th then play at home on the 19th against Shorewood.

Changes to WESCO for 2012-2013 season

Oak Harbor travel should reduce a bit next year due to changes in the WESCO alignment caused by school size shifts.

Oak Harbor will remain a 3A school. Stanwood and Marysville-Pilchuck are moving down to 3A, Lynnwood to 4A, and Mt. Vernon will move to 4A and rejoin WESCO.

With the additonal 3A teams, WESCO will now be split into 4 divisions:

WESCO 3A North: Everett, Pilchuck, Getchell, Oak Harbor, Stanwood

WESCO 3A South: Glacier Peak, Meadowdale, Shorecrest, Shorewood, Mountlake Terrace

WESCO 4A North: Arlington, Lake Stevens, Monroe, Mt. Vernon, Snohomish

WESCO 4A South: Cascade, Edmonds-Woodway, Jackson, Kamiak, Lynnwood, Mariner.

GBB 2012-01-09 - Coupeville Edition

Monday night the Coupeville Wolves girls basketball team hosted the Sultan Turks. The Wolves' varsity squad came into the game with a 0-6 conference record and the Turks were at 1-4. On the JV side Coupeville was 0-5 and Sultan 4-5

The JV team, behind 4 points each by Bree Messner and Madi Strasburg jumped to a 12-6 first-quarter lead and held off a Turk comeback to lead 16-11 at the half. Dismal shooting in the 3rd doomed the Wolves as Sultan went on a 12-3 run to regain the lead 23-19 and held on to win 34-26. Messner led the team with 10 points, Strasburg and Amanda Fabrizi finished with 4 each, and Kacie Kiel, Camilla Rische, Katie Kiel and Monica Vidoni each scored 2.

In varsity action, Coupeville played well, leading 9-8 in the first and down only 4, 19-15 at the half after a last-second shot by Sultan went in. Coupeville went cold in the 3rd, scoring only 5 points while allowing 17, but started chipping away at the Sultan lead in the 4th. The Coupeville girls scored 21 4th quarter points, but fell 4 points short as Sultan won 45-41. Jai' Lysa Hoskins scored 12 for the Wolves, Cassidi Rosenkrance 9, Katie Smith and Haley Marx 6 each, Lauren Escalle 3, Taya Boonstra and Bessie Walstad 2 each and Haley Hammer 1.

JV game photos are posted HERE.

Varsity photos are posted HERE.

Wrestling 2012-01-07 - Edmond Tournament

The Oak Harbor varsity wrestling team went to Edmonds on Saturday and came out winners, earning 212.5 points, ahead of 2nd place Edmonds Woodway with 207.

Here are OH wrestlers who were in the top 8:

106 - Jeremy Vester - t-3rd
126 - Cody Fakkema - 1st
132 - Mark Johnston - 2nd
138 - Ryuta Meany - 4th
145 - Nate Stanford - 4th
145 - Sheyenne Sams - t-5th
152 - Josh Crebbin - 2nd
160 - David Payne - 6th
170 - Collin Higingbotham - 3rd
182 - Josh Orritt - 4th
195 - Jeremy Alonzo - 4th
220 - Hunter Vail - 1st
285 - Ray Quinday - 2nd
285 - Jackson Constant - 3rd

Youth basketball 2012-01-07

The S.W.I.S.H. league in Mt. Vernon started their winter season with seeding games at various locations in and around Mt. Vernon. This year, Oak Harbor is fielding a 5th grade team, two 6th grade teams, a 7th grade team and two 8th grade teams.

Three of the games were covered Saturday afternoon/evening.

The 7th grade team was first, playing the Celtics from Granite Falls at Skagit Valley College. The 'Cats played close for 3 quarters, but GFalls used the 4th quarter to put the game away 34-25.

Photos from the 7th grade game are HERE

Some video highlights are HERE.

Next was the 5th grade team playing at Mt. Baker Middle School vs UBA from Bellingham. The boys led 20-12 at halftime then poured it on in the second half to win 46-28.

5th grade game photos are HERE

5th grade video highlights are HERE.

In the final game of the day, the 8th grade Gold team played Meridian and things looked good early, as the Wildcats jumped to a 10-1 lead and led 13-6 at the first horn. Meridian's defense held Oak Harbor to just 2 points in the second half, which ended in a 15-15 tie, and late in the game some key free throws proved the difference as Meridian won 37-34.

Video highlights from the first half of the 8th grade game are HERE.

Photos from the 8th grade game are HERE.

Results from the two 6th grade games and the other 8th grade game were not immediately available.

The teams all start league play next Saturday. Check HERE at the Skagit Parks and Rec site for schedules.

BBB 2012-01-06 vs Marysville - Getchell

The Oak Harbor boys basketball teams recorded their first 3-game sweep of an opponent by beating Marysville-Getchell in varsity, JV and Freshman action Friday night at OHHS.

In Freshman action, the two teams played fairly evenly in the first half, which ended with Oak Harbor ahead 25-19, but the Wildcats opened up the game in the second half, outscoring the Chargers 28-17 on the way to a 53-36 victory. Zach Jones led the team with 18 points and Chris Humphries was also in double figures with 11 points. James Clay scored 8, Tre Bobo and Jonathon Bright 3 each, and Brad Nehring, Hunter Adams, Gage Eccleston, Jacob Sturdevant and Ben Fikse 2 points each.

The JV team sprinted to a 13-6 first quarter lead and increased it to 35-20 to begin the 4th period. While the JV boys scored 19 points, they allowed M-G to score 22, but held on for a 54-42 win. Free throws proved the difference, as the Wildcats sank 19 of 28 attempts from the line. Three players finished in double figures - Gabriel Groenig with 17, Anfernee Angkaw and Rhys Mattila getting 10 each. Diamonte Ridley finished with 9 points and Matt Zafra 8.

Oak Harbor and Getchell played tight ball in the varsity matchup. The first quarter ended 15-12 in favor of Oak Harbor and the Wildcats led 29-27 at halftime. Starting the 4th quarter, though, the Chargers held a 45-44 lead. No matter, as the Wildcat offense took off in the final period, pouring in 29 points to win 73-60. Mike Washington scored 24 points, including going 6-for-7 from the free throw line in the final quarter. Chris Hailer had a big game, scoring 12 points, many on acrobatic plays. Jojo Webster scored 11. Elias Whitefoot scored 8, Matt Burgoyne and Dayne Herron 6 each, Kevawn Brooks 4 and Paul Johannsen 2.

