By Sebastian Moraga Make room for the champions: Mount Si wrestlers crowd the podium during and after the KingCo Conference championships Feb. 4 at Liberty. Mount Si won its first conference championship since 2007.

The Mount Si Wildcats wrestling team put on one of its finest performances of the season, winning the KingCo Conference championships Feb. 4. Ryley Absher, Mitch Rorem and Josh Mitchell won conference championships, with Rorem defeating teammate Tyler Hutchinson for the 195-pound crown.

Third place or better earned wrestlers a ticket to the Feb. 11 regionals at Skyline High School.

Eli Clure finished second at 106 pounds. Bruce Stuart finished third and Aaron Peterson finished second at 138 pounds. Tye Rodne finished second at 145 pounds. AJ Brevick finished third at 160 pounds. Tim Corrie finished third at 182 pounds.

Fourth-place wrestlers will travel to Skyline as alternates. Wilkins Melgaard, Justin Edens, Davis Glass and Nate Whited finished fourth at 126, 132, 152 and 220 pounds, respectively.

“We continue to work on our kids and tell them that they gotta trust and believe in the process and see it through,” Wildcat head coach Tony Schlotfeldt said.

Bigger prizes await the team, with regionals on Feb. 11 and state seven days later. Schlotfeldt said his wrestlers’ real goal is returning the red-and-gray singlet to prominence.

“They have been told they are part of a tradition,” Schlotfeldt said. “Their job is to bring back the tradition Mount Si is known for.”

Taking at least 10 wrestlers to regionals is a step in that direction, as it’s the most wrestlers Mount Si has taken to regionals with Schlotfeldt as coach.

Two of those wrestlers entered their final match already qualified for regionals. Rorem and Hutchinson wrestled each other for the top spot.

“It’s always awkward wrestling a teammate,” Rorem said. “But we’ve been friends a long time.”

Seconds after Rorem pinned Hutchinson, the two shared a laugh and a pat on the back while they cooled off.

“We know each other’s moves,” Hutchinson said. “So it’s just a matter of time before one of us gets more tired. Besides, we’re both happy we are going to regionals.”

One, it is so loud inside with 53 cheerleading teams competing that arena staff members sell earplugs for two bucks a pop. And two, a fast recovery after a big misstep is the only thing that will keep you in the competition.

That is what the Mount Si High School’s silver squad learned Feb. 4 at state, when the team’s pyramid collapsed early in its routine.

“We did really good except for one slip-up in the beginning,” 17-year-old Jannel Rasmussen said. “From that point on, we got our confidence back and we only went up from there.”

By Michele Mihalovich Mount Si High School cheerleaders compete at the state championships Feb. 4 at Comcast Arena in Everett.

And that fast recovery paid off for the squad, because they were only one of two teams that received a trophy in the “nontumbling 2A/3A” category.

The silver squad scored 192 points, versus Steilacoom, which earned 205.

“I was so excited for my silver squad,” Cheer Coach Jessii Stevens said. “They had one drop, but really recovered and ended strong. There were 10 teams in their division and we hadn’t seen a lot of them compete, so we didn’t know what to expect from the other teams. My silver squad really worked on cleaning their routine in the past couple weeks and it showed at state.”

Mount Si’s second team, the red squad, also competed at state, but didn’t come away with a trophy, which only goes to the top two highest scoring teams in each category.

They placed fourth in the “small” category, behind Eastlake, Oak Harbor and Union schools.

“After reviewing our state routine video many times, it was obvious that our girls hadn’t ‘put on a show,’ which is what you need to do to score well … with the judges,” Stevens said. “In addition, we had some sloppiness and bobbles that you can’t have at state and expect to place with.”

“I think we had a good routine that had a lot of potential. I just wish we had executed it better,” Chloe Villanueva, a senior on the red squad, said. “I think we’re a lot better than what we showed, but I’m really glad about what we accomplished there.”

The 12 red squad teammates barely have time to mourn the less-than-stellar state showing, because on Feb. 9, the team heads to the National High School Cheerleading Championship at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla.

Qualifying for nationals has nothing to do with how a team performs at the state competition. Stevens said the team attended a cheer camp and won a bid to nationals.

Only five Washington high schools will compete at nationals, with the top performers being broadcast on ESPN, she said. Stevens said the girls only have a few days to work on their routine, which she changed up a little for the national competition.

