Blazers Orange girls win San Diego title
The Northwest Blazers Orange girls basketball team completed another highly successful season.
The Orange captured the championship at the MSNM tournament in San Diego. The Orange defeated another team from their club system, the Blazers Black, 47-29 in the final. It was the first time in the history of the MSNM NCAA certified tournaments that two teams from the same club played in the final.
The Orange went 8-0 in the tourney.
In the semifinals, the Orange defeated another Spokane team, the Sandpipers, 66-48.
The Orange posted a 43-2 record this summer. Players from the Orange are: Brooke Reilly (Mt. Spokane), Jade Redmon (Mead), Kelsey Moos (Reardan), Karlee Wilson (Lewiston), Brooke and Brittney Pahukoa (Lake Stevens), Brittany and Jordan McPhee (Mt. Rainier) and Pele Gianotti (Riddle, Ore.). They’re coached by Steve Klees.
The Black went 24-3. Players from the Black are: Alisha Breen (Choteau, Mont.), Alycia Sims (Stevensville, Mont.), Diondra Denton (Great Falls, Mont.), Courtney Henry (Belt, Mont.), Rachael Kaehler (Billings, Mont.), Nathanee Spenser (Lapwai, Idaho), Cherise Porchia (Boise) and Kaylee Johnson (Casper, Wyo.). They were coached by Keith Denton.
• The Sandpipers completed their summer with three tournaments in July.
They took fourth in the Elite Division of the Seattle MSNM tournament; they won the Stars Summer Heat tourney in Spokane, defeating the Spokane Stars Blue 57-51; and they took third at the MSNM tourney in San Diego.
They finished 46-9 overall, the most successful season in club history.
Team members are Otiona Gildon (Gonzaga Prep), Oona Harrington (Gonzaga Prep), Mary Hoffman (Gonzaga Prep), Brittney Johnson (Ferris), Delaney Junkermier (Mead), Ashlyn Lewey (Mead), Cassie Shillam (University) and Laura Stockton (Gonzaga Prep). They’re coached by Kerry Pickett, Mark Bowman and John Stockton.
Overall, the team was young. All the players return next year.
• The Spokane Stars fifth grade team captured the championship at the West Coast National Championships in Las Vegas recently.
The team went 4-0 in pool play, and they advanced to the title game, where the Stars beat the Lady Jets from Dallas 47-41.
Quincy McDeid had 14 points and 12 rebounds and Camryn Skaife had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Other team members are Sammy Hampton, Mady Simmelink, Kate Sams, Payton Howard and Whitney Durocher. They were coached by Janet Skaife.
Softball
Thousand Oaks (Calif.) Gold shook off a one-run morning loss to win three straight games in 90-plus degree heat Sunday and win the Amateur Softball Association 10-U B Western National championship at Spokane’s Merkel Sports Complex.
After losing 6-5 to the La Habra (Calif.) Gold All-Stars, Thousand Oaks defeated Cypress (Calif.) Blue All-Stars 7-5, relegating the loser to third place, then beat La Habra 7-3 and 5-1 to claim the title.
The four Spokane-area teams in the 32-team tournament were dominated by California teams. Spokane Crash, Lakesiders (Nine Mile Falls), Spokane Diamonds and Spokane Stealth each went winless in four games.