Braves Sports, Feb. 22, 2012

Photo by Amylynn Richards

Braves’ wrestlers compete at state

By Amylynn Richards

Among the 12 wrestlers from the NW 1B/2B league representing Skagit County at the WIAA State Championship, also known as the Mat Classic XXIV, five were from La Conner.

La Conner sent five wrestlers: Senior Nathan Parker, 285 pounds, junior William Zeimantz, 285 pounds, senior Cameron Wischhusen, 182 pounds,  Dalton Zavala, 160 pounds, and Jimmy Garcia, 138lbs.  Amber Drye and Todd Hoagland attended as alternates.  Darrington sent four wrestlers; Concrete sent three.

Wischhusen, Zavala and Garcia were the only wrestlers in the Braves’ league to make it past the second round; however all were eliminated in round three.

Zavala struggled to gain the upper hand during his match against Jon Walling of Kittitas, but took firm control in the final seconds of the match. “Five more seconds and he would have won that match,” said Coach Barry Harper, “If Dalton had time to hold him down for a 3-point near fall, he’d have won.”

Wischhusen and Garcia’s opponents,  Jon Walling of Kittitas and Levi Seylor of  Roosevelt Lake respectively went on to win third in their weight class.

The W.I.A.A. Mat Classic was comprised of six simultaneous wrestling tournaments : Girls; 1B/2B; 1A; 2A; 3A; and 4A.  Twenty-four mats were organized into six units; the W.I.A.A. estimates that approximately 1,400 athletes across fourteen possible weight-classes competed.  Of those athletes, 36 were in the  1B/2B league classification .

 “There is nowhere else in the country that has a state tournament that large,” says Coach Harper, “it’s pretty impressive; nothing else like it, that’s for sure.”

The Braves, now in their 9^th year competing in wrestling, did much better than expected competing against the region two athletes; the 2B league state-wide is divided into two regions. The Braves won the region one championship with a team score of 129. In region two, Warden won with 271 points, Reardon with 175 and Kittitas finished third with 139.

By the end of day one, La Conner was in 20th place, Concrete in 29^th, and Darrington in 31^st, by tournament end the Braves finished 24^th, Concrete 29^th; and Darrington 31^st.

“Our boys did really well,” said Coach Harper, “it’s a tough tournament. Those eastern Washington schools, for whatever reason, are really good, solid, tough wrestlers.” The Braves “gave everything they had, and I’m proud of them. We learned a lot…we’ll go into next season targeting on that state tournament.” 

Coach Harper wants elementary age athletes to consider wrestling with the Burlington Yellow Jackets, “I want to point a lot of La Conner kids that way – get them started early and get their skills developed. “ Harper has worked with the club in the past and is “impressed with how well the kids do that go there.”

Other Skagit County news of note: Burlington Mayor and Burlington-Edison coach Ed Bruntz was inducted to the Washington State Wrestlers Coaches Hall of Fame.

 Photo by Melissa Reynolds

Lady Braves become true road warriors

By Bill Reynolds

The La Conner High Lady Braves will travel five hours Saturday to see if a longer trip to Spokane is in their near future.

The Lady Braves tip off Saturday, Feb. 25 at 4 p.m. in Regional hoop action at Mark Morris High School in Longview after having won two of three Bi-District clashes this past week.

La Conner, 17-7,  sandwiched convincing wins over Crosspoint and league rival Concrete around a 42-37 setback to highly-regarded Bear Creek to clinch a No. 3 Regional seed.

The Longview berth was secured with a 50-28 weekend triumph at Chief Leschi over Crosspoint, a club La Conner had edged in its Bi-District opener.

The Lady Braves, who held a slim five-point lead at intermission, sealed the verdict with a 32-15 run over the final two periods.

"It was a great team effort," La Conner head coach Scott Novak said afterward. "We knew going in that it wasn't going to be an easy road as far as getting to State, but it's doable."

Katie McKnight paced a balanced Braves attack in the Crosspoint game.

McKnight scored a game-high 14 points, all but two coming in the decisive second half.

She also grabbed a pair of rebounds and matched teammate Nikki Finley with an outside trey.

Priscilla Ponce-Venegas, who hit La Conner's first two buckets, finished with eight points.

Kelley McClung, who filled the stat sheet with a fine all-around game, chipped in seven points.

McKnight, Ponce-Venegas, and McClung each drained outside treys for the victors.

