PHOTOS BY GLENN NELSON
Anna Kruse of Lake Stevens harrasses Mount Si's Madison Yakaboski |
SEATTLE - To say that several of the Pacific Northwest's best high-school, 8th grade and 7th grade teams brought the heat to Summer Storm 2006 would be only partially correct. Mother Nature brought plenty of it, too, the weekend offering plenty of sunshine, not always welcomed for it transformed the Furtado Center into a sweatbox. And that additional challenge made this year's tournament champions all the more praiseworthy.
Not only did Lake Stevens, Emerald City Basketball Acadey Legends and YEA have to quite literally beat the heat, they also had to turn back talented fields.
ECBA's Alex Angel drives against
Baden's Whitney Wilson |
To wit, Mount Si and Newport were talented enough last season to have sufficiently toughened up Issaquah, during KingCo 3A play, to lay claim to the state championship expected to be abdicated by Chief Sealth. Lake Stevens, from WesCo 4A, mowed both down in succession on Sunday, with its 50-29 victory over the Wildcats claiming the first same-school, high-school title offered in a HoopGurlz.com tournament.
Preceding the Lake Stevens victory, the ECBA Legends brought big-time defense to a 32-24 victory over Baden Elite in the 8th Grade division. Closing out the night, YEA's pace and defensive pressure created the highest scoring championship game, which it won 57-46 over the ECBA Junior Lady Pioneers to take the 7th Grade division.
As testimony to Lake Stevens' overall team cohesion and work ethic, the Vikings failed to land a player on the HoopGurlz.com Sensational Six all-tournament team. The criteria for the honors typically has been more individual and takes into account status as prospects for the next level. As such, the selections included electrifying Yasmine Fuller of the Baden Elite 8th graders and do-it-all Madison Yakaboski of Mount Si High School, both of whom a tournamen-high 24 points in a single game; slick point guard Presley Neufeld of the Emerald City Legends 8th graders and sharp-shooting Jae Young Shin of the ECBA Junior Lady Pioneers 7th graders; shot maker Lily Ramseyer of Garfield and shot-out-of-a-canon quick Deborah Anderson of the YEA 7th graders.
In the high-school championship game, Mount Si assumed early command and led by as much as 11-4 after Richards' three-pointer four minutes into the game. Lake Stevens rallied to take the lead, but Richards hit another three to knot the score at 19 and the teams remained tied going into halftime. The Vikings pulled away midway through the second half when Brittany Aanstad nailed a three, then Courtney Risher, who led Lake Stevens with 14 points, followed with an inside move.
Kathleen Cooper of YEA |
The Legends similarly jumped out to an early advantage in the 8th grade final, running up a 14-2 lead after Neufeld's layup. Neufeld, who had all of her 16 points in the first half, later nailed a lead to grow the Legends' lead to 21-9. In the 7th grade championship, YEA busted open a tight game with a 15-1 run powered by its defensive pressure and athleticism on the glass. Anderson ignited the splurge with a steal leading to a fast-break layup and three-point play and added two more buckets during the run that allowed YEA to stave off a furious ECBA rally led by Erin Ellerside, who led all scorers with 16 points.
Other single-game scoring highs included 24 by Hazen's Monica Nevi against Lake Stevens J.V., 23 by Ramseyer agbainst Foster, 22 by Shin against Blaze, 21 by Bothell's Erin Barclay against Hazen, 20 by Blaze 7th grader Angela Bresee, 20 by Seattle Best 8th grader Calah Scott against YEA, 20 by Ramseyer against Lake Stevens, 19 by Neufeld against Primary Move, 19 by Catie Richards (twice) against Bothell and Hazen, 19 by Puget Sound Flight Blue 2011's Caroline Codd against Blaze, 19 by Foster's Valencia Doty against Garfield, 18 by Fuller against Puget Sound Flight Gold 2010, 17 by Anderson against Seattle's Best and 17 by Lake Stevens' Mary Ochiltree against Foster.
Summer Storm Championship Summaries
HS: Lake Stevens 50, Mount Si 29
High School Champs: Lake Stevens |
Lake Stevens (50) - Courtney Fisher 14, Brittany Aanstad 10, Ashley Housden 7, Meagan Johnson 5, Brittany Tri 4, Karissa TGri 2, Anna Kruse 2, Mary Ochiltree 2, Leah Tate 2, Karri Gallagher.
Mount Si (29) - Madison Yakaboski 10, Caitie Richards 9, Symone Shaw 4, Meaghan Cavanaugh 4, Alyssa McLaughlin 2, Meagan Welcom, Hannah Hames, Sarah Williams, Katelyn Walker, Shemoy Sellen, Lara Heartwig.
8th: ECBA Legends 32, Baden Elite 24
8th Grade Champs: ECBA Legends |
ECBA Legends (32) - Preley Neufled 16, Alex Angel 11, Morganne Commstack 6, Taylor Brazen 2, Carly Stawell 2, Cody Sisgo, Channel Cambronero, Kylie Hueta, Julia Furdtoft, Sophie Richelt.
Baden Elite (24) - Yasmine Fuller 6, Whitney Wilson 6, Brittani Terry 6, Caleigh Hassebrock 3, Natalie Laura 3, Ashley Coley, Catelyn Webber, Demarea Caples, Alicia McDonnel.
7th:YEA 57, ECBA Jr. Lady Pioneers 46
7th Grade Champs: YEA. |
YEA (57) - Deborah Anderson 13, Brittany Barrington 12, Jessica Maddison 11, Ta'rea Cunnigan 8, Chantel Dixon 4, Kathleen Cooper 4, Emari Williams 2, Kelen Degroot 2, Diamond Preston.
ECBA Jr. Lady Pioneers (46) - Erin Ellerside 16, Jae Young Shin 10, Charleah Pleasant 9, Rachel Schrode 4, Katelynn Manuan 4, Kristine Thoe 3, Morgan Young, Laura Sullivan.
Our Complete Summer Storm 2006 Coverage Menu:
Summer Storm 2006 Photo Gallery
Photos of the players, including Mary Ochiltree of Lake Stevens, who competed in Summer Storm.
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The only matters hotter than the sun baking the Furtado Center were the Summer Storm title games.
Summer Storm Results
High School, 8th and 7th grade teams congregate at KeyArena and the Furtado Center.
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