Community Sports

Sports Beat | Gig Harbor clinches division girls soccer title

The Gig Harbor (10-1-1, 9-0-1) girls soccer team clinched the Puget Sound League Narrows Division title by defeating Central Kitsap 3-1 in Silverdale on Thursday, Oct. 17.

Elizabeth Hayes scored twice and Karen Heikkila once in the win over the Cougars.

Gig Harbor, now fourth in the WIAA’s RPI rankings, played the Cougars to a scoreless tie on Oct. 1. The Tides had 16 shots on goal in that game but couldn’t find the net.

In the rematch, Heikkila scored the Tides’ first goal and assisted on both of Hayes’ goals. Central Kitsap scored a late goal to make the final score more respectable.

Elizabeth Hayes of Gig Harbor scored two goals in the Tides’ 3-1 win over Central Kitsap on Thursday, Oct. 17. Photo by Meegan M. Reid/Kitsap Sun

Peninsula on verge of Nisqually Division title

Peninsula (9-1-1, 8-0-1) had a chance to wrap up a Nisqually Division title at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, against Capital (2-7-2). The Seahawks tied second-place Lakes, 2-2, on Oct. 15. Peninsula has an edge over Lakes in the division standings thanks to a 5-4 win over the Lancers earlier this season.

On Tuesday against Lakes, Nora Sutherland and Maya Rogers scored goals. Peninsula is No. 2 in the latest WIAA RPI rankings.

Both teams are loaded with talent on offense and defense and each have outstanding goalies. Both programs also are led by first-year head coaches who previously were assistants at each school.

Gig Harbor goalkeeper Ella Conrad makes a save during their game in Silverdale on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. Photo by Meegan M. Reid

The two teams could easily meet in the Puget Sound League championship game.

Gig Harbor, the No. 1 seed in the Narrows Division, will open postseason play against River Ridge at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, at Roy Anderson Field. Peninsula, the No. 1 seed from the Nisqually Division, faces Silas at 8 p.m. the same night at Roy Anderson Field.

Nora Sutherland of Peninsula. Photo courtesy Peninsula High soccer

If both teams win, they would play to-be-determined opponents at Roy Anderson Field on Thursday, Oct. 24 (Peninsula at 5 p.m. and Gig Harbor at 7:15 p.m.).

The championship game would be at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at Roy Anderson Field, in front of what would undoubtedly be a packed house to watch the second- and fourth-ranked teams in the state go at it for a league championship.

Dominant second half helps Peninsula earn key gridiron win

The Peninsula Seahawk (3-4, 2-2) football team used a complete-game performance to earn a much-needed 28-7 victory over River Ridge on Thursday, Oct. 17, at Roy Anderson Field.

Peninsula got on the board first on tailback Kobe DeJohnette’s 12-yard run around right end. Quarterback Mana Smythe’s perfect 38-yard pass down the sideline to Trever Bingham set up the score.

River Ridge tied the score on a one-yard plunge with 7:27 to go in the second quarter. A 52-yard burst by their running back put the Hawks in position.

The Peninsula defense controlled the game after that, shutting down River Ridge’s duel-threat quarterback and less-than-diversified offensive playbook. River Ridge resorted to running several repeat plays, which Seahawks defenders began to sniff out.

The score remained 7-7 at halftime, which is when the Peninsula cheerleaders faced the most difficult situation of the night. The sound system at Roy Anderson cut off 20 seconds into a two-minute dance routine. But the cheerleaders did not miss a beat — literally — as they counted to eight over and over to stay on step rhythm and turned in a impressive performance through adversity.

In the second half, Peninsula senior Wyatt Abrigo — who does just about everything on a football field — busted through the line to block a River Ridge punt. DeJohnette came flying in to grab the ball like he was scooping up hot pancakes on a Saturday morning. He returned the recovery 11 yards to the end zone to make the score 14-7 with 8:42 to go in the third quarter.

Kob DeJohnette scored two touchdowns against River Ridge, one on offense and one on special teams. Photo by Dennis Browne

Peninsula defensive lineman Royal Charles controlled the middle of the field all night and made life miserable for Hawk runners. Defensive ends Aidan Muilenburg and Prince Charles both made impressive running tackles of outside ball carriers.

Nehemiah Grandorff — who in a word is tough — scored Peninsula’s third touchdown on a six-yard inside reverse. Jake Akiskalian scored on a four-yard run with less than two minutes to play.

Peninsula plays at Timberline (1-5) at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, to wrap up conference play.

Another league, another title for GH swimming

The Gig Harbor (8-1, 8-0) girls swim team keeps winning conference titles, no matter what league they’re in. Maybe coach Mike Kelly has an underground pipeline directly from Atlantis.

The girls team recently won a duel meet with Mount Tahoma on Oct. 15 by the score of 159-15. Tides swimmers won every event despite not entering their top swimmers in most races. Then the Tides beat Lincoln, 140-26, on Oct. 17.

The Tides, however, will be tested on Saturday, Oct. 19, during the annual Swimvitational meet at Olympic High School near Bremerton.

Tough week for volleyball teams

Both local volleyball teams were on the wrong side of the net against Puget Sound League foes this week.

Peninsula (5-6) lost to Bellarmine Prep, 3-1, on Oct. 16. Lakes spiked Gig Harbor (3-8), 3-0, on Oct. 16.

The Tides play at Lincoln on Oct. 22 before returning home to play Bellarmine on Oct. 24. Both games start at 7:15 p.m.

The Seahawks, with arguably the conference’s most valuable player in Ziah Sneva, play two teams ranked in the WIAA’s top 10 next week: Timberline at home on Oct. 22 and at North Thurston on Oct. 24. Both those games are also at 7:15 p.m..

Tennis postseason begins

The two local tennis teams are a combined 20-9 and finished third and fourth in their league. Tennis powers Bellarmine and Silas tied for the conference title with identical 15-1 records.

Gig Harbor (10-4), with 11 seniors on the roster, finished third in the league after losing a 4-1 contest to Bellarmine on Oct. 17. Peninsula (10-5) finished fourth.

The Seahawks had a chance to tie the Tides but lost to North Thurston (4-11), 3-2, on Oct. 17.

The league tournament begins Oct. 21 at Lincoln High School, unless the weather doesn’t cooperate. In that case the tournament would be held indoors at the University of Puget Sound.

Gig Harbor’s Hugh Vicente headlines the tournament for the locals. He finished with an impressive 11-2 singles record, with his only loses coming to the Silas and Bellarmine aces.

Hugh Vicente of Gig Harbor. Photo courtesy Gig Harbor tennis