At the close of the first half of league play, the varsity team has a firm hold on 5th place with a 4-4 record. The JV and Freshman teams are both 2-6 and in 8th place.

The boys play at home Tuesday, Jan 10th against Shorecrest in their only game of the week.

Video Highlights are posted HERE.

Photos are HERE.

Special Coupeville Edition, BBB 2012-01-05 vs Granite Falls

Granite Falls traveled to Coupeville Thursday for varsity and JV matchups against the Wolves.

In the JV game, things were close in the first quarter, which ended in an 8-8 tie, but in the second, the Tigers took advantage of the short-handed Wolves and went on a 21-9 run to take a 29-17 lead into the locker room at the half and never looked back, winning 67-36.

Freshman Joel Walstad led the team with 12 points, Caleb Valko added 7 and Morgan Payned 6. Carl Caidic finished with 4 and Drew Chan and Joshua Wilsey 2 each.

The varsity team was also dominated by GF, who led 22-10 at the first break and won 70-28.

Freshman Taylor Ebersole and Sophomore Nick Streubel led the Wolves with 6 points each. Aaron Curtin and Gavin O'Keefe added 4 each and Drew Chan, Mitch Pelroy, Carson Risner and Caleb Valko had 2 each.

JV and Varsity photos are posted HERE.

GBB 2012-01-04 vs Glacier Peak

The Glacier Peak Grizzlies came to Oak Harbor Wednesday night undefeated in league play - for all three teams. Their Freshman/C team, JV team and Varsity teams were all 6-0 in league play. They all ended the night 7-0 at the expense of the Wildcats.

In the dome, Tierra White led the Wildcats with 5 points and Irene Gribble added 4. Kenna Prosch, Jessica Hollins and KC Winfield scored 2 each in the 53-15 loss.

For a while, it looked like the JV team might keep up with GP. Morgan Young scored 6 in the first quarter which ended 15-6, but the floodgates opened in the second when the Grizzlies scored 24 to take a commanding 39-8 halftime lead and won 58-14. Young's 6 points led the team. Liz Lym scored 4 and Brook Peplinski and Sierra Southwick 2 each.

It was all Glacier Peak from start to finish. Although DJ scored the first points of the game, GP dominated, winning 61-20. Jackson finished with 8 points, scoring in each quarter. Jalani Bobo and Annie Leete scored 3 each and Tatiana Cumming, Kelsey Rankin and Ciera Wiser had 2 each.

The first half of the season ends Friday when the girls travel to Marysville-Getchell to take on the Chargers. The Getchell varsity and JV squads are winless in league play while the "C" team won a single game.

Photos of C, JV and varsity teams are posted HERE.

Video highlights are HERE.

Wrestling 2012-01-03 vs Glacier Peak

The Oak Harbor Wildcat wrestling team hit the mat against Glacier Peak Tuesday night with much success.

Starting with JV, Ben Pralle, Keikai Tarrant, Alex Rutter, CJ Shavers each earned pins, with Pralle, Shavers and Rutter getting first-round pins.

Other JV winners were Sheyenne Sams, Brody Dedobbelaere and Chris Carter, who won a close 15-14 decision.

The varsity match started with Nate Stanford going up against #11 ranked Jacob Elledge. Nate wrestled hard but Elledge got the decision 12-4.

The next 3 bouts all went to Oak Harbor. Josh Crebbin won 14-5, David Payne by pin in 1:19 and Collin Higingbotham 10-8 in OT.

At 182 lbs, Josh Orritt faced #3 ranked Sean Elledge and was pinned in the first round.

Oak Harbor then reeled off 8 straight wins. Jeremy Alonzo won 11-7, Hunter Vail by pin, Ray Quinday 4-1, Tricia Desquitado by forfeit, Jeremy Vester by forfeit, Jahleel Vester by pin, Cody Fakkema 14-2 and Mark Johnston by pin.

In the final match of the day, Glacier Peak's Douglass, ranked 11th, pinned Ryuta Meany.

The final score was 53-16 in favor of the Wildcats.

Next for the wrestlers is a trip to King County where they will take on Shorecrest and Shorewood, the face Everett on Thursday, Jan 12th at home on Alumni Night. If you are a former Oak Harbor Wrestler, come to the meet and be recognized.

Video highlights are posted HERE.

Click HERE for photos.

Middle school boys basketball 2012-01-03 NWMS at OHMS

The first middle school boys basketball game of the year was North Whidbey visiting Oak Harbor.

The 7th grade game started slow, but Oak Harbor warmed up quickly and won 40-20.

In the 8th grade game it was closer, but OHMS dominated, winning 52-39.

7th grade video clips are posted HERE

8th grade videos are HERE

Click HERE for 7th grade photos

HERE are the 8th grade pics.

Included with the photos are various group pics of the OHMS 7th and 8th grade teams.

New wrestling rankings

Four Oak Harbor wrestlers are now ranked in the top 10 in the state.

At 120 lbs, Sophomore Jahleel Vester is #8
At 126 lbs, junior Cody Fakkema is #3
At 132 lbs and new to the rankings is freshman Mark Johnston at #9

Jennifer Fremd is currently ranked #5 for girls in all classes at 137 lbs.

See them all in action on Tuesday when the wrestling team hosts Glacier Peak. JV starts at 5:40, Varsity at 7pm.

GBB Santa Slam Tournament

On December 29th and 30th, the Oak Harbor girls basketball team hosted their annual Santa Slam tournament.

This year, two teams from east of the Cascades sent their varsity squads - Pullman and Lewiston, ID. The JV field was sparse, with only Anacortes sending a team. In the dome, it was OH, Lynnwood, Anacortes and South Whidbey with "C" teams.

Thursday started with 2 games at 2:20 in the afternoon. Anacortes defeated Lynnwood in the dome, while the Wildcat JV team played a tough game but lost to the Seahawks 36-31. In the JV game, Lia Pantoleon almost saved the game, sinking 3 straight shots from outside the arc in the final minutes of the game. She finished with 9 points. Melanie Callaway slashed inside for 8 points, Morgan Young hit for 4 and Kaileen Burleson, Brook Peplinski and Cassidy Gurich had 2 points each.

At 4pm the OH "C" squad took on South Whidbey in the dome. Oak Harbor started out poorly, scoring only 2 points in the first quarter while allowing 12 to the Falcons. The Wildcats spent the rest of the game catching up, but ran out of time 3 points short, 23-20. Jessica Hollins scored 5 to lead the team. KC Winfield and Kenna Prosch each scored 4, Carmen Riveiero-Moreno, Sierra Southwick and Angelica Brown scored 2 points each and Cassidy Gurich 1.

