Prep report: Top-Hi boys leading hungry pack in CWAC
January 19, 2012 by Scott Spruill
YAKIMA, Wash. — Stay humble, stay focused.
That’s the message Joseph Mesplie has been directing at his Toppenish boys basketball team as the Wildcats head into the second half of the CWAC season in an unfamiliar position.
First place.
Riding an eight-game win streak, the ’Cats are ranked eighth in Class 2A and own a one-game lead over Grandview with eight con-ference games remaining.
Heady stuff for a program that went 2-16 in the CWAC two years ago and upped that to 8-10 last season.
“It’s all new for the kids and new for the program,” said Mesplie, who’s in his fifth season at Top-Hi. “We periodically talk about how to handle it. Be humble, work hard and focus on getting better — that’s what we keep telling them.”
With eight seniors, Toppenish hasn’t lost since Dec. 10 and that was no shame, falling 69-59 to 12-1 West Valley of Spokane. The team has avenged an early league loss to Ellensburg and beaten Grandview in the regular season for the first time in 15 years.
“Having our core back from last year helped us a lot with how cohesive we’ve been,” the coach said. “We’ve been able to mix things up, keep teams guessing and handle the pressure so far.”
The Wildcats do handle pressure because the average winning margin during their win streak is just 11 points. They gritted out five-point wins at Wapato and at home against Grandview.
Mesplie knows the minefields are many heading down the stretch, like a visit to Grandview on Feb. 3. But being the lead dog after 10 of 18 games has Top-Hi thinking about its first conference title in 25 years.
“There’s a long way to go,” Mesplie said, “but it’s been nice to see the kids respond this way.”
Burns done until fall
West Valley’s multi-talented Lindsay Burns, the state’s fastest 400-meter runner last track season and one of the nation’s best defenders in soccer, will have to do something she’s completely unaccustomed to athletically.
Nothing.
Suffering a torn ACL in a basketball game last week, Burns, a junior, will undergo surgery next week and will miss the entire track season.
The good news for Burns is that, after six months of rehab, she’s expecting to be ready for her senior soccer season. A three-time first-team CBBN defender, Burns has already accepted a soccer scholarship offer from Baylor.
Burns is also a premier track athlete, having run the 400 in 55.74 seconds and long jumped over 18 feet as a freshman and sophomore. She also received second-team and all-defense honors in basketball as a sophomore.
But how many sports she does as a senior is now uncertain.
“My goal is to play soccer in the fall when I am healthy,” she said. “I’m waiting to make a decision about the other sports for next year. I want to continue to play for West Valley, but I don’t want to jeopardize my recovery and my soccer scholarship.”
Beetchenow inducted
George Beetchenow, who coached at Moxee, Davis and Eisenhower spanning four decades from the 1950s to 80s, was inducted into the Washington State Track and Field Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame on Jan. 14 in Everett.
Beetchenow was a throws specialist and he coached the state’s first 60-foot shot putter — Moxee’s Bill Buchanan, who in 1957 won the state title with a still-standing Valley record of 60-7.
Beetchenow also coached the still-standing school-record holders in the discus at Eisenhower (Mike Garrison, 173-4) and Davis (Dan Oaks, 167-1).
NORDSTROM ALSO HONORED: In addition to the Hall of Fame inductions, the WSTFCA also announced coach of the year awards for 2011 and West Valley’s Jamie Nordstrom received the boys honor. Nordstrom will enter his 13th season as West Valley’s boys and girls track coach this spring.
Benner’s charity work
When Justine Benner sank 19 of 22 free throws in a SCAC West game on Jan. 6, it made me wonder if lightning struck or she’s just that good at the foul line.
Turns out she had night’s like that before, hitting 9 of 10 against Goldendale and 7 of 8 against Riverside Christian. For the season, coach Janell Coons reports that Benner is 83 of 120 — which means she’s getting to the line more than nine times a game.
Benner’s SCAC-leading scoring average is 19.0 as she closes in on 1,000 career points (942) and she’s averaging 8.6 rebounds a game.
Postseason arrives
With its bowl-off victory over Wenatchee on Tuesday, Kennewick will host the 4A and 3A-2A district championships on Wednesday at Spare Times Lanes.
The 4A team finalists are Wenatchee, Eisenhower, Chiawana and Moses Lake and they will compete for one state berth. Two individual spots are also available.
Two state berths and four individual spots are up for grabs in the 3A-2A tourney, which includes Kennewick, West Valley, Pasco and Selah.
The state tournament will be held at Narrows Plaza Bowl in Tacoma on Feb. 3-4.
• Scott Spruill can be reached at 577-7686 or [email protected]
West Valley will go 2A, join CWAC
January 18, 2012 by Scott Spruill
YAKIMA, Wash. — And the turmoil continues.
