From the Sidelines

The 1A State basketball brackets have been posted on www.wiaa.com.

All games are in the Yakima SunDome

March 3:

Vashon boys v Chelan 9 p.m.

Vashon girls v Granger 12:30 p.m.

All teams play Mar. 3 & 4 in the double-elimination tournament.

The celebration begins. Kiki Means, Elisa Wendt with ball she stole to seal the win, Charlotte Kehoe and Kelly Costello react at the final buzzer.

The Pirate girls are going to State. Vashon’s girls beat Cascade Christian today for the sixth and last seed to the 1A State Basketball Tournament.

The Pirates took the lead for good on Kiki Means’ two free throws to break a 40-40 tie with 11 seconds left. Vashon got the ball with 42 seconds left. As the 30-second shot clock wound down, Means tried to move into position for a clear shot. As the shot clock ticked down to one second Means tried to get the shot off and was fouled.

She stepped to the free throw line and calmly sank her first shot. The Cougars called a time out but Means was not rattled. When the teams returned, she sank the second shot just as calmly as the first.

Cascade got the ball back and moved down the court but Elisa Wendt stole the ball with two seconds left and the Pirates had their ticket to the SunDome in Yakima.

It was anybody’s game until the Means’ free throws and Wendt’s steal. Vashon led at the end of each quarter, but the lead changed several times in the fourth quarter.

This was the fourth meeting of Pirates and Cougars. Each team won on its home court in the regular season. Vashon won the tie-breaker for seeding to playoffs on a neutral court.

State Tournament brackets should be posted on www.wiaa.com Sunday night or Monday. The tournament starts Wednesday, March 3.

Head coach Henry Porter, left, and assistant coaches Gary Means and Holly Zapel celebrate the win.

We did it! Coach Andy Sears at the final buzzer.

Vashon’s boys, at least, are going to State.

The Pirate boys basketball team beat Kings 54-46 in a game at Mountlake Terrace that finished just under three hours ago. Kings took the early lead but the Pirates came back to lead by seven at half time. Vashon stretched the lead to 10 at one point and Kings came within three late in the game.

I’ll try to get some photos and a little more info posted tomorrow before I leave for the girls last chance game. The girls play Cascade Christian at 3 p.m. tomorrow at Mountlake Terrace. Winner goes to State, loser turns in the uniforms and waits until next year.

Elias Weston makes it hard for Kings' Ryan Hoff to find a shot.

Saturday morning: I couldn’t find the game stats yet; see Wednesday’s Beachcomber for details.

Kings did a good job of shutting down John Gage in the first half. Gage got only limited playing time in the first half while the rest of the team showed Kings that one player is not the whole Pirate team. Vashon never trailed after taking the lead in the second quarter.

While Kings held Gage from the field, he was almost perfect, if not perfect, from the free throw line, and free throws by Gage and several others were critical in final two minutes.

Brackets for the 1A State Tournaments should be posted on www.wiaa.com by Monday.

Who's got the ball?

Despite yesterday’s loss to Lynden Christian, Vashon’s girls still have one more chance to make it to State basketball.

Lynden Christian was clearly the better team yesterday, no reflection on the way our girls played.

The Pirates have beaten Cascade Christian, tomorrow’s opponent, two out of three this season. Let’s hope the Pirate team that showed up at home and on a neutral court shows up tomorrow and not the one that played at Cascade Christian.

The game is at 3 p.m.

A big cheering section will be a big help. Our Pirate girls have not always had the support the boys have had. We need to be there to counter the Cougar fans who will follow their team.

Kelly Costello opened the second quarter with a steal and a layup for two points.

Vashon boys play Kings today, winner goes to State, loser has to play again tomorrow at 1 p.m. for the final State berth. Kings will be out avenge their two-point loss to the Pirates earlier this season.

I’ve seen the Kings trophy case. I don’t think they display anything less than second place at State in any sport.

Neither team today wants to be the lowest seed to State.

The Pirate boys will probably have a large and vocal Green Tide cheering section for today’s game. If you’re going, remember that northbound traffic on I-5 can get bad, so allow plenty of time. Today is Friday and rush hour starts earlier. The 2:20 p.m. ferry may get you there on time for the 4:30 game, but I recommend the 1:50. While I realize Islanders have an aversion to arriving anywhere early, it’s better than missing the first quarter sitting in traffic by Northgate.

Take Exit 181A/Lynnwood, turn right then get in the left lane. The entrance to Mountlake Terrace HS is on the left, less than a mile from the freeway exit and easy to miss the first time there.

