Community Sports
Sports Beat | State cross country, water polo all this weekend
Peninsula’s Elektra Higgins and Gig Harbor’s Taylor Sletner are among the top contenders at the state cross country championships on Saturday, Nov. 8, at Sun Willows Golf Course in the Tri-Cities.
Higgins has run the state’s fourth-best time this year but defeated second- and third-ranked runners in Washington, the Rodriquez sisters from Mercer Island, at a Nike-sponsored event three weeks ago. She seems to be peaking after winning the West Central District title.
Elektra Higgins
Sletner also has elite speed and endurance. She owns the state’s seventh-best time and won the inaugural Puget Sound League championship this season. Sletner will be running with Tide teammate Lejla Carlsson, who owns the 11th-fastest cross country time in the state.
All will be competing over the hilly terrain at Sun Willows’ 5,000-meter course. The forecast calls for 52 degree temperatures, with neither rain or wind as obstacles.
Local boys teams are unlikely to win an individual or team championship, but the Tides will earn team points with top racers Gavin McKeegan, Joey Campbell and Joshua Miner. Peninsula sends top runners Tesfa Hoff and Joshua Cashion.
Taylor Sletner of Gig Harbor. Photo by Dennis Browne
Tides win district swim title
The Gig Harbor (13-1) girls swimming team won the West Central District III Class 3A swimming and diving championship on Nov. 4 at Mount Tahoma High School. At least one swimmer scored in all 12 events for the Tides, who earned 307 team points. Gig Harbor qualified swimmers to state in every event except the 50 freestyle.
District champions included dual winner Kaitlyn LaTendresse in the 200 and 500 freestyle; the 200 freestyle relay team of LaTendresse, Brooklyn Learned, Jenna Nelson and Eva Dahlin; and the 400 free style relay team of LaTendresse, Beau Ensminger, Nelson and Dahlin.
Peninsula placed third at districts with 177 points, right behind Silas’s 198 points. The Seahawks sent swimmers to state in seven events.
Seahawks state qualifiers include Lee Gjertson in the 50 and 100 freestyle; Kate Henkel in the 100 backstroke, Reese Miller in the 200 and 500 freestyle, Ryan Garrels in the 200 freestyle and Jordan Givot in diving.
The state swimming championship is Nov. 14 trough 16 at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.
The district-champion Gig Harbor swimmers.
Both local schools at state water polo tournament
The Gig Harbor water polo team plays in the D2 state tournament Nov. 8 and 9 at Rogers High School. If the Tides finish in the top three of the D2 tournament, they will advance to the D1 tournament Nov. 13 through 16 at Curtis High School.
They won’t be the only local team looking to advance. Peninsula has steadily climbed in the D2 rankings and also earned a spot in the D2 state championships.
Peninsula is lead by first-year head coach James Isom, who has guided his team to a 9-3 record. Their only losses were to Gig Harbor (twice) and Silas. They avenged the Silas loss by beating the Rams 8-7 on Nov. 1.
Brody Mock of Gig Harbor. Photo by Mike Kelly
Isom had his work cut out for him early, as the Seahawks had to replace five starters from last year. He leaned heavily on seniors Henry Moore, Tyler Givot and Garrett Sale, who have shown considerable leadership to newcomers Owen Moore and Cullen Stitt, who have had immediate impacts.
Isom is fond of his new goalie Zack Ruckle as well. He had never played water polo before but Isom says he’s is a quick study and a big reason for the Seahawks’ success.
“Our improvement has been impressive even though the dynamics have change dramatically and it’s been a season long process but I do believe the boys are peaking at the right time,” Isom said.
Peninsula wonders ‘what if’ after playoff loss
Peninsula (4-6) earned a football district playoff berth and a trip to face Kennewick (7-2), but lost a game that was much closer than the 29-9 final score would indicate on Nov. 8.
Peninsula started on the wrong foot, muffing the opening kickoff. The Lions recovered at the Peninsula 20-yard line and scored a touchdown four plays later.
But thanks to the stingy Seahawks defense, those were the only points the seventh-ranked Lions would score in the first half.
Quarterback Mana Smythe absorbed a physical tackle and was smashed to the turf on Peninsula’s opening possession. He stayed on the ground awhile, but just like he has time and time again, the senior got back up.
Smythe is not the biggest cat on the field, but he is skilled and tougher than a two-dollar steak. He should be remembered as one of the best competitors the Seahawks have ever had at the quarterback position.
After the Seahawks defense forced a three and out, the Peninsula offense marched down the field behind three runs by Kobe DeJohnette. The last of those three runs was an eight-yard touchdown. Peninsula missed the extra point, making the score 7-6.
After that score, it was Kennewick’s turn to fumble away a kickoff. But Peninsula’s offense stalled and the Seahawks missed a 42-yard field goal attempt.
Seahawk junior defensive tackle Royal Charles, who has played exceptional football this season as a two-way lineman, sacked the Kennewick quarterback on the next possession. Then the Lions’ long snapper sent the ball over his punter’s head, giving the Seahawks first and goal at the Kennewick five yard line.
But three straight rushes into the teeth of the defensive line didn’t produce any yards. The Seahawks’ Talen McDonnell connected on a 23-yard field goal for a 9-7 lead at halftime.
Despite having a somewhat surprising halftime lead over the favored Lions, the Seahawks will wonder what could have been. They had the ball twice inside the Lions’ 10 yard line in the second quarter but came away with only three points.
Kennewick strung together a late third quarter drive capped by a 20-yard touchdown pass to take a lead. A two-point conversion made it 15-9 at the end of the third quarter.
The Seahawks had some chances in the fourth quarter, but holding penalties erased at least two long passing gains.
Kennewick stretched the lead to 22-9 with 4:47 remaining in the game on a 6-yard pass.
Peninsula’s last gasp may have been when Smythe hit Trever Bingham for a long gain to the Kennewick 39-yard line. But refs called Peninsula guard Dylan Bina for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and ejected him from the game, erasing the long gain.
The Lions salted the game with a 25-yard touchdown run that made the final score 29-9.
The loss ends the season for Peninsula and the high school careers of many Seahawk seniors who left everything they had on the field game after game. Those standout seniors among others include Smythe, DeJohnette, Carson Zimmermann, Jake Akiskalian, Wyatt Abrigo, Hayden Bundy, and Prince Charles.
Royal Charles will anchor the Peninsula offensive and defensive lines next season. File photo by Bryce Carithers