Eight players to keep an eye on at the 2011 Les Schwab Shootout in Kent at the ShoWare Center
After hitting a small bump in the road, urgency has returned to the Kentwood High boys basketball team.
With star guard Gary Bell and Kentridge on the horizon in the featured game of Friday night’s third-annual Les Schwab Shootout in Kent at the ShoWare Center, the Conquerors could not have picked a better time to right the ship.
“We weren’t playing well,” admitted first-year coach Brian Davis, pointing to a stretch of games in which Kentwood dropped 3 of 5 contests. “We hit a little lull. Guys weren’t playing with urgency, weren’t playing with passion, weren’t playing with joy.”
Suffice to say, the Conquerors (8-3 in league, 11-4 overall) are playing with joy again.
The Kentlake High boys basketball team needed a front-line scorer when the season began.
A program that has been knocking on the door of the South Puget Sound League playoffs for the last couple of years, the Falcons have been consistently good, a competitive bunch that has generally played with anybody.
The Falcons just haven’t quite been good enough to get over the playoff hump.
This winter, the Falcons are showing that they just might be good enough.
After two straight years of barely missing the playoffs, Kentlake entered the week very much in a battle for one of the five playoff berths out of the rigorous SPSL North. And they owe much of their success to 6-foot-2 standout Jaron Heck, who has blossomed into one of the season’s nicest surprises.
Josie Paznokas knew she had to relax.
The Kentridge High freshman guard has struggled with her shot the last few weeks and was in need of some confidence. That confidence finally came on Friday, Jan. 21, when Paznokas poured in a season-high 16 points to lead the Chargers past Kent-Meridian 51-37 in a South Puget Sound League North Division game.
The clock is ticking on Kent-Meridian quarterback David Jones.
With the Feb. 2 National Signing Day just around the corner, the Kent-Meridian star is still waffling on colleges.
JARON HECK, KentlakeGrade: Junior.Sport: Basketball.Accomplishment: Heck has been one of the SPSL North’s steadiest players. He entered the week having scored 10 or more points… Continue reading
Thunderbirds' Player of the Week Erik Fleming
One of the largest specialty retailers of aftermarket automotive parts has been named title-rights sponsor of the Northwest’s premier motorsports event: the newly-named O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals.
Chase Bublitz was in fourth grade the last time the Kentridge High boys swim team lost a South Puget Sound League North Division dual meet.Now… Continue reading
The beat went on for the Kentwood High wrestling team Thursday night at Kentlake High.
Behind pins from Scott Willis, Dalton Meyers, Austin Torres and Josh Boekelman along with a pivotal victory by decision from Matthew Scott, the Conquerors turned back the Falcons 40-29 in a South Puget Sound League North Division dual meet.
NATHAN MEEKS, Kentlake
Grade: Senior.
Sport: Wrestling.
Accomplishment: Meeks served up the quickest pin of the night last week against Auburn Riverside, needing just 45 seconds to dispatch Larkin Williams in a 46-17 victory on Jan. 6.
Favorite class: Auto shop.
The Kentlake High baseball program suffered a major shakeup Tuesday morning, when head coach Jason Evans stepped down.
Evans, who does not teach, pointed to a work conflict as the lone reason for his resignation.
Left wing Chance Lund is the Kent Reporter's Thunderbird of the Week.
This is their chance.
For the first time in a long time, the Kent-Meridian High boys basketball team is starting to believe.
Believe in themselves. Believe in each other. And, finally, believe a playoff berth isn’t just possible, but expected.
After five downright difficult seasons in which the Royals won a combined 7 games in the South Puget Sound League North Division, the worm has turned in K-M’s favor. One doesn’t need to look any further for evidence than last week’s 47-42 upset of previously third-ranked Kentwood.
The Thunderbirds' Friday, Jan. 14 hockey matchup against the Everett Silvertips will be broadcast regionally on FSN. It is the first of 10 U.S. Division games that will be broadcast by FSN this season.
The Thunderbirds' Friday, Jan. 14 hockey matchup against the Everett Silvertips will be broadcast regionally on FSN. It is the first of 10 U.S. Division games that will be broadcast by FSN this season.
The Tri-City Americans defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 7-1 Tuesday night at the Toyota Center in Kennewick.
The Kentwood High girls basketball team has been searching for an additional scorer all season long.
Tuesday night at third-ranked Auburn Riverside, the Conquerors found what they were looking for. Courtney Johnson scored a team-high 20 points and Kylie Huerta added 19, yet it was the season-high 14 from Megan Wynne that ultimately paved the way to Kentwood’s 55-50 win over the Ravens in a South Puget Sound League North Division game.
Wynne, who entered the starting rotation three games ago, drilled three 3-pointers and proved to be the outside threat the Conquerors lost when Sanda Milovic graduated last spring.
“Megan was the ‘X’ factor,” said Kentwood coach Dean Montzingo. “She kind of stepped up as another scorer.”
Seattle Thunderbirds general manager Russ Farwell on Jan. 10 announced the T-Birds have acquired defenseman Ryan Button from the Prince Albert Raiders for center Charles Wells and the T-Birds' first-round selection in the 2011 CHL Import Draft.
The Seattle Thunderbirds came back from a two-goal deficit in the third period Jan. 9 against the Chilliwack Bruins to force overtime and earn a point in the Western Conference playoff standings.
