Vashon 34, Orting 14 !!!!!

Cascade Christian 34, Chimacum 6.

Next week: Cedar Park Christian @ Vashon, Cascade Christian v Orting.

Thursday, Nov. 5: Vashon @ Cascade Christian. At the very least, the Pirates should tie for first place if they beat the Cougars.

I didn’t get to the game, just saw the result on Ch. 13’s game of the week. They showed Nathan Betz running for two TDs and Nick Fox-Edele running back an interception for another.

Lena deGuzman gives her all.

The Pirate girls cranked out another win yesterday, 5-2 over an improved Cascade Christian team.

Cat Amick and Teal Sigler worked their usual magic, accounting for all the Vashon scores. Amick scored in the sixth, ninth, and 25th minutes, all on assists from Sigler. Sigler had an unassisted goal in the 27th minute.

Jensen Berry snuck in an unassisted goal for the visiting Cougars in the 35th minute to make it 4-1 at the half.

The second half clock had barely started when Amick took a cross from Carlyle Scott for the Pirates fifth goal.

Melissa Short got another goal for the Cougars in the 56th minute. Blaykne Pederson got the assist.

Once again, Coach Paul Beytebiere rested most of the starters and every girl who dressed for the game got significant playing time.

Alex Wall beats two Cougars late in the game.

The JV Pirates set the standard with a 7-0 win in the first game last night.

Sammy Clements opened the scoring with an assist from Taylor Knowles in the 15th minute. Marielee Storms scored on a play that started with a corner kick from Taylor Hernandez in the 18th minute. Hernandez banked the ball off a defender for a 38th-minute score.

Clements converted another Hernandez corner kick in the 42nd minute. Anna Osborne followed less than a minute later with Paige Allison getting the assist. Katelyn Carter, in the 45th minute, and Osborne, in the 65th minute, scored unassisted.

Goal keepers Larissa Kuhns, first half, and Knowles, second half, with a lot of support from the Vashon defense, earned the shutout.

Defenders often don’t get mentioned because they don’t score, but the best keepers can’t do the job without them. Ella McConnell, Kiely Bernheisel, Emmie Kehoe, Allison and Kuhns were solid for the Pirates JV yesterday.

Charles Wright beat Life Christian yesterday, stopping Vashon’s chance to move up to third place, but the Pirates will still be up for Tuesday’s game against the Tarriers. It is Senior Night, honoring Vashon’s 12 graduating seniors. Vashon is looking to avenge their earlier overtime loss to the Tarriers. And any victory over any Charles Wright team is especially sweet.

Vashon starts the playoffs next Thursday, Oct. 29, with a play-in game at Port Townsend. Kick-off is 1 p.m.

Todd Gateman, far left, controls the flames as he and the rest of the crew prepare the popular after-game barbeque.

CROSS COUNTRY: Congratulations to the Vashon XC runners. The boys team took third at the Nisqually League combined 1A and 2A meet yesterday, beating all the 2A teams. Tylor Heit took fifth overall and Aidan Cyra flew to another PR for 14th. The rest of the Pirate boys were Colin Andrus 20, Cole Grabow 24, Ramsey Walker 26, Kense Parker 52 and Max Johnson 54.

In the girls’ race Savannah Krug was second in 1A, fourth overall. Kate Straube was sixth in 1A and Peri Roberts was 10th. I haven’t heard why the Pirates didn’t have a full team.

Now the Pirates have eight days to get ready for the Tri-District meet Oct. 31 at American Lake Golf Course, the State qualifier.

VOLLEYBALL: I just heard that Vashon’s volleyball win over Orting on Wednesday put the Pirates in the playoffs. If this is right it is a well-deserved honor for this team that has been steadily improving and has had some incredible bad luck recently in close matches.

Last night the Vashon soccer girls completed a clean sweep of Chimacum teams and earned themselves a spot in the playoffs.

With a 9-1 win over the Cowboy girls the Pirates completed what started last Monday, Oct. 12, with the varsity and JV volleyball teams both winning 3-0. On Friday, as everybody knows, Pirate football out-splashed the Cowboys 27-6 and on Monday the JV gridders won 44-6.

Soccer night started with the Pirate JV winning 7-1 in an unofficial contest between small sides. Chimacum only had six JV players plus two borrowed from their varsity for half the game.

Pirate backup goalkeeper Katelyn Carter offered to be keeper for Chimacum for the first half and the teams played eight-a-side. In the second half Carter came back to the Pirates and the game continued with six-a-side.

Samantha Clements made four goals for the Pirates, Taylor Hernandez had two and Marielee Storms had one.

In the varsity game Catherine Amick, known as Cat, redefined the term “hat trick” into “Cat trick” when she scored her first three goals before seven minutes had ticked off the clock.

Amick scored on assists from Teal Sigler in the third and fourth minutes after Sigler had softened the Cowboy defense with a few quick shots. Then in the sixth minute Carlyle Scott sent one of her patented crosses for Amick to head in.

