West Seattle, Washington
16 Tuesday
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
An exciting season for the West Seattle High School boys’ basketball team ended tonight with a district-tournament loss to Bellevue HS at Bellevue College, 54-34. The low point total was the result of cold shooting as much as anything; though they played largely tight defense, Bellevue kept managing to find a hole in it, often with someone then sinking a 3-pointer from a corner unchallenged. The cheering section that had traveled across the lake didn’t have much to cheer after the first quarter.
The Wildcats led the Wolverines 11-9 going into the second quarter. First to score in the game was freshman #24 Chase Clifton, who led all WSHS scoring with 12 points.
Next was senior #13 Vlad Salaridze … and those were the only two Wildcats in double digits. Third in WSHS scoring was sophomore #1 Isaiah Watts, with four points.
One other complication – the refs were not shy about calling fouls, and Bellevue wound up with many foul shots. One West Seattle player, senior #15 Xavier Giomi, eveb fouled out, with three minutes left in the third quarter. Overall, it just wasn’t West Seattle’s night – with a 23-14 deficit at the half, and 39-27 after the third.
(Seniors #3 Sage Nelson and #2 Abdi Jama)
The Wildcats never gave up, but by the fourth quarter, Bellevue could afford to just keep running down the shot clock, and time finally ran out. The team finished with a 13-12 record in head coach Dan Kriiey‘s first season:
That included a 6-game win streak in December.
Here are two reasons the West Seattle High School baseball team would love to see you at the big stadium. Just out of the WSB inbox:
West Seattle HS vs Ballard HS in the High School Baseball Classic at T-Mobile Field
4 pm, Saturday, April 4th, 2020
Free!The WSHS Baseball team is also selling tickets to the Mariner’s game on May 29th at 7:10pm vs the Atlanta Braves at T-Mobile Park.
100 level tickets – $40 each (down the first=base line)
300 level tickets – $20 each (behind home plate)To buy tickets, contact Sheree at tombiz@comcast.net
The season starts in mid-March.
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
10:11 PM: We’re at Ingraham High School, where the West Seattle HS boys’ district-playoff game against top-seeded Garfield just ended with a 71-58 loss that doesn’t reflect how most of the game went – the Wildcats were ahead at the end of the 1st and 3rd quarters. They have at least one more game – Friday night vs. Bellevue at Bellevue College, 6:30 pm. Photos, video, and details when we get back to HQ.
12:37 AM: That exhilarating 3-pointer by WSHS #13 Vlad Salaridze is what ended the third quarter on a high note, putting the Wildcats ahead 43-40 after they clawed back from a nine-point halftime deficit, 32-23.
Though they fell behind in the second quarter, the first was a thriller, with #24, freshman Chase Clifton, nabbing six of the first nine WSHS points, punctuated by Salaridze’s first 3-pointer. Adding in strong rebounding and defense, the Wildcats led 17-10 when the first quarter ended.
Cold shooting hurt them in the second quarter. What hurt more in the fourth was that the Bulldogs simply seemed to decide to intensify, mowing through and leaping over their opponents in ways they didn’t deploy much in the first three quarters. While the end result was a disappointment, that couldn’t erase West Seattle’s overall strong performances. After Salaridze’s 19 points, #12, sophomore Isaiah Watts, had 16:
And #3, senior Sage Nelson, totaled 12:
Head coach Dan Kriley and the Wildcats must win Friday’s game to stay alive in the postseason.
Bellevue is 11-13 for the season while WSHS is 13-11.
8:24 PM: The West Seattle High School boys weren’t going to let the season end with a string of defeats – so an intense home game tonight just ended with a big win over Interlake, 58-37. Next up: The Wildcats play Garfield, 8:30 pm Tuesday @ Ingraham. Full details and photos to come.
ADDED 10:55 PM: WSHS #3, senior Sage Nelson, led scoring with 18 points – one of four Wildcats with double-digit totals.
Another postseason loss for the West Seattle High School boys’ basketball team, but they have another chance to keep going. At Franklin HS, the Wildcats lost to Rainier Beach HS, 62-43. Saturday night, in a must-win district-tournament opener, WSHS plays Interlake at home (3000 California SW), 7 pm.
Big game tonight for the West Seattle High School boys’ basketball team – it’s not in WS but if you can go, they can use all the support they can get! 5:45 pm, they’re playing at Rainier Beach. The venue is Franklin High School, 3013 S. Mt. Baker Boulevard – here’s a map.
One postseason high-school basketball game involving a local team tonight: The West Seattle High School girls’ season is over after a loss at Bainbridge HS. Final score: 59-52.
Three postseason high-school basketball games tonight:
(WSB photo: Chief Sealth #1, Cortez Graham)
–Chief Sealth International High School – boys lost to Franklin, 57-50; girls lost to Nathan Hale, 45-22
–West Seattle High School, boys lost to O’Dea 77-50
Only one game was at home, the CSIHS boys’ game, so we were there, and will add photos from that a bit later.