“We are cleaning up sections of the routine and working on the showmanship aspect of being on the floor,” she said.

Stevens said Mount Si hasn’t competed in the nationals since 2004 or 2005.

“So, for this year, I just want my team to take it all in and really experience nationals. I want the girls to bring back what they see and learn so that it motivates the entire program to push themselves and strive for the level of competitiveness that you see at nationals” she said.

As for Villanueva, she said, “I’m super excited just to say I went there.”

Mount Si garnered a team score of 155.8 points out of 300, compared to Mercer Island’s second-place score of 150.525.

Both teams will advance to districts, the final qualifying event before the State Gymnastics Championships Feb. 18-19 at the Tacoma Dome.

By Michele Mihalovich The Mount Si High School Gymnastics team holds its first-place trophy at the KingCo Gymnastics Championship conference Feb. 4. From left are Mackenzie Brown, Hannah Richmond, Jenn Rogers, Carissa Castagno, Jessica Trotto, Lexi Swanson, Elizabeth Holmes and Hailey Johnson.

Coach Jessica Easthope said the floor category is typically the team’s strongest event, and that definitely was the case at Saturday’s tournament, held at Roosevelt High School in Seattle.

Four Mount Si girls placed in the top 10 positions on floor, with three Wildcats placing in the top three spots: Jenn Rogers scored 9.6 out of 10 points, Carissa Castagno scored 9.45 and MacKenzie Brown scored 9.25.

“We have strong tumbling paired with beautiful choreography that sets our floor routines apart from the other teams,” Easthope said.

She said she was particularly impressed with Brown’s performance because she had suffered an injury at the team’s last regular season meet.

“But she pulled it together for the two events she competed for us … and posted stellar scores. She scored a season high of 9.25 on floor. I knew the moment she stepped off the floor that it was going to be a 9-point-plus routine,” Easthope said.

In the bars event, three girls placed in the top five positions: Hannah Richmond scored 7.65, Rogers scored 7.4 and Castagno scored 7.3.

The Mount Si gymnasts had a pretty good showing in the vault event, as well.

Castagno, who took first place overall, scored 8.4 points. Brown came in fourth with a score of 8.275, Hailey Johnson placed fifth with an 8.15 score and Rogers, who placed ninth, received 8 points.

The Mount Si team did struggle in the balance beam event, with four of the six girls jumping off the beam, sometimes more than once, after losing their balance.

Coach Easthope said that the beam is usually a pretty strong event for the team.

“But that 4-inch-wide beam is mentally the toughest for anyone and sometimes it gets the best of us,” she said.

On Saturday, Castagno, who placed seventh in the beam event, earned a 7.575 score. Rogers placed just behind her with a 7.525 score and Richmond pulled in the 10th spot with a score of 6.9.

Easthope said the team will be working on the beam this week to prepare for districts.

“We are going to be on the beam a lot during practice this week and build our confidence,” she said.

Easthope said the team can’t get too comfortable, even though they beat Mercer Island.

“Mercer Island was a pretty close second and last year they edged us out at the districts competition,” she said, adding that Bainbridge High School looks like it would also bring some tough competition.

“But I have confidence in our girls … that we can compete … and come out with favorable results,” Easthope said.

Team scores

First place: Mount Si, 214.5 points

Second place: Mercer Island, 209 points

Third place: Bellevue, 203.5 points

Michele Mihalovich: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

Those six minutes disappeared, and so did the first six and a half minutes in the fourth quarter.

During that 12-minute span, the Wildcats scored two points.

Those who braved the cold to attend the last home game of the regular season saw a team do anything and everything it could do to score a basket. The rim just kept saying nice try.

Liberty prevailed, 53-42.

“We came out and let them decide the tempo,” the Wildcats’ Tyler Button said. “It kind of got out of hand out there.”

The first half ended tied at 27, with Mount Si erasing a first-quarter Liberty lead, the Patriots hustling back to the lead and the Wildcats’ Jason Smith nailing a three for the last basket of the half.

Many fans expected big things out of the second half, as coach Steve Helm had dubbed the Patriots’ game “huge.”

