Area High Schools Enter the Field of Play this Week

The Toledo Cheer Squad pulls out the tradional banner during a football game in 2008.

With the beginning of school, also starts a season where coaches start sorting out the damage done by graduation on the field of play. While the first football games started last Friday, Volleyball, Soccer and Cross Country all start this week and next in our local high schools.

While Napavine dominated the local sports scene with powerful football (state champions), basketball and baseball (3rd place in state) teams, it looks like an exciting year for Onalaska with many exciting athletes returning to all sports.

The Napavine Football team is well positioned to make another run at state under the leadership of Head Coach Josh Fey.

In football, the Tigers won the 2B state championship in 2008 with a unit that developed as a smooth, effective operation through the season. They replace a few athletes, but return most of their skill players. Onalaska has perhaps the most exciting athlete in the area in Dalton Richey. With a couple of receivers developing, Onalaska could dominate the local 1A scene. Winlock takes on a dark-horse status after a two-win season with a young team barely affected by graduation and a couple of new athletes added to the campus. Toledo returns one of the best passers in the person of Andrew Blair, to grace area football fields in recent history. Expect the Indians to play total team ball and compete for a spot to state. Toutle Lake may be in a rebuilding year after graduating many great athletes, but expect Castle Rock to field a solid team despite the loss the great Zach Gehring and Kyle Karnofski among many others.

Onalaska Volleyball Coach Susan Gordon has a bevy of returning talent in the Lady Logger athletic program.

The Lady Loggers look to compete very well with Toledo on the Volleyball court as both schools bring back athletes and coaches in very proud programs. Other volleyball programs to watch include 2008 State Runner-up Castle Rock. Even with the graduation of five seniors off the 2008 team, the pipeline of talent will continue.

Olanlaska takes pride in not only its ability to field a competetive team, but host large meets like this one last fall.

Onalaska Cross Country will also bring back huge numbers of harriers to compete at the district level.

Rock-On and Castle Rock split two classic battles in 2008. Rock-On went on to State, could 2009 be the year for a rapidly developing CR program?

Count on three very good soccer programs from Castle Rock, Rock-On (a combined group from Onalaska and Napavine) and Toledo-Winlock United to battle for local supremacy.

Yes, it is that time of year; Entire communities come out to support their local student-athletes on the field of play and old rivalries are renewed with a new generation of athletes and fans.

Area Fastpitch back for Another Year of Domination

Last Spring just like baseball, District 4 fastpitch dominated the bracket with three out of the top four finishers. It was Montesano that defeated Castle Rock 3-0 in the final. Montesano had to climb over La Center in the semi-finals and Onalaska had a first round win.

Onalaska's Amber Durand slaps at a pitch during last spring's District playoffs.

In fast pitch, most coaches will tell you it is all about pitching and the Lady Bulldogs have it. They bring back to pitchers from last years team. Mikayla Shumate and Devyn Baker that were 1st team all Evergreen. La Center returns Natasha Moore as well as Trico League first-teamers Mariah Dawson and Brooke Gaston.

Castle Rock has to be considered a favorite with the number of returning players. While they graduated Samantha Watkins, they return all but two of their all-district players from a team that went to the state championship.

Onalaska has big shoes to fill on the mound with the departure of Kaylie Stanley, but remember the plethora of athletes available to make the Loggers competitive. Kalie Ritchey, Amber Durand, and Sophomore Hailey Givens all return with Givens probably laying claim to a specific role rather than a utility position this season.

Toledo's Alyssa Gallow brings sure solid pitching to her team.

Toledo will bring back Hillary Roeder, Jolaina Crawford and Evergreen League 2nd team pitcher Alyssa Gallow for her senior year

Onalaska Wins District 4 1A Championship in the 4th Quarter

The Onalaska girls hold up the District IV trophy after a 55-30 victory over Toledo on Saturday night.

There is something about the number four that is working for the Onlalaska Lady Loggers of late. The fourth seed from the Evergreen Conference have earned improbable wins in the last four games with two wins over league champion Toledo, one over Trico League champion La Center and one over nemesis Rainier.

On Saturday night, the Loggers polished off Toledo for the second time inside of the last four weeks with a 25-6 4th quarter to win the SWWA 1A District Championship going away 55-38.

The Loggers have been very special lately; Making great comebacks and picking themselves up after falling on their face early in each game.

Saturday night was no exception as The Lady Indians were up by six points late in the second quarter after making a methodical 10-0 run and seemed on the verge of stomping any thoughts of another Ony upset.

Onalaska's Hailey Givens (#3 left) and Mandy Reynoldson (#23 right) double team Toledo's Haley Hellem.

“That was our talk at halftime when we were down 25-20,” said Logger Head Coach Doug Ashmore. “I told them that we needed to stay calm and play our game”. He then allowed the girls to suggest what they need to do and they suggested running their patented full-court press against one of the quickest teams in the District.

“Can you handle (the physicality) it” he asked them. His team’s reply was an emphatic yes.

“I listen to my girls and they knew what we needed to do, they know how to run our system. They did what they needed to do,” he continued as he watched his girls cutting down the nets.

The Lady Loggers outscored Toledo in the 3rd quarter to narrow the gap to 32-30 and in the 4th, the Toledo wheels came off.

With both teams consistently pressing, loose balls were the rule of the day. Here players from both teams scramble for the advantage of possessing the ball.

Indian sharpshooter Tiffany Tornow gathered in 6 points by bombing a three in both the 1st and 2 quarters. Largely though, Logger defender Samantha Gordon was tasked with keeping the lid on the Evergreen MVP candidate and she was very effective. Tornow’s last basket came with 5:32 to go in the 4th . She finished with just 8 points.

Meanwhile, Onalaska’s Amber Durand was everywhere. She hit four treys in the first quarter, but was largely shut down in the second as Toledo made a serious run. With 12 seconds to go in the 3rd, she began a personal tear that lasted three minutes into the 4th as she personally outscored the Indians 11-4. Meanwhile, Ony went on an 18-4 run until Toledo scored their last basket with 3:20 left in the game to bring the score to 46-38 in favor of the Loggers.

Durand completed the game with 29 points and the Loggers finished the game on a 9-0 run.

Mandy Reynoldson and and Kalie Richey finished with nine points a piece for Ony. Toledo had balanced scoring with Tornow at 8, Haley Hellem and Cadi Zion both at 7 points each.

Toledo held a huge advantage in rebounding, Haley Hellem the games leading rebounder at 9 grabs.



Both teams are headed to state this week, but Onalaska won't be the 4th seed from District 4 and may carry the title of the hottest team to enter the tournament.