Also at 4pm, the OH varsity team took on the Pullman Greyhounds. The teams played a tight game in the first half, which ended with Pullman ahead 26-23, but outscored Oak Harbor 18-9 in the third to take the game 53-44. Lia Pantoleon again was a force from outside, scoring 11 points to lead the team. Morgan Young had 7, Kelsey Rankin 6, Tatiana Cumming and Annie Leete 5, Jalani Bobo 4 and Dominique Jackson, Kaileen Burleson and Rayan Russell 2 each. Oak Harbor's 44 points was their greatest offensive output of the season.

In the final game of the day, the Lewiston Bengals defeated the Bear Creek Grizzlies.

Friday started early with a 9am game between the OH and Anacortes JV teams. Oak Harbor spotted the Seahawks a 20-15 halftime lead, but with 2:18 left in the game, it was tied 31-31. A Kaileen Burleson score with 1:48 left put Oak Harbor up 33-32, but Anacortes regained the lead late. With 7 seconds left, the Wildcats couldn't get the shot to fall and lost 34-33.

At the same time, the OH "C" team was over in the dome beating up on Lynnwood. Oak Harbor allowed Lynnwood to score 6 points in the first half, all in the first quarter and 8 points in the second half, all in the 4th quarter. In the meantime the 'Cats scored 41 points of their own to win the game. KC Winfield scored a game-high 14 points while Jessica Hollins was also in double figures with 10. Kenna Prosch, Angelica Brown and Carmen Riveiero-Moreno each scored 4, Irene Gribble 3 and Sierra Southwick 2.

At 10:20, Anacortes defeated South Whidbey for the "C" team championship and Pullman beat Bear Creek.

Oak Harbor played Lewiston for the final game of the day, and it wasn't pretty for the Wildcats. It was 29-10 at halftime and 73-29 at the final buzzer. Annie Leete scored 18 points for Oak Harbor, Morgan Young 4, Rayan Russell 3 and Tatiana Cumming and Kelsey Rankin 2 each.

After a short break, the girls are back in action on Wednesday, January 4th, hosting Glacier Peak and travel to Getchell on Friday.

Video clips from Thursday's JV game are posted HERE.

Varsity vs Pullman video is HERE.

Varsity vs Lewiston videos are HERE.

OH vs Lynnwood "C" team photos are HERE.

JV photos from Dec 29th are HERE.

JV vs Anacortes photos from Dec 30th are posted HERE

OH varsity vs Pullman photos are HERE.

Click HERE for photos of the OH varsity vs Lewiston.

Below are the non-local team photos. In the OH varsity games, the Pullman and Lewiston photos were broken out and posted separately below.

Pullman vs Oak Harbor photos are posted HERE.

HERE are Lewiston photos from the game vs Oak Harbor.

Click HERE for Lewiston vs Bear Creek photos

Pullman vs Bear Creek photos are HERE.

GBB 2011-12-22 vs Mountlake Terrace

In a mostly empty gym Thursday evening, the Oak Harbor girls basketball team played against the Mountlake Terrace Hawks.

Both Wildcat teams were short of players due to a number of reasons. On the JV team, three girls were called up from the "C" squad to make an 8-girl team. The JV girls had little luck on offense and lost 48-12. Leading the JV team was Danielle Teasley with 6 points. Brook Peplinski, Irene Gribble and Natalie Fiallos scored 2 each.

The varsity squad was short 3 starters but at least had a full bench. Starting the game were Tatiana Cumming, Rayan Russell, Morgan Young, Kelsey Rankin and Annie Lette.

In the first quarter the 'Cats stayed with the Hawks, ending down just 2 points, 9-11. In the second quarter, however, Oak Harbor could only muster 5 points, all on free throws and fell behind 31-14. The Oak Harbor defense stepped up after a halftime chat with the coach, holding the Hawks to just 5 points, but the offense again put up only 5 of their own. Both teams scored 12 in the final period as MLT won 48-31. Leading the Wildcats were Kelsey Ranking and Annie Leete, each with 10 points. Rayan Russell put up 7 points and Natalie Fiallos and Morgan Young had 2 points each.

The Wildcats host their annual Santa Slam tournament on the 29th and 30th of December. Pullman, Lewiston, ID and Bear Creek HS from Redmond are sending varsity teams. Anacortes is the only JV team attending this year, and in the dome, it will be OH Anacortes, South Whidbey and Lynnwood with "C" teams.

Anacortes and Lynnwood play at 2:20 in the dome while the OH and Anacortes JV squads go at it at the same time in the main gym. The OH varsity plays at 4pm in the main gym against Pullman.

On the 30th, the OH and Anacortes JV teams play again, starting at 9am and at the same time the two losers of the "C" games play each other. The two "C" winners play at 10:20am.

The OH varsity team plays at noon on December 30th in the final game of the tournament against Lewiston.

Video highlights are HERE.

Photos are posted HERE.

Wrestling 2011-12-21 at Anacortes Duals

Wednesday afternoon the Wildcat wrestling team headed up SR 20 to Anacortes HS for a series of dual meets. In addition to Oak Harbor and host Anacortes, there were Mt. Vernon, Clover Park, Archbishop Murphy, Sehome, Shorewood and a catch-all team called the All-Stars.

Oak Harbor started the day against Mt. Vernon and performed well. Freshman Jeremy Vester started the day going against fellow freshman and 7th ranked Anthony Cook. Jeremy worked hard but lost 15-4. Next was Jeremy's brother Jahleel, currently ranked 4th in the state in 3A and he earned a pin in 3:47. Mark Johnston won a close 6-4 bout and Ryuta Meany was pinned by #7 Pavel Okara.

Josh Crebbin, at 152 lbs, beat his opponent 11-2, then David Payne went up against #2 ranked Jordan Watts and was pinned. Collin Higingbotham won 8-5, Jeremy Alonzo 6-4, Hunter Vail 9-4 and Jackson Constant by pin in 3:48 and won the dual 34-25

In the second dual, the Wildcats face host Anacortes and cleaned up 69-6, winning every bout except for one. Only one of the OH wins was not by pin, that a close 4-3 decision to Jeremy Alonzo.

Oak Harbor beat Sehome 63-15 behind pins by Cody Fakkema, Mark Joynston, Nate Stanford, Josh Crebbin, David Payne, Josh Orritt, Hunter Vail and Jackson Constant.

