The Plateau’s winter-season athletes will see a flurry of activity the next couple of weeks before heading into their annual holiday break.
This winter brings two key developments on the sporting scene at both Enumclaw High and White River. First is the addition of girls flag football, second is the disappearance of gymnastics.
On the gymnastics front, the sport was hit by the lack of a coach and difficulty landing a facility in which to practice and compete.
On a more positive note, it appears the addition of flag football has been a hit in the hallways of both local high schools. Here’s a look at the new sport, along with an early-season glance at wrestling (both boys and girls) and boys swimming.
FLAG FOOTBALL
The sport gained a foothold a year ago at some schools throughout the region (and the state) and now it has arrived on the Plateau.
Those unfamiliar with the sport will face a sharp learning curve as there are many differences from the boys game. Fans will notice a much smaller field (50 yards long and 30 yards wide, plus a pair of 10-yard end zones); two 20-minute periods with a running clock; an emphasis on offense without serious line play; and absolutely no kicking game.
There are seven players on the field for each team.
Leading the new programs are Judd Erickson at White River and Chris Blakely at Enumclaw. Erickson notes he is “somewhat new to the coaching scene,” but has coached quarterbacks the past two seasons at the University of Puget Sound. Blakely has been visible for nearly a decade through his heavy involvement in the Junior Hornet program, coaching at Thunder Mountain Middle School and leading Enumclaw High’s freshman football team.
“We’re really excited about the turnout we got for our first season,” Erickson said. “We have a lot of very talented girls that come from a variety of different athletic backgrounds and sports. They’re very coachable and love to compete.”
Blakely shared those same sentiments, noting that “the girls have been fantastic” and the support within the school and entire community has been extremely positive.
Early season: The Enumclaw girls will head to Federal Way Memorial Field Saturday (Dec. 13) where they will square off against Kentridge and Kennedy Catholic. On Thursday, the 18th, EHS will travel to Auburn Mountainview to challenge the host Lions and White River.
White River will travel to Auburn Mountainview Dec. 18 where they will face Enumclaw High and the host Lions.
Enumclaw began its season Dec. 4, opening with a 21-0 shutout of Tahoma High. Then came a battle with a talented Stadium High squad that is not in its debut season; things really went the way of the Stadium squad that raced to a 58-0 victory.
White River first saw action Dec. 6, falling to Auburn Riverside 37-27. The team hosted Tahoma High yesterday (Dec. 9).
WR BOYS WRESTLING
At the top: Veteran high school coach Josh Sneva heads into his fourth season at the Hornet helm. This marks his 10th year in the prep ranks, having previously spent six seasons with the North Thurston program.
Last season’s success: The Hornets proved to be the cream of the crop, capturing a state championship during their first year of competition at the Class 3A level.
White River totaled 252 team points after taking 15 wrestlers to the Tacoma Dome, boasting two individual Mat Classic champions and seeing six others place in the top eight in their weight class.
State experience: Of the 15 grapplers who advanced to last year’s Class 3A state competition, five have returned for another season on the mat.
Tops among those are sophomore Josha Wilson, who left Tacoma last season with fourth-place state honors, and senior Joshua Hanson who battled his way to a sixth-place state finish. Other state veterans returning for the Hornets include two juniors, Brayden Thacker and Dallas Stryker Simmons, and sophomore Morgan Presley.
Big losses: Last year’s Hornet team success at state was spearheaded by a lineup heavy on senior talent. The list of now-graduated Hornets includes Riley Simmons and Caleb Dale, both state champions last season; Luke Lisherness, second place; Hunter Oswold, fourth place; Tyson Moran, fifth place; and Thomas Stanhope, sixth place. Others making a state appearance were Trevor King, Levi Northam, Jack Berdan and Mason Brame.
Early season: White River jumped into action Dec. 3 with a home match against NPSL 3A rival Decatur. The Hornets rang up a 54-24 victory over the Gators.
EHS BOYS WRESTLING
At the top: Gage Elder has returned for a second season at the top of the EHS boys wrestling program. He has been around the team even longer, having served as an assistant since 22019.