Loggers 55 Indians 38

ONALASKA (55) Amber Durand 29, Mandy Reynoldson 9, Kalie Ritchey 9, Hailey Givens 4, Samantha Gordon 4, Sarah Barnes 0, Erin Wrzesinski 0, Regan Givens 0, Amie Working 0.

TOLEDO (38) Tiffany Tornow 8, Haley Hellem 7, Candi Zion 7, Ashlee Coffey 5, Brianna Vowtow 5, Brittany Hope 4, Lia Lucas 2, Sara Buswell 0, Lacey Scott 0, Nicole Ewers 0, Kelsey Stone 0.

Onalaska 14 6 10 25-55
Toledo 11 14 7 6-38

Kalama Shows Loggers the Door

When you are hot, you are just all that Kalama is now. After almost nipping powerhouse Winlock the Chinooks took care of Rainier and earned the right to face Onalaska, the number two seed from the Evergreen Conference.

Wearing the role of an underdog seems to suit the Chinooks as they defeated the Loggers 55-46 and qualified for the WIAA State Tournament in Yakima next week.

Onalaska came out hot with Ony’s Brady Stanley firing the opening salvo with a trey followed by a Jeff Swett bucket and two from Cody Nailon. Wham…Onalaska had a 9-0 lead half way through the first quarter.

A minute later, the Sanders and Walker show, Robbie Sanders and Brandon Walker to be more specific took the stage. Kalama, went on a 10-0 with the help of several Logger turnovers that allowed the Nooks to convert easy scores off transition. Walker scored 26 points while Walker added 22 in the entire game.

The two teams traded baskets in the 2nd quarter leading to a modest 28-27 advantage for Kalama.

Brandon Walker (#5) is pursued by Dustin Richey (#20) and challeneged by Eddie Miles (#22).

Kalama came out after half on a 7-0 run assisted by four missed shots and two turnovers by the Loggers. Ony Senior Eric Messal stopped the bleeding temporarily with five consecutive points, but the Nooks proceeded on a 11-2 scamper that lasted half way through the 4th quarter that broke the Logger’s back.

Early in the 3rd quarter, the quickness of Brandon Walker was on full display as he stole a pass and took it end to end for a lay-in. Seconds later after a missed shot, the Nooks broke a full court defense and scored another transition basket. Sanders athleticism was on display when he drove the length of the court, missed a contested lay-up, but retrieved his own rebound and scored without his feet ever hitting the ground.

Kalama's Matthew Pollock was a noticeable force as he gathered 11 rebounds to contribute to the winning cause.

Kalama big man Matt Pollock was a beast even with his modest 5 point scoring total. By evenings end, he had denied Onalaska, 11 rebounds.

The Loggers didn’t help themselves after shooting nearly 67 percent in the first half including 5-8 from three point range. In the second half, they felt the snow that would fall later as their shooting percentage fell to the low thirties and they went an abysmal 2-12 from behind the arc.

Kalama will play Ilwaco for the number 3 seed from District IV at 6:30pm at W.F. West High School in Chehalis.

LOGGERS (46)
Cody Naillon 12, Eddie Miles 8, Eric Messal 8, Dalton Richey 6, Jeff Swett 6, Brady Stanley 6, Nick Modica 0

CHINOOKS (55)
Brandon Walker 26, Robbie Sanders 22, Matthew Pollock 5, Jordan Wall 2, Ryan Chiodo 0, Jacob Neiman 0, Logan Nelson 0.

Onalaska 15 12 5 14 -46
Kalama 18 10 12 15-55

A Reporter's View of Local Success

Sometimes we take so much pride in our work, that we live vicariously through it. Such is the case for me this week. I watched the success of the six schools that I cover on for my local newspaper and I beamed with pride. So far, four of the schools that are on my beat (Castle Rock, Toledo, Onalaska and Winlock) have qualified teams for the 1A and 2B State Tournament. Two schools, Napavine and Toutle Lake are just one away. Napavine is almost certain to qualify their unbeaten and #1 ranked girls. The Napavine or Toutle Lake boys will get at least one of their teams into the elite 2B tournament in Spokane because their next game is against each other. The loser will be forced to play a “loser-out” game for one of the final spots in the state tournament. This week, I am in heaven as my local teams celebrate their success and I take pride in their success.

After all, it is my job, to support my local schools and their athletic teams. It is a professional responsibility!

Toutle Lake

Coach Larry Hoff meets with his team during a time out early this season.

The Toutle Lake girls scored a first round victory 39-29 over Naselle as Christian Carlson
scored 11 of her 19 points in the 2nd quarter to keep the Lady Ducks in the game. Their defense stepped up and held Naselle to just 9 points in the second half. Meanwhile the Lady Ducks erupted for 25. On Thurs. the Lady Ducks took on the top seed from the Pacific League and dealt them a 46-25 loss. The Ducks went on a 30 to 8 run during the middle quarters. Carlson scored 13 points while Kiana Saluni produced nine. The Lady Ducks are one win away from a state birth. The Toutle Lake girls will face North Beach on Wednesday, February 25th at 5:30pm at W.F. West.

The Toutle Lake boys feature (top left) Dan Schilter (#42), Chris Foster (#24), Jeff Campbell (#32), Brian Nash (#22), Cody O' Connor (#5),
Tyler Elam (#20), Michael Chambers (#1), Zack Hayes (#10), Sage Chapman (#4 not currently with the team, Matt Toney (#2) not pictured Connor Vickaryous and Anthony Heintzman.

The Duck boys survived their first game in the 2B tournament when Tyler Elam hit a last second shot to force overtime with South Bend. Chris Foster exploded for 7 points in the overtime to propel the Ducks to a 50-42 win. On Wednesday, Foster scored 23 of his teams’ 38 points as the Ducks held the tempo in a 38-34 defeat of Adna. The Pirates led by as much as 16 in the 3rd quarter, but the Ducks are developing a reputation for engineering comebacks. The Ducks need just one win for a trip to state but they face Napavine at 6:30pm on Tuesday at W.F. West in Chehalis.

Napavine



The Napavine boys are playing well with a big win over Willapa Valley on Monday and then followed up with an overtime victory against Pacific League #1 seed Naselle. In the opening round , Blake Anthony, Jordan Brown, Justin Smith and Devin Carroll all scored in double figures as they mauled Willapa Valley 69-31. On Wed. it was Blake Anthony that nailed a 3 pointer as time expired as the Tiger overcame the number one seed Naselle. Anthony had 31 points in the game. The boys can punch their ticket to state with one more victory. They face Toutle Lake on Tuesday at 6:30pm at W.F. West.