With the Columbia Basin Big Nine trying to hold itself together with some creative scheduling and compromise, West Valley decided on Wednesday against opting up this fall to Class 3A and will instead join the Class 2A CWAC.
West Valley’s school board, reversing a previous vote late last year that favored opting up, voted unanimously to accept its status as Class 2A for the two-year enrollment cycle that includes the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years.
“This has been a long process,” West Valley superintendent Mike Brophy said in a district release. “We believe that the decision made this morning best reflects what will be best for West Valley.”
West Valley was under pressure to make a decision this week because the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association will finalize classification numbers for the new cycle at its Executive Board meeting on Sunday and Monday in Renton.
With an average of 1,036 students in the top three grades, West Valley will be among the three largest 2A schools in the state. Port Angeles will be at the top of the 2A range at 1,069.
West Valley was in the same situation two years ago but the school chose to opt-up to 3A and stay in the 15-team CBBN.
“I imagine some people will be surprised by this, and it does mean a big change,” said West Valley athletic director Joe Coscarart. “There’s been new information just about every week through this, but all along our numbers have been 2A.”
The CWAC will remain a 10-team league with West Valley replacing Quincy, which is dropping to 1A. The multi-class CBBN, however, will drop to 14 schools with an expected split of nine 4A schools and five 3A schools.
While a seven-member CBBN committee is meeting in Yakima next week to explore scheduling formats that could keep the league intact, there remains a possibility it could split into two leagues. Seven Tri-Cities’ schools and Walla Walla have expressed a strong desire to form their own division.
If a North/South split happened in the CBBN or two separate leagues were formed along those lines, West Valley and Sunnyside would have been the only 3A schools in the North. Sunnyside has made it clear it wants to remain closely associated with the 3A schools in the Tri-Cities.
West Valley sensed isolation and uncertainty and that was a big factor in Wednesday’s decision, according to Brophy’s release. That, and joining the CWAC will rekindle relationships with former Mid-Valley League neighbors.
“I think we’re going to see bigger crowds at home, and our fans and kids will be going to places like Selah and East Valley as opposed to the Tri-Cities,” Coscarart noted. “That’s great for rivalries and school spirit.”
Coscarart will attend a regional meeting with the CWAC and Great Northern leagues on Monday in Moses Lake.
Weather causes schedule changes
January 18, 2012 by Scott Spruill
YAKIMA, Wash. — Wednesday’s snowfall forced some changes to the region’s sports schedule and will continue to do so today.
Yakima Valley Community College’s NWAACC East Region basketball doubleheader with Walla Walla, scheduled for Sherar Gym on Wednesday, was postponed to Feb. 25, and La Salle’s boys and girls home non-league basketball games with Cashmere were canceled with no make-up date set.
Today’s prep wrestling schedule has already taken some hits, most notably the Eisenhower-Davis match being moved to Tuesday.
The Kennewick, Pasco and Richland schools are all closed today, and that means the Pasco-Sunnyside and West Valley-Southridge CBBN 3A wrestling matches have been postponed.
CBBN intact for now
January 17, 2012 by Scott Spruill
Meetings next week to hammer out scheduling issues||
YAKIMA, Wash. — The Columbia Basin Big Nine lives on.
The outcome of a superintendents meeting in Yakima on Tuesday to discuss the future of the 15-school conference was to buy more time and make an effort to avoid fracturing into two leagues.
Representatives of the conference’s 10 school districts decided to convene a seven-member committee on Jan. 25 and 26 — again in Yakima — to work on scheduling models that would address geographic issues and keep the CBBN together.
“There was a unanimous desire to remain together as one league,” said Sunnyside superintendent Rick Cole. “Getting together like this, listening to each others needs and understanding the issues better — that’s what we needed.
“The first and most important question was do we want to be in the same league? All 10 districts said yes.”
That sentiment represents efforts coming together rather than splintering in different directions, as was the feeling in the past month.
School districts in the Tri-Cities called for the formation of North and South divisions starting this fall with the WIAA’s next classification cycle. The CBBN currently uses divisions based on enrollment with seven Class 4A schools and eight 3A schools.
Motivated by budget issues and wanting to reduce travel costs, school districts in the South wanted to form a division with seven Tri-Cities’ schools and Walla Walla. CBBN principals held a vote last month and it favored a North-South alignment by an 8-7 count, directly along the regional split.
Schools in the North, which include Eisenhower, Davis, West Valley, Sunnyside, Wenatchee, Eastmont and Moses Lake, protested the move and fought against it. Schools in the Tri-Cities stated publicly they were adamant about the divisional realignment and would secede from the CBBN if necessary.
But Tuesday’s meeting slowed what appeared to be a charge toward separation.
