By Oly Archibald
Another high school sports season has come and gone and when the North Kitsap Vikings girls fast pitch team held up their state championship trophy the look toward the 2023-2024 season had already began.
The Port Angeles Roughriders ranked 6th going into the tournament played like it.
Last year a very good Roughrider team when 1-2 and did not make it to Saturday in a always very tough Class 2A division.
Roughrider Nation can point to outstanding leadership and a “We are in this together” persona by the Roughrider players themselves that carried them to a tied for 5th place finnish. This was a team that went through a very tough coaching change losing the very likable, respected and winning head coach Randy Steinman.
Once again it was the perfect mix off upper class superstars like Lily Halberg, Natalie Robinson, Cheyenne Zimmer and Taylor Worthington added in with budding new superstars like Freshman Lynzee Reid and Kennedy Rognlien.
With 3 losses to the state Champion North Kitsap Vikings by just 3,4 and 5 runs, it shows just how close these Roughriders were.
One of the most emotional moments of the tournament was seen at the end of Aberdeens convincing win over the Roughriders. When Roughrider Senior Alexis Perry earned a 7th inning hit, a big smile was shown from the Senior and a very loud loving ovation came from the Roughrider Dugout. It was the same type of scene when a walk on University of Washington linebacker gets a couple of plays at the end of a game and makes an interception. The Roughrider players emotions toward Perry is a another reason this team excelled this season under very tough conditions.
In Junior Babe Ruth baseball it is a done deal Local 155 with a 10-1 record are the league Champions. Local 155 beat a very good Athletes choice team 5-3. Local 155 pitcher Brandt Perry pitched 3 innings 3 runs with 3 strike outs. Bryce Deleon pitched 4 innings with 4 strike outs and no runs.
For Athletes Choice Andre Campbell went 2 innings with 2 strike outs 2 hits and 2 runs.
For Local 155 Ian Smithson scored 2 runs. Chris Jaynes had 3 hits with 4 RBIs.
A reminder KONP Newsradio on June 17th will broadcast the 1B-2B and 1A-2A girls All State Basketball Games from Spokane. The State Champion Neah Bay Red Devils will have 4 players in the game 1B-2B game. Angel Halttunen, Amber Swan, Cerise Moss and Ryana Moss. The Sequim Wolves have Hannah Bates, Jolene Vaara and Jelissa Julmist in the 1A-2A game.
This is the end of our high school sports news reports until September. Since September KONP Newsradio produced 160 sports news reports and broadcasted 110 Port Angeles, Sequim and Peninsula Pirate sporting events. Have a safe Summer everyone that’s rap from Oly Archibald KONP Sports Radio.
Pictured: Senior Lily Halberg left it all in the dirt in Selah.
Pictured Above: Jolene Vaara and Hannah Bates will play in the All State basketball game.