Jumpers by Anthony McLaughlin and Ryan Atkinson were the opening salvos for the second stanza. The Patriots nailed a two-pointer of their own to cut the Wildcats’ lead to two. By the time Mount Si scored again, another Atkinson basket, Liberty was ahead by four and would not look back.

“We could have sealed the fifth seed,” McLaughlin said after the game. “We still have the opportunity to upset Lake Washington tomorrow and I think we can do it.”

The next day, the Mount Si Wildcats looked capable of upsetting the Kangs on their home court. They hung basket for basket with the hosts for two quarters and got to halftime tied at 24, after tying the first quarter at 12.

From then on, the Kangs outscored the Wildcats, 37-18. McLaughlin finished with 13 points to lead all Wildcats. Atkinson had eight points and Levi Botten had six. The Kangs’ Darien Nelson-Henry, Matt Staudacher and Guy Lynott all scored in double figures.

The two losses forced Mount Si to hit the road once again and try to play spoiler in the first round of KingCo playoffs.

Mount Si played Mercer Island at Bellevue College Feb. 6 in a loser-out game. The Wildcats tried but the Islanders were too much for the exhausted Wildcats, who were playing their third game in five days.

Mount Si yielded to Mercer Island, 81-42.

By Sebastian Moraga Mount Si’s Tanner Stahl, in red, wrestles Zach Toombs, of Liberty High School, Jan. 28 at Bellevue High. Stahl won on points, 9-5. Mount Si prevailed over the Patriots and then demolished the Sammamish Totems the same day. Next for the ‘Cats is the league championship Feb. 3 and 4.

Six points. Six little points.

The Mount Si High School Wildcats were one forfeit away from fulfilling Aaron Peterson’s challenge.

On Jan. 28, the 145-pounder challenged his teammates to shut out the Sammamish Totems.

The Wildcats proceeded to deliver a beating on the Totems. If it weren’t for a Mount Si forfeit at 113 pounds, the Totems would have indeed laid an egg on the scoreboard. Instead, Mount Si won 72-6.

Sammamish forfeited seven matches to the Wildcats, including one to Peterson.

The Totems, Wildcats, Liberty Patriots and the Mercer Island Islanders met in Bellevue to make up for matches canceled by the snowstorm that pummeled the Eastside in mid-January.

An hour before beating Sammamish, the Wildcats defeated the Patriots, 51-21.

Ryley Absher defeated Liberty’s 120-pounder Mike Shaw by pin in the first round. Peterson defeated Jimmy Andrus by pin in the third. AJ Brevick pinned Liberty’s Quinn Magendanz in the second. Tim Corrie pinned the Patriots’ Noel Brandon and Nate Whited made quick work of Liberty’s Luke Oman, pinning him 41 seconds into the first round.

Whited sounded none too impressed with himself.

“I pinned a guy 20 seconds into it in a JV tournament this year,” he said.

Wildcats head coach Tony Schlotfeldt said his team needed to wrestle tougher.

“They need to wrestle with persuasion,” he said. “They are young so they lack that experience. We need to not allow the opponent the easy takedown or escape.”

He borrowed from another sport to make his point: football.

“It’s the difference between being a good, hard-nosed running team versus a finesse passing team,” he said.

The team, Schlotfeldt added, is about 90 percent recovered from a rash of ringworm cases that had several wrestlers sidelined.

With the snow hopefully sidelined as well, the team has a clearer, delay-free view of what lies ahead: the league championships Feb. 3 and 4, the regionals Feb. 11 and the Mat Classic, the state tourney, Feb. 17 and 18.

Third place or better makes it to regionals. Fourth place or better there makes it to state, Schlotfeldt added.

“It’s the hardest loss I have taken as a coach in nearly 10 years,” Wildcats head coach Steve Helm said.

The Wildcats had two chances to tie the game, first with 12 seconds left and two free throws that would not drop in, and then with a trey at the buzzer that rimmed off.

“The boys left it all on the floor,” Helm said. “Usually, you do get the win on the scoreboard, but tonight we didn’t.”

Players were in tears afterward in the locker room, he added.

Mount Si led at halftime, with brilliant performances by Anthony McLaughlin, Levi Botten and Ryan Atkinson.

In the second half, Bellevue turned it around, but the Wildcats kept battling.

“Couldn’t be more proud of my team,” Helm said.

