Today we’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor – the Highline Premier Football Club, which is about to start its first 2017 tryouts. Here’s what the club wants you to know:

Highline Premier Football Club (HPFC) is the premier soccer club for Highline Soccer Association (HSA) and the proud partners of our sister clubs, West Seattle Soccer Club, Highline Soccer Club, and HSA Select. HPFC is dedicated to providing its surrounding communities a player-centric approach to competing at the highest levels of youth soccer.

HPFC is committed to enabling players from all backgrounds an opportunity to share in “the beautiful game” teaching sportsmanship, mental toughness, self-discipline, teamwork, and commitment. Our direct goal is to produce well-rounded and skillful players who have the character, discipline, and determination to compete at the highest levels of the sport. As one of the oldest soccer associations in the state, many young athletes have passed through our program with the opportunity to continue their soccer careers at the collegiate level and beyond. With a long-standing history and top-level experience, coaches and staff support our players in every part of their development as athletes, students, and citizens. Once you are a part of HPFC, you are part of a soccer family with a storied history and the support of their surrounding communities helping to make HPFC the club of choice.

HPFC is excited to kick off the first session of tryouts for 2017, leading off with High School Boys from February 14-16 at Highline High School stadium. Check out highlinepremier.com/registration and learn more about this upcoming opportunity as well as additional information on the club and everything it has to offer. All High School Boys teams are now holding Open Sessions for players who’d like to learn more about HPFC. If you would like to train in an open session or have questions, please visit our tryout page for more details – highlinepremier.com/tryouts.

We thank Highline Premier Football Club for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

Spring registration opened today for the West Seattle Soccer Club. WSSC’s Tim McMonigle says this is for players born in 2006-2012 (U6-U12), and registration is open until March 1st. With 1,500+ players expected on the fields, SSC also is seeking volunteer coaches. The 8-game season runs April 2-June 11th; more info is here, including the link for signing up.

It’s almost postseason time for high-school basketball teams. So we’re checking in with all three local high schools’ varsity teams.

(#11, WSHS sophomore Jasmine Gayles)

WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS: The Wildcats were second in the Metro League standings going into their Friday night home game against the third-ranked team, Rainier Beach.

(#20, WSHS sophomore Grace Sarver)

Beach went home with the win, 73-63. Next up for the WSHS girls, a road game at Cleveland, 7:30 pm Wednesday.

WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS: No game this weekend but they’re also visiting Cleveland next, 7:30 pm Tuesday. The Wildcat boys are #2 in the Metro Sound Conference.

On Friday night, Chief Sealth International High School and Seattle Lutheran High School each had home games for both varsity teams: Read More

Registration is open for another local youth-sports league! Thanks to Megan Simmons for sharing the announcement:

West Seattle Girls Softball is a local nonprofit recreational league for all girls ages 6-15. No previous softball experience necessary. Registration is open through February. Practices begin in late March. Season wraps up by the end of the school year. Go to westseattlegirlssoftball.com to register.

Thanks to Kathleen Collins for the photo! It’s from High Point Community Center last night, when the young athletes of the High Voltage Track and Field Club got to meet Olympic track-and-field medalist Tori Bowie (top row, center). Bowie, 26, was a triple medalist at last year’s Summer Olympics – gold in the 4x100m relay, silver in the 100m dash, bronze in the 200m dash. She lives in Florida; her visit to Seattle also included receiving an award from Casey Family Programs.

A new year means new youth-sports seasons ahead! Tracy Holloway from West Seattle Little League sends the news that league registration is now open:

Happy New Year from West Seattle Little League! We are excited to open registration for all divisions for the 2017 season. Registration is easy and takes only a few steps:

Step 1: Check your child’s league age
To check your child’s league age on the league age table, click here. Your child’s league age determines which division they are recommended to register with.

Step 2: Log in to the West Seattle Little League website
If you have not played with the league before, create a new account. If you are a returning WSLL member, please use your login credentials from the previous season. If you forgot your credentials, please use the “Forgot Password” link.