Emily Anderson (6), Aubrey Stewart (5), Anna Cook (5), Finley (3), and Alyssa McCormick (2) rounded out La Conner's scoring.

The Lady Braves broke open what had been a close game with a 10-0 spurt to close the third period.

La Conner built momentum going into Saturday with a fine 42-20 defeat of Skagit County foe Concrete.

Due to the pre-determined nature of Bi-District brackets, the two Skagit teams found themselves squaring off at the Leschi arena, in Puyallup.

The travel seemed to impose a greater toll on Concrete.

The Lady Braves, who bolted to an early 8-0 lead, were even more dominant opening the second half.

La Conner went on a 17-2 rampage in the third frame, with Ponce-Venegas scoring every way imaginable.

She hit a driving scoop shot, converted a transition layup off a nice feed from Stewart, and hit a pair of mid-range jumpers – the second of which came as the third quarter buzzer sounded.

Ponce-Venegas led the Braves with a dozen tallies while also grabbing 14 rebounds and dishing off four assists.

Finley chipped in nine points, including a perimeter trey.

Cook (8), Stewart (4), McKnight (3), Carly Anderson (2), Emily Anderson (2), and McCormick (2) also reached the scoring column for La Conner.

Novak was pleased with how his club responded to a potential losers-out scenario, coming off a tough 42-37 mid-week Bi-District loss to Bear Creek.

"We battled hard," he said. "I was proud of how well the girls responded. We had our backs against the wall, and did a great job.

"I thought Nikki (Finley) did a great job running the team," he added, "and Aubrey (Stewart) was all over the floor."

Stewart, in fact, had hit a clutch jumper and free throw down the stretch to give La Conner a 31-30 lead in its earlier upset bid against Bear Creek.

But the Lady Grizzlies finished with a 12-6 run – most of those points coming at the charity stripe – to secure the victory.

Stewart scored eight points before fouling out. McKnight also tallied eight points to tie for team-high scoring honors.

Finley (7), Emily Anderson (6), Ponce-Venegas (4), McClung (2), and McCormick (2) likewise landed on the Braves point parade.

Ponce-Venegas saw only limited duty in the Bear Creek game due having sustained a concussion in the earlier Crosspoint clash.

But she and her La Conner teammates were definitely at full strength when the bracket shifted to Chief Leschi.

And the La Conner road warriors will need to be so again when they drive farther down I-5 to Longview.

Photo by Melissa Reynolds

Grizzlies edge Braves for Bi-District title

By Bill Reynolds

For one night, at least, Bear Creek was top banana among Northwest Bi-District boys' hoop teams.

And, unfortunately for La Conner fans, it wasn't limited to the guy dressed in garish yellow sitting in the Grizzlies' student section Saturday at Chief Leschi Gym.

Bear Creek, with its long and imposing front line, wore down La Conner, 21-2, in the second half to claim a 48-36 victory and Bi-District title, sending the Grizzlies to Mount Vernon Friday night as a No. 1 Regional seed.

The Braves, who suffered their first setback in nearly two months, also play 6 p.m.  Friday at Regionals in Mount Vernon, having garnered a Bi-District runner-up berth.

Bear Creek, which enjoyed a significant size advantage, broke open a tight contest with an 11-1 fourth period run marked by putbacks off the offensive glass and easy looks in the paint.

The Grizzlies also contained La Conner scoring leader Landy James, often double-teaming him along the baseline and at the elbow with a tight two-three zone.

After scoring the game's first bucket on an acrobatic alley-oop, James had very few good looks. He finished with nine points, about half his normal total.

Bear Creek defenders repeatedly swarmed to James like bees to honey.

It was imagery, however, quite opposite the sour and even tasteless chants of "air ball" from the Bear Creek crowd each time James touched the ball.

Spencer Novak led La Conner with 14 points, 11 coming during a third period flurry in which the Braves briefly tied the score at 35-35 on a rare four-point play.

Trailing 35-31 with a minute left in the frame, Novak meshed a deep trey and drew a foul on the play. His ensuing free throw knotted the count.

But that would be La Conner's high water mark.

The Braves would manage just a single tally – a Bobby Poulton charity toss – over the final nine minutes.

La Conner head coach Scott Novak took the glass-half-filled approach immediately following the game.

