By Oly Archibald
In high school basketball action tonight, the Port Angeles boys basketball team travels to Bainbridge in a game that could go a long way toward deciding the Olympic League runner-up position.
The 7-2 league, 9-5 overall Roughriders will be heavy underdogs against the 7th-ranked Bainbridge Spartans, who are 6-1 in league play and 9-4 overall. Bainbridge beat Port Angeles 63-39 in their first meeting in Port Angeles.
The Spartans have played a brutal non-league schedule, with losses to 2A No. 1 Bremerton, 2A No. 4 Grandview, 1A No. 1 Zillah, and 4A No. 3 Lake Washington. Last night, Bainbridge knocked off 4A Tahoma 70-65.
Bainbridge is led by 6-foot-5 sophomore shooting guard Ryan Rohrbacher, who received a Division-I scholarship offer from Seattle University last year. Rohrbacher averages 23 points per game and is one of the top shooters in the state, hitting 46 percent from three-point range.
Bainbridge sophomore Ryan Rohrbacher, a 6-foot-5 guard, averages 23 points per game and holds a Division I scholarship offer from Seattle University.
His brother, 6-foot-6 senior Will Rohrbacher, was last year’s Olympic League MVP and a pitcher on the Spartans’ state championship baseball team. Will Rohrbacher has signed with Utah Valley, but is also expected to be selected in the spring MLB draft and has signed with an agent.
For Port Angeles, the Roughriders will need big nights from their top two scorers — 6-foot-2 senior Brody Pierce, averaging 17 points per game, and 6-foot-2 senior Hunter Flores, who averages 15 points per game.
Roughrider guards Ashton Gedelman and Brody Pierce talk with KONP Newsradio after the game. Port Angeles will need big performances from both tonight against 7th-ranked Bainbridge.
Looking ahead to the district tournament beginning February 14th, Bremerton and Bainbridge appear to be the heavy favorites to reach the championship game. After those two, Port Angeles, Fife, Franklin Pierce, and Clover Park form a group of similarly talented teams battling for the final two regional spots in the Sweet 16.
Tonight’s game will be broadcast here on KONP Newsradio, with the pregame show at 6:45 and tip-off at 7:00.
Oly Archibald has the play-by-play, Joe Gladfelter provides color commentary, and Kylar McCaslin is the game analyst.
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On the girls’ side, the 7-0 league, 9-5 Roughrider girls can all but lock up the Olympic League championship with a home win tonight against 7-1 league, 9-5 Bainbridge. Port Angeles beat the Spartans by 15 points in the first meeting at Bainbridge. Tip-off is at 7:00.
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In bowling action yesterday, it was a big Senior Day for the Roughriders, as they out-pinned North Mason 6-1. It marked the second time this season Port Angeles knocked down more than 700 pins in both games.
Leilah Franich led the way with a two-game high of 329.
Zoey Van Gordon rolled a 310.
Izzy Spencer posted a personal-best 200 in a single game.
Kenadie Ring rolled a 264, and Lucy Townsend added a 238.
Roughrider bowling seniors received ceremony blankets from the Lower Elwha Tribe.
Pictured are Claire Adolphsen, Izzy Clark, Zoey Howe, Kenadie Ring, Zoey Van Gordon, Izzy Spencer, and Jule Getzin.
The league bowling tournament is set for Friday.