Vikes bounce into pre-season at island scrimmage

Published 4:00 pm Wednesday, November 29, 2006

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND — Even though it was just playing 10-minute scrimmage games on Bainbridge Island, the North Kitsap Vikings basketball team still got a good look at where it is at to start the season.

And the sights are blazing.

On Saturday, the BI Spartans hosted a four-team preseason jamboree as Central Kitsap, Port Angeles and North came to town for the first competition of the season. Even though there was no weight hinging on the games in a season record sense, the Vikings’ attitude was refreshingly intense.

“The hustle on both ends of the floor is greatly improved from the way it was last year, and I think a lot of that can be contributed what Coach (Tony) Chisholm expects from us,” senior post Eric Schippers said.

“The Bainbridge coach (Scott Orness) came up to me after the game and he said ‘Wow!’ That’s all he said,” Chisholm said. “These guys are like night and day, they play with so much energy … we expect that of ourselves.”

Going into their first competition of the season, the Vikings expected to excel and saw the results. Facing Bainbridge in their first scrimmage of the day, the Vikings matched up with a top-caliber team that should be in the race for 3A honors next February.

North put up a fight, however Bainbridge jumped out to a substantial lead and sustained it to win the scrimmage by a count of 22-12.

“I was really pleased with how we played, we came together well and worked,” Schippers said. “That definitely helped get all the jitters out.”

In the following scrimmage, with their nerves in check, the Vikings steamrolled Central Kitsap, holding the Cougars to single-digit points over the 10-minute period. Final score: 27-9.

“I’m stoked just to watch them because they are having fun and that puts a smile on my face,” Chisholm said.

And what’s putting a smile on his players’ faces is the air of camaraderie which has enveloped the team already this season. Schippers said he has never seen a North Kitsap hoops squad come together like this one.

“It’s gonna be a pretty tough schedule going over that bridge and everything, but I’ve got a lot of faith in our team,” Schippers said. “If we work hard, we can make good things happen.”

“I think they’re all great kids, it just took me to bring it out of them,” Chisholm added. “These kids are the flowers and I am the Miracle Gro.”

The Vikings will be budding on the road to start the season as they will travel to face Bremerton at 7 p.m. Thursday before making the trek to Port Angeles along with the Lady Vikes for a doubleheader with the Roughriders Saturday.