"The guys are a little down right now," he acknowledged. "They're stunned. But I reminded them that the last time they lost a game – at Adna over Christmas Break – they came back with one of their best games of the year and beat a really good Toutle Lake team."

Poulton was among the bright spots Saturday for La Conner.

He scored six points, grabbed nine rebounds, and tallied two assists.

"I thought Bobby played a real fine game," said Novak, "and Sean (Hulbert) did a good job battling their post."

Mike Wilbur (5) and Hulbert (2), who missed some time after being elbowed in the face on a non-call, rounded out La Conner's scoring.

The points were far more plentiful earlier in the week when the Braves routed Shoreline Christian 57-31 in their Bi-District opener.

James led eight La Conner scorers with 20 points.

The Braves spotted Shoreline an early 2-0 lead, then went on a quick 17-2 run capped by an old school three-point play by James.

The La Conner lead swelled to 35-12 at the break, allowing Novak to substitute freely.

Hulbert joined James in double digits for the Braves, scoring 10 points, doing most his damage in the lane.

Wilbur (8), Jared Fohn (6), Novak (5), Wil James (3), Poulton (3), and Cameron Sherman (2) contributed to a balanced La Conner attack.

La Conner shot over 50 per cent, 24 of 53, from the floor, and forced Shoreline Christian to commit 19 turnovers.

The Braves also enjoyed a 25-21 edge in rebounding.

That's the level of productivity La Conner hopes to reclaim Friday in Mount Vernon – and thus avoid slipping on any more banana peels. 

in the Feb. 15, 2012 issue

Saturday's Fire

Photo by Don Coyote

Photographer Don Coyote was on the scene for the training fire Fire District 13 arranged just outside La Conner on Saturday. Four obsolete agricultural buildings were totally destroyed in the blaze.

Photos by Don Coyote

School levies passing

La Conner School District replacement levies appeared headed for approval Tuesday.

Proposition 1, the educational programs and operation levy, pays for instruction in foreign language, advanced math, music, drama and other instruction that state funding doesn’t cover. It had 890 “yes” votes and 381 “no” votes.

Proposition 2, the technology levy, gives students access to the latest in computer technology and provides every high school student with a laptop for school and home use. It was passing 877 “yes” to 380 “no.”

How about a park at the old fish plant?

Writer Adrian Sharpe talked to La Conner Parks Commissioners, who are mulling a very interesting idea to turn a shady, grassy stretch of town-owned shoreline adjacent to the town's public boat launch and Pioneer Park into a public shoreline.

Read all about it in today's paper!

Taking the human suffering out of technology

    Writer Anna Ferdinand is back with a story on one woman's efforts to put an end to the ugly stories hidden in the computers and cellular devices we use every day. From inhumane working conditions at assembly factories in China, to a war in Africa that has claimed millions of lives as violent militia control mining of the materials that go into our cell phones.

     Read Anna's interview with Lisa Shannon in today's paper.

From the Police Blotter:

10:57 a.m.: Unloved – A car’s owner decided it was time to part ways with the falling apart contraption. It was abandoned on Moore Road near Conway.

Pick up a copy of today's paper in the usual spots. Just three quarters for news, good reading and a little entertainment.

Braves Sports, Feb. 15, 2012

Photo by Bob Wischhusen

Brave wrestlers grab regional crown

By Bill Reynolds

For the La Conner High wrestling team, it's been a weight-and-see type of year.

And by more than pulling their weight, the La Conner grapplers can now see how they stack up against the State's best.

Five of nine Braves' wrestlers have qualified for State trials slated Friday and Saturday at the Tacoma Dome following La Conner High's Regional title performance this past weekend.

Led by Jimmy Garcia and Dahlton Zavala, the Braves captured Region top team honors in a tourney featuring all 2B programs in Western Washington.

Garcia placed first in Regionals in the 138-pound class.

Zavala did the same in the 160s.

Nathan Parke, 285, Cameron Wischhusen, 182, and William Zeimantz, 285 also qualified for State by placing in the top three of their respective weight divisions.

Parker was his group's runnerup, while Wischhusen and Zeimantz each placed third.

Two other La Conner wrestlers will also make the trip to Tacoma as alternates.

Kevin Aske, 138, and Todd Hoagland, 170, were fourth place finishers at Regionals, and could wrestle at Tacoma if others in their brackets are unable to compete.

And, were it not for a tough numbers game in the 132-pound class, La Conner's Ben Harper would be in Tacoma as well.