OH also dualed against the All-Stars and won 77-0. Jeremy Vester won the opening bout 17-1, then there were 12 straight pins by the Wildcats.

The wrestlers host the first sporting event of the new year when Glacier Peak comes to town on January 3rd.

131 photos of JV and varsity wrestlers are posted HERE.

6 video clips are posted HERE.

Special Coupeville Edition, BBB 2011-12-21 vs Bellevue Christian

Playing their second game in a row with a depleted squad, the Coupeville boys hosted the Bellevue Christian Vikings Wednesday night in front of a spirited and loud, but disappointingly small crowd.

Depleted in this case meant playing iron ball in the JV game, and in the varsity game there was only 1 sub available.

While the scores were lopsided, there were a lot of positives from both games. Both teams played tough defense, using their speed to slow down the Vikings' inside attack. The JV team had a hard time getting through the BC size, falling behind 18-0 early. The Coupeville defense tightened in the second, allowing only 7 points while the offense scored 7. The 3rd was the big quarter for Coupeville, as the Wolves scored 13 points, but it was still BC 44-20. BC played loose in the final period, scoring only 3 points, but they won the game 47-26.

Joel Walstad and Caleb Valko each scored 10 for the Wolf JV team while Aaron Trumbull scored 6.

In varsity action, the Wolves played tough early, but scored only 5 points in the second and fell behind 35-13 at the half. BC threw up 19 points in the 3rd and never looked back, taking the game 69-25. Coupeville did a good job spreading the scoring around. Nick Streubel and Taylor Ebersole each scored 8 points, Drew Chan and Gavin O'Keefe finished with 3 each, Carson Risner had 2 and Aaron Curtin 1.

98 photos of the varsity and JV games, as well as some halftime fun, are posted HERE.

BBB 2011-12-20 vs Meadowdale

Oak Harbor hosted the Meadowdale Mavericks in the last home game of 2011.

Starting in the dome, the 1-3 freshman team faced a 3-1 and talented Meadowdale squad. The Mav jumped to a big 17-4 lead early, then cruised on to a 71-32 win. Leading the Wildcats was Zach Jones with 14 points. James Clay netted 5, Jacob Sturdevant 4, Gage Eccleston 3 and Tre Bobo and Carter Wride a pair each.

The Meadowdale JV squad came into the game undefeated in league play while Oak Harbor was 1-3. It didn't look like it as the Wildcats, behind 12 points by Diamonte Ridley, jumped to an 18-9 first-quarter lead. Oak Harbor still held the lead 26-22 at halftime, but in the 3rd, Meadowdale closed the gap and then took a 36-34 lead with 2:15 left in the period which ended with a 43-36 Maverick lead. The two teams played even, scoring 12 each in the 4th period, leaving the Mavs with a 55-48 victory. Ridley ended the game with 16 points, Anfernee Angkaw hit for 8, Zach Gibbs and Gabe Groenig 7 each, Rhys Mattila 4 and Matt Zafra and Isaiah Rennes scored 3 each.

Oak Harbor's varsity was 2-2 in league play and Meadowdale 3-1 when the varsity game started. Oak Harbor led throughout the first quarter, ended 14-10 in favor of the Wildcats, but Meadowdale came back to tie the game 16-16 at the 5:00 mark in the 2nd, but with 5 seconds left in the half, OH led 24-19, but a quick Meadowdale score made it 24-22 at halftime.

The third period was tight, but Oak Harbor maintained the lead, even though it was only one point with 33 seconds left, 36-35. Still, the Wildcats led 38-35 with one quarter to go. Again, the Wildcats held on to their slim lead until late in the game. With 31 seconds to go and Oak Harbor up 49-46, the Mavericks were forced into foul mode to stop the clock, but it didn't help much as the the person they usually fouled was Mike Washington who sank 3 late free throws to give OH a 52-46 win. Washington finished with 19 points, Matt Burgoyne quietly built his total to 11 and Drew Washington hit for 10. Also scoring were Jojo Webster with 6, Chris Hailer with 4 and Dayne Herron with 2.

Next for the Wildcat varsity team is a 3-day varsity tournament in Bellevue at the end of the month. They return to league action on January 3rd, traveling to Glacier Peak. The next home game for the boys basketball team is Friday, January 6, 2012 vs Marysville Getchell.

Photos from the Freshman, JV and Varsity games are posted HERE.

Video highlights from JV and Varsity action are posted HERE.

Youth wrestling 2011-12-17 at Arlington

Saturday morning 15 young wrestlers left Oak Harbor before 6am and traveled to Arlington for the Arlington Folkstyle Classic tournament.

While there were lots of tears shed, both in happiness and frustration, all the young wrestlers did their best.

If the 15 Whidbey Wildcat Wrestlers entered, 10 placed in the top 3 in their bracket and 4 were tournament champion.

Over 100 photos taken of Wildcat wrestlers are posted HERE.

Next for the Wildcats is a trip to Burlington-Edison High School on December 31s. Wrestling starts at 10am and ends between 2 and 5pm, depending on the number of wrestlers, and is free to come watch.

BBB 2011-12-16 vs Everett

The Everett Seagulls came to town Friday evening for a set of 3 games against the Wildcats. The Seagulls varsity and JV squads came into the game winless in WESCO 3A, and the freshman team had only one league victory.

The Oak Harbor freshman team took an early lead and never let up, earning a convincing first league win, 61-45. Zach Jones led the scoring with 19 points and James Clay was also in double figures with 11. Gagle Eccleston scored 9, Chris Humphries 8, Jacob Sturdevant 6, Ben Fikse 5, and Tre Bobo, Brad Nehring and Jonathon Bright 1 each.

The JV game was tight until late in the game. The game was tied at 23 at halftime and Everett held a slip 40-38 lead to start the 4th, but Everett's David Popach dropping 10 points during the final period to lead the Seagulls to a 57-50 win. Dayne Herron scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half, Zach Gibbs added 7, Matt Zafra, Andre Grey and Gabriel Groenig 6 points each, Anfernee Angkaw 5 and Eli Weidrich and Isaiah Rennes 2 each.

In the varsity game, Oak Harbor led 14-8 at the end of the first and 28-22 at halftime, building to a 45-38 lead starting the fourth quarter. Then the Wildcat shooting got cold, scoring only 6 points. Everett poured in 13 points, with the last minute or so going 1 point in either direction until time ran out in the 4th quarter with the scoreboard reading 51-51.

