Community Sports

Sports Beat: Tides beat Timberline, play for district title

The Gig Harbor boys basketball team reached the championship game of the Class 3A District 3/4 tournament with a 58-54 overtime win over Timberline on Thursday, Feb. 16, at Auburn High School.

Gig Harbor (21-2) rallied from a double-digit deficit in the first quarter to avenge two earlier loses to the Blazers.

The Tides used a triangle-and-two defense to slow the Blazers: Three Tides played zone, while Christian Parrish and KeVaughn Harvey played man against the Blazers’ Brooklyn Hicks, a UNLV commit, and Darryl Gibson.

Parrish (2021-22) and Harvey (2022-23) both have South Sound Conference Defensive Player of the Year awards on their resumés.

The strategy slowed the high-scoring Hicks, but is a difficult defense to rebound out of. The Blazers corralled six offensive rebounds to take a 13-4 first quarter lead.

The lead swelled to 18-4 before Luke Allison, the Tides’ 6-foot-8 backup center, grabbed three successive rebounds and scored an inside bucket to start the Tides’ comeback. After Harvey and Luke Browne each connected on 3-pointers, the deficit was just 25-18 at halftime.

Gig Harbor senior Christian Parrish, shown here in a game from earlier this season, scored 22 points to lead the Tides to a playoff win over Timberline.

Comeback and overtime

The Blazers employed a new defensive strategy in the second half: let anyone shoot but Browne and Will Landram, who scored 12 points each. Playing off Parrish proved costly for the Blazers, as the senior supplied a career-high 22 points.

Gig Harbor caught Timberline in the fourth quarter and was ahead 46-40 late in the game. Then Timberline scored five straight points and fouled Browne with 12 seconds remaining. Browne, a 90 percent free throw shooter, drained both to put the Tides ahead 48-45.

But Hicks, the Blazers’ star, nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game.

In overtime, Landram scored on a pretty Euro-step and Harvey, Browne and Parrish hit clutch free throws. The Tides led 57-54 with nine seconds to go, and this time opted to foul intentionally instead of allowing Hicks another chance to tie.

Hicks went to the line and missed. Landram collected the rebound, got fouled and made his first free throw for the final margin, 58-54.

The Tides face Auburn (18-5) at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, in the district championship game at Auburn High School.

Girls basketball: GH plays for state berth

The Gig Harbor girls basketball team beat Prairie of Vancouver, 55-37, in a loser-out district tournament game on Tuesday, Feb. 14.

Senior Riley Peschek scored 25 points and grabbed 23 rebounds to lead the Tides (13-9).

“I believe she should have been nominated as the South Sound Conference MVP with what she has accomplished this year. She has been terrific,” Tides coach Mike Guinasso said.

Guard Taylor Schwab added 17 points for Gig Harbor. Guinasso also singled out sophomore Finley Wyman, who contributed 11 rebounds against Prairie.

The Tides Riley Peschek finishes with the left hand as she scored 25 points and pulled down 23 rebounds in a playoff win over Prairie. Photo by Bryce Carithers

Gig Harbor hosted Central Kitsap (11-9) in a winner-to-state game at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17.

The Peninsula girls team (18-4) dropped a 50-39 decision to North Thurston in a district tournament semifinal game on Wednesday, Feb 15. The Seahawks play Bonney Lake (17-4) for third place in the district tournament at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18 at Auburn High School.

Peninsula has already qualified for state.

Kaylia Heidelberg led the Seahawks with 18 points against North Thurston.

Mat Classic at Tacoma Dome

Mat Classic, the state wrestling championship, takes place Feb. 17 and 18 the Tacoma Dome.

Participating wrestlers from Peninsula include:

Girls: Georgina Johnson, 100 pounds; Kylie Michalke, 120 pounds (alternate); Campbell Stegeman, 125 pounds (alternate); Bailey Parker, 135 pounds; Mira Sonnen, 140 pounds.

Boys: Justin Phipps, 113 pounds; Aiden Eversull, 126 pounds; Marcus Reum, 145 pounds; Emmett Casey, 160 pounds; Boden Clark, 170 pounds; Gavin Grice, 170 pounds; Joaquin Antoine and Aiden Thomsen, 220 pounds; and Trace Schumacher, 285 pounds.

Gig Harbor will send Jonah Edmund at 113 pounds and Ella Nimrick at 100 pounds.

Part of the Peninsula High contingent of wrestlers headed to Mat Classic.