Sigler got an unassisted goal in the 21st minute and another in the 26th from another Scott cross.

Pirate fans come in all shapes and sizes.

After Coach Paul Beytebiere sat many of the starters Olivia Andrus scored unassisted in the 33rd minute. Sarah Browning got an unassisted goal for the Cowboys in the 35th minute.

Andrus answered in the 39th minute with the assist going to Bailey Protzellor.

Most of the Vashon seniors rested in the second half.

Amick added her fourth goal in the 52nd minute, again with an assist from Sigler. And Sigler completed her own hat trick in the 56th minute with another assist from Scott.

The win assured the Pirates of no less than a fourth-place finish in the Nisqually League. Going in to last night’s game the Cowboys were the only team that could have overtaken the Pirates for fourth.

Orting and Charles Wright tied 2-2 last night. If Life Christian should pull off a huge upset over the Tarriers tomorrow and Vashon beats Cascade Christian, next Tuesday’s home game with the Tarriers could be for third place.

The Pirates thank their fans after the game, a Vashon tradition both at home and on the road.

A bunch of runners went out in this morning’s deluge to run the D2D, 13.5 miles from Tahlequah to the north end. All islanders are accustomed to running for the ferry, but these guys take it to extremes. I wish I could have joined them.

Here is the account from coaches Kevin Ross and Laura Johnson, along with results and a photo of the start:

Greetings to all,

Hope you have had a chance to dry out from our torrential rainfall this morning! Thanks to all for coming out and running in the D2D half marathon event, and supporting the Vashon High School Cross Country program. If you know any e-mail addresses for people who may have missed this e-mail, please forward to them. All the community participants were all appreciated for their efforts today. As usual, Next year we will keep this low key, loose and fun for everyone.

Attached are the 13.5 mile finishers and times. (if you may have missed your goal time, there is always next year   and a photo from the start at Tahlequah.

The Cross Country Coaches,

Coach Ross

Coach Johnson

D2D HALF MARATHON FINISHERS SHEET

Bruce Cyra-  1:31.55

John Payne – 1:42.05

Cole Grabow -1:45.33

Aidan Cyra** -2:02 (ended at north end fire station)

Colin Andrus**- 2:02 (ended at north end fire station)

Kevin Kim-Murphy- 2:05.15

David Weller- 2:07.44

Kenese parker- 2:10

David Wells- 2:17.15

Jason Everett- 2:18.05

Oriana Futrell- 2:22.37

Jim Cross- 2:30.17

Chris Bingham- 2:30.32

Nan Wilson- ran 16 miles

Bob Cannell- finished

Distance: 13.5 miles

Weather: Waterfall like conditions!!!

The Pirates won the homecoming football game/rain festival. The rain alternating from deluge to merely downpour.

For the first quarter it looked as if the weather conditions might even the game, but the Pirates dominated over Chimacum 27-6.

The water was definitely a factor. An extra point for each team and two field goal attempts for the Pirates went awry. Fumbles were abundant, hurting the Cowboys much more than Vashon.

After observing the swift current on the facility formerly known as a track, a school board member proposed adding white water rafting as a varsity sport. And a teacher put in her bid for surfing. It would undoubtedly cost much less than building a useable track and satisfy those taxpayers who think if it was good enough for grandpa it is good enough for our kids, even if it isn’t safe to use anymore.

The win puts Vashon alone in third place in the Nisqually League with three wins and a loss. Orting beat Port Townsend to stay in first with a 4-0 league record. Barring the apocalypse, Cascade Christian will beat Life Christian today to stay tied for first.

Vashon travels to Orting next Friday for a crucial game. Then it’s home against Cedar Park Christian. The final regular-season game is Thursday, Nov. 5 at Cascade Christian. Depending on the results of Vashon v Orting and Orting v Cascade, that final game could be for the league title. At the very least it will affect playoff seeding.

Try to make the trip to Orting next Friday, if only to get a look at their new stadium. It has covered stands, accessible restrooms near the stands and a new concession stand. And a synthetic turf field and a state of the art track.

As I write this the cross country runners and some community supporters are making their way from Tahlequah to the north end ferry dock in the Ferry-to-Ferry relay/half marathon. At least the final leg is all downstream.

The Pirate girls ended a three-game skid with a 7-0 shutout over Life Christian yesterday. The girls can now finish the soccer regular-season schedule with three games at home.

Bailey Protzellor, in green, challenges a Life Christian player.

Teal Sigler opened the scoring in the fifth minute with an assist from Bailey Protzellor. Four minutes later Sigler fed the ball to Cat Amick to make it 2-0.

I hope somebody got a good video of the third goal, in the 12th minute. Lena deGuzman popped a long pass to Carlyle Scott, waiting on the left wing. Scott sent one of her patented crosses to the far post where Sigler was waiting to leap in the air and head-flick the ball into the back of the net.