In the first four-minute overtime period each team could only put up 4 points, but in the second OT, Mike Washington scored 10 of the Wildcats' 11 points and when the dust settled the final was Oak Harbor 66, Everett 62.

Princeton University prospect Mike Washington scored 41 points, and moved into 2nd place in the scoring record book, surpassing Ron Durant, Brannon Stone and himself. Durant scored 40 in 1977, Stone in 1998 and Washington in early 2011. Still on top is Pat McGreevey, who scored 49 points in 1953.

In addition to Mike's 41 points, brother Drew Washington hit for 9 points, Matt Burgoyne for 8, JoJo Webster 4, Kevawn Brooks 3 and Elias Whitefoot 1.

Freshman, JV and Varsity photos are posted HERE. Included are group and individual photos of the Freshman team.

Video clips from all three games are posted HERE.

Middle school boys basketball 2011-12-15 NWMS vs Anacortes

The 7th and 8th grade boys teams from North Whidbey Middle School hosted the Anacortes Seahawks Thursday afternoon.

In the 7th grade game, Anacortes came out hot and built a 12-2 first-quarter lead. The Cougars couldn't get through the tough Anacortes defense and was down 23-5 at halftime. In the 3rd, NWMS played nearly even with the Seahawks, scoring 8 points, but still trailed 33-13. In the end it was Anacortes 43, NW 15. Brycin scored 6 to lead the Cougars, Hartley had 4, Matt and Casey 2 each and Brock 1.

41 photos of the game, and some group photos taken before the game, are posted HERE.

The 8th grade game was much closer, especially early. At the end of the first quarter Anacortes led 10-8, but the Seahawks opened a big lead at halftime, outscoring the Cougs 19-11 in the 2nd. While the Cougar defense held Anacortes to only 7 points in the 3rd period, the boys scored only 5 of their own, and trailed 36-28 at the end of three. The final period was tough, as Anacortes played keep-away with the ball, limiting Cougar scoring opportunities. The final in the 8th grade game was Anacortes 54, North Whidbey 33.

49 photos of the 8th grade team are posted HERE.

Video highlights from both games are posted HERE.

Wrestling 2011-12-15 vs Lynnwood

Thursday the Wildcat wrestling team hosted their first home meet of the year against the Lynnwood Royal. The Royals, although without a lot of depth, came into the meet with 3 wrestlers ranked in the top 10 in 3A. The Wildcats had two, Jahleel Vester and Cody Fakkema.

There were 15 JV matches total, four of them exhibition matches featuring two Wildcats wrestling each other. Of the 11 matches against the Royals, Oak Harbor won 7, all by pin. Kekai Tarrant needed only 21 seconds to pin his opponent, and Kylene Ayers stuck her man 36 seconds into the final period. Other OH winners were Gage Perner, Josh Schrum, Alex Rutter, Nathan Pacheco and Ben Pralle. Exhibition winners were Sheyenne Sams and his sister Zaiha, Wiatt Charlesworth and CJ Shavers.

The varsity meet started with the 106 lb weight class, which Oak Harbor forfeited.

In the first match wrestled, freshman Jeremy Vester pinned Hayes in just 49 seconds.

At 120 lbs, 4th ranked sophomore Jahleel Vester took on 5th ranked senior Alex Basabe. While Jahleel scored points, Basabe stayed in control and won the match 11-4.

126 pounds also featured two ranked wrestlers. Cody Fakkema at 6th and Matt Calkins at 7th. Cody had to work, but with just 6 seconds left in the 2nd round, he got Calkins on his back for the pin, putting the OH team up 12-9.

Following that, 8th ranked Zach Calkins took on freshman Mark Johnston at 132 lbs. This was an exciting bout between two good wrestlers, Johnston grabbed and early 5-2 lead and held on to win 7-4.

At 138 lbs Ryuta Meany had little trouble with Latimere, sticking him near the end of the 2nd round. He was leading 11-1 at the time.

Nate Stanford wrestled at 145 lbs and needed just over a minute to pin Jaworski. Oak Harbor now had a commanding 27-9 lead.

Josh Crebbin wrestled Lord at 152 lbs and had some trouble. Lord won every period and ended the match with a tech fall, 20-5.

David Payne quickly got the 'Cats back on the winning track, pinning Medoza-Perez in the first round at 160 lbs.

At 170, Collin Higingbotham racked up the points, beating Anstice 15-3.

In the final match wrestled, Josh Orritt needed 1:09 to pin Due.

Lynnwood forfeited at 195 (Alonzo), 220 (Vail) and 285 (Quinday).

Oak Harbor won the meet 61-14.

The varsity team travels to Squalicum for the Graham Morin tournament on Saturday while the JV team heads to Everett. Both teams will be in Anacortes on Wednesday the 21st, then at home on January 3rd, hosting Glacier Peak.

Photos of JV and varsity action are posted HERE.

Video highlights of Rutter, Pacheco, Pralle, Johnston, Meany and Higingbotham are posted HERE.

GBB 2011-12-14 vs Shorewood

Wednesday evening the Wildcats hosted the Shorewood Thunderbirds.

The "C" team game was bordering on dull. At the end of the first quarter the score was 5-2 in favor of the T-birds and 5-5 at halftime. Shorewood scored a 3-pointer early and followed it up with a field goal, then the Wildcats had a pair of field goals by Kaitlyn Haley and Kenna Prosch and a free throw by KC Winfield.

Things were more lively in the second half, with OH scoring 12 points (6 by Tierra White) in the 3rd period and Shorewood scoring 9, leaving OH on top 17-14. The Wildcats added another 9 points in the final period to win the game 26-20. White led the scoring with 8 points, Haley, Prosch and Irene Gribble scored 4 each, Winfield finished with 3, Jessica Hollins 2 and Carme Riveiro-Moreno 1.

In the main gym, the JV squads played neck-and neck for most of the 32 minutes of the game. Oak Harbor was down 8-7 at the end of the first and led 15-14 at halftime. The Wildcats then built a 21-18 lead to start the final quarter. Late in the game the score was tied 27-27, then Shorewood scored a bucket and the Wildcats didn't have enough time left to score one of their own and fell 29-27.

At the end of the first quarter of the varsity game, the Thunderbirds led by just one point, 12-11, and the Wildcats had led as recently at 2:50 with a Kelsey Rankin score. At halftime the lead had grown to 30-23, a concern to the Wildcat coaches, but manageable.