ADDED EARLY TUESDAY: The Seahawks kept it close until literally the last minute – just one point behind – but a technical foul cost them dearly. Top scorer for Sealth was (top photo) Cortez Graham with 19 points. Next was Taien Jackson with 14, including four 3-pointers:
That’s the season wrap for Head Coach Colin Slingsby and team.
The Sealth girls’ season is over too. … Meantime, the West Seattle girls play at Bainbridge 7 pm tonight (Tuesday), while the WSHS boys play Rainier Beach at Franklin on Thursday at 5:45 pm.
Thanks to Bri’Anna for the photos and report:
Congratulations to the West Seattle High School girls bowling team! With an undefeated inaugural season, the ladies won Metros, districts, and multiple individual conference awards.
They concluded their season with a trip to the WIAA State 3A Girls Bowling Tournament at Narrows Plaza Bowl in University Place Friday and Saturday. The team bowled six regular games on Friday. Their individual scores were also applied to the singles competition. Senior Evan Smith earned 12th place in the singles event, and freshman Jasmine Bachmeier-Emswiler knocked down an impressive 1000+ pins over 6 games for a top 25 finish.
The tournament concluded with 14 baker games on Saturday. Friday’s pin total carried over to Saturday, and although they held on as long as they could, the ladies finished two pins out of 7th place. Ending their first season as the 8th best high school team in the state is something each of the bowlers is extremely proud of!
A big thank you to Coach Jeremy Marzofka for stepping up to coach, for taking the sport of bowling seriously, and for being a spectacular leader! Congratulations to all 22 girls in the program! What an impressive history-making year! GO WILDCATS!
11:02 PM: In the nightcap at Wsst Seattle High School, the WSHS boys finished the regular season – their first under head coach Dan Kriley – with a 67-48 victory over Chief Sealth International High School.
ADDED EARLY SATURDAY: Details and more photos ahead:
9:24 PM: We’re at West Seattle High School, where the regular basketball season is wrapping up tonight with crosstown rivals Chief Sealth International High School visiting. The girls’ varsity game has just ended with WSHS victorious, 52-20.
ADDED EARLY SATURDAY: Photos and toplines!
(WSB photos)
The Southwest Lacrosse Titans (WSB sponsor) have begun preseason practices! We stopped by as practice kicked off at Delridge Playfield under the lights Tuesday night.
The Titans tell us that registration is still open, and: “The biggest need is players for the K-2 and girls 3/4 (3rd and 4th grade) teams.” Questions? Lots of info on the Southwest Lacross website, even an FAQ page!
Extra time if you’re thinking of registering someone for West Seattle Little League – the deadline is now extended to February 14th:
West Seattle Little League offers baseball fun for girls & boys from ages 4-12, with special rookie teams for 8-year-olds! The season runs from March – June and includes fun activities like the jamboree and end of the year picnic. Interested to know more details? Check out westseattlelittleleague.com to find information about boundaries and league age. You can also email info@westseattlelittleleague.com with any questions including scholarship information. Look forward to seeing you on the field.
Middle-school volleyball player in your household? Check this out:
The West Seattle High School Volleyball Teams will be hosting a one-day volleyball camp on February 22nd from 10 am-2 pm in the West Seattle High School gymnasium to help middle schoolers get ready for their upcoming volleyball seasons!
Boys and Girls 6th-8th grade are welcome!! The cost of the camp is $35 (paid at the camp on 2/22) and includes 4 hours of fun learning of volleyball skills and strategies as well as a camp T-shirt. Please email West Seattle Volleyball Coach Abby West at abby.west1@gmail.com by February 10th to reserve your spot!
The photo was sent by James Craig, who reports that the Highline Soccer Association‘s 05 Highland Select team – with players from West Seattle, Burien, and Normandy Park – played for the championship in this past weekend’s PacNW premier Winter Classic tournament. “Unfortunately, the ladies lost the finals in a penalty kick as they they were tied 1-1 in regulation. Final score 2-1, good for 2nd place out of 16.”
(Photo courtesy WSHS Cheer)
For the second year in a row, the West Seattle High School cheerleaders are headed to state. They earned the spot by competing this past weekend in two divisions, taking first place in Coed Non-Tumbling – including the second-highest score in their division in the state -and second place in Coed Game Day. Last year, they placed third in state competition. This is the team’s their second year competing under the direction of head coach Jasmyne Everhart (her 4th year leading the program) and co-coach Nadine Nguyen (3rd year with the program), and both years, their athletes have qualified for state. This year’s state championships are set for February 7-8 at Battle Ground High School in southwest Washington.
From West Seattle Girls Softball president Chrysta Torres:
Registration for the 2020 softball season is now open – and there is a $20 discount for registering in January! Practices will begin in mid-March, with games starting in mid/late April. The season will conclude the first week of June.
We invite girls 6-15 with any level of softball experience to join us for a fun season of recreational league fast-pitch softball. We teach the basics and build skills as players continue with the program and work to place players on teams that will be most beneficial to their needs.