Harper fell just short of qualifying for State in what most mat side observers said afterward was the Region's toughest weight class.

"I'm very proud of the guys,"  said first-year La Conner head coach Barry Harper. "They really stepped up and wrestled well. We went to Regionals focused and ready to go. They really got after it and wrestled hard."

Harper had an inkling beforehand something special could happen at the Regional tourney.

"I knew going in that we had a chance to do well," he said Sunday, "so I'm not surprised we won it. We had a good week of practice and the kids are working hard and staying focused."

Harper's mission this week is for the State qualifiers to turn in another strong series of workouts and build upon momentum gained from winning the Regional championship.

"You want to wrestle your best at the State Tournament," he said. "That's when it really counts."

And, in Harper's view, conditions couldn't be more ideal for the La Conner wrestlers.

"We're peaking at just the right time," he said.

That, stressed Harper, is both in terms of his charges' physical and mental approach to the Tacoma matches.

"We have the mindset," he explains, "that every time we step on the mat we expect to win."

In a related note:

*La Conner High's Amber Drye placed a solid fifth in her division at the girls' Regional event and will also travel to the State Tournament as an alternate.

 Photo by Melissa Reynolds

Braves make quick work of Evergreen Lutheran

By Bill Reynolds

Speed kills.

Just ask the Evergreen Lutheran Eagles, whose tall and long frontline couldn't keep pace with the revved up La Conner Braves in Saturday's Northwest 2B Boys' Bi-District Tournament action at Landy James Gymnasium.

La Conner, 20-1, put the pedal to the metal and raced to a convincing 73-34 triumph, setting up a tourney semifinal date today, Wednesday, at 4:30 p.m. with Shoreline Christian in Mount Vernon.

Landy James led nine Braves' scorers with 22 points, hitting an array of shots from all angles, including a deep trey early in the opening frame that helped set the tone the rest of the night.

But 23 was the number that stood out most for La Conner head coach Scott Novak, after his club had safely taken the checkered flag.

That's how many turnovers the smaller, quicker Braves forced from the Eagles, who enjoyed a distinct size advantage up front.

Many of those Eagle miscues were directly converted to La Conner scores.

The Braves, with junior pivot Tyler Howlett sidelined with an ankle injury, compensated for their lack of a post presence by harassing the Eagles on the perimeter.

The ploy worked.

Evergreen Lutheran, 9-11, was rarely able to get comfortable in its half-court offense.

The Eagles, when they didn't turn the ball over, struggled from the floor. The visitors hit just 13 of 53 shot attempts.

The visitors were able to score more than 10 points in just one period, tallying 11 in the first stanza.

La Conner, by contrast, scored no fewer than 15 points in any quarter.

"We played really good defense and were able to force a lot of turnovers," Novak said afterward. "That was a key to the game."

So, too, was the brilliant point guard play of Mike Wilbur, who dished out five assists in the first half, by which time La Conner had sped to a convincing 36-19 lead.

"He played a great game," Novak said of Wilbur, who finished with 11 points. "And not only in terms of his stats, but also the leadership he provides."

Wilbur's backcourt partner, Spencer Novak, also landed in double figures by scoring 16 points, all but four coming after the break.

Novak meshed 10 points – including a long three-pointer – during an 18-5 La Conner spurt late in the third quarter that stretched the Braves' lead from 40-21 to 58-26. 

Versatile forward Sean Hulbert was credited with being the sparkplug that helped ignite the Braves.

Hulbert, whose minutes have increased since Howlett went down, scored eight points – four in each half – and was a constant presence at the defensive end.

"Sean was very active," said coach Novak. "He was diving on the floor for everything."

But, in the end, it was Evergreen Lutheran that took a dive – unable to withstand a Braves' scoring flurry that seemed to come from all directions.

As a team, La Conner shot 44 per cent from the field, 30 of 68, and converted 11 of 16 free throws.

James, who scored 19 by intermission, had plenty of company on the La Conner point parade.

Novak (16), Wilbur (11), Hulbert (8), Skyler Krueger (6), Jared Fohn (4), Bobby Poulton (2), Jamall James (2), and Bjorn Mejlander (2) all reached the scoring column.

Sam Shannon led the Eagles with 13 points.

The Braves are now geared up to face Shoreline in today's matinee tipoff at Mount Vernon Christian High School.