With five wins to their credit this season, the Wildcats still have a shot at that fifth playoff spot. A home win against Liberty Feb. 2 could seal it for them.

They play Lake Washington on the road Feb. 3, and depending on how Juanita and Sammamish do this week, they may even have to play a tiebreaker Feb. 4.

If things go their way against the Patriots, Mount Si will play Feb. 6 on the road in a loser-out playoff game against the fourth seed.

The team is playing good basketball and working hard in practice, Helm said. It may be a sign the team is peaking at the right time.

“A win on Monday (Feb. 6) and anything can happen,” he said, adding that there may not be a team in Washington working harder than the Wildcats right now.

“We are going to come back tomorrow and have a great practice,” he predicted.

Game time against the Patriots is 7:30 p.m. at Mount Si High School. Game time at Lake Washington is 7:30 p.m.

While the boys battled the Wolverines on the road, the girls hosted an irreverent Bellevue squad that ruined Senior Night for the Wildcat girls.

Bellevue prevailed 57-39.

“We didn’t have a fundamentally sound game tonight,” head coach Megan Botulinski said. “It wasn’t real pretty.”

Now the team needs to win its two remaining games against Liberty and Lake Washington to earn a home playoff game. Otherwise, the team will start the playoffs on the road.

“We might have to take the underdog role and run with it,” Botulinski said.

Nevertheless, Botulinski said she will put her chips on her team.

“It’s possible,” she said of closing the regular season with two wins. “But we’ve got to take care of things we didn’t do tonight.”

The meager crowd at the game said goodbye to seniors Jordan Riley, Alex Welsh and Shelby Peerboom. Botulinski had high praise for her seniors, saying she loved the time she got to spend with them, and adding she wished she had more.

“That’s one of the reasons I don’t want this season to end,” she said.

Game time at Liberty Feb. 2 is 6:30 p.m. Game time at Lake Washington is 5:45 p.m.

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com.

By Bob Wachtendonk/A Moment In Time Fotography Jordan Riley, Mount Si High School’s 6-foot senior post, puts up a shot Dec. 20 against Nathan Hale High School, won by the Wildcats, 60-39.

It was the week after Christmas 2010. The Mount Si Lady Wildcats basketball team was facing off against the Shorewood High School Thunderbirds in the KingCo WestCo Challenge Tournament.

In the second quarter, Jordan Riley had gone up for a lay-in just as a defending player hit her knee from the inside. That’s when the tell-tale popping noise indicated something had gone wrong, and she fell immediately.

As it turned out, the basketball star had suffered a tear to her anterior crusciate ligament, better known as the ACL, an injury that demanded reconstruction surgery. Wasting little time, Riley got into surgery last February and her physical therapy regimen began soon after.

Riley’s ambition was clear, her goal finite: She had to get back in the game.

Today, it’s been almost a year since the Mount Si High School senior had surgery, almost seven months since she began running again, and just about four months since she got back on the court.

In a word, her recovery was “difficult,” but that goes without saying.

“It felt really weird,” Riley said. “You never realize how hard it is to make your knee move until it hasn’t been moving for months. I had to teach my muscles how to work again.”

Riley got encouragement from numerous people. She said her mom and dad were among the most powerful sources of inspiration to her, fondly repeating the line she heard so many times throughout her recovery: “Jordan, keep going.” Her parents drove her to countless appointments, she said, and always ensured she was icing her knee.

Riley’s physical therapist, John Zanas, of Peak Sports and Spine, was also a huge source of support to her. She said the key to the success of her recovery was doing all of the exercises that Zanas prescribed to her and, of course, “taking no shortcuts.”

Zanas said that as a patient, “Jordan was determined and stubborn, but in a good way. She always wanted to do more. She wouldn’t let anything get her down,” not her inability to play nor the tremendous workload she faced.

“The year she’s having, after what she’s went through, is phenomenal,” he added.

The pressing desire to play again weighed on Riley more than anything.

“I watched my team’s games during the second half of the season,” she said, “and not being able to play was a huge bummer.”

Mount Si basketball coach Megan Botulinski recalled that Riley traveled with the team to tournaments over the summer and even attended team camp. Despite not being cleared to play, she went so she could still participate as a captain and be a part of the team bonding, Botulinski said.