Next week’s committee will include representatives from seven school districts — Yakima, West Valley, Wenatchee, Moses Lake, Kennewick, Richland and Walla Walla — and John Miller and Brian Smith from the WIAA. The committee will include three superintendents, two assistant principals and two athletic directors.
When the committee feels it has a schedule that addresses the issues of travel, long-standing rivalries and student time away from class it will then submit it to the districts for review.
Such a schedule still represents a significant challenge and there’s no guarantee the CBBN won’t ultimately split. But WIAA Executive Director Mike Colbrese, joining Tuesday’s meeting via conference call, told the superintendents that a decision on a league split was not required before the WIAA’s Executive Board meeting on Sunday and Monday.
What is required before that meeting in Renton is West Valley’s decision whether or not to opt up from Class 2A to 3A. West Valley’s school board, which has previously voted for the opt up but withdrew it pending the issues in the CBBN, is meeting this morning.
“I’m very optimistic this can be worked out and the league will have a future together,” Cole said. “In a 15-member league nobody is going to get 100 percent of what they want. But today was an indication that we can stay together and figure this out.”
CBBN’s future still whole
January 17, 2012 by Scott Spruill
The Columbia Basin Big Nine lives on.
The outcome of a superintendents meeting in Yakima on Tuesday to discuss the future of the 15-school conference was to buy more time and make an effort to avoid fracturing into two leagues.
Representatives of the conference’s 10 school districts decided to convene a seven-member committee on Jan. 25 and 26 — again in Yakima — to work on scheduling models that would address geographic issues and keep the CBBN together.
“There was a unanimous desire to remain together as one league,” said Sunnyside superintendent Rick Cole. “Getting together like this, listening to each others needs and understanding the issues better — that’s what we needed.
“The first and most important question was do we want to be in the same league? All 10 districts said yes.”
That sentiment represents efforts coming together rather than splintering in different directions, as was the feeling in the past month.
School districts in the Tri-Cities called for the formation of North and South divisions starting this fall with the WIAA’s next classification cycle. The CBBN currently uses divisions based on enrollment with seven Class 4A schools and eight 3A schools.
Motivated by budget issues and wanting to reduce travel costs, school districts in the South wanted to form a division with seven Tri-Cities’ schools and Walla Walla. CBBN principals held a vote last month and it favored a North-South alignment by an 8-7 count, directly along the regional split.
Schools in the North, which include Eisenhower, Davis, West Valley, Sunnyside, Wenatchee, Eastmont and Moses Lake, protested the move and fought against it. Schools in the Tri-Cities stated publicly they were adamant about the divisional realignment and would secede from the CBBN if necessary.
But Tuesday’s meeting slowed what appeared to be a charge toward separation.
Next week’s committee will include representatives from seven school districts — Yakima, West Valley, Wenatchee, Moses Lake, Kennewick, Richland and Walla Walla — and John Miller and Brian Smith from the WIAA. The committee will include three superintendents, two assistant principals and two athletic directors.
When the committee feels it has a schedule that addresses the issues of travel, long-standing rivalries and student time away from class it will then submit it to the districts for review.
Such a schedule still represents a significant challenge and there’s no guarantee the CBBN won’t ultimately split. But WIAA Executive Director Mike Colbrese, joining Tuesday’s meeting via conference call, told the superintendents that a decision on a league split was not required before the WIAA’s Executive Board meeting on Sunday and Monday.
What is required before that meeting in Renton is West Valley’s decision whether or not to opt up from Class 2A to 3A. West Valley’s school board, which has previously voted for the opt up but withdrew it pending the issues in the CBBN, is meeting this morning.
“I’m very optimistic this can be worked out and the league will have a future together,” Cole said. “In a 15-member league nobody is going to get 100 percent of what they want. But today was an indication that we can stay together and figure this out.”
Jan. 16 Wrestling power rankings
January 16, 2012 by Scott Spruill
POWER RANKINGS No. 4, Jan. 16
Next posting: Jan. 23. Send updates and comments to [email protected]
106 POUNDS
1, Fidel Medina, Grandview, so.
2, Kyle Anson, Selah, jr.
3, Victor Almaguer, Granger, fr.
4, Jose Cienfuegos, Granger, so.
5, Homer Romero, Sunnyside, so.
Notes: Medina 2nd at Foss, 2nd at Grandview. … Anson 2nd at Westberg. … Almaguer 1st at Reynolds, teammate Cienfuegos 3rd at Reynolds. … Romero 3rd at Westberg.
113 POUNDS
1, Wyatt Scribner, Ellensburg, so.
2, Jesse Barajas, Sunnyside, so.
3, Ricky Almaguer, Granger, so.
4, Sergio Morales, Toppenish, so.
5, Juan Lopez, Davis, jr.