We’d also like to thank the local businesses that sponsor our league year after year – we cannot do it without their support.
Ready to register? Find the link here, along with more info about WSGS.
(WSB photos)
The Chief Sealth International High School cheer squad had a lot to cheer about last night: Both the girls’ and boys’ varsity basketball teams won, in a doubleheader played at home. Photos and game toplines ahead:
(WSB photos)
West Seattle High School‘s Unified Basketball program is hosting a big tournament at the school right now – more than 200 student athletes from all over the region! We didn’t hear about it in time to get it into today’s highlights list but you’re invited to go cheer the players until 2 pm.
If you’re not familiar with Unified Athletics, here’s the district explanation:
Unified Sports is a program of Special Olympics that brings together athletes with and without disabilities to break down stereotypes and promote inclusion. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.
Among those playing while we were there, WSHS and Garfield:
3 courts with games at Unified tournament at WSHS. This is host team v. Garfield. pic.twitter.com/bzHKx7fGeK
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) January 18, 2020
Other schools: Evergreen, Roosevelt – those two are in the video below – Kamiak, Kentridge, Ballard, Auburn, Mercer Island, UW.
Unified Basketball tournament at West Seattle HS until 2 pm. Spectators welcome! pic.twitter.com/IzPs86tL3Y
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) January 18, 2020
WSHS is at 3000 California SW; the gym is at the south end of the campus.
“I have dreamed about this day since I was a little girl!” That’s what Regina Wright-Rogers told the crowd at Chief Sealth International High School last night as her jersey, #34, was retired during halftime of the girls’ varsity basketball game.
She was a superstar player for Sealth in the ’00s, with numerous honors including Metro League Player of the Year and state tournament MVP, and went on to play for the University of Washington (its website details many of her career highlights), following that up with a coaching career.
Rogers-Wright’s parting words last night: “I just want to say to everyone here you can be great, because I am!”
(P.S. The Sealth girls and boys both won their games last night – separate coverage coming up later.)
Chief Sealth International High School also played basketball at home last night, vs. Lakeside. Here’s how the games turned out: The boys’ varsity won 61-59; girls’ varsity lost 45-27. Next up for both is a visit to Bainbridge Island – the Seahawk boys play there at 7:30 pm Tuesday (January 7th), the girls are there at 7:30 pm Wednesday (January 8th).
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
Going into tonight’s home game against Garfield, the West Seattle High School boys had jumped out to a hot start – tied for the Metro League lead with their visiting opponents, both undefeated in league play. It was the toughest test yet for first-year head coach Dan Kriley and his team.
Though they kept the Bulldogs in check for half of the first half, the Wildcats couldn’t keep going at that level and lost 70-46. Scoring leader was #1 Isaiah Watts with 14:
Watts was first to put WSHS on the scoreboard:
First WSHS points, a three by Isaiah Watts. Now Garfield 5, WSHS 3. pic.twitter.com/OOK9yxCkSq
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) January 4, 2020
Next with 13 points, #13 Vladimir Salaridze:
And #3 Sage Nelson (top photo) scored 10 points. The stretch of the game that churned Wildcat fans into a cheering frenzy encompassed the second half of the first quarter and the first half of the second quarter. It started with two baskets by Salaridze – one a dunk – putting WSHS ahead, and seeing them build to an 8-point lead early in the second quarter. But then Garfield launched a comeback, retaking the lead with about 3 minutes to go in the half, and never letting go. The Bulldogs were ahead 28-23 at halftime and 50-39 after the third quarter, during which WSHS got within nine points, but no closer.
The WSHS boys (7-3) play at home again Saturday night, 8:30 pm vs. O’Dea.
8:50 PM: In the first of two big games tonight at West Seattle High School, the girls-varsity basketball team lost to league-leading Garfield, 65-36. Leading the Bulldogs was a former WSHS star, Meghan Fiso, with 27 points. Top scorer for the Wildcats, Jadyn Watts with 11. Photos and details later!
ADDED EARLY SATURDAY: The WSHS girls fought hard on the floor.
(WSHS #21 Julianna Horne)</em>
Rebounding wasn’t too much of a challenge but cold shooting was a problem for WSHS. The Wildcats were down 13-1 at the end of the first quarter, while the Bulldogs already had netted three triples by then.
(WSHS #22 Jadyn Watts)
WSHS showed a lot of ball-handling hustle, though.
Their first non-foul-shot points finally came midway through the second quarter, with a basket by #1 Ciera Jorge. That brought the score to 22-5, and at halftime the Wildcats trailed 28-11. In the second half, they never got close, but there were bright spots, like the aforementioned rebounding hustle, and a strong performance by #21 Julianna Horne (the team’s second-highest scorer for the night, with 10 points).
While head coach Darnell Taylor is back, none of last year’s front line is, so it’s a year to work on gelling,. Next up, they play Holy Names at home tonight (Saturday) at 7.
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