It is inspiring to watch a very young team, with little to no varsity playing experience, transform over time into a smooth basketball playing machine in front of one’s eyes. The Lady Lobos played three games in five days this week, first at the Lummi nation on Tuesday, then at home, playing against the Tulalip nation on Friday, and on Saturday playing against the LaConner Braves at home as well. Each time, the Lady Lobos improved. Against Lummi, the ladies lost 14-78. On Friday, the ladies were down against Tulalip 18-65 and on Saturday the team succumbed 29-54. But if one watched their development over the last 10 days of game-playing, the girls have learned in leaps and bounds and steadily improved both the number of turnovers and the number of points scored. With every game that passes, the Lady Lobos have increased the points on the board.
Orcas High School student Morgan Borman is a serious contender in competitive cross country racing. Yet there is no cross country running club on Orcas Island and no team at the high school or anywhere in the San Juans.
The Lady Lobos lost to the Grace Academy Lady Eagles 10-34 Friday night.
The Orcas boys basketball team got off to a running start on Saturday, winning against the Pullman Christian Eagles 37-34 in a first game squeaker at Orcas. Orcas led in the first quarter, 15-9. Coach Joe Duenn said, “We want to be a good defensive team. The second quarter was tough. They changed up their defense and it took us a while to adjust to their new positioning, but we had some great rebounding.” Tyler Leidecker lead the Vikings in rebounds while Seadrick Wooding provided excellent leadership and demonstrated fine ball-handling skills as point guard. Alan Coe came out and played excellent defense as well, snatching the ball away from potential scorers and sending it down the court on numerous fast breaks.
The boys’ basketball team’s first game of the 2008 season started off with lots of points on the board and a packed house, the cheerleaders in full swing and Grace Academy looking to stop the Lobos on Lopez home turf. The Grace Academy Eagles, however, started off the game by fouling the Lobos twice in a row. The Lobos responded by putting plenty of points on the board, gaining the rebound in fast breaks and popping it into the basket with aplomb. Grace fouled Lopez again, suffering from first game jitters.
When a team goes up against a goliath on the court, they can either back away and tuck their tails, or they can give it everything they’ve got. The Orcas girls basketball team lost to 3A division Seattle Preparatory Friday night in Seattle 63-35. Playing against a taller, bigger and more seasoned team, the girls went at the game with perseverance and a committed attitude to playing the best game they could, knowing clearly that they were literally out of their league.
The Lopez Island High School 2008 football team was recently honored by receipt of the 2008 John Trotto Sportsmanship Award for demonstrating consistently high sportsmanship. This annual award considers all the teams in Whatcom, Skagit, Island, and San Juan counties for their attitude and respect toward game officials and opponents, as determined by a vote of the game officials serving those teams during the season. Lopez earned the award for the Southern Division – representing approximately half of the 22 teams in the four counties. Lopez scored the highest of the 22 teams in the season-long compilation of the official’s votes after each game they officiated.
After a 17-game season that saw the Saints win two tournaments, tie for second place in a third tournament and finish the season 14-3, they defeated the Frasier Valley Eagles 40-37 indoors at the Bellingham Sports Plex.
The 2008 Round the County sailing race sponsored by the Orcas Island Yacht Club and the Friday Harbor Sailing Club had everything this year. Forty-knot gusts were reported.
The Lady Vikings lost 2-1 against the Ocosta Wildcats in their first trip to the state tournmanet Saturday on a cold day with clear skies.
While football, volleyball, and soccer seasons have all ended, the high school winter sports season kicks off with boys’ and girls’ indoor basketball starting Nov. 17 and running through Feb. 28.
Emily PostVanderBurg, Lopez Island senior, has been named the Northwest “B” League’s Most Valuable Player.
The Orcas Island Rowing Club (OIRA) held their first annual “Headless Head” regatta at Cascade Lake on Sunday, Nov. 2. Rowers of all ages participated from novice junior rower Yon Agnew to “Grandad Roseberry.”