Area high schools, like their counterparts throughout the Evergreen State, are preparing for the every-other-year exercise that determines who plays where.
A cross-river hoop rivalry was played out Thursday night as the Hornet girls of Enumclaw High hosted their counterparts from White River. In the end, the Class 2A Hornets took down their Class 3A hosts 54-31.
White River defeats Tumwater 76-71 in nonleague action.
Last year’s Bonney Lake boys basketball squad struggled through the long season hoping to make the playoffs.
When Bonney Lake High girls basketball standout, and hard-working whirling dervish, senior, forward Carli Elwin graduated last summer the Lady Panther cagers lost a solid all-around player. The silver lining in that black and teal cloud is the Panthers’ coach Thomas Ostrander has done far more with far less.
The Sumner High boys basketball squad got a small taste of postseason action last year, when the contingent was made up predominantly of juniors, breaking a 40-year state tournament draught.
An experienced, tall and skilled 2011-12 Sumner High girls basketball squad finished last year’s regular season at 12-2 and proceeded to go deep into the second season, becoming eligible to participate in the Class 2A state basketball tournament for the first time in a decade.
BOYS
Bonney Lake 56, Bethel 51
Sumner 46, Enumclaw 34
GIRLS
White River 49, Puyallup 38
Liberty 57, Sumner 45
Mount Rainier 62, Enumclaw 31
This could be the year that the Bonney Lake High wrestling squad makes a bold statement in a South Puget Sound League 3A grappling world that has been dominated by the Enumclaw Hornets.
Despite a relatively small roster signed up so far, the Bonney Lake High boys swim team has high hopes for the upcoming season.
The Sumner High School boys swim and dive team is entering the winter season with two overriding missions: qualify as many individual swimmers as possible to the state meet and keep improving on each athlete’s best times.
Just a few days into practice and Enumclaw High’s girls wrestling team is looking good. The Hornets finished 21st at the 3A state tournament in February and have been anxious to get back on the mat since.
If the Enumclaw High Lady Hornets continue the marked improvement shown a season ago, fans of Beth Madill and her crew are in for a treat.