Sammamish basketball players named to KingCo all-star team
February 29, 2012
Eastlake and Skyline high schools have been selected for the KingCo 4A Basketball 2011-2012 all-conference teams. For the boys Will Parker from Skyline has made first team.
Parker averaged 14.6 points, 3.7 assists and 2.6 steals per game this season with a total of 306 points. Eastlake’s Brandon Lester and Skyline’s Lucas Shannon made second team. Read more
Skyline basketball tops Eastlake in overtime
January 18, 2012
If Eastlake would have figured out a way to get Michael Hwang and Brandon Lester the ball in the second half Jan. 13, the Wolves could have ridden a comfortable lead to victory over Skyline.
But the Spartans were able to contain the two hot shooters and get past the Eastlake defense down the stretch. Read more
The buzzer-beater that wasn’t
January 9, 2012
Skyline players and coaches might still be talking about Megan Wiedeman’s near-buzzer-beating shot Jan. 6.
Wiedeman, the Spartans’ standout senior post, almost won the game at literally the last second at a packed Issaquah High School gymnasium. She made the 22-footer, but the officials ruled it no good after it rolled off of her finger tips just a split second after time expired.
“I thought we won,” Skyline coach Greg Bruns said.
Megan Wiedeman, Skyline High School senior post, watches her last-ditch effort head toward the hoop as Issaquah senior guard Taryn Holmes defends. Photo by Christopher Huber
Sammamish teams enjoy some winter hoops success
January 4, 2012
The Eastside Catholic boys basketball team kept it close in the home stretch, but ultimately fell 57-50 to Chaminade (Calif.) in the championship game at the Chaminade Christmas Classic Dec. 29. Senior Joey Schreiber had 24 points and 15 rebounds in the final, finishing the tournament with 96 points in four games and leading the Crusaders to a second place finish.
Eastside Catholic upsets O’Dea, Eastlake girls take 3rd at Nike invitational
December 28, 2011
Sammamish basketball teams stayed fresh during the first half of winter break. Some traveled out-of-state and others went to Seattle. The Eastside Catholic boys and Eastlake girls offered up the week’s top highlights. Read more
Skyline players, coaches less than enthusiastic about win
December 21, 2011
It didn’t matter to Will Parker that he had scored a career-high 25 points Dec. 16. He knew it was mostly Newport’s mistakes that allowed his Skyline Spartans to win and for him to get so many scoring opportunities.
He was happy about helping his team win, but focused on what Skyline will have to work on over the winter break if it wants to succeed against KingCo competition this season.
Hunter Cikatz (23), Skyline sophomore guard, goes up for a shot as Calvin Throckmorton, Newport freshman center, defends during the third quarter Dec. 16. Photo by Christopher Huber
Spartan basketball teams look to build last year’s success
December 7, 2011
J. Jay Davis and his Spartans basketball team don’t care what anybody thinks about them this year. The team plans to focus on improving on a relatively successful season last year, but after graduating starters like Kasen Williams, Jordan Simone and Teran Togia, returning players will have their work cut out for them.
The Skyline boys went 14-10 overall in 2010-2011 and took third place in the KingCo 4A conference tournament after losing to Newport. It brings back four starters whose leadership and points production will be key to its success this season.
Senior forward Lucas Shannon, who signed a letter of intent to play for Saint Martin’s, and senior point guard Will Parker (committed to Seattle Pacific UNiversity) will look to provide experience and consistent scoring opportunities as Skyline faces the likes of Garfield, Newport and Issaquah.
At 6-foot-6, 210 pounds, senior forward Bryan Cikatz will add needed size in the paint. Jonah Eastern, a sophomore guard, returns with Cikatz, Parker and Shannon. And combined with three more returners, Max Browne (junior forward), Isaiah Richmond (junior forward) and Addison McIrvin (sophomore guard), Skyline should be a force in the KingCo Crest Division.
In its opening game of the season, Skyline defeated Auburn Mountainview 63-44. It led 23-3 after one and took a 37-18 lead into halftime.
Shannon came up big, with 23 points and Parker had 14. Cikatz scored nine. All three averaged around 9.5 points per game last season.