Notes: Scribner 2nd at Westberg (p. Mitchell, Barajas). … Barajas 3rd at Westberg. … Almaguer 3rd at Reynolds. … Morales 1st Wapato. … Lopez 5th at CK Matman.
120 POUNDS
1, Joshua Salcedo, Granger, jr.
2, Juan Diaz, Zillah, sr.
3, Andres Tereza, Highland, jr.
4, Santos Guerrero, Sunnyside, jr.
5, Carlos Hernandez, Toppenish, jr.
Notes: Unbeaten Salcedo (26-0) 1st at Reynolds. … Diaz 1st at Wapato (d. Hernandez 4-3 in final). … Tereza 1st at Naches Ranger. … Guerrero 3rd at Westberg. … Hernandez 2nd at Wapato.
126 POUNDS
1, Nathan Gonzalez, Sunnyside, sr.
2, David Castaneda, Grandview, so.
3, Adrian Guererro, Granger, jr.
4, Dillon Dompier, Ellensburg, jr.
5, Vicente Mireles, Mabton, jr.
Notes: Gonzalez 1st at Westberg (d. Dompier 10-1 in final). … Castaneda 1st at Foss, 1st at Grandview (d. Mireles 3-2 in final). … Guerrero 1st at Reynolds. … Dompier 2nd at Westberg, 3rd at Ed-Woodway. … Mireles 2nd at Grandview.
132 POUNDS
1, Logan Merkle, East Valley, so.
2, Jessy Gonzales, Zillah, jr.
3, Christian Ruiz, Sunnyside, jr.
4, Marco Gonzales, Eisenhower.
5, Jon Cruz, Selah, sr.
Notes: Merkle 2nd at Westberg, 1st at Naches Ranger. … Gonzales 1st at Wapato, d. Tereza 6-4 (OT) in SCAC dual at 132. … Gonzales d. Cruz 3-2 in Westberg 3rd-5th match.
138 POUNDS
1, Aaron Arredondo, Toppenish, sr.
2, Cortez Hernandez, Zillah, jr.
3, Isaac Guerrero, Sunnyside, sr.
4, Kody Ergeson, Selah, jr.
5, Blake Haberman, Ellensburg, sr.
Notes: Arredondo 1st at Wapato (d. C. Hernandez 4-2 in final). … Guerrero 1st at Westberg (d. Haberman 1-0 in semis). … Ergeson 3rd at Westberg. … Haberman 3rd at Westberg, 1st at Ed-Woodway.
145 POUNDS
1, Preston Baich, West Valley, sr.
2, Kamal Qteishat, Ellensburg, sr.
3, Michael Ramsey, Naches Valley, sr.
4, Sergio Sanchez, Zillah, sr.
5, Abel Morales, Granger, jr.
Notes: Baich 1st at Foss (MVP of lower-half weights), 1st at Grandview. … Qteishat 1st at Westberg, 1st at Ed-Woodway at 152. … Ramsey 3rd at Royal, 1st at Naches Ranger, d. Sanchez and Morales in duals. … Sanchez 1st at Wapato. … Morales 2nd at Reynolds.
152 POUNDS
1, Austin Wagner, Davis, sr.
2, Roger Andrade, Eisenhower, sr.
3, Shane McMurray, Zillah, jr.
4, David Vidales, Sunnyside, sr.
5, Emilio Mireles, Mabton, sr.
Notes: Wagner 2nd at CK Matman (lost final 5-4 in OT), 1st at Wapato (p. Andrade in final). … Andrade 3rd at Westberg at 145, 2nd at Wapato (d. McMurray 4-2 in semis). … McMurray 3rd at Wapato. … Vidales 5th at Westberg (d. Wallace 4-2). … Mireles 1st at Grandview (d. Ruiz 11-7 in final).
160 POUNDS
1, Anton Yates, East Valley, jr.
2, Nolin Bare, Goldendale, sr.
3, Jorge Alcala, Davis, sr.
4, Tanner Wallace, Kittitas, sr.
5, Edwin Gudino, Eisenhower, so.
Notes: Yates 1st at Westberg, 1st at Naches Ranger (d. Bare 6-2 in final). … Alcala 3rd at CK Matman, 1st at Wapato (d. Gudino 9-3 in final). … Wallace, back from an ankle injury, went 2-2 at Westberg at 152. …Gudino 2nd at Westberg, 2nd at Wapato.
170 POUNDS
1, Humberto Acevedo, Eisenhower, sr.
2, Braydon Ross, Goldendale, sr.
3, Ricardo Rodriguez, Wapato, jr.
4, Jason Ornelas, Granger, sr.
5, Jim Myers, Zillah, jr.
Notes: Acevedo 2nd at Westberg (lost to Coates), 1st at Wapato. … Ross 1st at Naches Ranger, d. Ornelas 6-3 in dual. … Rodriguez 3rd at Westberg (loss to Coates in semis). … Ornelas 4th at Reynolds. … Myers 2nd at Wapato.
