PORT ANGELES — With the North Kitsap Vikings up 26-18 at the half, and with Isaiah Shamp in dress clothes out for a week with a bad ankle, it did not look good for the green machine on seniors’ night. However, the Roughriders reached deep down and played lights out in your grill defense and actually took a 43-42 lead that had the rafters in Roughrider Gym rocking, but just like the Viking 8-point win in Poulsbo the Roughriders just could not get a clutch bucket down the stretch or keep Cade Orness and Harry Davies out of the paint and off the free throw line, as the Vikings earned a hard fought 51-44 victory. The win gives the Vikings the Olympic League championship.
Roughrider guard Parker Nickerson was outstanding, keeping the Roughriders in the game with his jump shots that had black jerseys in his face. Nickerson finished with 16 points. Tyler Hunter had 10 points. Josiah Long, playing with an illness, had 6 points and Ezra Townsend, replacing Shamp, played as hard as a wrecking ball and scored 6 points. Sophomore point guard Gus Halberg came off the bench and gave coach Kasey Ulin some great minutes hitting for 6 points and getting in the paint to set up Roughrider baskets. The Vikings, who score 73 points per game were held to 18 points under their average. The upcoming district tournament should be very special with a lot of competitive teams.
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The Roughrider girls earned a nice road win at North Kitsap beating the Vikings 46-34. The Roughriders Saturday host all-state point guard Allie Greene and her #1-ranked Neah Bay Red Devils. The Red Devils are 12-1 with their only loss to the 2nd ranked Sequim Wolves by 8 points. The game will be broadcast live on KONP with the Les Schwab Tires pre-game show at 12:45 pm.
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The 2nd-ranked Sequim Wolves girls host Kingston tonight at 7 pm and you can hear that game on KONP Newsradio. The Wolves will be the biggest of favorites as Kingston is 0-11 in league and 1-15 overall. The Wolves, 11-0 in league and 15-0 overall, are one of two unbeaten 2A teams in the state. Ellensburg is the other.
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The Sequim boys have a huge game at Kingston as the Wolves try to earn the number 3 spot to the district tournament.
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In swimming action, the Roughriders sunk the Kingston Buccaneers 121- 52. Earning first place finishes were: Alex Che in the 100 free style and the 50 free style; Colby Ellefson won the 100 butterfly; Blake Nahory won the 100 backstroke; Landon Close won the 200 free style and the 100 breast stroke. The Roughriders also won the 200 medley relay, the 200 free style relay and the 400 free style relay.
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Good luck to Becky Gundersen and her Roughrider bowling team at the Quad District Tournament tomorrow at Paradise Lanes in Tacoma. The event starts at 2 pm. Freshman Zoey Van Gordon confirmed with KONP’s Oly Archibald on last night’s Roughrider VIP Halftime show that she and her teammates will be chowing down on Peppered jerky and potato chips at the district tournament, a power snack they used to reach a surprising 2nd place win in the Olympic League Tournament and launch in to the district tourney for the first-time Roughrider team.
Roughrider bowler Zoey Van Gordon talked on Newsradio KONP about her team’s season ride to district
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NWAC basketball tomorrow as the Pirates host Edmonds. The Women tip off at 2 pm the men at 4 pm.