In the third period, however, Shorewood opened the floodgates, scoring 22 points to Oak Harbor's 4 and making their lead 52-27. With the big lead, Shorewood could slow things down for the 4th period, and although the Thunderbirds scored only 8 points, the Wildcats scored only 9, falling 60-36. Again, Annie Leete led the Wildcat scoring with 11 points. Rankin scored 9, Ciera Wiser 6, Marissa Lewis 4, and Tatiana Cumming, Kaileen Burleson and Rayan Russell had 2 each.

Next for the Wildcat women is a trip to "The Pit" at Everett High School on Friday. The Pit is always a tough place to play, as their fans are loud and spirited, and a bit personal at times.

Video highlights from the C, JV and Varsity teams are posted HERE.

98 photos covering all 3 teams are posted HERE.

BBB 2011-12-13 vs Lynnwood

The Lynnwood Royals came to town Tuesday night for a trio of games.

In the dome, the freshman team played a tight game throughout, with neither team able to take control of the game. OH led 8-6 at the end of the first quarter but trailed 23-22 at the half. They still trailed by 1, 37-36 at the end of the third, and with time running out in the game, a well-shot ball at the buzzer missed, leaving Lynnwood on top 54-51.

Zach Jones led the Wildcats with 20 points and Ben Fikse was also in double figures with 10 points. Chris Humphries and Jacob Sturdevant each scored 8, Gage Eccleston 3 and James Clay and Jonathon Bright 2 each.

The JV team stayed in range through most of the first half, trailing 12-6 at the end of the first and 25-18 at the half, but closed to within 3, 15-12 with 5:20 left in the half. The second half belonged to Lynnwood at the Royals outscored the Wildcats 13-8 in the 3rd and 18-11 in the 4th to win 56-37. Chris Hailer scored 12 to lead the team, including a nice dunk after a steal to start the 2nd period. Zach Gibbs scored 8, Matt Zafra and Gabriel Groenig each scored 6 and Dayne Herron had 5.

In the varsity game, Washington led the way, but this time it wasn't Mike Washington, but his brother Drew, who drained eight 3-pointers during the game.

Lynnwood scored first in the varsity game, but Drew Washington put the Wildcats up 3-2 with the first of his 3-balls. Kevawn Brooks grabbed a rebound out of a Royals player's hand and scored to make it 7-2. Lynnwood fought back and at the end of the first quarter OH led 17-11. Lynnwood closed to within 1 point, 17-16 with 5:33 left in the half, but a pair of threes by Drew put the Wildcats back up. Later, with 3:27 left, Lynnwood tied the game 20-20, but the Wildcats went on an 8-0 run to end the half with a 28-20 lead. The final OH score of the half came at the buzzer, when JoJo Webster stole the Lynnwood inbounds pass and with a spin jump, shot and got the score with nothing but net.

Lynnwood again closed the gap, with the score 31-28 at one point in the 3rd, then OH scored 10 straight to make it 41-28 to start the final period. Lynnwood outscored the Wildcats 13-10 in the 4th, but it wasn't enough as Oak Harbor won their first league game of the year 51-41.

Drew Washington ended the game with 24 points, all from beyond the arc. Brother Mike Washington scored 11, Kevawn Brooks 9, Cameron Faulkner 4, JoJo Webster 2 and Matt Burgoyne 1.

120 photos covering all 3 games are posted HERE.

Video highlights are posted HERE.

Boys Swim 2011-12-12 vs Everett

The Oak Harbor boys swim team demolished the Everett Seagulls Monday night at John Vanderzicht Memorial Pool 136-45.

Of the 12 events, Oak Harbor won all but the 100m backstroke. Below are the Wildcat winners with their times.

200 medley relay--Oak Harbor (Jacob Jepsen, David Kusnick, Caley Powers, Kevin Levy) 2:06.68
200 freestyle--Toren Wood (OH) 2:28.21
200 individual medley--Jacob Jepsen (OH) 2:17.35
50 freestyle--Josh Jepsen (OH) 25.67
Diving--John Kaltenbach (OH) 122.85
100 butterfly--Jacob Jepsen (OH) 1:02.96
100 freestyle--David Kusnick (OH) 1:08.47
400 freestyle--Jeron Kosbar (OH) 5:12.82
200 freestyle relay--Oak Harbor (Kevin Levy, Caley Powers, Josh Jepsen, John Kaltenbach)
1:51.91
100 breaststroke--Dakota Powers (OH) 1:28.65
400 freestyle relay--Oak Harbor (Jeron Kosbar, John Kaltenbach, Jacob Jepsen, Toren Wood) 4:13.06

Some photos of the early races and diving are posted HERE.

Wrestling 2011-12-10 @ Snohomish

Saturday was a large tournament at Snohomish High School with over 30 Oak Harbor wrestlers attending. Unlike most tournaments that have distinct weight classes, this tournament arranged the wrestlers into 8-man/woman brackets with all 8 wrestlers in that bracket 'around' the same weight. This tournament is designed to get as much mat time as possible. Most tournaments are double-elimination with a guarantee of only two matches. The Snohomish tournament guarantees 3 matches.

Out of a total of 37 brackets, Wildcat wrestlers won 10, placed 2nd in two and 3rd in two.

Brackets winners were: Ben Pralle (H), Mark Johnston (I) (all pins), Nathaniel Stanfored (R), Sheyenne Sams (S), Keikai Tarrant (V), Josh Crebbin (W) (one pin and two tech falls), Jen Fremd (Y) (all pins), Josh Orritt (CC), Jeremy Alonzo (GG) and Ray Quinday (II) (all pins).

In second place were Jackson Constant (lost to Quinday in II bracket championship) and Kylene Ayer.

CJ Shavers was third in the X bracket and Cayden Cosper in U.

Also in the tournament were Black Pein-Neal, Alexia Mobley, Desiree Dillaman, Zaiha Sams, Ainsley McLoud, Noel Cheeseboro, Kody Cosper, Alex Rutter, Aimee Oliver, Olivia Hunt, Chris Carter, Ben Dugin, Kenny King, Nate Pacheco, Carl Meders, Austin Wotring, Tyler Adamson, Jacob Dugin and Austin Hwang.

If you name is spelled incorrectly, send an email to oakharborsportsreport@comcast.net so it can get fixed.

The wrestlers are at home Thursday to take on Lynnwood. JV starts at 5:45, varsity at 7pm.

Video highlights are HERE.

Photos are posted HERE.