182 POUNDS
1, Tyler Coates, Ellensburg, sr.
2, Zach Goodpaster, Selah, jr.
3, Darion Taylor, West Valley, sr.
4, Perry Simpson, Ellensburg, sr.
5, Daniel Avalos, Sunnyside, so.
Notes: Unbeaten Coates (20-0) 1st at Westberg at 170 (4 pins), 1st at Ed-Woodway. … Goodpaster 2nd at Westberg. … Taylor 3rd at Foss, 1st at Grandview. … Simpson 5th at Westberg.
195 POUNDS
1, Kurt Wilkins, Goldendale, sr.
2, Abidan Duarte, Granger, jr.
3, Miguel Guzman, Sunnyside, sr.
4, Jesus Chavez, Toppenish, jr.
5, Joey Rocha, Selah.
Notes: Wilkins 1st at Naches Ranger, p. Duarte in dual. … Duarte 1st at Reynolds. … Guzman 3rd at Westberg (d. Rocha). … Rocha 5th at Westberg.
220 POUNDS
1, Nate Sorensen, Kittitas, sr.
2, Raul Pech, Toppenish, jr.
3, Corbin Richardson, Ellensburg, jr.
4, Austin Carmen, Sunnyside, so.
5, Robert Koch, West Valley, jr.
Notes: Sorensen 1st at Westberg (d. Carmen 13-1 in semis), 1st at Warden. … Pech 1st at Wapato. … Richardson 2nd at Westberg at 195, 2nd at Ed-Woodway. … Carmen 3rd at Westberg. … Koch 2nd at Foss, 1st at Grandview.
285 POUNDS
1, Josh Aho, Zillah, sr.
2, Justin Wilkins, West Valley, sr.
3, Pedro Recondo, Selah, jr.
4, Jerry Atkins, Zillah, jr.
5, Mario Cervantes, Toppenish, so.
Notes: Aho 1st at Wapato. … Wilkins 2nd at Foss, 3rd at Grandview. … 3-4-5 very jumbled: Recondo 1st at Westberg but pinned by Cervantes in dual, Atkins 2nd at Wapato with semi win over Cervantes.
Take it outside: Top-ranked EV uses 3-pointers to sink No. 7 Wapato
January 15, 2012 by Scott Spruill
WAPATO, Wash. — Sound logic was on the side of Wapato’s girls basketball team Saturday night, but logic didn’t decide its showdown of unbeatens with top-ranked East Valley.
Perimeter shooting did.
East Valley's Mikaela Zimmer shoots between Wapato defenders Lexie Gomez, left, and Briana Cordova Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. (ANDY SAWYER/Yakima Herald-Republic)
And in that regard, it was all Red Devils.
Socking the Wolves with three 3-pointers during a 12-0 run in the first quarter, East Valley went on to outscore Wapato 21-0 from long distance en route to a 52-44 victory that finally separated the CWAC’s two front-runners.
Tassia Merkle buried two treys during the decisive first-period run and Yasi Mohsenian hit three for the game as the Red Devils moved to 10-0 in league and 12-0 overall.
Seventh-ranked Wapato, now 8-1 and 10-1, focused early on trying to disrupt EV’s taller interior players against its smaller lineup. Good idea, but that opened up opportunities on the outside.
“With East Valley, you kind of have to pick your poison and we tried to help too much in the middle,” said Wapato coach Joe Blodgett. “Seven 3-pointers, that obviously hurt. But if you stretch out your defense too much, their big hurt you. Like always, it’s a tough matchup.”
It’s been the nature of this rivalry — they met four times last season — that the fourth quarter is usually a wild one and this clash offered more of the same.
Still down 13 with four minutes left, Wapato rallied on the rejuvenated hand of Sammi Jo Blodgett. The CWAC’s leading scorer, who was held to six points in the first three quarters, scored nine of her 19 points in those final minutes.
That burst drew the Wolves within 46-40 with a minute to go, but East Valley finished it off with six points at the foul line.
“Two good teams with a lot of intensity and desire,” noted EV coach Robi Raab. “These are the games players love to play and coaches love to coach.”
Wapato's Briana Cordova is defended by East Valley's Jamie Hodgson, left, and Yasi Mohsenian Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. (ANDY SAWYER/Yakima Herald-Republic)
Sensing their perimeter chances and moving the ball effectively to find them, the Red Devils found the range quickly as five of their first eight field goals were 3-pointers.
“We have some capable shooters and we took what they gave us early,” Raab said. “The kids moved the ball nicely and got some good looks.”
With a 28-16 halftime lead, East Valley then went to work inside as 6-foot Mikaela Zimmer and 5-11 Jamie Hodgson combined for nine of EV’s first 12 points in the second half.
