Kitsap News Group
South Kitsap rebounded from a 2-17 record in 2006-07 to finish 10-13 this season and advanced to the West Central District Tournament. The statistics weren’t always impressive — no one averaged 5 points per game — but the Wolves found several contributors, led by Kaileigh Westermann, who averaged 4.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game was selected to this season’s all-Kitsap team.
The all-county team, made up of eligible players from schools in Kitsap County, was voted on by the sports editors and writers of the Kitsap Newspaper Group, including the Port Orchard Independent, Bainbridge Review, Bremerton Patriot, Central Kitsap Reporter and North Kitsap Herald.
2007-08 All-Kitsap County Boys Basketball Team
Starters
• G — Emily Farrar, Bainbridge, junior: The 5-foot-5 Farrar did her best to make Bainbridge a contender in the always-tough Metro league.
• G — Sophia Baetz, Kingston, freshman: The 5-foot-7 Baetz scored 12.7 points per game and averaged two steals and two rebounds per game in addition to shooting 80 percent from the free-throw line.
• F — Brittany Gray, Bainbridge, junior: The 5-foot-11 Gray continued to amaze as she averaged 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Spartans this season, shooting 55.6 percent from the field.
• F — Megan Spence, King’s West, senior: Spence dominated the Sea-Tac League all season, averaging 20.7 points, 12.3 rebounds and 4.4 steals per game.
• F — Nicole Buhl, Olympic, senior: The versatile Buhl put up 11.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, but also averaged 3 steals and 2.6 assists for the Trojans in helping Olympic come within a game of the state tournament.
Bench
• Naomi Abad, Bremerton, senior, G: Abad averaged 10.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.4 steals per game.
• Pepper Fanua, Olympic, senior, G: Fanua was solid all-around player, scoring 6.5 points while grabbing 7.2 rebounds per contest.
• Katie Lintz, Central Kitsap, senior, F: Lintz left her mark on the Cougars, helping a team many thought would flounder to a .500 record while continuing CK’s streak of postseason berths.
• Megan Morris, King’s West, senior, G: Morris averaged 7.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.9 steals per game.
• Riley Watts, Kingston, senior, F: The 6-foot-1 Watts tallied 9.5 points and grappled for 5.1 rebounds per game.
• Kaileigh Westermann, South Kitsap, senior, G: Westermann returned from knee surgery in 2007 to become South’s top scorer at 4.9 points per game and also paced the Wolves with 6.1 rebounds per game during the regular season. A first-team Narrows League Bridge Division pick, she also averaged 1.2 steals per contest. Scored 13 points in the regular-season finale against Foss to secure second place in the Bridge Division.
• Anna Wood, Bainbridge, junior, F: The 5-foot-9 Wood averaged 10.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, complimenting Gray in the paint.
Coaches of the Year
• Kevin Strozier, Kingston: Not only did Strozier help his team to a state berth in its first year of competition, his spark and coaching style earned him the respect of his athletes as well as the Kingston community.
• Bryan Hanley, King’s West — King’s West has advanced to state in all but two years since 1996, compiling a 4-20 record over that span.
Honorable mentions
• Shawntell Bradford, Olympic, senior, F: Bradford was one of the Trojans’ best low-post players, grabbing 6.3 rebounds to go with 2 steals per game.
• Jordan Dixon, Klahowya, freshman, G: Dixon led Klahowya with 10 points and 3.2 steals per game.
• Carly McElwee, Klahowya, sophomore, G: McElwee is another piece of Klahowya’s youth movement, as the sophomore post averaged a team-best 4 rebounds per game.
• Tori Fairweather, South Kitsap, junior, G: Fairweather averaged 4.7 points per game during the regular season but was perhaps the Wolves’ top defensive player. She averaged a team-best 2.11 steals per game. She scored 14 points in a Narrows League Tournament loss against Bellarmine Prep.
• Jack Hill, Bremerton, senior, G/F — Hill scored a team-high 10.8 points per game, adding another dimension to the Bremerton offense.
• Darcey Hughes, North Kitsap, junior, F: Hughes averaged 15.4 points, 9.8 boards, 4 blocks and 2.3 assists per game.
• Brielle Foley, King’s West, junior, F: Foley provided a third option for the potent KW offense, stepping up when seniors Spence and Morris were ineffective.
• Lauren Forney, Central Kitsap, senior, F: Forney provided another big body down low for CK, snagging 6 boards a game while putting in 6 points as a consistent post presence.
• Kirsten Michael, Bainbridge, junior, G: Michael was a steady presence at the point for Bainbridge this season, averaging 5 points, 4 rebounds, 3.61 assists and 1.74 steals per game.
• Irene Moore, King’s West, junior, G — Moore ran the point guard position and averaged 6.9 points, 4.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 4.1 steals per game.
• Gina Ogazi, Bremerton, senior, F: Ogazi led the team in rebounds, averaging 9.9 per game. She also chipped in 6 points.
• Stephanie Osterdahl, South Kitsap, junior, F — Osterdahl averaged 4.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game during the regular season. South coach Mike Allen called her the team’s most underrated player.
• Arissan Ugles, Kingston, junior, G/F — Ugles is a player who easily could be an AKC Team starter.
• Jesse Vincent, Bainbridge, junior, F: The 6-foot-1 Vincent averaged 6.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
• Samantha Viray, Olympic, sophomore, G — The speedy guard provided a scoring spark with 10.6 points per game.
• Nolan Winger, Central Kitsap, senior, F: Winger, a 5-foot-11 post, grew as a hoops player in 2007-08, scoring 8 points per game for CK while grabbing 9 boards to help CK maintain its postseason streak.