Step 3: Register your child
Click on the green “Register Now” button in the upper right of the home page. Please note the following during the registration process:

*If you do not live within the boundary for WSLL, you will be waitlisted and should email the player agents below with your school enrollment form in order to finish registration.

*If your child played for WSLL in the 2016 season, you do not need to furnish a birth certificate. If your player is new to West Seattle Little League or did not play in the league during the 2016 season you will need to upload a copy of the player’s birth certificate.

*All players will need to provide three proofs of residency to verify player address boundaries.

Deadline is January 31st. Other key dates, and contacts if you have questions, are on the WSLL home page.

Congratulations to the West Seattle Fury for what you could call a three-mendous achievement! “Their parents and families are all very proud of them and it is a proud moment for the West Seattle Soccer Club too,” says team manager Curtis Allan, who shares the story and photos:

The West Seattle Fury youth-soccer team just finished the fall season as league, city, and state champions, a rare recreational “treble” for the local boys’ team.  

The Fury are led by head coach Todd Fraser, who started coaching his son Riley‘s coed U6 team back in 2006.  The team has changed names a few times since then, but a core group of players has remained together throughout the years.  The team is made up of players from all over West Seattle’s varied neighborhoods, but they are united by a common love of playing soccer. Nine of them currently attend Chief Sealth International High School, two each attend West Seattle and O’Dea, one Vashon, one Garfield, two at Denny International Middle School, and one is homeschooled.

The Fury finished the regular season on November 20th alone atop the table with a 9-1 record.  It was their first time as uncontested Division Champions.

On Saturday December 17th they beat the McGilvra Marauders 2-0 in Shoreline to win the Seattle Youth Soccer City Tournament.  It was their first ever win after finishing 2nd, 3rd, and 5th over the past three years.

Qualification for the Washington State Recreational Cup began in October.  The Fury won all of their group stage matches and became District 3 Champions in Tacoma on November 19th.  

On December 3rd they hosted the SnoKing Tornados in the quarterfinals, winning 4-0 at Delridge Playfield. Four different boys scored a goal.

On the morning of December 11th they arrived for the Rec Cup festivities at Starfire in Tukwila.  With WSSC president Jamie Foulk and VP of players Tom Gass looking on from above, the Fury won their semifinal match 3-0 over the Bremerton Blue Sharks.   Omar Barrera had a first half brace, while his brother Jorge added another in the 52nd.

That set up a sunset showdown with two-time state champions and heavy favorites Northshore Goal Rush. Despite going down a goal twice, the Fury battled back each time to tie with goals from forward Omar Barrera.  Then in the 65th minute, the ball fell right to the left foot of their youngest player, Sebastian Vargas, who blasted it into the net for a 3-2 lead.  Despite an attacking onslaught from the Northshore team over the last 25 minutes, the Fury held on to win the U17 State Championship for West Seattle.

The West Seattle Fury are:

Todd Fraser, head coach
JD Webster, assistant coach
Curtis Allan, team manager

Fraser Furious 4-3-3 

#7 Jake Webster, F (captain)
#2 Omar Barrera Gonzalez, F
#11 Riley Fraser, F
#8 Nico Salazar Brown, F
#5 Gerald Aguila, F/CM
#19 Aidan Ritchie, F/MF
#9 Sebastian Vargas, LM
#6 Jorge Barrera Gonzalez, CM
#16 Shuai Lavielle, RM
#4 Gabriel Barajas Castro, MF
#10 Liam Zaknich, RM/F
#14 Isaac Ajeto, LM/LB
#12 Isaac Renz, FB/CB
#18 Kai Bretl, CB (def. captain)
#17 Noah Webster, CB
#13 Lance Allan Angeles, RB
#15 Logan Webster, LB/LM
#1 Jackson Visser, GK

8:19 PM: We’re getting texts about what people think are gunshots or fireworks – pretty sure it’s the latter, as Seattle Sounders FC just won the Major League Soccer championship in Toronto. Congratulations to the Sounders – including Zach Scott, the West Seattleite who announced months ago that he would retire after this season – and fans!