But now Riley said she can feel her game getting stronger after each game she plays.

“I can feel myself getting back into the swing of things,” she said.

Botulinski said Riley is very coachable and positive.

She was “so focused on rehabbing that knee,” she added. “She was even cleared earlier than predicted because of that determination.”

This season, Riley is sporting a heavy-duty metal brace that keeps her still-healing ACL in place. One might assume that would slow her game down, but her stats suggest otherwise. In her top scoring game of the season so far, against Sammamish High School on Jan. 6, Riley racked up 17 points.

Botulinski said Riley is the team’s leading shot-blocker, its third leading scorer and second leading rebounder.

“I’m very proud of how she bounced back,” she said. “She’s an inspiration … and just an all-around amazing individual.”

Zanas said Riley’s unparalleled determination will take her “well beyond high school basketball,” adding, “She learned a lot about adversity and hard work and how well that will pay off for you in the long run.”

After graduation, Riley hopes to continue her education at a university where she can also play basketball, possibly in an intramural league. She has been accepted to Seattle University, Gonzaga and the University of Portland. Riley plans to pursue a degree in nursing as she said helping other people has always been a passion of hers.

After spending her fair share of time in hospitals and clinics, whether to get her tonsils or appendix taken out or have her ACL reconstructed, Riley said she just “really wants to return the favor.”

Amanda Austin is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

At least it did for Cameron Vanwinkle.

The power outages kept the Mount Si High School junior and record-breaking kicker from watching one of his heroes stumble on national television.

As part of his education as a kicker, Vanwinkle has attended kicking camps directed by Billy Cundiff.

Photo by Calder Productions Mount Si High School junior Cameron Vanwinkle, in action for the Wildcats, has caught the eye of some big universities thanks to his kicking and punting prowess.

Cundiff, the Baltimore Ravens kicker, missed a 32-yard kick Jan. 22 that kept his team from advancing to the Super Bowl.

“I was a little surprised,” he said of hearing about Cundiff’s mishap. “The pressure must have gotten to him.”

The student of the game, and of kicking in particular, has other hypotheses as to what might have happened.

“If it’s a bad hold and you hit the laces,” he said, “it is a guaranteed miss. My dad and I watch kicks and if the kicker misses, we look to see if it’s a good hold.”

Such attention to detail — that and a powerful foot that belies his 165-pound frame — have several Division I universities eyeing Vanwinkle as a possible recruit.

Oregon, Missouri, Washington, and this week Tennessee, have approached Vanwinkle, who broke a handful of school records last year.

Much like his hero from Crab Town, Md., Vanwinkle feels the pressure.

“I’m a little nervous,” he said, “I’m trying to help my parents out.”

He said he hopes to get a full ride to a Division I university and save his folks some money. Then, he said he hopes to make it to the National Football League, something that stood just above impossible the first time he played high school football his freshman year.

“I just wanted to try a new sport out,” he said, “make new friends. Soccer was my sport before.”

Vanwinkle’s football coach Charlie Kinnune said he had already turned some heads as a middle schooler.

“I was told, when he was a seventh- or eighth-grader,” Kinnune said, “that we had this kid coming up.”

The “kid” took over kicking duties his freshman year and had to earn the trust of his teammates slowly.

Those same teammates nowadays call him or his kicks “Money” for Vanwinkle’s almost-guaranteed accuracy.

Kinnune said he has never had a kicker recruited at this high level.

“I’m just sitting back, going, ‘Someone’s going to get themselves a really good kicker,’” Kinnune said.

Although conscious that college is still a year away, Vanwinkle works toward preparing himself for the college game.

In college, kickoffs happen at the 30-yard line, which will require a 70-yard kick to get to the goal line.

“Right now, I’m guessing, I’m averaging 63 or 64 yards on kickoffs,” Vanwinkle said.

Kinnune said college kickers tend to be about 30 pounds heavier than Vanwinkle.

“He’s got to get heavier, stronger,” he said. “He’s got to gain weight.”

Other things, he can’t prepare for in a weight room.

“In high school, you look to the side and see fans,” Vanwinkle said. “In college, there’s going to be fans everywhere you look.”

Vanwinkle has not decided yet which college those fans will root for or what he will major in, but he said he is done with year-round rain.

“I’d like to go somewhere warm,” he said.

