It was a memorable year in sports

Make no mistake about it, the Valley’s high school sports highlight reel for the year just completed is full.

There were individual state champions and medalists, personified by East Valley’s three-sport state qualifier and wrestling champion Tyler Jolley. There were team trophy winners, including EV’s season-capping boys State 3A track title.

What was your favorite high school sports moment? Mine was Central Valley’s second-place 4A basketball finish in Tacoma.

Why? Simply because no one expected it. Not coaches, nor players and certainly none of the media or those in Tacoma Dome attendance who couldn’t believe their eyes.

People were more impressed by Curtis’ point-a-minute scorer Isaiah Thomas and other Division I prospects and 6-foot-8 giants who didn’t advance to play for the title.

But if the Bears came up short in those regards, and their charmed season came up short, they were the epitome of what high school sports teams are about.

They were simply athletes who put team ahead of individual, working together to defy the odds. Or as ESPN’s Chris Berman would intone, “That’s why they play the game.”

East Valley had a huge year affected mightily by three-sport standout Jolley.

Over the course of the school year he was a two-way starter on the Knights’ State 3A qualifying football teams that combined for an 18-7 record and state quarterfinal appearance over two years.

By February Jolley had completed a perfect 37-0 wrestling season to win the 275-pound championship in wrestling during the winter season.

And this spring he completed his superb career with a second-place in the state 3A discus and fourth in the shot put for the team champions.

Now it’s on to Eastern Washington University and the continuation of his football career.

EV’s year included state and regional qualifying teams in nearly every sport.

Included were boys and girls cross country – Tyler Thatcher finishing fourth, Nick Atwood eighth and Jo E. Mayer medaling 11th overall – and girls soccer in the fall.

During the winter the Knights were third in state wrestling with Anthony Rivera, Bryce Fisher and Clete Hanson all finishing second.

EV’s track team won nary an individual title this spring. But Jolley scored 13 points, Anthony Laborin added 11 and Atwood and Thatcher reprised top eight finishes at 3,200 meters.

Add in neophyte trackster Scott Bunkelman, fifth in the long jump, and placing 1,600 and 400 relay team, and the Knights reached the pinnacle of 3A track.

EV’s girls were sixth at state – Eleaya Schuerch winning the long jump, the boys soccer team won its second straight Greater Spokane League championship, led by GSL offensive MVP Ben Funkhouser, and baseball came within a win of qualifying for its second straight state tourney.

University’s girls basketball team, led by Parade All-American, Washington Associated Press and state Gatorade Player of the Year junior Angie Bjorklund, completed its best season.

The Titans defended their GSL championship, won district and regional and finished third in state with a 25-4 record. Included were three victories over eventual state champion Lewis and Clark.

Titan wrestlers won league and district and placed fourth in state with three top-three placers, including runner-up Brian Owen.

U-Hi girls soccer went unbeaten in the GSL last fall to qualify for state. The volleyball team typically would have after finishing fourth in regional. But only three teams advanced this year.

This spring, Titan Wes Nolen was one of the Valley’s two individual state track and field champions, winning the javelin at 190 feet, 7 inches. Dana McClendon finished second in both the girls shot put, in a school record 44-6 1/2, and discus.

The revitalized U-Hi gymnastics team placed second in league and qualified for state placing seventh. Kayla McGahey won district and regional all-around titles and finished her three-year career tied for 10th all-around in state with a fifth place on uneven bars.

U-Hi baseball, Adam Smith the league MVP, and softball qualified for regionals and freshman Hank Frame was one of five Valley state golf qualifiers.

West Valley qualified its boys cross country, basketball and baseball teams to state. The Eagles placed eighth to trophy in basketball, and in track had medalists in Arton Toussaint in the triple jump and Melissa Mauro in the high jump.

Freeman’s Jessie DePell was named State 1A tournament MVP for the second year, Danny Mathews won his second state wrestling title and joined Andy Nonnenmacher to place fourth in state tennis. Andrew Wilkerson capped his three-sport career with a second discus state championship.

Scotties girls teams finished fourth in state basketball, tied for fifth in track and seventh in volleyball and softball. The boys reached the state football quarterfinals, boys basketball qualified for state and both boys and girls teams competed in state cross country.

Valley Christian’s boys cross country team won its first state trophy, placing third, and Erica Hattamer medaled twice in track sprints and qualified for state cross country.

Remarkable accomplishments all, which brings us back to Central Valley.

The Bears had reached post-season in football and state in girls cross country where Anna Layman finished third individually. They had a state champion wrestler in Nick Cambron and finalist in Lucas Chesher. Heidi Heintz led GSL girls basketball in scoring.

But it was basketball that captured the imagination. Fifth in the GSL, the Bears won eight of 10 postseason games. Among them were five straight to win district and reach the district finals.

At state they defied the odds with victory over Bellarmine Prep, then upsets of Gig Harbor and South Kitsap to make the finals.

Luke Clift earned all-tournament recognition as the only player to average in double figures during post-season. But the sum of CV’s parts, including Matt Morgan off the bench, and starters Kevin Cameron, Nick Ambrose, Brad Johnson and Brad Dieter, nearly pulled off the impossible.

The run lasted for one more quarter before speedy Franklin of Seattle roared away for a 70-51 triumph in the 4A championship game.

Still, it was a magical moment in a memorable season of Valley high school sports.