“We expect to play hard for 32 minutes a game, for 21 nights on our schedule and see where we are on February 4,” said Davis, in his fifth year as head coach. “That’s all our coaching staff is concerned with, and any outside expectations will remain outside of this team.”
Girls hope for
shot at KingCo title
The Skyline girls basketball team opened the season 1-1. It lost its opener to Bellevue, 37-34 Nov. 30 and turned around and beat Kentlake 71-27 Dec. 3.
In the latter game, three Spartans scored in double digits. Junior point guard Rachel Shim tallied 18 points in the win, and Shelby Kassuba had 12. Returning senior post Allie Wyszynski scored 10.
The Skyline girls went 16-9 overall last season and took third in KingCo competition behind Issaquah and Eastlake. It made it to state after placing second at the district tournament, but lost out to South Kitsap 64-54 in the first round.
While it lost key starters Michelle Bretl and Christy Cofano to graduation, the Spartans bring back most of its starting core from 2010-2011. Wyszynski, senior post Megan Weideman and senior guard Morgan Farrar look to give the team balance against tough competitors like Eastlake, Issaquah and Newport. Junior Haley Smith (6-foot-1 wing) brings size and experience, while back Shim, a major force at the top of the key, is freshly recovered from knee surgery.
Senior Susie Tinker and junior Lacey Nicholson, both shooting guards, will vie for time and impact, too.
This year’s Skyline girls may have an advantage, in that the returning group of juniors and seniors has spent most of their basketball career together, learning the current system, said head coach Greg Bruns. He noted the standout senior leadership that will help the squad be more consistent throughout the year. And the girls will look to continue forcing lots of turnovers, as it led the league last year.
“We thrive by playing aggressive defense which helps to cause turnovers and create a lot of offense for us,” Bruns said. “We expect to continue to build on the success of last season and challenge for the division title and make it back to the KingCo title game again.”
Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com.
Skyline bows out in first round of state tournament
March 1, 2011
There was one word the Skyline High School girls basketball team did not believe in – quit.
Throughout the 2010-11 season the Spartans staged numerous comebacks en route to the 4A state tournament. Skyline again showed its fighting spirit Feb. 25 but the Spartans couldn’t overcome South Kitsap, losing to the Wolves 64-54 in the first round of the Region III tournament at Rogers of Puyallup.
Skyline, in the state tournament for only the second time in the history of the girls program, fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter. The Spartans fought back to take a lead, fell behind again, and made a valiant charge in the fourth quarter that fell short in the loser-out game.
Megan Wiedeman, Skyline junior post, and Dana Goularte of South Kitsap scramble to rebound a loose ball early in the fourth quarter of their first round state 4A basketball showdown Feb. 25. Photo by Greg Farrar
Skyline girls fall to Woodinville in KingCo championship game
February 23, 2011
Skyline senior guard Lindsey Nicholson gave the Spartans plenty to cheer about in the first half against the Woodinville Falcons. She hit her first three 3-point shots of the first quarter-and-a-half and, at one point, helped Skyline get out to an early 18-10 lead.
But Woodinville’s Deidre Miller sunk more, and they all counted down the stretch.
After three quarters, the KingCo 4A girls basketball title seemed to be the Spartans’. But Miller’s barrage from beyond the arc aided the Falcons to a 55-47 comeback victory over Skyline for the league championship Feb. 18 at Juanita High School.
Woodinville’s Alexis McLeod blocks the shot of Lindsey Nicholson, Skyline senior guard, in the fourth quarter during the KingCo 4A championship game Feb. 18. Photo by Christopher Huber
Skyline girls top Issaquah
February 15, 2011
Morgan Farrar’s two shots could not have come at better times for the Skyline Spartans girls basketball team. The junior guard’s only field goals — she went 5-for-5 from the free-throw line — and one of those free throws accounted for tying the game at 50 apiece against the favored Issaquah Eagles, and then putting the game away for good.
Skyline junior post Megan Weideman is fouled by Issaquah’s Sabrina Norton in the first quarter Feb. 12. Photo by Christopher Huber