Thus far, the Napavine girls have not been challenged in the 2B regional tournament. They handled Wahkiakum 51-31 on Thursday. The Tigers highlighted balanced scoring as Ali Brossard, Kristin Lantau and Nicole Hamre, all scored 10 points. Two other players scored 8. The Lady Tigers can earn a trip to state with one more win this week. Napavine will face White Pass at 8:00pm on Wednesday, February 25th at W.F. West in Chehalis.


Onalaska

Samantha Gordon is a floor leader for the state tournament bound Lady Loggers.

The Onalaska girls are perhaps the team playing the best basketball. Amber Durand had a huge night as she led all scorers with 29 points and seven rebounds in an outstanding victory over the Trico League Champion La Center 58-41. Sam Gordon added 10 assists, and six rebounds. On Sat. the Lady Loggers defeated Rainier, a team that had beat them twice before, to earn a trip to the state tournament and a third match against rival Toledo at 8:00pm at Kelso High School on Saturday, February 28th for the District Championship.

Highly respected Coach Dennis Bowers has a talented group of young athletes.

The Onalaska boys continued their winning ways in the SWWA 1A Tournament by defeating Ilwaco 57-38 on Wednesday night. Cody Naillon led the Loggers with 18 points, but a close game became more distant thanks to the defense of Eric Messal and Dalton Ritchey in the 4th quarter. In that eight minute period, the Loggers outscored the Fishermen 24-7.
On Friday night, the Loggers met Castle Rock and suffered their 3rd loss, of the season to one of the hottest teams in the region. Dalton Richey scored 12 points in the 53-41 defeat.

Winlock

Coach Gary Viggers Sr. is in his 11th and final year of coaching at Winlock.

The Winlock boys escaped their 1st round District 4 Tournament game with a 31-28 win over a very clever Kalama team. The Chinooks slowed the pace of the game and hit key shots. Tyler Hertz scored 10 points while Jake Brown added 13 on several assists from Hertz. Stevenson awaited them on Friday evening, but the Cardinals were up to the challenge as they sent the Bulldogs to a 63-46 defeat and earned a trip to the state tournament in Yakima. Jordan Davis led the team with 23 while Jake Brown added 18 points. Both Davis and Brown were the beneficiaries of nine assists by Tyler Hertz.

Castle Rock

Big 6'5" Zack Gehring anchors an offense that features several sharpshooters on the outside.

The Rocket boys drew a SWWA 1A tournament match with Montesano and handled them easily 57-42. Zack Gehring led the Rockets with 18 points and 8 rebounds. On Friday, Castle Rock met up with highly touted Onalaska in the 2nd round of the tournament. Excellent defense and balanced offense amounted to a 53-41 victory over the Loggers. Kyle Karnofski led the Rockets with 11 points, but five other players scored at least 6 points. Castle Rock earned a state birth tournament and will meet Winlock for the district championship on Friday, February 27th at W.F. West in Chehalis.

Toledo

Toledo Head Coach Mandy Olson has her girls playing tenacious defense and taking advantage of every mistake.

The Toledo girls survived a first round match with district rival Forks with a 42-33 win. Kelsy Stone hit a late 3 pointer that went a long way to sealing the victory. On Saturday night, The Lady Indians played wicked defense while Tiffany Tornow nearly had a record breaking night when she buried eight three pointers and amassed 27 points in an 82-47 win over Ilwaco. Candi Zion added 21 points in the victory that gave them a pass to the state tournament. The Lady Indians will face Onalaska at 8:00pm at Kelso High School on Saturday, February 28th for the District Championship.

Evergreen/Trico Boys Tournament Discussions

With Rainier beating Winlock on Tuesday, that put them in a position to claim the a high seed in the Evergreen Conference. Meanwhile Toledo's loss to Forks and then Fork's overtime loss to Rochester knocked out Toledo and then dropped the Spartans to the 5th place spot in the Evergreen.

Kalama and Ilwaco ADs will be in phone contact with each other . The boys' teams are tied now and if both win or both lose there will be a playoff Saturday at La Center.

The loser hosts Forks on Monday.

The game on Monday now looks more competitive depending which team from Froks shows up.

Evergreen
Winlock, Onalaska, Rainier, Montesano and Forks

Trico
Castle Rock, Stevenson, Ilwaco and Kalama

Winlock Hands Onalaska a 2nd Defeat

Sometimes, a seemingly insurmountable lead can evaporate in just minutes. On Saturday night a ten point lead by the Winlock Cardinal nearly disappeared in the 4th quarter of an SWWA 1A, Evergreen Conference marquee match with Onalaska. The Cardinals scored three points in the 4th quarter but it was enough to stay unbeaten in league play as Winlock defeated the Loggers 39-37.

Winlock’s Tyler Hertz (left) and Jordan Davis (#20) stops Onalaska’s Dalton Richey under the basket. Richey led all scorers in Saturday’s game with 16 points.

Onalaska came out fast and took an 11-10 lead after the 1st quarter, but the Cardinals came back and out scored Ony 15 to 4 in the second stanza. With 7 points from Jordan Davis and contributions, usually 2nd chance rebounds from Tyler Diamond, Jake Brown and Nathan Booth.

The third was played to an 11-11 push. But Dalton Richey began to assert himself as a slashing scorer as he earned 7 of his 16 points during a five minute portion of the 3rd. Winlock took a 36-26 lead into the final period.

Onalaska’s Jeff Swett tries to back down Winlock’s Nathan Booth in the 3rd quarter of their game on Saturday night.

Onalaska took advantage of a Winlock scoring drought with Jeff Swett grabbing a rebound and putting it back up and in. Richey went to work scoring off of an inbounds play narrowing the lead to 36-30. Winlock then turned the ball over in the backcourt and then Richey was fouled slashing to the bucket. He dropped both free throws and then Winlock proceeded to turn the ball over twice more leading to another Richey bucket and then a visit to the foul line by Eddie Miles. In all the Logger executed an 10-0 run from 52.9 seconds in the 3rd until 1:21 left in the 4th.

Miles however, contributed to the Loggers ten missed free throws at a key moment. In all, Onalaska went 11-21 from the free throw line. Winlock shot only eight times from the charity stripe, converting six on the evening.

Winlock is most dangerous on the offensive boards and Jake Brown proved that on a put-back with 1;21 left in the 4th.

Mike Kent (left) of Winlock “denies” Onalaska’s Brady Stanley the ball. Stanley is a prolific scorer but Winlock’s defense often prevented him from getting the ball.