Mohsenian combined 17 points with nine rebounds, and Zimmer pulled down 12 boards. Justine Sosa’s 11 rebounds helped Wapato stay even on the glass, 41-41.
Blodgett, with her trademark dribble penetration, wasn’t getting a friendly roll on the rim until the frenzied finish. And EV was grateful for it.
“She is such a talented player, you just do what you can to stay in front of her,” Raab said. “We have to do a better job on that because she was getting the shots.”
“That’s what I feel good about — the shots we were taking were good. The lid was just on tight tonight for the most part,” said Blodgett, whose team shot 23 percent in the first three quarters. “And we got good pressure on the ball. Next time hopefully we’ll get a better start.”
No slowing down
January 14, 2012 by Scott Spruill
Red-hot Davis shoots 64 percent in victory||
YAKIMA, Wash. — For a kid with a bum wheel, David Trimble looked pretty darn good Friday night.
For someone battling a surly mood, Cooper Kupp turned in a performance to smile about.
Davis' David Trimble (24) shoots betwen Richland defenders Colter Quick (30) and Tyrell Turner during Friday's CBBN 4A basketball game at Davis Gym.||ANDY SAWYER/Yakima Herald-Republic
It was a night for Davis’ second-ranked boys basketball team to look the part and the Pirates did exactly that, offensively at least, racing to a 90-71 victory over Richland in a duel for sole possession of the CBBN 4A lead.
Despite his questionable status because of an ankle injury suffered last week, Trimble gave himself the green light just before the game and he responded with his all-state form — a season-high 26 points on 10-for-12 shooting.
“My teammates were wondering if I was a go because I basically missed the whole week of practice,” Trimble said. “I wanted to try it because I felt I could plant on the foot and drive off it. I didn’t want to wait for tomorrow’s game and I’m glad I didn’t — we really clicked on offense.”
Clicked to the tune of 64-percent shooting — 39 of 61 overall — and a season-high outburst that was triggered by a 34-point second quarter.
Kupp inspired that breakout frame with eight of his 13 points, hitting four consecutive shots, and then went on to record a fierce double-double with a game-high 10 rebounds. Still trying to find a consistency in his game, this effort was clearly his best of the season.
“I always work my hardest, but I haven’t been in a very good mood lately,” he said. “I’ve been stressing about football (he has visited Idaho State and plans to visit Eastern Washington this month) and I’ve been frustrated about not playing as well as I should. But this was better.”
Devonte Luckett struck for 19 points, also a season high, and was a sharp-shooter alongside Trimble, connecting on 9 of 15 shots. LeVonte Allen kicked in 10 points and six rebounds.
Davis' Devonte Luckett drives past Richland's Casey Malone during Friday's game.||ANDY SAWYER/Yakima Herald-Republic
“We’re getting our offensive rotations settled and we’re getting more diverse,” noted Davis coach Eli Juarez. “David showed what kind of player he is tonight and he’s still probably only 85 percent. Devonte was strong, and it was nice to see Cooper’s game — that was well deserved.”
While the offensive numbers surpassed anything the Pirates had done in their previous 11 games, the same could be said of the defensive effort. Giving up five 3-pointers and 42 points in the first half was a sour result, but the Pirates did buckle down in the second half allowing 29 points and one trey in the waning moments of the game.
“Richland’s a good team — they always are — but we shouldn’t need 90 points to win a game,” Kupp said. “At halftime you look up and see 42 points, we shouldn’t be giving up that much. I tell the guys that’s the part of the game we always have to work on.”
Richland’s fourth 3-pointer of the first half put the Bombers up 32-31 in the second quarter, but Davis responded by scoring on six straight possessions for a 12-2 run. Both Deion Wright and Nikhil Lizotte came off the bench to hit 3-pointers in a blistering second period that saw the Pirates hit 14 of 18 shots.
“We were moving the ball around, finding the open man and hitting our shots,” Trimble said. “The offense was good, but our defense … well, it was better in the second half.”
Davis (5-0, 10-2) will conclude the first half of conference play tonight at home against Wenatchee.
RICHLAND — Fuller 0, Tyrell Turner 17, Adam Baker 17, Hilty 5, Radliff 7, Eiden 2, Streufert 5, Colter Quick 11, Malone 2, Wheeler 5. Totals 26-57 13-17 71.
DAVIS — Cooper Kupp 13, Navarro 8, Devonte Luckett 19, David Trimble 26, Wright 5, Perea-Vijarro 2, Lizotte 5, Jones 0, LeVonte Allen 10, Knox 0, Gasseling 2. Totals 39-61 7-13 90.
