Photo: The Wolves’ Hannah Bates and Taryn Johnson form the fastest backcourt in the Olympic league
PORT ANGELES — The “Showdown at Sundown” is now just hours away as the Sequim Wolves girls basketball team with a10-0 record and a #2 State RPI ranking have a chance to come into Roughrider Gym tonight and can practically claim the Olympic league championship with a win considering the Roughriders already have a loss, a weak league and the Roughriders must head back to Sequim February 2nd.
The Wolves have all of the size, speed and big names, however the Roughrider gym has been a house of horror for the Wolves getting blown out twice last year in the Roughrider gym. As we saw during volleyball season the most talented team does not always win. That’s when the Roughriders dominated the taller more talented Wolves team getting out to a quick start and the Wolves melted in front of a fanatic Roughrider student body.
The Wolves have a big size advantage and average 57 points per game while the Roughriders average 42 points per game. The Wolves have 3 players averaging in double digits. 5’10” junior Jolene Vaara averages 18 points per game while senior point guard Hannah Bates averages 11 points per game and will get a lot of votes with Vaara for the Olympic League player of the year at the end of the season. 6’0″ senior Jelissa Julmist, who averages 12 points per game, is a force on the low blocks. One of the match ups to watch are two-sport stars Taryn “The Rocket” Johnson of Sequim and Roughrider senior guard Anna Petty. Petty is the only Roughrider that averages in double figures at 11 points per game. Johnson and Petty are two of the top soccer players on the Peninsula. The Roughriders will need a career game from 5’11” sophomore Lexie Smith along with 2 talented freshman 5’10” guard Lindsey Smith who averages 8 points per game and freshman guard Teanna Clark 6 points per game, who is the daughter of Roughrider head football coach Dustin Clark.
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In the night game, the Roughrider boys will be huge favorites against the Wolves. The Roughriders 5-1 in league play averages 71 points per game while the Wolves 3-3 in league play average just 56 points per game. Roughrider Senior forward 6’7″ Tyler Hunter (16 points per game) and 6’5″ forward Isaiah Shamp (15 points per game) will have an easier night with the Wolves 6’3″ senior Isaiah Moore out with a high ankle sprain.
The girls game will tip off at 5:15 pm and the boys will follow at 7 pm. The Les Schwab Tire pre-game show will start at 5 pm. At halftime of the boys game, we will feature Roughrider standout student athlete Sophomore Heidi Leitz on the VIP Halftime Show. Heidi will talk about her play with her elite fast pitch team the Diamond Dusters out of Silverdale, playing the violin with the Port Angeles High School Orchestra and her academic work with DECA.
Oly Archibald and Greg Thomas will have the live play by play.
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In high school bowling action yesterday the Roughriders beat Sequim 5-2. Violet Mills, Zoey Van Gordon and Taylor Worthington all had career game highs and Abby Robinson had a 2 game high of 270.