Editor’s note: None of the other coaches returned their questionnaires for this story.
NORTH KITSAP
Boys basketball
North Kitsap High School is expecting another run at the state title in boys basketball after winning it all the year before and finishing No. 1 in the polls last spring when there wasn’t a state tournament due to COVID-19.
It’s almost an embarrassment of riches as the starting five includes two players who will continue to play basketball at the college level.
Jonas La Tour, a 6-foot-5 senior, was the Olympic League Most Valuable Player last spring, averaging 27 points and 14 rebounds per game, and will play for Seattle Pacific University.
Johny Olmsted, a 6-3 senior, made the all-league first team and scored 21 points a game. He plans to play for the University of Dallas.
Aiden Olmstead, a 6-5 senior, didn’t play for the Vikings last spring because he went to Georgia to play a season there because of COVID.
Standout quarterback Colton Bower, a 6-1 senior, will join the team once the football season ends.
Rounding out the starting five is 6-4 sophomore Cade Orness, who was second-team all-league, averaging 16 points and eight assists per game.
Coach Scott Orness also expects a lot from 6-1 sophomore Harry Davies, whom he said is a versatile player who can score and is an outstanding defender.
The coach said he expects Port Angeles to be their biggest competition in league, and a top 5 team in state as well.
The Vikings opened the season Nov. 27 at Crosspoint.
Home games (7 p.m. starts): Dec. 4, Sumner, 5 p.m. Dec. 7, Olympic; Dec. 14, Sequim; Dec. 27, Sehome; Jan. 7, Bremerton; Jan. 11, North Mason; Jan. 15, Kingston; Jan. 18, Bainbridge; Jan. 27, Port Angeles.
Girls basketball
They opened their season with a home game Nov. 30 against Washington.
Home games (7 p.m. starts): Dec. 10, Bainbridge; Jan. 4, Port Angeles; Jan. 8, Seattle Academy, 2:45 p.m.; Jan. 13, Olympic; Jan. 15, Clover Park, 3:15 p.m.; Jan. 20, Sequim; Jan. 25, Kingston; Feb. 1, Bremerton; Feb. 3, North Mason.
Wrestling
Dec. 15, Bremerton, 5 p.m.; Olympic, 7 p.m.; Jan. 19, Sequim, 5 p.m., Bainbridge, 6 p.m., Bainbridge, 7 p.m.
Boys swim
Home meets (3:30 starts): Dec. 9, Olympic; Dec. 16, Bainbridge; Jan. 13, Kingston; Jan. 27, Klahowya; Feb. 1, Hosts seven teams.
Gymnastics
No home meets
KINGSTON
Wrestling
Fifth-year coach Casey Nelson is glad to have 16 wrestlers out for the team this year. “Great news considering the seven from last season during COVID. The main focus is to keep the team growing and, as always, make a run at the Olympic League title.”
Nelson has a couple of seniors back to lead the way in Miles Still and Joe Jafek-Irigagary. He also has high hopes for junior Jefferson Hernandez.
For the girls team, top returnees include senior Christa Sindel and juniors Cori Everhart and Kiele Duncan.
Top newcomers on the team include sophomores Gavin Garner and Jace Brady, along with a freshman, Tayen Munger.
Home matches: Dec. 15, Sequim; 5 p.m.; Jan. 12, North Mason, 5 p.m.; North Mason, 6 p.m., North Kitsap, 7 p.m.
Boys basketball
Home games (7 p.m. starts): Dec. 3, Crosspoint; Dec. 14, Bainbridge; Dec. 20, Klahowya; Dec. 22, Peninsula; Dec. 30, Shelton; Jan. 6, Port Angeles; Jan. 8, Sequim, 5 p.m.; Jan. 13, North Mason; Jan. 18, Olympic; Jan. 25, North Kitsap; Feb. 3, Bremerton.
Girls basketball
They opened the season Nov. 30 at home against East Jefferson.
Home games (7 p.m. starts): Dec. 7, North Mason; Dec. 9, Olympic; Dec. 16, North Kitsap; Dec. 28, Central Kitsap; Dec. 29, Rogers (Puyallup); Jan. 11, Bremerton; Jan. 15, Fife; Jan. 21, Bainbridge; Jan. 28, Renton; Jan. 29, Sequim; Feb. 1, Port Angeles.
Gymnastics
Home meets (6 p.m. starts): Dec. 17, North Kitsap; Jan. 11, Port Angeles; Jan. 25, Bainbridge.
Boys swim
No home meets
BAINBRIDGE
Wrestling
At Bainbridge High School, wrestling coach Dan Pippinger has a mostly young squad this year.
“This is going to be a year of growth for us,” he said. “More than half of our team are either freshmen or first-year wrestlers.”
Top returners include seniors Levi Field-Bennett at 132 pounds who went 4-2 in last spring’s shortened season and Harrison Cate at 126 pounds, who was 3-2.
Juniors returning include Wyatt Goade at 220 pounds who went 5-3 and Quentin Ikuse, who was 2-6 but in a tough, senior-dominated weight class at 152 pounds.
Pippinger is expecting a lot out of sophomores Wyatt Chabot and Owen Williams, along with freshmen Garrett Goade, Henry Moreshead, Tyler Dodge and Ben Pippinger.
The coach expects Bremerton, North Mason and Port Angeles to be the teams to beat.
Opens its season Dec. 11 at tournament in Fife.
Home matches: Dec. 17, Central Kitsap, 6 p.m., Franklin, 7 p.m., Klahowya, 8 p.m.; Jan. 26, Kingston, 5 p.m.; Kingston, 6 p.m.; Bremerton, 7 p.m.
Boys basketball
Opened its season at Newport Nov. 30.
Home games (7 p.m. starts): Dec. 3, Central Kitsap; Dec. 7, Sequim; Dec. 12, North Kitsap; Dec. 21, Port Angeles; Dec. 27, Juanita; Jan. 4, Bremerton; Jan. 11, Olympic; Jan. 15, Seattle Academy; Jan. 21, Kingston; Feb. 1, North Mason.
Girls basketball
Opened its season at Mount Tahoma Nov. 30.
Home games (7 p.m. starts): Dec. 14, Kingston; Jan. 7, North Mason; Jan 13, Sequim; Jan. 18, North Kitsap; Jan 25, Port Angeles; Jan. 28, Bremerton; Feb. 3, Olympic.
Gymnastics
Home meet: Dec. 15, Port Angeles.
Boys swim
Cliff Hennessey was one of Bainbridge’s top players last spring. File Photo