Richland 25 17 12 17 — 71
Davis 22 34 20 14 — 90
3-point goals: Richland 6-19 (Turner 2-4, Baker 2-5, Radliff 1-5, Hilty 1-2), Davis 5-10 (Navarro 2-4, Trimble 1-1, Wright 1-2, Lizotte 1-2). Rebounds: Richland 29 (Streufert 8, Radliff 6), Davis 31 (Kupp 10, Allen 6). Turnovers: Richland 24, Davis 19. Total fouls: Richland 17, Davis 19. Fouled out: None.
End of CBBN looming
January 12, 2012 by Scott Spruill
The Columbia Basin Big Nine Conference is on life support, and if a significant change in conciliatory thinking doesn’t happen next week the plug will get pulled.
The seven schools in the Tri-Cities plus Walla Walla don’t want any part of the CBBN any more — except for non-league scheduling considerations — and apparently are prepared to secede from the 15-team conference. District superintendents from Richland, Kennewick, Pasco and Walla Walla held a conference call with WIAA Executive Director Mike Colbrese on Thursday to discuss exactly that.
So can anything be done to save the league? The ostracized remnants of the CBBN, including Davis, Eisenhower, West Valley and Sunnyside, hope so. But that hope has dwindled to the outcome of a superintendents meeting to discuss the issue in Yakima next Tuesday.
Athletic directors convened this week for a regularly scheduled meeting and the sense is a split is imminent.
“My feeling is not a positive one,” said Davis athletic director Bob Stanley. “We’re holding out hope the league can come back to the table and work this out, but the sense is the South has made up its mind.”
When CBBN principals voted last month to switch divisions from Class 4A-3A to North-South — a vote that was 8-7 and split exactly along the proposed geographical divisions — the South ignored conference by-laws on two points.
First, any amendment requires a super-majority (12 votes). The North’s appeal on that procedural issue was upheld on Tuesday by the YVIAA.
Second, the by-laws specifically state “there will be no consideration for a North-South geographical division” and call for “an effort to equally balance travel across the league.”
And that’s the crux of the matter: The South wants to reduce its travel costs and doesn’t give a hoot about what the North gets saddled with. In a far-flung league that agreed to work together to share such burdens as transportation and students’ time away from class, one group is throwing the other under the bus.
If there’s to be two separate leagues — a plan that needs to be settled by the WIAA’s Executive Board meeting on Jan. 22-23 — then more issues are in play. Most notably, how many schools would be in the North?
The five 4A schools are Eisenhower, Davis, Wenatchee, Eastmont and Moses Lake. West Valley has held off on declaring its opt-up from 2A to 3A to see what happens with the CBBN, and Sunnyside has been adamant about staying closely tied to the other 3A schools in the Tri-Cities.
Whatever the number of schools, you might ask what the logic is behind the North resisting the South’s power play? The North either agrees to the new divisions or finds itself in a new league with those same castaway schools.
But the uncomfortable fact is — regardless of whether the South intented such a consequence — who wants to feel like a second-class citizen leveraged into a direction you don’t want to go? Either a league works together as a whole, as the CBBN’s original charter dictates, or it’s not a league.
And that’s where we’re headed. Consider what Hanford principal Ken Gosney told the Tri-City Herald this week:
“There’s got to be North-South divisions,” he said. “If (the split) is turned down, I feel the only option is to look at an entirely new league.”
Associated Press’ first prep poll of the season
January 11, 2012 by Scott Spruill
BOYS
Class 4A
School Record Points Last Week
1. Bellarmine Prep (8) 10-1 88 -
2. Davis 9-2 81 -
3. Skyline 10-3 71 -
4. Lewis and Clark 8-2 53 -
5. Union 9-3 46 -
6. Mt. Rainier 9-4 37 -
7. Garfield 8-3 36 -
8. Snohomish (1) 10-2 33 -
9. Curtis 10-4 22 -
10. Redmond 10-3 19 -
Others receiving votes: Gonzaga Prep 6. Issaquah 2. Evergreen (Vancouver) 1.
Class 3A
School Record Points Last Week
1. Rainier Beach (9) 12-0 90 -
2. Lincoln 10-1 77 -
3. Kamiakin 11-0 76 -
4. Mountlake Terrace 13-0 60 -
5. Seattle Prep 10-2 52 -
6. University 7-3 34 -
7. Sammamish 10-2 28 -
8. Foss 9-1 23 -
T9. Columbia River 10-2 14 -
T9. Lakes 5-5 14 -
Others receiving votes: Franklin 12. Bellevue 6. Lake Washington 5. Mercer Island 2. Wilson, 1. Shadle Park 1.