19 seconds later, Brady Stanley got lose for his only shot of the game and was fouled by Cardinal Senior Tyler McCarthy. Stanley sunk the free throw leading the Loggers to within one at 38-37.

With 40.9 seconds, Winlock’s Nathan Booth was fouled and went to the free throw and hit the front end of a one and one to make the final score of the game at 39-37.

Onalaska had the final opportunity to tie or win as Jeff Swett had the ball under the bucket but was surrounded by Cardinals. The ball found its way to Richey, whose 20 foot plus shot flew only 16 feet just before the game ending buzzer.

“We knew they would come back on us,” said Winlock Head Coach Gary Viggers Sr. “We just had to be ready” said one of the calmest guys in the gym after the game.

Dalton Richey led all scorers with 16 points while Jordan Brown led the Cardinals with 14 points. Jake Brown had 12 rebounds in addition to his 9 points.

Winlock is now 12-0 in the Evergreen Conference while Onalaska falls to 12-2. Onalaska plays Rochester and Toledo as well as a non-conference game against Willapa Valley this week. Winlock will visit Rainier on Tuesday and host Montesano next Friday.

_______________________________________________________________________________

ONALASKA-Dalton Richey 16, Jeff Swett 10, Eddie Miles 5, Cody Naillon 3, Brady Stanley 3, Eric Messal 0, Zach Barnes 0, Kolby Steele 0

WINLOCK-Jordan Davis 14, Nathan Booth 11, Jake Brown 9, Tyler Hertz 3, Tyler Diamond 2, Mike Kent 0, Tyler McCarthy 0


ONALASKA-11 4 11 11-37
WINLOCK 10 15 11 3-39

Onalaska Ends Cardinal Winning Streak

It almost came again. The patented Winlock come-back that has become nearly expected of them. Two weeks ago, it was Toledo and last week it was Rochester and Forks, but this time, it fell short as Onalaska hung on to earn a 35-30 1A Girls Evergreen Conference win. The game was eerily similar to the game played in Onalaska with the Lady Loggers applying a stifling full-court press allowing a 13-4 Onalaska advantage after the 1st quarter.

Onalaska Girls Head Coach Doug Ashmore (right) and Winlock Head Coach Scott Ashmore watch their respective teams complete a pre-game warm-up.

“Doug likes to change up his defenses, “ said his brother and Winlock Head Coach Scott Ashmore who’s team gave up 25 turnovers.

“We played several different types of defenses,” acknowledged Onalaska Head Coach Doug Ashmore. “We have the press and the 1-3-1 that works into a trap on top,” he pointed out.

The Lady Cardinals came back to within four at halftime based on poor Onalaska shooting. Ony had an 0-for in the 2nd quarter and went 1-6 from the free throw line. Tasha Sayers scored the only field goal of the 2nd quarter as the Lady Cards went 4-7 from the charity stripe.

Onalaska's Kalie Richey scored 15 points in Onalaska's 35-30 victory over Winlock on Monday.

While it was Kalie Richey that scored early and often totaling 15 points for the Loggers, Hailey Givens came out after half and lit up the nets with four straight points taking the Onalaska lead to 18-10.

Amber Durand had a quiet night scoring only 11 points with four of those on steals and transition baskets.

With 4:08 left in the game, the predictable Winlock comeback began in earnest when down 28-20, Courtney Sutor drilled a three and then Julie Jacobo took a steal on the inbounds right up and in. Suddenly it was a three point lead and the “Bird Cage” (Winlock gym) began to get noisy.

Winlock's Tessa Lawrence tries to tie-up Kalie Richey, but ended up fouling her instead.

(Courtney) “Sutor started breaking us down,” said Doug Ashmore who was impressed by her ability to drive and become a shooting and passing threat in the same motion.

With 3:34 to go, Samantha Gordon hit a silencing three ball.

Winlock came back with two buckets of their own to get within two at 31-29 and then Durand banked-in a shot from the left side of the paint.

Winlock’s Amber Buckman was fouled on the other end and made one of two free throws with 1:09 to go.

Onalaska had a difficult time bringing the ball up the floor, but the Cards had an equally hard time making a steal that wouldn’t go off their fingertips and out of bounds. Three times, Winlock was guilty of tipping Ony passes only to lose them off the court.

It was Durand who was fouled with 11.6 to go that iced the game with two free throws.

With 11.6 seconds to go, Onalaska's Amber Durand sank two free throws that iced the game for the Lady Loggers.

Tasha Sayers led Winlock with 10 rebounds while Kalie Richey grabbed 8 for the Lady Loggers.

“We had too many turnovers and we couldn’t hit shots said Scott Ashmore, the Winlock Coach. \

A winning streak in the Evergreen Conference has to be accompanied by near perfect play and that doesn’t happen every night. This night, Onalaska put a good enough game together to leave Winlock with the victory.

ONALASKA-Kalie Richey 12, Amber Durand 11, Hailey Givens 7, Samantha Gordon 3, Mandy Reynoldson 2, Amie Working 0, Sarah Barnes 0, Erin Wrzesinski 0, Regan Givens 0,

WINLOCK-Tasha Sayers 7, Julie Jacobo 6, Amber Buckman 5, Courtney Sutor 5, Kaley Crawford 4, Tessa Lawrence 3, Kayla Rakes 0, Amanda Suter 0, MacKenzie Spalding 0, Jill Craft 0

ONALASKA 13 1 12 9-35
WINLOCK 4 6 8 12-30

Great Wins and a Winlock/Onalaska Teaser

First of all, I need to give kudos to the Napavine, White Pass and Centralia boys for big wins late last week. For Napavine and White Pass in the Central 2B, it just means more suspense in a league in which nobody wants to, or can dominate. I might also mention that Adna also turned in a 60-45 victory over Pe Ell, a team that had knocked off Napavine just a few days earlier.

Admittedly, I was harsh to Centralia early in the season but they have settled into where I thought they would be within the Evergreen 2A. In my mind, they are behind River Ridge and Hoquiam and Tumwater is right behind the Tigers. Centralia put on an illuminating performance knocking off Tumwater 75-64 at home. Now if Hoquiam would only get out of their dreary manner.

Barring floods, blizzards and other potential disasters, the long anticipated match-up between 14-0 Onalaska and 14-1 Winlock is going to occur this week. The two will meet on Tuesday in Onalaska and then again on Saturday (this game was rescheduled from late December) in Winlock. The Loggers bring a number of tough covers including Senior Eric Messal who has been a prolific scorer off the bench.

Winlock can play just about any kind of game but would prefer a patient, half court set to utulize their size and talent close to the basket. We have had glimpses of what Tyler Hertz can do in a faster pace and a fast-paced, transition game may not be to the advantage of the Loggers.