8:28 PM: Speaking of West Seattleites, the congratulatory statement from King County Executive Dow Constantine:

They fought, and they won. Congrats to the Sounders for bringing the MLS Cup to Seattle. Our team’s march to the championship was an inspired comeback — from last place to the Championship. Toronto played a great match but the Sounders, led by Coach Schmetzer, had destiny on their side.

Fans across the region welcome the 2016 Sounders in the Parthenon of champs including the 1979 SuperSonics, 1991 Huskies, 2004 and 2010 Storm, and 2013 Seahawks. We love you Sounders, we do.

ADDED: Tuesday will be the big day – details still in progress. From the Sounders’ statement:

… Media and fans should be advised that Sounders FC is set to hold its MLS Cup Champions March and Rally on Tuesday, December 13 at midday.

Full details regarding timing, locations and the march route are being made available in the coming days in conjunction with the City of Seattle and other civic constituents.

ADDED SUNDAY MORNING: Fans are also invited to cheer the Sounders’ arrival at Boeing Field today – from the team’s announcement:

The team is expected to arrive at approximately 3:15 p.m. PT, and both media and fans are invited to come to Boeing Field’s King County International Terminal to welcome the victorious Rave Green home. Please note that the team’s arrival time is subject to change based on travel delays. … Fans are being asked to gather outside the main terminal, where the team will exit to greet the crowd upon arrival.

High-school basketball season starts next week, and all three local high schools got a jump on it today.

The occasion: Chief Sealth International High School‘s 16th annual Basketball Jamboree. 13 teams participated, each playing two opponents in two-quarter games. We dropped in for the last two varsity games (JV had a full slate too) – above, West Seattle High School vs. Seattle Lutheran High School; below are the two teams’ #2 jersey wearers, Saints sophomore Simon Solomon and Wildcats junior Kendall Green:

West Seattle went home with wins in both of its games, including the day’s closing faceoff with host Sealth:

Below are Sealth’s Peyton Dickerson (with the ball) and West Seattle senior Yusuf Mohamed:

All three local schools have season openers in the week ahead, according to their online calendar:
*WSHS hosts Mountlake Terrace at 7:15 pm Tuesday
*Sealth hosts Rainier Beach at 8:30 pm Friday
*SeaLu plays at Friday Harbor next Friday.

High-school basketball season is about to start – and you can get a pre-season look at all three local schools’ teams tomorrow during the 16th annual Chief Sealth International High School Jamboree. CSIHS head coach Colin Slingsby just sent the schedules. Along with Sealth, West Seattle HS and Seattle Lutheran HS are among the 13 teams playing; Coach Slingsby explains, “Each team plays two 10-minute stop-clock quarters against different opponents.” The varsity schedule, starting at noon in the Chief Sealth gym (2600 SW Thistle), is here (PDF); the JV schedule, starting at 11 am in the Denny International Middle School gym next door (2601 SW Kenyon), is here (PDF). Admission is $6 adults, $4 students.

Thanks again to everyone who has been sharing youth-sports-success stories this week – this one is from Perry:

On Saturday, Denny International Middle School defeated Washington Middle School to become the Ultimate Frisbee A Division Champions! They worked incredibly hard over the past 2 Saturdays to defeat 3 of the 4 teams that placed ahead of them in the standings.

Congratulations to coaches Joe and Branden and all the players!

WSB sports coverage is archived here, newest-to-oldest.

More youth-sports success: The photo is courtesy of Kasey, who reports that “the Hiawatha Mad Dogz placed third at the 10/11-year-old 2016 Seattle Parks and Recreation Volleyball Jamboree this past Saturday.” That’s out of 15 teams, says Coach Al, who reports “the girls played their hearts out.” In addition, he says, “We finished our season in 1st place in the South Division with a 6-1 record. … What’s even more exciting than what this team of mostly first-time-playing-10-year-olds was able to accomplish this season is the fact that most of them will be back next season to pick-up where we left off, I’m VERY optimistic and excided of what the girls will be able to accomplish then!”