A busy month for the Pirates, with State Wrestling last weekend and basketball playoffs ongoing.

Sam Chapman, in yellow, and J.P. Martinez of Warden battle for the 112-pound state title.

Senior Sam Chapman, 112 pounds, led the Pirate grapplers with his second state championship and third medal finish. Three more Pirates of the seven state qualifers earned medals this year. Though Vashon finished 12th as a team, the first time out of the top-10 in years, It was a good showing in what was a re-building year.

Both boys and girls basketball teams rebounded from playoff losses to be one win away from State.

The girls crushed Bush Tuesday evening at home and the boys beat Seattle Academy last night. Now both teams have two chances to win one game and pack for Yakima.

Alex Wegner, 20, guards Seattle Academy's Adrian Brandon, 23.

Vashon’s girls play Lynden Christian today at 4:30 p.m. at Mountlake Terrace High School. The boys take on Kings tomorrow at the same gym. I’ve seen two times listed for tomorrow’s boys’ game. Double check the start time so you don’t miss the tipoff.

Today’s and tomorrow’s winners go to state. Losers have to play again Saturday for the final State slots.

To get to Mountlake Terrace, go north on I-5. Take Exit 181A/Lynnwood. Go right then stay in the left lane. The school will be on the left less than a mile from the exit. Watch closely because it’s easy to miss the turn the first time you go there.

Matt Amick drives to the basket after stealing the ball.

Allow plenty of time for the drive to Mountlake Terrace. Traffic on I-5 in North Seattle and South Snohomish County can get bogged down any time of day and especially during rush hour, which is anytime after 2 p.m.

Also, parking at the school may be tight because of earlier playoff games.

John Gage rejects a shot by Seattle Academy's Adrian Brandon.

Because this a playoff game season passes and Nisqually League passes will not be accepted.

Will our favorite island be deserted on Saturday?

Pirate fans, at least, will probably be hard to find. Friday and Saturday is Mat Classic, the WIAA State Wrestling tournament, and Vashon’s large and knowlegable wrestling community will spend much of the two days at the Tacoma Dome cheering for the five Pirate boys and two girls representing Vashon High School. Several of the wrestlers have a legitimate chance to make it to the championship finals Saturday evening.

Basketball fans will most likely head to Orting Saturday afternoon to watch both boy and girl Pirates play for top seed to Tri-District. The girls play Seattle Christian and the boys take on Cascade Christian. Win or lose, both Vashon teams have assured themselves a trip to Tri-District, but both teams would like to grab the top seed.

So if the Island seems a little quieter Saturday, wait until the last ferry from Tacoma lands. It should be filled with cheering fans and tired but happy Pirates.

The Pirates are on a roll. Tuesday the Vashon boys and girls took care of Life Christian in their final regular season game.

The boys started off with a 87-52 drubbing of the Eagles. It was senior night and a cameraman from KING5 was there taping a feature on Pirate senior John Gage. By the third quarter it was obvious that reserves would be playing most of the rest of the game, and by early in the fourth period the cameraman put his gear away.

Gage scored 19 points and put on a good show, with several huge blocked shots on the defensive end of the court.

Alex Wegner led the Pirates with 21 and Matt Kerns had 16 as Vashon put on a three-point clinic in the first half.

Christian Paige led the visitors with 21, the only Eagle to hit double figures.

Jesse Hazzard drives for the hoop as the Pirate reserves played most of the fourth quarter.

The Pirate girls’ game was almost a laugher. Once they found the range, the Vashon girls out-scored the visitors 20-2 in the first quarter and 20-1 in the second quarter. The final score was 56-8.

Three Pirates, Kelly Costello with 18 points, and Cat Amick and Elisa Wendt with 8 each, individually equalled or surpassed the entire Eagles team.

As with the boys, reserves played most of the second half. Coach Henry Porter put the four senior starters back in the fourth quarter for a short time so they could receive an ovation from the fans.

Marya Munsey carries the ball past Life Christian's Rachel Goodman.

Vashon’s girls continued the momentum last night, Feb. 17, with a tie-breaker win over Cascade Christian, 55-26, giving the Pirates second place in the Nisqually League.

Costello led the Pirates with 21 points.

The win takes the Pirates to a Saturday game with league champion Seattle Christian for first and second seeding to the Tri-District Tournament.

The Vashon boys play Cascade Christian on Saturday, also for first or second seed to Tri-District. The Pirates and Cougars tied for the league championship.