The Cardinals must also stay out of foul trouble.

For more read previous posts.

Finally, the red hot Lady Cardinals will meet Onalaska tonight in Winlock. Coming off wins over Toledo, Rochester (2) and Forks, they may be considered the hottest team in the 1A Evergreen tangle. In the meantime, the Lady Loggers have been stepping through the tough Evergreen schedule and turning up with a few bruises. Onalaska handled Winlock at home fairly well by a score of 38-27. Every team's goal seems to be centered around preventing Logger Senior Amber Durand from achieving huge numbers.

Significant Wins and Losses

River Ridge 72, Elma 60
Tumwater 50, Black Hills 47

In what is probably not an upset, Tumwater handed Black Hills their first league loss and their second loss on the season. Elma however, couldn't take advantage as River Ridge took them down as the top of the Girls 2A Evergreen league bunches up with three teams with two losses.

Skyview 40 Heritage 38

Part one of the battle for the 4A Girls Greater St. Helens League battle saw Skyview on the upside of Heritage. The two horse race will resume on February 12th at Skyview.

Boys Basketball

Onalaska 60, Rainier 57

Onalaska took on Rainier in its own gym, this time with sharpshooter Jacob Fox in the line-up. The result was only slightly closer than the 61-56 win at Onalaska last weekend without Fox. Onalaska is now 11-0 on the season and hosts Winlock on Tuesday, February 3rd.

Pe Ell 58 Napavine 52

I don't know what to think of Napavine these days. Like much of the mix of Boy's 2B top teams including the Tigers, Toutle Lake, Mossyrock and Adna, nobody wants to take charge of the league.

Stevenson 56 Kalama 46

Stevenson has now defeated the what I thought were the top two teams in the 1A Boys Trico League. In addition to Kalama, the Bulldogs smoked Castle Rock a couple of weeks ago and now are in charge of the league but will visit both Castle Rock and Ilwaco next week and Kalama on February 13th.

Big Games Tonight

I made a last minute choice. Instead of heading up to Rainier to see the Loggers and Mountaineers mix it up for the second time in four days (this time I assume Rainier will have Jacob Fox), and if your are in that area, don't pass up the opportunity! I am going to head to Castle Rock to see La Center against Lacey Seidl and the Lady Rockets.

You see, the Trico League van is humming along with Ilwaco as the driver but Castle Rock and La Center trying to act of the co-pilot. One of them is not belted in. Hopefully, we will see a healthy Lauren Baker against a healthy Seidl in a great Trico League game.


1A TRICO League
W L
Ilwaco (9-5) 4 0
La Center (9-4) 3 1
Castle Rock (7-3) 3 1
White Salmon (7-5) 1 2
Stevenson (3-8) 0 3
Kalama (0-11) 0 4

Onalaska Handles Foxless Rainier

The Onalaska boys looked sharp as they defeated Rainier 51-46 in a 1A Evergreen League game on Saturday. The loss was only slightly tempered by the fact that Rainier was playing without one of its best shooters in Jacob Fox and the fact that the two teams will meet again on Tuesday night at Rainier. In fact, Onalaska will play three games in four nights as they continue to make up snowed-out and flooded-out games from December and January.

Onalaska's Brady Stanley (#10) hit four threes and hit the last two free throws of the game for 14 points.

The Mountaineers stormed out of the locker room to a 15-9 1st quarter advantage, but Onalaska went on a 10-2 run to start the 2nd quarter and went into the locker room on a 7-3 flourish. Brady Stanley hit threes during the quarter and other points were contributed by Nick Modica, Eric Messal and Zack Barnes.

The Loggers employed an aggressive defense that resulted in several quick baskets after turnovers.

The Loggers largest lead was 41--30 after two Dalton Ritchey free throws with 6:55 to go in the 4th. Rainier went on a 6-0 run with a bucket and two free throws from Kyle North and two points from Bradon Franklin. After a bucket by Ony’s Jeff Swett, Franklin contributed three more free throws as he attracted the physical play of the Loggers and the lead dwindled to just 43-39.

Onalaska may not start any Seniors, but one plays an awfully big role on the team. Erik Messal hit a three with 4:02 to extend the lead to 46-39 and then a minute later he contributed another clutch 2 pointer. Rainier scored two more free throws by North and another bucket by Frankin, but it would not be enough.

Without fellow shooter and floor leader Jacob Fox, Kyle North (#14) kept Rainier in the game and was the overall high point man with 24 points.

Onalaska’s most productive five are juniors and sophomores with only two guys on the roster listed as a forward. The floor leader for Onalaska is Dalton Ritchey. “He missed a couple of early shots and got trying a little too much. But even on a bad night, he is good,” said Onalaska Head Coach Dennis Bower. “He is our floor leader, our emotional leader, he and Brady Stanley. He is just real solid and I feel comfortable with him, even when he is trying to do too much.

The aforementioned Stanley finished with 14 points while Ritchey had 10.

Dalton Ritchey ran the floor for Onalaska and added 10 points to the team's total.

The one senior on the team sits close to the coach though.

It was the performance of Eric Messal that caught the coach's attention. “The kid that hit the big shots down the stretch was a Senior” said Bower He is a great 6th man for us. He hit some big shots for us. Even when he was missing shots early, he hit the big shots.”

Onalaska Senior Eric Messal hit some clutch shots in the 4th quarter.

The Loggers are now 11-0 and 7-0 in league.

RAINIER-Jacob Fox 0, Delton Delio 0, Kevin Volaskey 6, Kyle North 21, Tyler Schaff 1, Mitch McComb 0, Matt Tietjen 0, Brandon Eygabroad 2, Bradon Franklin 9, Chris Ashby 5. FG — 14-41NA; FT — 12-18.
ONALASKA-Brady Stanley 14, Nick Modica 4, Dalton Ritchey 10, Eddie Miles 5, Cody Naillon 4, Eric Messal 12, Jeff Swett 2.

RAINIER 15 6 9 16 — 46
ONALASKA 9 19 12 12 — 51

Rainier Girls Take one at Onalaska

Rainier came to Onalaska for a 1A Evergreen and left with an important 38-36 victory over the home standing Lady Loggers. Nearly evenly matched, the two teams came right down to the wire with Onalaska having a chance to tie with just seconds to go.

5'11" Senior Kate Simpson scored 8 points and grabbed 8 rebounds as Rainier defeated Onalaska 38-36 Friday night.