Ultimately, the decision will come down to whoever helps his parents pay for college the most. If it’s warm there, all the better.

If after four years, the NFL comes calling, better still.

“He’s got a bright future,” Kinnune said. “He’s a great decision-maker on and off the field.”

A couple of years in the league might help set him up financially for a long time, Vanwinkle said.

Nevertheless, he said, it’s not about the money for him. It’s about rubber on leather and leather taking flight, be it round or oval-shaped.

“Even before I kicked the football, I just loved kickball,” he said. “I have always loved kicking a ball.”

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com.

The games against Interlake are set for 6:30 and 8 p.m. Jan. 28 at home.

Wrestling meets have been rescheduled. The meet against Mercer Island was scheduled to take place Jan. 26, and the meet against Sammamish will occur 1:30 p.m. Jan. 28 at Bellevue High School.

Check start times at www.mountsihighschool.com to confirm.

The foundation will choose finalists and then announce two winners 10 a.m. Feb.12 at CenturyLink Field.

Five line players and five skill players from Western Washington have been nominated.

Each winner receives a $2,000 scholarship. Liberty High School’s Jay Chakravarty won a scholarship last year.

“I tend to believe they are finalist material,” said Charlie Kinnune, head coach of the Mount Si Wildcats’ varsity team. “They are great student athletes and community members.

The foundation, Kinnune said, looks at a student’s athletic abilities, academic performance and community service involvement.

“I’m excited,” he said. “We have two great nominees coming out of our high school.”

Copeland, Kinnune said, has one of the toughest schedules in the senior class: Advanced Placement chemistry, AP English literature, AP calculus, AP physics, history, band and the weight room after school. He carries a 3.91 grade point average.

“My schedule is not as hard as Cope’s,” Deutsch said with a smile.

Not that he slacks around.

Deutsch’s GPA is 3.99.

“It’s good to see recognition of football players and athletes as beyond dumb jocks,” Deutsch said. “We like to push ourselves academically as well as athletically.”

Copeland seeks to enter the Massachusetts Institute of Technology or Cal Tech to study physics. If he enters MIT, he also wants to play football there.

Deutsch said he does not know where he will apply, but he knows he wants to study kinesiology.

And hit the gridiron, as well.

“I will play football wherever I go,” he said.

Football is a big part of the boys’ lives. If asked to trade football for a year in exchange for a perfect GPA, they would both pass.

“You can only play football for a small part of your life,’ he said. “When you are 65 you can’t do it competitively.”

Besides, Copeland said, they will carry what they learned on the field well beyond their youth.

“Football has made me a better person than a 4.0 would have,” he said.

Deutsch agreed.

“Football teaches you loyalty, it teaches you a sense of team,” he said. “These are the things that come back to you later in life, the things you see and use later in life, not the 3.99 or the 4.0.”

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

Jason Smith, Mount Si High School junior forward, looks for an outlet pass as Mercer Island junior guard Nick Nordale defends at the end of the first half of their Jan. 13 basketball game. By Greg Farrar

A month ago, Mercer Island beat the Wildcats by 22 points.

On Jan. 13, Mercer Island hosted the Wildcats and beat them by 17 points, 63-46.

Five-point improvement? Just for starters.

The Wildcats hung tough every quarter with the powerhouse Islanders. Instead of the December game, which saw Mercer Island jump to an 18-3 lead after one quarter, the Wildcats put up a fight.

“We’ve come a long way,” forward-center Anthony McLaughlin said. “Couple of calls this way, a couple of calls that way, and it could have gone the other way.”

Mercer Island showed its class, with a strong outside and inside game that has it ranked among the top KingCo conference teams. Still, the Wildcats did not hesitate to count this one as sort of a moral victory. The team lost on the scoreboard, but took big strides forward in the process.

“Since the last time we played Mercer Island,” forward Ryan Atkinson said, “we focused on getting better and better. We would have liked to win, but we are still happy with the fact we are improving.”

Beau Shain led Mount Si with 12 points, including a buzz-killing, buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the first half. Jason Smith had nine points and Levi Botten had seven. Atkinson had six. Griffin McLain had four. Charlie Corriveau and Miles Zupan had three. McLaughlin, who left the game nursing a sprained ankle had two.

The Islanders’ Sam Cohn led all scorers with 13 points.