Saturday’s games are at Orting; boys at 5 p.m., girls at 7 p.m.

Both Pirate girl wrestlers and five boys are going to the Tacoma Dome next weekend.

Madeline Wolczko took third place at 119 pounds and Iris Spring fourth at 125 at the girls all-division Regional Tournament at Emerald Ridge earlier today. The top six girls in each weight class qualified for state.

Word from the boys 1A Regional at Bellevue Christian is that Sam Chapman, Dom Stemer, Elliot Ellingsen, Geran Webb and Vince Jovanovich qualified for state. The top three boys advanced to state.

Both Spring and Wolczko earned byes in the first round by virtue of their first-place finishes at last week’s sub-regional.

Wolczko assured her place at state with a pin of Kentridge’s Taylor in her first match. Wolczko lost in overtime to Cassidy Meyers of Kentwood, dropping her into the consolation round. A 6-4 overtime decision over Federal Way’s Maria Manzueta put Wolczko into the final for third and fourth place, once again to meet Lee.

But Lee, having a first-round match and dropping to the consolation round earlier, had already wrestled her maximum allowed five bouts for the day and Wolczko was declared the third-place winner by default.

Madeline Wolczko, right, has Taylor Lee all tied up in their quarter-final match.

Spring Took a 14-2 major decision Marissa O’Neil of Rogers in her quarterfinal to qualify for state then lost 10-5 to Jennifer Anderson of host school Emerald Ridge in the semi-final.

Spring’s consolation semi-final was a rematch with the girl she beat for the sub-regional title last Saturday, Patricia Costello, North Mason. The result was the same, with Spring winning a 11-1 major decision.

The third-fourth-place final saw Spring and O’Neil matched up again. Spring was ahead 11-0 with less than a minute to go when O’Neil turned her on her back for a pin.

Iris Spring works over Jennifer Meyers in the semi-final match.

The wrestlers are scheduled to practice at the Tacoma Dome on Thursday, then begin State competition Friday, with finals Saturday afternoon.

I see by the morning paper that the Indianapolis Colts are 7-1 favorites to win Super Bowl XLV. This two days after those same Colts, predicted by almost everybody to win SB XLIV, lost 31-17 to a New Orleans Saints team that had never been to the big game in 42 years of existence.

Even before the Colts have had time to review the game films, we already know they are even going to make it to the Super Bowl next year? And the Saints are only 9-1 to repeat, behind a San Diego team that didn’t even get there this year?

Well, people who get paid a lot more than I do know these things. I hope they get paid enough that they can afford to lose bets backing up their knowledge.

Personally, I would rather see the games played and find out who wins when the final whistle sounds. That is the way I grew up watching sports.

Even when I used to forecast the season’s results for Pirate teams, I would always include a disclaimer, that the predictions were for fun only and any use of them for other than entertainment was at the user’s risk. Even so, one coach told his players not to talk to me after I predicted that the team would win two games. After the season, I had to apologize for my inaccuracy. The team won only one game.

Maybe I’ll put my money on the Seahawks to win Super Bowl XLV. I haven’t found an “expert” to back me, but the odds should be long enough that if a miracle should happen I could afford to laugh all the way to the bank.

McMurray wrestling is strong on the mat but thin in numbers against some of the much larger schools in their league.

Last night the Mustangs won five of six matches on the mat by pin, but had to forfeit the majority of weights to a Mountain View (Bremerton) squad that brought about 60 grapplers to the Island.

Zhenya Bergman, McM, got the actual wrestling started with a pin of Michael Brown in the 117-pound match.

McMurray's Zhenya Bergman concentrates near the end of his match with Michael Brown of Mountain View.

Ian Mattingly followed with a pin of Jeremy Gonzales in the 137-pound match and Preston Morris did the same for Paul Castille at 164.

Ian Mattingly turns Jeremy Gonzales in the 137-pound match.

Shane Armstrong made quick work of Keith Fife, putting the Mountain View wrestler on his back in 15 seconds.

The heavyweight match looked almost like a comic mismatch. Mustang Joey DeFabio was nearly a foot shorter than his Mountain View opponent, Ralph Lawrence. But DeFabio didn’t seemed fazed.

The wrestlers shook hands, the referee blew the whistle, and Lawrence was looking at the rafters in the McMurray gym. Only 12 seconds had elapsed by the time the referee signalled that DeFabio had won by a pin.

Afterward one of the Mustang coaches said that Defabio had done “exactly what he was told.”

Preston Morris, back, works Paul Castille into position for a pin in the 164-pound match.