Photo: Sequim’s Jolene Vaara will lead her Wolves looking for an upset of #1-ranked Ellensburg
By Oly Archibald
The sweet 16 is here for the 16 best 2A high school girls basketball teams in the state, and after this weekend’s 8 games it will be narrowed down to the 12 teams headed to Yakima for March Madness beginning next Wednesday. A year ago, today Tumwater was the #1 seed going into the sweet 16 regional and played #8 seed Burlington Edison. How Ellensburg was not the #1 seed going into the tournament might be one of the great mysteries of modern-day times.
Tonight, the Sequim Wolves 20-2 are the #8 seed taking on the defending state champion and #1 seed undefeated 21-0 Ellensburg Bulldogs. The Bulldogs have all the size 6’6″ and 6’4″ on the front line with all the big names, big scores and nobody on planet Earth is giving the Sequim Wolves a chance except maybe a fired up Hannah Bates and her major underdog locker room. The Wolves have to play in Ellensburg’s own doghouse to make it even tougher on the Wolves who were ranked #2 in the WIAA RPI ranking for most of the season. One WIAA board member has said Sequim was moved down because of their lack of strength schedule. The Port Angeles Roughriders are getting a big laugh on that one, since they played a strong schedule against a very good 3A Peninsula team and powers Lynden, WF West and Sehome. What did that tough schedule do for the Roughriders? Try a #14 seed. So the Wolves will try to shock the world in a Lake Placid “do you believe in miracles” type upset! By the way, #8 Burlington-Edison did beat #1 seed Tumwater a year ago today. Yes, miracles do happen!
The Wolves and Bulldogs tip off tonight at 8 pm. The winner will play Thursday in a Quarter final at 5:30 pm. The loser will play at 9 pm Wednesday night against the winner of #9 seed Sehome #16 seed Sammanish game.
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The #14-seed, 13-10 Port Angeles Roughriders can get some revenge tonight against a solid 18-4, #11 seed Renton Redhawk team that came from behind by 9 points in the 4th quarter to beat the Roughriders 44-42 in the first round of the district tournament.
Tonight’s game will be broadcast on Newsradio KONP with the Les Schwab Tires pre-game show starting at 5:45 pm. Oly Archibald and Dave Montgomery will have the play by play. Renton beat Sequim 42-39 in the district championship game. In the 44-42 loss to Renton, the Roughriders may have played their best 3 quarters of the season. Three keys for the Roughriders tonight: #1 The Roughriders must take care of the ball. An 18 – 22 turnover night will not get it done. #2 Renton has 3 good shooters, one being Aahmani Washington. The Roughriders cannot stand around in their zone and let Renton take free shots from the 3 pt stripe. #3. The Roughriders have to keep point guard Jesse Victo from driving into the paint where she puts up floaters or kicks it out to wide open shooters. Roughrider seniors Anna Petty and Piper Williams along with junior Paige Mason must have big time games. Mason has come on late in the season offensively and has to keep 6’0″ senior Nya Lock of the boards.
The winner will play Wednesday at 3:45 pm against the loser of the #3 seed Burlington-Edison- #6 Seed WF West game. With how young this Roughrider team is it has been a very good season. A win tonight, and let the party begin all weekend on Ediz Hook.
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In NWAC action tomorrow Peninsula travels to Edmonds with the tip offs at 2 and 4 pm. You can hear the live action right here on Newsradio KONP with the 7 Cedars Casino pre-game show starting at 1:45 pm.