Down 37-32 with 58 seconds to go, Hailey Givens sank a three to cut the lead to a deuce. After Rainier failed to sink two free throws, and Ony missed the front end of a one and one,. Onalaska played an effective back-court defense. Samantha Gordon and Amber Durand forced a turnover with an aggressive trap. The ball found its way to Givens who was fouled. She converted two free throws to cut the Rainier advantage to 37-36. The Lady Loggers fouled Sarah Vincent an attempt to manage the clock and she drilled one of two. After a timeout, a pass from Onalaska’s Mandy Reynoldson went through the fingers of Kailie Richey and out of bounds, but Ony’s defense was up to the challenge. It was Richey that dove onto the floor for a steal. In a frantic last second series of events, Onalaska was turned away. In the final seconds, excessive physical contact was allowed and the ball fell harmlessly to the hardwood.

It wasn’t the lack of a foul call in the final seconds that bothered Onalaska Head Coach Doug Ashmore. “We lost because of our free throw shooting,“ he said. “You can’t go 7 for 19 and expect to win.”

This, in a game that featured 40 fouls. Rainier only went 9-19 from the free throw line but dominated in close to the basket where they outscored the Loggers 22-10.

Rainier played tough defense with hands on bodies and quick cuts on offense.

There were only 8 points scored in the first quarter. The Lady Mountaineers shot for 50% early while holding Ony to just 29% in the first half.

Twice the game appeared to be slipping away from Onalaska. With 6:11 to go in the 3rd quarter, the Loggers were down 21-14 and Amber Durand hit a three to close the gap. After a turnover, Regan Givens converted a shot to narrow the deficit to 21-19.

Quick and aggressive Kristen Schoenherr led all scorers on the night with 17 points.

With 4:18 left in the 4th, Kristen Schoenherr converted a nice back-door play for two of her 17 points on the night. Ony missed one of its free throws and then Kate Simpson hit a shot to give the Mountaineers a 32-27 lead. From that point the two teams nearly traded baskets and free throws until the final, furious scramble.

Rainier Head coach Dave Wasankari was proud of his girls for coming to Onalaska and getting a win. “I knew it was going to be tough. If you can pick up a win down a couple girls like we are. I started two freshman tonight and they stepped in and it is exciting to see that.”

Rainier's Sarah Vincent at 5'1" grabbed 7 of the Mountaineers 35 rebounds.

Katie Simpson contributed 8 points and grabbed 8 rebounds for Rainier. Along with Kristen Schoenherr who is 5’5”, little 5’1” Sarah Vincent grabbed 7 rebounds. It was this kind of physicality that separated the Mountaineers from Onalaska.

“It is how we practice. Every drill is competitive, whether you are a freshman or a senior, you will have to work as hard as everybody. I think we create that atmosphere and when we get to a big game, you can see that in everybody,” said Wasankari. “Even our bench has more energy. It is just the character of the kids. They are great kids and they love to play basketball. Some kids don’t plays as much as others and it’s normal. But it doesn’t mean they are not important and it doesn’t mean they don’t have a role. A lot of times a kid down there that doesn’t play may be our greatest leader“.


RAINIER-Kristen Schoenherr 17, Katie Simpson 8, Kara Schoenherr 4, Felicia Alvarado 3, Mikaila Mortlock 3, Lauren McMullen 2, Sarah Vincent 1,
ONALASKA-Amber Durand 13, Haliey Givens 9, Samantha Gordon 6
Mandy Reynoldson 2, Sarah Barnes 2, Amie Working 2, Regan Givens 2, Erin Wrzensinski 0, Kalie Richey 0,

Rainier 6 12 8 12-38
Onalaska 2 12 7 15-36

Doubleheader of the Day...Rainier at Onalaska

There is an odd assortment of boys and girls basketball this Saturday with many non-league games that were either snowed out or flooded during our late December weather chaos. I don't see any match-ups as intriguing as the doubleheader at Onalaska this evening. At 5:45, the Onalaska girls will take on Rainier who are now officially the leaders of the 1A Evergreen Conference with their 40-34 win over previous league-leader Forks. Onalaska is 4th, but one through six, anybody can beat anyone as Winlock proved to Toledo, and Rainier certainly showed against Forks.

The Lady Logger's record is not impressive on paper, but they have been in every game and have a competitive mentality among the very best.

"Ony is Ony and they are always tough to beat on the road, said Rainier Girls Head Coach Dave Wasankari. "They are athletic and can shoot. We will have to play well to give ourselves a chance to win."

Rainier will come straight at Ony with Kristen Schoenherr who average about 15 points and 5'9" Chelsea Owens who contributes nearly 17 points and 8 rebounds per game.

Onalaska is led by Abmber Durand who is averaging about 21 points per game. Toledo concentrated on stopping her this week and only gave up 18 points to her. The Lady Loggers throw a multitude of talent in the intangibles. They score in tight spots, and move the ball around.

______________________________________________________________________________

The Onalaska boys are quietly undefeated on the season and can't seem to get much respect as yet. A game with Winlock was rescheduled after is was flooded out earlier this month. A victory against a hard-nosed Rainier team will put them in the minds of many observers until quality is proven otherwise.

The Loggers feature five pleayers that average in double figures and there is not a Senior among them. Cody Naillon, and Eddie Miles both average close to 12 points a game and are capable of grabbing 4 to 6 rebounds a piece. Sophomore Dalton Richey has emerged as one of the floor leaders as he and Brady Stanley both average 3 assists per game. Ritchy is now averaging 13 points a game. Jeff Swett is a worker under the boards with 8 rebounds a game. He also averages about 8 points a game.

Rainier counters with the interior play of Brandon Franklin who averages 12 points and over 5 rebounds a game. Kyle North is the floor leader with 4 assists per game but also has the capability to drop a big three-ball. Jacob Fox is also a great shooter from the outside. Both North and Fox average about 9 to 10 points a game.

This will be my first chance to see the Onalaska boys and the Rainier girls! It is a great opportunity to see some intense, high quality, high school basketball

Toledo Contains Onalaska in Overtime Thriller

Toledo's Candi Zion (#30) of Toledo takes a shot over two Onalaska players Tuesday night.

It's the loneliest place in the gym and Onalaska Senior Guard Mandy Reynoldson stood there. The Lady Loggers were down by two points with 11.6 seconds left in regulation with Reynoldson at the line for two free throws. “I was nervous, but I just focused and tried to shut out the crowd noise” she said. She calmly sank both free throws at the end of regulation in a 1A Girls Evergreen League game between Onalaska and Toledo. The Lady Indians came back in the overtime to capture a hard fought, 48-44 victory.