Class 2A
School Record Points Last Week
1. Clover Park (7) 10-2 88 -
2. Squalicum (2) 10-1 83 -
3. Lynden 10-2 71 -
4. Pullman 11-1 64 -
5. Ellensburg 8-1 39 -
6. Sumner 11-2 38 -
7. Sehome 9-3 33 -
8. Kingston 10-3 17 -
9. West Valley (Spokane) 9-1 14 -
10. River Ridge 7-5 11 -
Others receiving votes: Port Angeles 8. Burlington-Edison 7. Mark Morris 7. North Thurston 6. White River 6. Toppenish 1. Chehalis 1. Washougal 1.
Class 1A
School Points Last Week
1. Granger (8) 80 -
2. Bellevue Christian 70 -
3. Naches Valley 63 -
4. Lynden Christian 44 -
5. Cashmere 43 -
6. King’s 41 -
T7. Okanogan 20 -
T7. Toledo 20 -
9. Seattle Christian 19 -
10. Zillah 16 -
Others receiving votes: Life Christian Academy 7. Newport 6. Cascade Christian 5. Chimacum 3. Montesano 2. Onalaska 1.
Class 2B
School Points Last Week
1. Northwest Christian (Colbert) (5) 50 -
2. Adna 41 -
3. Bear Creek School 36 -
4. White Swan 31 -
5. Dayton 27 -
6. LaConner 26 -
7. Toutle Lake 14 -
8. Davenport 13 -
9. Colfax 11 -
10. Wahkiakum 10 -
Others receiving votes: Raymond 6. South Bend 5. Riverside Christian 3. Lake Roosevelt 2.
Class 1B
School Points Last Week
1. Colton (3) 48 -
2. Almira Coulee-Hartline (2) 47 -
3. Valley Christian 32 -
4. Moses Lake Christian Academy 27 -
5. Sunnyside Christian 25 -
Others receiving votes: Mt. Rainier Lutheran 8. Northport 7. Lummi 6.
GIRLS
Class 4A
School Record Points Last Week
1. Central Valley (9) 10-0 90 -
2. Mt. Rainier 13-0 81 -
3. Lake Stevens 12-0 70 -
4. Woodinville 10-1 62 -
5. Stanwood 11-1 51 -
6. Jackson 11-2 38 -
7. Skyview 9-2 37 -
8. Emerald Ridge 11-1 33 -
9. Auburn Riverside 10-1 20 -
10. Gonzaga Prep 8-2 6 -
Others receiving votes: Bellarmine Prep 3. Federal Way 3. Lewis and Clark 1.
Class 3A
School Record Points Last Week
1. Prairie (8) 11-1 89 -
2. Kamiakin (1) 11-0 82 -
T3. Cleveland 10-1 58 -
T3. Auburn Mountainview 11-3 58 -
5. Holy Names 8-1 51 -
6. Wilson, Woodrow 8-2 48 -
7. University 7-3 44 -
8. Seattle Prep 9-3 27 -
9. Juanita 10-2 16 -
10. Shorecrest 9-2 9 -
Others receiving votes: Lakes 7. Shadle Park 3. Camas 2. Glacier Peak 1.
Class 2A
School Record Points Last Week
1. East Valley (Yakima) (7) 10-0 78 -
2. White River 11-1 77 -
3. Clarkston 9-1 71 -
4. Chehalis (1) 11-1 65 -
5. Burlington-Edison 10-2 55 -
6. Lynden 9-3 36 -
7. Wapato 9-0 33 -
8. River Ridge 8-4 24 -
9. Sehome 9-3 19 -
10. Black Hills 9-3 14 -
Others receiving votes: West Valley (Spokane) 10. Mark Morris 6. Archbishop Murphy 3. North Thurston 2. Cheney 1. Mount Baker 1.
Class 1A
School Points Last Week
1. Freeman (8) 80 -
2. Cashmere 71 -
3. Cascade Christian 61 -
4. La Salle 52 -
5. King’s 47 -
6. Elma 40 -
7. Castle Rock 34 -
8. Granger 26 -
9. Okanogan 13 -
T10.Stevenson 4 -
T10.Bellevue Christian 4 -
Others receiving votes: Cedar Park Christian 3. Onalaska 2. Newport 2. Connell 1.
Class 2B
School Points Last Week
1. Reardan (5) 50 -
2. Napavine 39 -
3. Brewster 37 -
4. Adna 34 -
5. Northwest Christian (Colbert) 24 -
T6. Lake Roosevelt 20 -
T6. White Swan 20 -
8. North Beach 17 -
9. Colfax 14 -
10. Pe Ell 9 -
Others receiving votes: Toutle Lake 4. LaConner 3. Waitsburg-Prescott 2. Riverside Christian 1. Bear Creek 1.
Class 1B
School Points Last Week
1. Colton (5) 50 -
2. Sunnyside Christian 44 -
3. Columbia (Hunters) 39 -
4. Almira Coulee-Hartline 27 -
5. Rosalia 18 -
Others receiving votes: Moses Lake Christian 16. Neah Bay 6.
