Five South Whidbey wrestlers will head to state finals in Tacoma this weekend, based on their performance Saturday at the 2A Region 1 meet in Mount Vernon.
Since it was built in 1955 the venerable, funky Bulldog gym has witnessed thousands of young high school athletes struggling to do their best in basketball, gymnastics and wrestling.
It came as quite a shock to Kings Coach Eric Rasmussen when Lady Falcon Cayla Calderwood picked up the first two points — with a fine assist from Lauren Sandri — during Tuesday’s contest in Erikson Gym.
The South Whidbey girls basketball team gave their opponents, coaches, fans and fellow athletes Friday night a textbook case of why you never, ever give up.
In the final five minutes, the lead between the South Whidbey and Cedarcrest teams switched back and forth so often the guy keeping score was getting cross-eyed.
South Whidbey’s wrestling team came in second place in the district match held at Archbishop Murphy High School on Saturday.
But the Falcons will send a record 13 grapplers to regionals this weekend at Mount Vernon High School and, though his team missed the Cascade Conference title by a hair, Falcon Coach Jim Thompson was named Coach of the Year by his fellow coaches.
The Cedarcrest wrestling team showed up in Erikson Gym on Wednesday, ready to defend their undefeated 4-0 status opposite the only other undefeated team in the Cascade Conference.
And they did, beating the Falcons 42-33 before the largest crowd ever to watch a South Whidbey wrestling match.
So far, we have reviewed Whidbey Island beach fishing locations from Possession Point to Fort Ebey State Park. Continuing north from Fort Ebey brings us to Monroe’s Landing on Penn Cove.
Friday was a tough night for Coupeville fans: Those who stayed home watched their girls basketball team demolished 57-36 by a raging Lady Falcon offense while those who made the long trip down Highway 525 were treated to a free throw free-for-all as the South Whidbey boys won 45-42.
Hard work, long road trips, aching muscles. And it all comes down to tonight.
The South Whidbey wrestling squad can make school history — 7 p.m. tonight in Erikson Gym — by beating Cedarcrest to become the Cascade Conference champions.
It shouldn’t have ended this way.
The South Whidbey boys basketball squad led Archbishop Murphy pretty much all night Wednesday in Erikson Gym and though the Wildcats were on the prowl in the fourth period, it should have been a Falcon win.
The South Whidbey wrestling team continued its march to a league championship and the state finals in Tacoma with two conference wins this week.
On Jan. 23 the boys beat Sultan 60-24. South Whidbey is undefeated, 3-0 in league, 6-0 overall, while Sultan fell to 0-3 and 1-7.
USA Gymnastics got a new start on Whidbey Island only a year ago when coach Debbie Wilkie of the burgeoning gymnastics program at Island Dance took her brand new team, Island Dance Gymnastics, to two meets at the end of last season.
The Falcon girls basketball team gave their coach and fans quite a scare Friday night.
They still beat Lakewood 55-44, but their apparent third quarter meltdown guaranteed nobody left before the final buzzer.
As a private high school, Archbishop Murphy has the luxury of casting a wide net for student-athletes to join their sports programs.
They often win, driving their 2A opponents, coaches and fans crazy. But sometimes they get beaten and when that occurs, it is very sweet indeed.
When the score hit 12-2 just two minutes into the first quarter Friday night, Falcon fans who braved the cold to attend the girls game against Granite Falls started getting a little worried.
The South Whidbey wrestling team is willing to do just about anything to improve their skills, even if it means boarding the school bus at 4:30 a.m. Saturday to make the weigh-in time at the West Seattle Invitational.
Beach fishing seems to be a mystery on Whidbey Island, except for the few spots that are well known and crowded.
I am constantly asked, “Where can I fish from the beach?” In this week’s column I’ll try to remove a little of the mystery and help you get out on your own and try a new spot.
No doubt about it, when it comes to high drama, the South Whidbey wrestling team definitely has its act together.
Thursday night, as a hard-driving rock beat thumped from the sound system, the team ran into a darkened Erikson Gym so fast they set up an artificial wind that ruffled the hair of the Granite Falls Tigers.
In every season, in every sport, there’s a special moment where it all comes together — the crowd, the band, the players on the field.
For the South Whidbey boys basketball team, Friday night was it.
The South Whidbey girls basketball team thought the girls at Cedarcrest would be an easy target.
The Red Wolves were happy to disabuse them of that notion, winning in the last seconds of a back-and-forth battle, 52-49.
To the surprise of many, the South Whidbey girls basketball team is in second place in the Cascade Conference standings, undefeated at 2-0 with an overall record of 5-3.