It was Tiffany Tornow though that struck the first and most striking blow a minute into the overtime. She hit a three-pointer and then sank one of two free throws 16 seconds later. Brittany Hope was fouled on the ensuing rebound and she hit two free throws to extend the Toledo lead to 43-37. Baskets by Reynoldson and Amber Durand brought the Loggers back to within two at 43-41. With 1:01 left, Candi Zion was fouled and hit one of two free throws. The Loggers cashed in on the next possession as Hailey Givens was fouled and made two free throws drawing the score to 44-43. Toledo’s next possession ended with a Candi Zion jumper that led to a 46-43 lead. When Givens was fouled again with 4.5 seconds left, she missed the first and converted the second. In an attempt to stop the clock, Brittany Hope was fouled and she stepped up to the line and drained the last two shots of the night.

Few could have foreseen the dramatic ending when the Lady Indians took an 11-2 lead after the first quarter. The Loggers seemed to miss everything. Later in the game, they improved their field goal percentage to a paltry 25%.

Unhappiness seem to be the tone early.

“We didn’t play very smart tonight,” said Toledo Head Coach Mandie Olson. “I don’t know if that was contributed by their athleticism. We came out very hard and then we lapsed. I felt like we were playing at a seven or eight and then we dropped to a four,” Olson continued.

Onalaska came alive in the second quarter, taking advantage of Toledo fouls and converting six free throws from a variety of Lady Loggers and two three pointers by Amber Durand but Toledo took a 18-14 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Despite tough defense by Toledo's Tiffany Tornow, Onalaska's Amber Durand (#25) finished the game with 18 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals. She played all 36 minutes of the game.


1:38 into the 4th quarter found Onalaska leading for the first time when Durand put in two more of her 18 points. The two teams then proceeded exchange the lead 5 times. With 1:26 to go Haley Hellem drove the lane successfully for two points a 37-35 Toledo lead.

“They are quick and they are athletic, and we could have pressed earlier, but we were more concerned with Durand then we were with the rest of the kids,” continued Olson. “That was our focus tonight to try and limit her touches of the ball. I think Tiffany Tornow did a good job on her.”

Toledo's Haley Hellem (#14) drives along the baseline during Tuesday's game against Onalaska. Hellem finished with 9 points, and 4 rebounds.

Candi Zion quietly accumulated 12 points but four other Lady Indians accumulated 6 or more points including Hellem and Tornow who both had 9 points each. Onalaska out rebounded Toledo 44 to 35 with Hailey Givens grabbing 10 and Durand 9. Above all, there was a striking difference in mistakes with Toledo forcing 32 Onalaska turnovers even though they rarely extended their defense.

“We decided not to go into a trap because they were so quick and athletic,” said Toledo Senior Post Ashley Coffey. When the Indians did employ a full court trap in the 4th quarter, the pace of the game sped up, but neither team seemed to grab an advantage.

Toledo is now 5-1 in conference play (9-2 overall) and will host Winlock on Thursday. Onalaska 3-3 (6-5) will play Montesano at home on Thursday.

ONALASKA-Amber Durand 18, Kalie Ritchey 9, Mandy Reynoldson 7, Samantha Gordon 7, Hailey Givens 3, Sarah Barnes 0, Erin Wrzesinski 0, Regan Givens 0, Amie Working

TOLEDO-Candi Zion 12, Haley Hellem 9, Tiffany Tornow 9, Kelsey Stone 8, Brittany Hope 6, Ashley Coffey 2, Sara Buswell 2, Nicole Ewers 0, Lia Lucas 0, Lacey Scott 0, Brianna Votaw 0

Onalaska 2 12 8 15 7-44
Toledo 11 7 5 14 11-48

With Onalaska and Toledo, Anything can Happen

Onalaska at Toledo (Girls)

The Lady Loggers visit Toledo today. Onalaska certainly takes the role of an underdog, but there is a lot of history between these two schools and only a fool would count out either one. Onalaska is 6-4 but has lost 3 of their last 6 against tough Evergreen competition. Toledo dropped their first game to Forks last week and will probably be very focused on a tough, physical Ony team.
Tiffany Tornow carries the banner for the Lady Indians, but in recent weeks Lea Lucas has been hitting double figures on a regular basis. Don’t forget about the supporting cast that includes Candi Zion and Ashley Coffey.

Ashley Coffey is a strong rebounder for Toledo.

For Onalaska, Amber Durand covers the post area and scores from the inside while Samantha Gordon and Kaley Ritchey score well from the outside. Mandy Reynoldson plays tough defense on the opponents ball handler.

Kaley Richey (#15) has a good outside shooting resume for the Lady Loggers.

A Mid-Season Look at the District IV 1A and 2B Favorites

Now that we are beginning the league Season, some stories are starting to write themselves. One of my favorites (Napavine Boys) has an uphill climb while two others are standing tall. The excitement is just beginning so put on your seat belts and get read for a wild ride in the various District IV leagues.

Follow these links for discussion about the Evergreen Boys 1A and the Trico 1A. Castle Rock had a key victory over Ridgefield to confuse the discussion, but the return of Kalama’s Brandon Walker still gives the Chinooks the advantage.

Central 2B Boys

Napavine is smarting from two losses this week that shows the depth of the Central 2B Boys. Mossyrock applied a box and one defense to essentially deny Napavine’s Blake Anthony the ball. It worked and Mossyrock ran away with the home victory. On Saturday night, Toutle Lake’s starless team had too many weapons for the Tigers to overcome. With Mossyrock’s 47-44 home victory over Toutle Lake in their pocket, the 2B Central is theirs to lose. The caveat of course is that they must visit both Toutle Lake and Napavine later in the season. Great for my upcoming calendar!

Pacific 2B Boys

Naselle took the first big opportunity and cashed it in with a 60-57 victory over South Bend last week. They are unbeaten in conference and their lone loss comes to a larger (756 student, a 2A Washington equivalent) Astoria, Oregon school. South Bend will host Naselle again on February 3rd. Their only other loss was to thus far undefeated 1A Onalaska.

Central 2B Girls

The Napavine girls made a big statement this week by defeating Mossyrock at the Lady Viking’s gym. Those two teams look like the class of the Central 2B with Wahkiakum and Adna lurking in the distance. Mossyrock will travel to Adna this week, but mark February 9th on you calendar if you like high quality girls basketball as the Vikings visit Napavine.

Remember that Mossyrock and Napavine both fit well in with the areas best 1A schools in the area. Both Mossyrock and Napavine already have victories over Onalaska.

