LOCAL SPORTS: Big night Tuesday for Port Angeles HS hoops

By Oly Archibald

PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles Roughrider basketball fans unfortunately have to decide which big basketball game they want to attend tonight and or listen to.

The 3-2 Roughrider boys coming off a stunning 57-55 loss at Neah Bay host a solid 3-2 WF West Bearcat team from Chehalis. The 5-2 Roughrider girls team travels to Neah Bay hoping to avenge their 60-41 loss at home to the Red Devils back on January 31st.

The Roughrider boys take on the Bearcats who lost their opener at Ridgfield by one point. The Bearcats have wins over Rochester, Shelton and Black Hills. The Bearcats average 58 points per game and are very good defensively, giving up just 48 points per game. The Roughriders are averaging 71 points per game and giving up 58 points per game. The Bearcats have a very good outside and inside game. They are led by guard Taylor Klatosh a 6’2″ senior who averages 15 points per game. The other guard is 6’0″ senior Lucas Hoff who averages 10 points per game. The Bearcats have great size and are athletic on the low blocks with 6’7″ Senior. Parker Eiswald who averages 12 points per game. 6’5″ 200 lb. Senior Grady Westlund, an outstanding TE on the Bearcat football team, averages 6 points per game and hauls down 10 rebounds per game.

It will not get any easier for the Roughriders Wednesday night as they host Enumclaw ranked in most of the state polls as a top 8 team.

The Roughrider girls, at 5-2, have simply beat the teams they should beat and lost to WF West and 3A Peninsula who simply have better talent.

The Neah Bay Red Devils, the defending state champions, return their entire team except for all-state guard Allie Greene now having a productive season for Peninsula College. The Red Devils at 3-1 on the season lost at class 2B Rainier who is expected to compete for the rugged District 4 2B championship. Last year, the Red Devils split with Sequim and blew out the Roughriders on their home floor 60-41. There is no doubt that this school of 100 students could have won the Class 2A Olympic League Championship last year.

The Red Devils have four scorers who can hit for 10-20 points on any night. Their leader is 5’7″ senior Ryana Moss, who averages 14 points per game and 7 rebounds per game. Sister Cerise, a 5’6″ sophomore, averages 8 points per game. The Red Devils enforcer is 5’8″ senior Amber Swan who plays much bigger than her size. Swan averages 12 points per game and 9 rebounds per game. Put Swan on the low blocks with rugged 5’11” senior Ezrah Ray’s 6 points per game and 3 rebounds per game, and you have a tough duo on the low blocks. The Red Devils are blessed with one of the outstanding athletes in the state in sophomore Angel Halttunen. Halttunen, a state track sprinter, has height a great wingspan and is the “Minister of Defense” for the Red Devils. She played in last year’s All State Basketball Game as a freshman and was the MVP for the “West” squad.

In last year’s match up in Port Angeles, Red Devil Head coach Cherish Moss put on a coach’s clinic Pat Summit would have been proud off. Moss, a former Red Devil, also led Allison Crumb’s Peninsula Pirates to the NWAC championship games, winning one of them as a player..

Keys to tonight’s game will be the Roughriders 5’10” senior power forward Paige Mason battling on the low blocks against Ray and Swan. This battle inside will be fun to watch. The other key will be how well Roughrider guards Lindsey Smith, a 5’11” sophomore, and Teanna Clark, a 5’6″ sophomore, break the Red Devils dreaded full court press and control the tempo of the game.

Roughrider point guard, 5’6″ sophomore Teanna Clark, will try to beat the Red Devils vaunted full court press

The Roughriders do not want to get in a run-and-gun 3-point shooting contest with the Red Devils on their home floor.

Red Devils Allie Greene and Angel Halttunen on last year’s KONP Newsradio Post Game show after beating Sequim by 15

It will be high school basketball at its best with a packed Red Devil gym full of energy. The game will be broadcast live on KONP and on the stream at myclallamcounty.com with the pre-game show starting at 5:45 and the tip off at 6. Oly Archibald and Bob Hudon will have the live play by play.