Special Coupeville Edition - Girls basketball vs Archbishop Murphy

It was ladies only night for basketball at Coupeville High School Friday night as they hosted the Archbishop Murphy Wildcats.

The JV game was full of ups and downs. An early down was a lack of scoring by the Wolves in the first quarter. When the horn sounded, Coupeville was down 12-0. A great up followed as Breeanna Messner scored 7 of her 9 points and Madeline Strasburg added 6 as the Wolves tied the game 16-16 with 3 seconds left in the half. It was back to a down after the half, as Murphy went on a 16-2 run to lead 32-18, then went on to win 41-24. Messner led the team with her 9 points and Strasburg was right behind with 8. Kacie Kiel scored 4, Amanda Fabrizi 2 and Wynter Thorne 1.

There was no score in the varsity game for the first 3 minutes when the Wildcats hit a 3-pointer. Coupeville got on the board later with a field goal by Shelby Kulz, who was fouled on the play. She hit her free throw to complete the 3-point play, but that was it for Coupeville scoring in the first period, as Murphy led 11-3. The Wildcats then scored 18 points to Coupeville's 5 in the second to lead 29-8 at the half. Murphy unloaded on the Wolves in the final period, scoring 21 points while holding Coupeville to 9 points. The final in that game was 60-21. Katie Smith led the Coupeville scoring with 7 points. Kulz and Bessie Walstad each had 4 points and Cassidi Rosenkrance, Grace LaPoint and Jai' Lysa Hoskins scored 2 points each.

Over 100 photos from the two games, including some fun group photos of the varsity team taken during halftime of the JV game, are posted HERE.

Wrestling 2011-12-08 at Marysville-Pilchuck

Thursday night the wrestling team traveled to Marysville for a dual meet against the Tomahawks.

In JV action, Ryuta Meany, CJ Shavers, Jackson Constant, Chris Carter and Tyler Adamson all won by pin, and Noel Cheeseboro won 12-8.

For the varsity, winners were Nathaniel Stanford, Josh Orritt, Hunter Vail, Jeremy and Jahleel Vester and Cody Fakkema. All the wins were by pinfall.

Unfortunately, the Wildcats had to forfeit at 106 pounds, giving 6 team points to the Tommies, and the Wildcats fell in team scoring 36-40.

Next up is a JV tournament this Saturday at Snohomish HS, and next weekend the JV team goes to Everett and the varsity to the Graham Morin tournament at Squalicum HS in Bellingham.

The wrestling team won't be at home until December 15th, in a dual meet against Lynnwood, then are close to home on December 21st in a dual at Anacortes.

JV and varsity photos, along with some pre-season group pictures, are posted HERE.

Video highlights are HERE.

GBB 2011-12-07 vs Shorecrest

There was no C/Freshman game Wednesday night at OHHS as the visiting Shorecrest Scots did not have a team. As a result, freshman Brook Peplinski was pulled up to fill the spot of an ill JV player.

Shorecrest is a strong, experienced team and the Wildcats just didn't have an answer for the Scots' full-court press. The JV team was down 15-3 at the end of the first quarter, and even though they outscored the Scots in the 2nd quarter, it wasn't enough as the JV girls fell 37-20. The scorebook shows Liz Lym leading the team with 5 points. Peplinski and Melanie Callaway had 4 each, Cassidy Gurich and KC Winfield had 3 each and Danielle Teasley scored 1. In reviewing the video, a field goal credited to Cassidy was actually made by Jamie Estrella.

In the varsity game, the Wildcats also faced a tough press and were down 20-3 at the end of the first quarter and 56-23 at the end of the game. Lia Pantoleon came off the bench to lead the Wildcats in scoring with 8 points. DJ Jackson scored 4, Marissa Lewis and Morgan Young 3 each, Kelsey Rankin and Annie Leete 2 each and Rayan Russell 1.

Next for the girls is a trip to Lynnwood on Monday and then at home vs Shorewood on Wednesday, Dec 14th.

Photos are posted HERE.

Video clips are HERE.

Middle School Volleyball - 12-6-2011 NWMS vs Anacortes

The middle school volleyball season is a little more than half over, and if you haven't been to watch any of the matches, you've missed some free entertainment. While their skills are still developing, the girls' enthusiasm is fully developed. The work hard and play hard and it shows.

Tuesday afternoon the Anacortes Seahawks came to the North Whidbey Middle School gym for 7th and 8th grade matches.

The NWMS Cougars won their first game 25-20, but stumbled a bit in the second, falling 23-25. The third game had to end in a 16-16 tie as the allotted time ran out, and the match ended in a tie with one win, one loss and the tie for each team.

79 photos, including team photos taken before the match, are posted HERE.

Click HERE for 7th grade video highlights.


It was total domination by NWMS in the first game of the 8th grade match. At one point the Cougars had game point, 24-6, but a few late Seahawks serves got by and the match ended in a 25-10 score. The Cougars were especially dangerous from the service line, with the first two servers being forced to rotate after getting 5 serves in a row into play.

In the second game, the girls lost some of their confidence, and it showed in their defense as Anacortes pulled out a 25-15 win. The Cougars recovered somewhat in the final game but lost 25-19.

HERE are 8th grade video highlights.

97 photos of the 8th grade match, also including group and buddy photos, are posted HERE.

Special Coupeville Edition - Girls and Boys basketball

Last Friday, Coupeville hosted Meridian for both boys and girls basketball, and it wasn't a good night for the wolves.

The JV girls fell behind early and just could not get any offensive rhythm going. The final in that game was 45-15 for Meridian. Camilla Riche led the Wolves with 6 points. Hailey Hammer scored 4, Amanda Fabrizi 3 and Breeanna Messner 2.

At the same time, the varsity boys were playing in the main gym. The first quarter wasn't bad, but the Wolves did find themselves down 14-5, but Meridian turned on the jets and scored 26 points in the 2nd period to post a 40-16 lead at the half, then moved on to a 75-33 win. Kole Kellison led the team with 12 points. Gavin O'Keefe scored 6 as did Taylor Ebersole. Aaron Curtin finished with 4 points, Drew Caan with 3 and Carson Risner with 2.

In the second set of games, the JV boys also had their offensive problems. The final score wasn't available, but in the words of one spectator, the score was 'not enough to to many".

The girls varsity game started well. Cassidi Rosenkrance scored 5 and the Wolves trailed 8-7 at the end of the first quarter. Although Coupeville didn't score any field goals in the period, Katie Smith was 6-6 from the line and 3 other Wolves sank free throws. While Meridian still led, it was by a controllable 22-16 score at halftime.