Olivia Andrus made it 4-0 with an assist from Scott in the 38th minute.

In the second half Scott twice came up the left side and cut in to beat the Eagles’ keeper one-on-one, in the 43rd and 76th minutes. In between, in the 61st minute, deGuzman got the ball from Marya Munsey and went through the middle for another goal.

The Pirates host Chimacum on Tuesday, Oct. 20, and Cascade Christian Thursday, Oct. 22. The regular season ends Oct. 27 with arch-rival Charles Wright. The Pirates will be looking to avenge an earlier overtime loss to the Tarriers in a game that should determine playoff seedings for both teams.

Boys tennis was at Charles Wright for the first day of the Nisqually League Tournament and cross country went to Fort Steilacoom for the final regular-season meet. Tennis finishes the tournament today, weather permitting.

Tylor Heit took fourth overall in the XC meet and Aidan Cyra was 10th. Both should have a good chance to make it to state according to Coach Kevin Ross. Cole Grabow finished 19th.

Coach Ross is very optimistic about the boys team chances in the upcoming league (Oct. 22) and district (Oct 31) meets.

On the girls side top Vashon finishers were Savannah Krug seventh and Leigh Sheridan 12th.

Final item: Homecoming football game tonight against Chimacum. It should be a good game. Should I have the traditional Booster Burger smothered in grilled onions or opt for the highly recommended Pirate Potato?

Kickoff is 7 p.m. Wear your wet weather gear.

Just got word that Paul Wallrof’s grandson, Matt Overton, is the long snapper for the Orlando Tuskers of the UFL. The Tuskers beat the Las Vegas Locomotives last night and are 2-0 on the season.

UFL games are carried on Versus, Comcast channel 34 and 626HD. Orlando’s next game is next Thursday.

The Pirate JV soccer team rode with the volleyball team again, this time to Cascade Christian in Puyallup.

About the time the school bus was driving off the ferry at Point Defiance a tree fell in Puyallup. There was no question whether this one was heard, It knocked out electric power to much of Puyallup, including Cascade Christian School. Without power in the gym, the volleyball match couldn’t be played, but the Cougar AD kept the home team there and graciously provided a classroom with windows for the Pirates to stay dry and work on homework.

Meanwhile, outside on the soccer field, the Pirate JV overpowered an inexperienced Cougar JV. Taylor Hernandez (3), Samantha Clements (3), Katelyn Carter, Anna Osborne (PK), Marielee Storms, Paige Allison, Taylor Knowles and Kiely Bernheisel all tallied for Vashon. Emma Lodes and Hernandez each got two assists.

Knowles and Clements shared goal keeper duty.

The Cougars planned to start the varsity volleyball match if the power came on before the soccer game was over. Their players were released to go home with five minutes to go in the game and the lights finally came on just about at the final whistle.

The volleyball match will be rescheduled.

Vashon’s soccer girls got a look at Orting’s brand new stadium yesterday. The consensus was field-great, final varsity score-not so great, JV score-great.

Both games on the synthetic turf ended 4-2. The Pirate JV remained undefeated with another win. The varsity played catch-up and finished on the short end of the score.

Anna Osborne races past an Orting defender in the JV game.

The JV Pirates quickly took advantage of a disorganized Cardinal defense with two goals in the first three minutes. Michaela Beytebiere finished the first goal from about one foot on a pass from Taylor Hernandez. Moments later Samantha Clements curved a cross into an open net.

Orting came back in the 12th and 16th minutes with goals by Rachel Peters and Kim Loftus.

Clements put Vashon ahead for good with an assist from Marya Munsey in the 33rd minute. Megan Hackett opened the second half with a quick goal. Bailey Protzellor got the assist.

Acacia Johnson used her blinding speed to almost single-handedly beat the Vashon varsity. Johnson scored unassisted in the fifth minute, then repeated in the 19th with an assist from DaniRae Edwards.

Teal Sigler got one back for the Pirates with a penalty kick after she was taken down in the penalty area in the 36th minute.

Johnson added another unassisted goal for Orting in the 37th minute.

Audry Wilson got one more for the Cardinals in the second half, and Sigler tallied for the Pirates with an assist from Cat Amick in the 76th minute.

The view from Orting's new stadium has to be the best in the Nisqually League, if not the state.

Although I’m probably preaching to the choir, Vashon fans who follow the football team to Orting next week should take a close look at the new facility.

After years of enduring a facility comparable to Vashon’s, Orting built a brand new middle school and included a new stadium and track. The Cardinals can now hold home track meets again, leaving Vashon and Chimacum the only schools in the league with unusable tracks.

The new Orting facility includes covered stands with bleachers on the other side, a concession stand and accessible restrooms near the main stands.

Are our student-athletes, and their fans, worth less than those at Orting?