The winner receives an automatic berth to Regionals.

Photo by Melissa Reynolds

Lady Braves cross out Crosspoint at Bi-District

By Bill Reynolds

For the La Conner High Lady Braves, their best is yet to come.

And La Conner fans hope that could well be tonight, when the Lady Braves, 15-6, face highly-touted Bear Creek in semifinal action of the Northwest 2B Bi-District Girls' Basketball Tournament on the Mount Vernon Christian campus. 

La Conner advanced to the Wednesday tipoff at 6:15 p.m. by virtue of a gritty, hard-fought 44-34 triumph Saturday at home over upset-minded Crosspoint Academy.

"It wasn't our best game of the year," Lady Braves' head coach Scott Novak acknowledged after his club staved off a late Crosspoint rally. "But you have to give Crosspoint credit. They kept clawing their way back in it."

The Bremerton area team closed to within four points, 38-34, in the late going after having trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half.

La Conner's Aubrey Stewart proved the difference in the end, scoring six quick points in the waning moments on a variety of shots.

Stewart hit a short banker off an in-bounds pass, then delivered on a nice post-up move to give La Conner a six-point lead with just over two minutes to play.

Moments later, Stewart clinched the La Conner victory with a foul line jumper after having forced a Crosspoint turnover at the defensive end.

"I really liked the play of Aubrey Stewart," said Novak. "She had a great game for us. She really set the tone."

Stewart's late heroics helped La Conner rebound nicely from a home loss to Friday Harbor the week before in the Lady Braves' league finale.

Priscilla Ponce-Venegas paced the victors with 12 points, seven in the first half, when La Conner built a 20-13 advantage.

The Lady Braves' forced 15 Crosspoint turnovers in the first half, and 26 for the game.

La Conner's defensive intensity and efficient work on the offensive glass helped the Lady Braves overcome a 32 per cent shooting night, 18 of 56, from the floor.

The hosts' 33-21 edge on the boards translated into 17 more shot attempts for La Conner, a vital stat given Crosspoint's field goal percentage was nearly identical to that of the Lady Braves.

The Lady Warriors were 12 of 46 from the field, and both clubs sank six of 14 charity tosses.

La Conner managed to wear down Evergreen Lutheran by pounding the ball inside to Anna Cook, still rounding into shape after a mid-season knee injury, and Alyssa McCormick, who combined for eight points in the paint.

"I know we can play better," said Novak, "but what I'm really pleased with is the number of good looks we got. Those are shots that will fall."

Crosspoint, on the other hand, could get little to drop at the outset of Saturday's clash.

The Lady Warriors went scoreless the first five minutes, while La Conner's Nikki Finley buried the first of her two outside treys and Cook scored inside off a deft feed from Katie McKnight.

McKnight contributed six points to a balanced Lady Braves' attack, four of which came during a 10-0 La Conner run stretching from late in the first quarter to midway through the second frame.

But Crosspoint didn't go away.

Desiree Doughty hit five quick points, including a jumper from beyond the three-point arc, to reduce La Conner's halftime lead to single digits.

The Lady Braves seized command again in the third quarter, doubling the score, 30-15, on Crosspoint at the 4:15 mark, when Emily Anderson scored on a breakaway.

Yet, in a game of spurts, Crosspoint had one more left.

The Lady Warriors, behind Doughty – who tied Ponce-Venegas for game-high scoring honors – went on a 19-8 tear before Stewart iced the verdict in crunch time.

in the Feb. 8, 2012 issue

Big news for boaters & marine industry!

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is scheduled to dredge the Swinomish Channel in July, following years of lobbying by the town of La Conner, Port of Skagit, Upper Skagit Tribe and others whose livelihoods depend on the channel being navigable. Writer Adrian Sharpe has the details in today's paper -- pick up a copy at the usual spots in town.  

Photos by Kirsten Morse

Historic Moore-Clark site in foreclosure

Property at the heart of a development plan that divided the La Conner’s residents between its supporters and detractors for more than 15 years is in foreclosure.

A notice of trustee’s sale in today’s paper states that the three acres belonging to La Conner Associates, the old Moore-Clark property on the south end of First Street, is scheduled to be sold at auction on the Skagit County Courthouse steps on March 9. Details in today's paper. 