“Mercer Island did a good job, you have got to hand it to them,” Mount Si Head Coach Steve Helm said. “It’s hard to stop them.”

Still, count Helm among those feeling a sight happier than he did in early December, when Mercer Island traveled east to rip the Wildcats.

“We’re improving,” Helm said. “I tell my guys, leave it all on the floor and let the scoreboard handle itself.”

Next up for Mount Si was a game at home against Interlake Jan. 17, the first home contest in four tries for the road-weary Wildcats. Then, it’s back on the road Jan. 20 to face the Kangs of Lake Washington. Game time is at 8 p.m.

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

Mount Si’s AJ Brevick wrestles 2011 state runner-up Jacob Marks Jan. 5. Brevick trailed 12-8 in the third round before pinning Marks with eight seconds left. By Sebastian Moraga

Mount Si High School Wildcats’ assistant coach Brad Rorem had called it prior to the match: It was going to be a close one.

So, imagine his surprise and the crowd’s when the Wildcats’ wrestling team jumped to a 24-0 lead over Interlake, winning its first three matches by pins and the next two on points.

Still, Rorem’s prediction proved right. The Wildcats had to sweat to earn the victory against the Saints on Jan. 5 at home.

Interlake won six of the next nine matches and only surrendered after defending state champion Josh Mitchell pinned the Saints’ Fine Nagauamo on the last match of the night.

The Wildcats and Saints entered Mitchell’s match apart by one point, with the hosts leading 36-35.

“I thought after we jumped to that big lead we were going to be OK,” Rorem said, “but they battled back.”

To the Wildcats’ credit, all through the night, so did they.

Freshman Justin Edens overcame a 5-0 deficit to beat the Saints’ Nate Jochum, 10-5, at 132 pounds.

Senior AJ Brevick had perhaps the biggest win of the night, as he overcame 2010 2A state runner-up Jacob Marks at 160 pounds.

With eight seconds left in the last round, and trailing 12-8, Brevick pinned Marks, drawing the crowd to its feet.

“The kid was second in state, I knew it was going to be a good match,” Brevick said. “He’s too good of a wrestler to let him do what he wants to do.”

The match, Brevick said, came down to who had the most heart.

“He was a good technical wrestler, but in the third round, they blew the whistle and I went out there and gave it 110 percent,” Brevick said.

Besides the top lineage of his opponent, Brevick said he had extra incentive to put on a good show: His entire family was in the stands.

Head coach Tony Schlotfeldt praised Brevick’s performance.

“It was a total gut-check on his part,” he said. “Lots of conditioning, lots of heart.”

Interlake proved that its loss to powerhouse Mercer Island by three points was no fluke, Schlotfeldt said, but his boys stepped up.

Not easy to do after the team has struggled to overcome several cases of ringworm.

“We are coming out of it,” said Brevick, who only received clearance to wrestle the day of the match. “We still got three or four wrestlers down and we are trying to be extra careful.”

Bertram and Zita joined the Mount Si High School gymnastics team after never having tried gymnastics before.

Bertram, from Denmark, was a boxer, a swimmer and a handball player in her native country. Zita practiced ballet, sailing and skiing in Italy.

Both said they wanted to try something new.

By Sebastian Moraga Tatjana Bertram (left) and Caterina Zita are two of four exchange students in this year’s Mount Si High School gymnastics squad.

Both said this “something new” was harder than they thought it would be.

“You need a lot of muscle and you need to be in pretty good shape,” said Bertram, a senior who arrived in Snoqualmie Aug. 17.

Although new to the sport, both Bertram and Zita said they liked how the rest of the team welcomed them.

“We have a good atmosphere here,” Zita said. “People are good to help us if we need it.”

Bertram and Zita are two of the four exchange students on the team. Head Coach Jessica Easthope said her team had never had exchange students before.

Isabella Kotulska, of Poland, and Carla Torrisi, of Italy, are the other two.

Of the four gymnastic events, Zita said she struggled with the beam and liked the floor exercise. Bertram said she struggled with the floor and beam and liked the bar.

Easthope said both girls, members of the junior varsity squad, have performed well.

“They are doing really great,” Easthope said. “They participate fully, they engage with everyone and their English is good.”