State experience: The Enumclaw High squad had seven wrestlers qualify a season ago for Mat Classic, the state championships. Of those, five are back to compete for the maroon and gold: seniors Gaven Gemmell and Eddie Cormier-Higgins; juniors Romeo Gwerder and Cole Schumacher; and sophomore Bo Bruhn.
Key losses: Of the seven EHS grapplers who advanced to the state meet in the Tacoma Dome, both Caleb Grantham and Mason Elder were lost to graduation.
Early season: With two meets and a tournament already under their belts the Hornet squad will not see action until next week. The evening of Dec. 17 has the Enumclaw boys heading to Decatur High for a North Puget Sound League 3A meet with the Gators.
The first dual meet of the season saw EHS defeat Todd Beamer 59-21 in Chuck Smith Gymnasium.
EHS GIRLS WRESTLING
State experience: The news is good on the girls grappling front as all nine of last season’s state qualifiers have returned.
The list is headed by seniors Taydem Bylin, who walked off the T-Dome mat with a state championship, and Sydney Poe, who advanced to the state finals and claimed second-place honors.
Other Enumclaw wrestlers who advanced last year to the state meet include seniors Madison Cooper and Lily Pedersen; juniors Avery Sawyer, Alexandra Soriano-Ross and Brookelynn Miller; and sophomores Lily Hammond and Maisy Norton. Of those, Hammond won three matches in Tacoma, Cooper won twice and Miller took one victory.
Early season: The Enumclaw girls will return to action tomorrow (Thursday) night, traveling to Kentwood High School for a multi-team meet. The following Thursday (Dec. 18) has the Hornets trekking to Federal Way High to take on the host team along with Auburn Riverside and Kentridge.
WR GIRLS WRESTLING
State experience: The list of returnees with state meet experience is impressive at the top: Amanda Lillie and Marli Miller, both juniors this time around, won four matches in the Dome to walk off with second-place honors. Other state meet veterans include senior Mya Turcott; juniors Evelyn Amerson, Ruth Schweickert and Sydnee Hloskyk; and sophomore Arieana Jones.
Key losses: The team’s No. 1 loss to graduation was a big one: a season ago Lily Lamothe won four straight matches, all by pin, to capture a state 3A championship in the Dome. Also lost to graduation was Nancy Woodard who won two matches during the state meet.
Early season: With two tournaments to their credit the White River girls will participate in two more before taking a winter break. Tomorrow (Thursday) the Hornets will travel to Auburn High where they will join the host Trojans, Auburn Riverside, Kennedy Catholic, Kentlake, Kent-Meridian, Kentridge, Thomas Jefferson and Todd Beamer.
On Dec. 18 the Hornets will head to Kent-Meridian for competition that also includes Mount Rainier and Tahoma High.
BOYS SWIM & DIVE
Turning out together: Because White River High does not offer a swim/dive program, athletes make the trek to the Enumclaw Aquatic Center where they share facilities, a coach, travel and meets.
When it comes to competition, however, the Plateau schools maintain their own scores against the common opposition, establishing their own record of wins and losses.
Steady at the top: Scott Usborne is back for a fifth winter season at the helm of the program.
Familiar names: This year’s rosters include some names familiar to those who followed the White River and Enumclaw fortunes a season ago.
On the White River side are Eli Long, who swam in the state meet as part of a relay, and Logan Tubbs. Both are sophomores.
EHS returnees include seniors Ellis Behrens, Jackson Harris, Spencer Ballard and Miguel Cruz-Gadea; juniors Titus Tuck, Melvin Johnson and Ian Dickson; and sophomores Aaron Gruner and Isaac Leavitt.
Early season: The season, now two meets old, will see the Plateau swimmers in action during two more meets before the holiday break. Tomorrow (Dec. 11) local athletes will host Decatur High at 3:30 p.m. at the Enumclaw Aquatic Center. On Dec. 17 the EHS and WRHS swimmers will head to the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way to take on Thomas Jefferson High.
PHOTO BY KEVIN HANSON Wrestling at 165 pounds during Enumclaw’s December 3 home victory over Todd Beamer High was sophomore Carson Lee.
PHOTO BY KEVIN HANSON Enumclaw junior Romeo Gwerder, shown here on his way to a victory over a Todd Beamer opponent, was among the Hornets registering a fall during a December 3 home meet.