Affordable housing coming soon 

  Home Trust of Skagit and Skagit Habitat for Humanity have teamed up as partners in developing housing in La Conner’s Channel Cove community, formerly known as Southfield. Construction is set to begin in April on a duplex in Channel Coe. 

  The agreement between Habitat and Home Trust provides for the two agencies to build five housing units together over the next two years. Get it all in today's paper.

The Police Blotter is particularly interesting this week. Here's a sample of the stuff that goes on around here:
 9:26 a.m.: Picky thief – A UPS package was taken from the porch of a residence on Whatcom Street in La Conner. Apparently the goods found inside the package were not up to par, as the contents were later found discarded in a local dumpster. A suspect was detained but no arrest made because the witness could not give a positive identification.
We have some real snoozers, too:
10:04 a.m.: Sleeper – Morris Street employees reported a gentleman taking a siesta out front of their La Conner business. Deputies politely issued the intoxicated man a trespass warning and drove him to his house where he could slumber in comfort.
11:42 a.m.: Sleeper # 2 – The public restroom on Morris Street in La Conner became the comfy resting spot for another intoxicated sleeper, who someone thought was possibly deceased. But the person did rouse to refuse treatment by EMT’s that came to the scene. The grouchy dreamer was given a lift home.

Get the paper and get all the local news. Call 466-3315 to start receiving it at your home or office, or try feeding 3 quarters into one of our red news stands in town. If that doesn't work, stop by and see us in the office conveniently located next to the Station House.

Braves Sports, Feb. 8, 2012

Photo by Melissa Reynolds

Braves drown Friday Harbor; tune up for playoffs

By Bill Reynolds

The La Conner Braves have spent much of the season in the fast lane.

But this past Friday they were able to slip into cruise control with a convincing 65-44 league win at home over a solid Friday Harbor club.

The win was a tune-up of sorts for the 19-1 Braves, scheduled to host a first round District playoff contest scheduled this Saturday at 7:30 p.m., after having posted a perfect 14-0 league mark.

With the loss, Friday Harbor, 15-5 overall, saw its league slate fall to 11-3.

Landy James led a balanced La Conner attack that for the most part hit on all cylinders, scoring 23 points while also dishing off three assists.

James was one of four Braves’ players to hit at least one perimeter trey, but the La Conner frontliner did most of his damage in the paint.

James was nine-of-12 inside the three-point arc, helping pick up the slack with Braves' post Tyler Howlett sidelined with an ankle injury.

La Conner guards Spencer Novak and Mike Wilbur also finished in double digits for the victors.

Novak and Wilbur each matched James with three assists as the Braves did a nice job making the extra pass and finding open shooters.

And, like James, Novak and Wilbur helped stretch the Friday Harbor defense with timely treys.

Swingman Bobby Poulton did his part, as well. He scored six points on two long three-pointers, and turned in a superb floor game.

Sean Hulbert and Wil James likewise were instrumental in La Conner overcoming the absence inside of Howlett.

Hulbert netted six points, while hitting half his shots, and grabbed a pair of rebounds. Wil James, the former wrestler, muscled inside for a bucket and a couple boards.

Three-point specialist Jared Fohn took on a new role and slipped inside for three rebounds as the Braves pounded the glass after carrying a slim 15-12 lead into the second frame.

La Conner began putting Friday Harbor in the rear view mirror with an 18-9 second quarter run.

The Braves extended their lead to 53-31 by doubling up the visitors (20-10) in the decisive third period, then coasted to the finish.

La Conner is now poised to gear up for what Braves' fans hope will be an extended playoff drive.

The Braves, whose only loss this year was on the road to State-ranked Adna, will likely open District play opposite Evergreen Lutheran, the projected fourth seed out of the Sea-Tac loop.

Saturday's outcome will determine La Conner's foe and game site in next week's second round of District action.

Photo by Melissa Reynolds

Lady Braves in playoff hunt despite shooting woes

By Bill Reynolds

La Conner High suffered through a rare cold shooting spell Friday, but the Lady Braves still have their sights set on making a deep playoff run.

La Conner hopes to be on target this Saturday at 6 p.m. when it hosts the SeaTac League's No. 3 seed – probably Cross Point Academy or Seattle Lutheran – in the Braves' District tourney opener.

La Conner’s girls had an unlikely off-night from the floor Friday when they fell 34-30 to league rival Friday Harbor.

La Conner shot just 10 of 36 from the field and was only one of eight from behind the three-point arc in the Friday Harbor loss.