Then came the second half. The Meridian defense was tough, holding Coupeville to just 5 points, and the pressure continued in the final period, leaving Meridian with a 48-25 victory.

Katie Smith, scoring a single field goal, led the Wolves in scoring with 11 points, thanks to her 9 of 10 performance at the free throw line. Rosenkrance finished with 8. Taya Boonstra and Jai' Lysa Hoskins scored 2 each and Shelby Kulz and Lauren Escalle 1 each.

A total of 111 photos of the girls JV and Varsity teams are posted HERE.

65 photos from the two boys' games are posted HERE.

Coupeville has home games again this coming Friday, hosting the Archbishop Murphy Wildcats.

GBB 2011-12-05 vs Squalicum

All three girls teams broke into the win column Monday night against the Squalicum storm, but it wasn't easy.

The freshman teams played close in the first quarter, with OH behind 12-10 then took a 18-16 lead into the locker room at halftime. In the 3rd period, the defense played tough, shutting out the Storm while the offense scored 6, putting OH up 24-16. Defense was still the name of the OH game in the final quarter, but the offense wasn't quiet either. Oh scored 10 points while allowing only 4 to win going away, 34-20. Brook Peplinski and Angelica Brown tied for scoring honors with 10 points each. Kenna Prosch and Irene Gribble scored 5 each, Tierra White 3 and Jessica Hollins 1.

The JV game was also close early, with OH leading 7-6 at the first break. Slowly but surely our girls increased their lead and in the end won 26-17. Liz Lym led the team's scoring with 9 points, Natalie Fiallos added 5, Melanie Callaway 4, Jamie Estrella, Danielle Teasley and Cassidy Gurich 2 each and KC Winfield and Hayley Lundstrom 1 each.

For the varsity, most of the game was a struggle. Squalicum scored first on a 3-pointer, and led 8-2 halfway through the first period. with 3:29 left, Dominique Jackson, with the shot clock running down, launched the ball from outside the arc and swished it to make it 8-5, but Squalicum scored a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute and led 14-6. Early in the second quarter, OH found themselves down 21-6, but cut the gap to 10 points at halftime, 27-17.

The second half much better for the Wildcats. Halfway through the 3rd period they cut the lead to just 4 points, but the Storm was able to regain some and led 33-27 at the start of the 4th. Two points by Jackson made it a 1-point game, 34-35, then Ciera Wiser scored with 5:05 to give Oak Harbor their first lead of the game. With one minute left, Wiser scored again to regain the lead 40-38, but a Squalicum 3-pointer made it 40-41 for the Storm. With 5 seconds left, Coach Clayville called a timeout and drew up a play. The Wildcats inbounded the ball to sharp shooting Annie Leete to launched from behind the line. Her shot bounced off the rim, but Kelsey Rankin was right there, grabbed the rebound and put it up for a score with 2 seconds left. Squalicum wasn't able to score after than and OH won 42-41.

Leete led the OH scoring with 12 points, Dominique Jackson had 9, Ciera Wiser 8, Marissa Lewis 4, Rayan Russell and Rankin 3, Jalani Bobo 2 and Morgan Young 1.

The girls open league play tonight, Wednesday, at OHHS vs Shorecrest.

Video clips, including Kelsey Rankin's last-second putback and DJ Jackson's 3-pointer, are HERE.

Photos of the Freshmen, JV and Varsity squads are posted HERE.

GBB 2011-12-01 vs Arlington

All three girls basketball teams kicked off their 2011-2012 season last night vs the Arlington Eagles at OHHS.

This year there is no freshman team, but a "C" team, as not enough freshmen tried out to make a full team, so 3 sophomores were retained to complete the team. In that game the 'Cats were down by one at the end of the first quarter, 7-8, but came back to take a 2-point lead, 16-14 at halftime. The girls stumbled in the 3rd, scoring just 2 points which allowed Arlington to win 31-26. Irene Gribble led the OH scoring with 9 points, Brook Peplinski and Kenna Prosch both scored 6, Angelica Brown and Carmen Riveiro-Moreno had 2 each and Jessica Hollins had 1.

Things did not go well at all for the JV squad. Down 10-2 at the first buzzer, they were down 16-6 at halftime. They still could not find any answer for the Arlington defense in the second half, and lost the game 17-42. Jamie Estrella scored 5 for the Wildcats, Liz Lym 4, Natalie Fiallos 3, Cassidy Gurich 2 and Danielle Teasley 1.

The same tough Arlington defense also foiled any plans of a Wildcat win in the varsity game, as the Eagles held the Wildcats to just 2 points in the first and third quarters. The final in that game was 51-15 in favor of Arlington. Annie Leete scored 7, Dominique Jackson, Lia Pantoleon and Ciera Wiser 2 each and Tatiana Cummings 1.

The Wildcat girls play again on Monday against Squalicum HS in Bellingham then open league play Wednesday, December 7th against Shorecrest at home.

JV and varsity video clips are HERE.

117 photos of Freshman, JV and Varsity action are posted HERE.

BBB 2011-11-30 vs Anacortes

Tuesday night the Anacortes Seahawks came to town, but it was just the JV and Freshman teams. Both varsity teams were going to play in tournaments over the holidays which left a date open for the sub-varsity teams.

In the Freshman game, Zach Jones scored 13 and Gage Eccleston added 7, but they could not overcome a very good Seahawk team. Anacortes won 52-28. Also scoring for the Wildcats were Jacob Sturdevant with 4 and Jonathon Bright and Ben Fikse with 2 each.

The JV team took almost 3 minutes to get their first score, a Gabriel Groenig 3-pointer, the Diamonte Ridley hit one of his own as Oak Harbor grabbed an 8-0 lead and a tough defense didn't allow Anacortes to score until the 1:57 mark in the first quarter. Things were a bit more even in the second, and Anacortes crawled to within 3 points, 17-14, but Anfernee Angkaw was fouled going to the hoop with just 0:00.2 seconds remaining in the half and sank both free throws to give OH a 19-14 halftime lead.

Anacortes won the 3rd period, and took a 31-27 lead going into the 4th, but Chris Hailer drove in to regain the lead for OH 34-33, and with 1:07 left in the game the Wildcats were holding on to a 47-44 lead, but then the Seahawks were forced to foul in order to stop the clock and Oak Harbor banged down the free throws. In the end it was Oak Harbor 53, Anacortes 44.


Video clips are posted HERE.

Photos are posted HERE.