Orcas girls basketball hits the ground running
Published 12:36 pm Tuesday, November 8, 2011
The new season of Orcas Island girls basketball is in full swing.
The Vipers 5th/6th team defeated Sedro Woolley Black, 26-6. They then went on to trounce the undefeated (3-0) Ferndale, 18-14, and have started their 2011 season undefeated at 2-0.
The Orcas 7th/8th Vipers team was simply too much for Friday Harbor, going on to win with a final score of 21-6 in their season opener. In their second game versus Baker – a real defensive battle with the score 7-6 at halftime – Orcas eventually fell 19-9.
On Nov. 12, the 5th/6th team will play Mount Erie and North Sound Elite at Skagit Valley College while the 7th/8th team will play Sedro Woolley and La Conner at La Conner Middle School.
The girls SWISH teams practice twice weekly in the evenings at the Christian School Gymnasium and travel off-island most weekends for league games.
“Off-island league competition is tough, with many of these teams directly feeding bigger 3A/4A schools’ varsity programs,” say the Orcas coaches.
In 2012, the 5th/6th team will play AAU basketball in Ferndale, while the 7th/8th team will play for the Orcas Island Middle School Falcons team. The fifth and sixth graders are coached by Kelly Toombs, Joe Gaydos, and Tim Hance. The older girls’ team is coached by Craig Sanders, Amber Paulsen, and Liz Hance.
“Between the two teams, there are more than 20 dedicated players and families,” said Tim Hance, 5th/6th Vipers assistant coach and high school varsity basketball coach. “Many young players are entering their 4th year of competitive basketball, which creates a tremendous ‘feeder’ program and bright future for the girls’ OHS basketball program. There’s really no substitute for court time when it comes to developing basketball fundamentals and court awareness … We’re helping build not only basketball skills, but also confidence, teamwork, community, and leadership skills in these young players and it’s amazing to see them grow. There’s nothing better to me than seeing a shy, tentative youth come out of her shell and flourish on the basketball court and school; it’s really an amazing event to behold.”
The younger Vipers team includes players Maggie Toombs, Monica Connell, Olivia Brunner-Gaydos, Evelyn Hance, Lexi Pence, JoAnn Mietzner, Jesse Nichols, Anna Veldman, Katy Minnis, Violet Sturk, Tori Sturk, and Sabrina Bailey. The seventh and eighth grade team is Emma Minnis, Maddy Hance, Halle Thompson, Anneke Ivans, Bethany Meenach, Kara Veldman, Jo Gudgell, and Lilly Miller.