Pacific 2B Girls

To be honest, the Girls on the coast are going to have a tough time matching up with the big four of the Central . Raymond has played the toughest schedule of all, sampling the best basketball teams of the area. They lost to both Onalaska and Toledo, but defeated a tough Rainier team at the Napavine 1A/2B Challenge and Northwest Christian. Northwest Christian of Lacey is 7-2 and has been less than dominant. They split with Pe Ell in a home and home series and defeated South Bend. Of course one of their two losses was to Raymond. North Beach looks like a distant third in this division.

Evergreen 1A Girls

The Evergreen 1A girls heart is in Toledo. The Lady Indians put themselves in the driver’s seat with a big win over Winlock in late December and then a hard fought win over Rainier last week. In this league, it is never easy, but Toledo is making it look that way. In second is Onalaska which faces Toledo on January 20th. The Lady Loggers have two non-league losses to neighboring Napavine and Mossyrock from the 2B Central. They took care of Winlock this week, but Montesano, Rainier and Forks are all solid opponents in a very competitive league.

Trico 1A Girls

La Center appears to be the class of the Trico with big wins over 2A Washougal and large margins of victory most of the time. The Lady Rocket of Castle Rock has a similar resume with wins of Rochester and Knappa of Oregon. La Center and Castle Rock will meet for the first time on January 27th. Ilwaco’s One loss to impressive 2B Raymond also makes them look like a contender. Ilwaco will visit Castle Rock this Friday to clear up that picture a little.

Cardinals Can’t Top Logger Defense

Amber Durand (#25) of Onalaska challenges a shot by Winlock's Kaley Crawford (#13) during a game on Friday evening.

The Lady Loggers of Onalaska displayed their signature defense and an opportunistic nature during a 38-27 SWW 1A Evergreen Conference victory Friday evening.

The match also contained a sub-plot as brothers Doug and Scott Ashmore faced each other as basketball coaches for the first time. Doug won this meeting but they are not strangers in baseball. Scott Ashmore has been the baseball coach at Adna while Doug has coached nine years at Onalaska. “It is kind of stressful being family and coaching against each other, “ said the Onalaska Coach Doug Ashmore. “You know, you got to talk about those things at Christmas time.”

The 1st quarter of this match-up saw a deluge of unforced Winlock turnovers as they went on to total 20 through the evening while the Lady Loggers were credited with 14 steals. Ony had a tough time hitting the rim, let alone putting the ball through the hoop early in the game.

The key word is opportunistic. A transition basket here and a three pointer there.

In time, the Lady Loggers began to cash in on offensive rebounding opportunities and their strong 1-3-1 zone that held Winlock to just 28% shooting. “Mandy Reynoldson does a great job up top. And really forces the girl so we can get traps out of it,” explained the Onalaska Coach. “Our whole team really knows the system. It is a good defense and the girls have really bought into it. They love doing it so it causes a lot of havoc.”

Winlock's Kayla Rakes (#41) is set to defen Onalaska's Mandy Reynoldson (#23) during Friday nights 38-27 Lady Logger victory.

After two quarters, Onalaska took a 22-9 lead into the locker room, but a different Winlock team appeared in the 3rd quarter. Winlock Junior Point Guard Courtney Sutor seemed to take the rest of her team on her slight back as she drove and forced three fouls mid-way through the 3rd stanza. In the process she converted a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to eight points.

Amber Durand struck right back with five of her 23 points to extend the lead.

Winlock’s Julie Jacobo hit a two and then Amber Buckman scored five straight points to narrow the Ony lead to 29-25 at the end of the third quarter.

While Durand was effective, she complimented Winlock Junior Julie Jacobo with successful defense on her for a portion of the game. In the next breath, Durand complimented her teammates. “I think we are doing pretty well,” she said. “We are all getting our defense back together.”

While Durand led her team in scoring and rebounding with 8, Samantha Gordon added 7 assists. Haily Givens assisted with 7 rebounds of her own but it was the Cardinals that won the rebounding battle 36-28.

Onalaska Coach Doug Ashmore was also complementary about Winlock’s “help” defense that caused some poor shooting. “This will be a good test to see on film because they sagged a lot to help. We have to figure out some offensive stuff. They way they were sagging and we have got to come up with something to give our girls confidence in shooting.”

Ashmore saved last compliment of the night for his brother the Cardinal Coach. “My brother has done a good job with them and they have improved and they play good defense. They gave us fits”

Winlock, 6-3 and 0-3 will visit Tenino while Onalaska 4-2 and 2-0 will host Forks on Tuesday.


Winlock 4 9 10 4-27
Onalaska 8 14 7 9-38


Loggers 38 Cardinals 27
WINLOCK-Courtney Suter 10, Tasha Sayers 8, Amber Buckman 5, Julie Jacobo 4, Kaley Crawford 0, Amanda Suter 0, Kayla Rakes 0 MacKenzie Spalding 0, Jill Craft 0
ONALASKA-Amber Durand 23, Hailey Givens 4, Kalie Ritchey 3, Mandy Reynoldson 2, Samantha Gordon 2, Sarah Barnes 2, Regan Givens 2, Erin Wrzesinski 0

Floods Cancel Games

It should be no secret that the floods are going to cause many more serious problems than canceling high school basketball games, but one of the first victims was tomorrow night's Winlock-Onalaska game. The community of Onalaska is located along the Newaukum River which is forecasted for floods never observed before. We wish all of the flooded communities our best.

Division 4 1A Game of the Week-Onalaska at Winlock

So, I will get my first look at the Napavine Boys and Girls tonight as they host Columbia Adventist. The game of the week has to be a match-up between Onalaska and Winlock on Thursday.

Winlock of course is off to a 6-1 record and Forks tonight. The regional press, myself included, has been all over them. Little unassuming Onalaska will come to Winlock most likely unbeaten (barring disaster tonight in Tenino).

Coach Dennis Bower has the Loggers playing as well as can be expected with a rough, physical defense with a combination of quickness, depth and sharp shooting from the outside (Cody Naillon, Brady Stanley and Dalton Richey) along with some good strong rebounding with the associated put-backs on the inside (Jeff Swett). Remember that one of the two regular season losses that the Cardinals took last year was the home match against the Loggers.

The most telling victory the Loggers have on the young season is against Napavine. Many of those players were still lining-up for football in early December, but the Tigers have been impressive enough to handle other teams of notoriety.

While Winlock can be confident, smaller teams give them problems. Kalama spread the floor and had success as did Fortuna, California who has given them their only defeat on the season. Many Northern California observers were stunned by that loss after watching the Cards dominate a far more impressive Del Norte team.

The Cardinal’s Jake Brown should be efficient with the Logger inside game, but the rest of the Onalaska athletes could be a challenge for Winlock.