The Braves managed just one point in the third quarter of a game marked by physical play and questionable calls.

With the win, the Wolverines salvaged a split in their season series with La Conner, as each won on the other's court.

Both teams are 14-6 overall, with La Conner dropping to 11-3 in league play. Friday Harbor improved its league mark to 12-2.

The defeat spoiled a tremendous effort by La Conner senior Priscilla Ponce-Venegas, who placed her team with 12 points and eight rebounds.

She also managed to draw fouls in the paint, converting six of eight free throw opportunities.

Anna Cook, recently returned from a midseason injury, added five points to the Braves' cause and showed nice mobility in the lane.

Katie McKnight (4), Kelley McClung (4), Nikki Finley (3), and Emily Anderson (2) also scored for La Conner.

Finley hit the Braves' lone perimeter trey.

McKnight was perfect from the charity stripe, hitting both her attempts. McClung, meanwhile, led the Braves with two steals.

Anderson added a pair of rebounds for La Conner, whose 12-7 rally in the final period fell just short.

The Braves led 17-16 at the break and made Friday Harbor misfire repeatedly in the first half.

The contest turned in the third frame, however, when the visitors went on a 10-1 tear.

La Conner head coach Scott Novak could take solace in the fact his team saved its best for last – scoring a dozen points in the fourth quarter – which should bode well for Saturday. 

Photo by Karla Reynolds

La Conner wrestlers grappling with success

By Bill Reynolds

For years, Concrete was literally in a league of its own when it came to area small school wrestling programs.

But now the Lions have company.

The La Conner Braves placed second to Concrete at last week's 2B League Tournament, and have advanced all their wrestlers to upcoming Regional trials at Chief Leschi.

Three La Conner grapplers placed first in their respective weight classes at the league finals, with Nathan Parker and William Zeimantz finishing one-two in the 285s and Jimmy Garcia and Kevin Aske doing the same at 138 pounds.

Dahlton Zavala, 160,  also earned top league honors for the Braves, whose head coach, Barry Harper, was elated at his team's results.

"I thought we wrestled very well," Harper said afterward. "We advanced all our wrestlers through to the Regional tournament, which I'm very pleased about."

Ben Harper, 132,  and Cameron Wischhusen, at 182, were strong runners-up in their weight divisions, while Todd Hoagland, 170, placed third and Robert Duckworth, 182, captured fourth slot at the league meet.

As well as La Conner fared, Harper says there remains room for improvement.

"There were a few matches that got away from us that I think we should have won," he said. "We just made little mistakes that cost us those matches."

Which makes workouts this week pretty much a no-holds-barred affair.

Harper believes with the proper approach and focus his charges can make great strides in the days ahead.

"If we want to move on to the State tournament," he says, "we're going to have to wrestle our best and have a good week of practice.

"I feel good about our team," he stresses. "I think we'll go down there and have a good tournament. We'll work on a few things this week, correct those little mistakes that cost us at league, and hopefully we can get most everyone through to State."

The top three wrestlers in each Regional weight class move on to State.

In a related note: La Conner High's Amber Drye placed second last week at Squalicum, earning a berth to the girls' Regionals this Saturday in Bellingham. She and girls’ wrestling teammate Frances Zeimantz competed in the 155s, with Zeimantz narrowly missing a spot at Bellingham despite splitting four matches. 

... and an up and coming Braves grappler

Photo by Adrian Sharpe

Tiny wrestler with a big medal

By Adrian Sharpe

Five-year-old Quentin Cobbs took home a second place medal in a state-wide wrestling tournament held Saturday Jan. 28.

The Washington State Folkstyle Championships held in Spokane included kids of all ages who are residents of Washington State. More than 1,000 brave boys and girls entered the ring to test their skills. 

Cobbs has been wrestling since he was just three years old, though until last year he primarily stuck to pinning his sister, said his mother Mandy Buck.

As the youngest traveling wrestler on “Team Scorpion,” Cobbs and his family make the gambit of wrestling events throughout the State.

“We go to tournaments every weekend,” said Buck.

Wrestling in the peewee division, Cobbs’ opponents were all older than him, said his mom. Each kid was at least a year his senior. But age proved not to be an advantage for most of his challengers.

“He only lost three times this year,” said his mom.

Cobbs is a student at the Swinomish pre-school.