Foreign exchange students have brought a different viewpoint to the team, she added, saying the students tend to ask different questions and have different concerns.

“Being part of an athletic team can be kind of expensive,” Easthope said.

The school paid for, and later loaned, the four girls team jackets, Easthope said. Normally, a student’s family pays for a jacket and gets to keep it.

Easthope said the rest of the team has enjoyed having four teammates from overseas.

Zita said they have taken turns teaching one another. The locals help the visitors with gymnastics, and the visitors teach the locals words in Danish and Italian.

“Sometimes bad words,” Zita said with a smile. “But only because it’s important.”

Zita’s last day is June 24. Bertram’s last day is unknown. She has known her host family for 10 years and has not yet bought a return ticket.

The weather in Denmark does not differ much from Snoqualmie, so the change in seasons won’t be as big a deal, Bertram said.

Zita, a resident of Florence, begs to differ.

“Here, it looks like it rains in summer, it rains in spring, it rains in autumn,” she said. “The weather is not my favorite.”

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com.

Mount Si High School's 6-foot-4, 285-pound Josh Mitchell, top center, wants to repeat as state champion and go undefeated in his final high-school wrestling season before beginning his college football career at Oregon State University. By Dean Rutz/The Seattle Times

Josh Mitchell is the perfect poster boy for the Mount Si High School wrestling program.

Coaches like detailing his rags-to-riches story, how one of the top state’s wrestlers started his high school career near the bottom.

Mitchell won only a handful of matches his freshman year, when senior standout Ryan Ransavage convinced him to give the sport a try.

“I kind of got beat up on a little bit,” Mitchell recalled. “I didn’t really know what I was doing.”

Football is his main sport and his ticket to college. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound all-state defensive lineman has a scholarship to Oregon State University.

But after his slow start on the mat, he quickly showed he was willing to do whatever it took to get better in wrestling.

As a sophomore, he was a state alternate at 285 pounds — and might have qualified if he hadn’t gotten sick and dropped 12 pounds before the regional tournament. The disappointment helped fuel a fantastic junior campaign that culminated in a state title. After a 6-3 start, Mitchell won 21 matches in a row to become Mount Si’s first wrestling state champion in 20 years.

“I was honored by that,” he said.

Yes, Mitchell is humble and polite, too — a “yes, sir” and “yes, ma’am” kind of guy.

“We love having him in our system,” coach Tony Schlotfeldt said. “He’s everything you want in a kid. He’s stepped up his role as a leader. He’s an encourager … He’s pretty coordinated for such a big guy, but his work ethic is what’s gotten him to where he is at today. We’ve used his story more times than once.”

Jeff Mitchell, Josh’s father, admits he wasn’t sure how long Josh would last when he announced he was going to turn out for wrestling.

“It’s such a brutal sport, I remember thinking, ‘We’ll give him two weeks,’ “ Jeff said. “The first week, he came home from practice and said, ‘Dad, that was the most difficult workout I’ve ever done in my life.’ Then the next day he said, ‘Dad, I was wrong, today’s workout was the most difficult workout I’ve ever done.’ “

Jeff and Rhonda, Josh’s mother, were proud to see him stick with it.

“He got better and developed a real love for the sport,” Jeff said. “He’s a very competitive person.”

Having Ransavage as a role model helped.

“He was so dominant and so many guys just looked up to him,” Josh said. “He took second in state (as a senior) and that just made me want to be like him more and just keep working, so one day I would be there.”

Now younger wrestlers look up to Mitchell, and he doesn’t take the role lightly.

“I’m hoping this year I can set a good example for the guys and they have something to work for,” he said.

His goals are to win another state title and go undefeated. Yet Mitchell admitted he considered skipping wrestling to spend the winter in the weight room preparing for college football.

His teammates and older brother, Taylor, helped change his mind.

“They talked me back into it, and said I needed to, and I’m glad I did because it just really, really helps my athleticism,” he said.

And having Josh Mitchell back in the wrestling room only adds to his lore at Mount Si.

Sandy Ringer: 206-718-1512 or sringer@seattletimes.com.

Three local athletes played in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions in Tampa, Fla., over New Year’s Day weekend.

Snoqualmie Valley Lacrosse players Casey Krueger (left), Stephan Mahler and Eric Virta played in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions in Tampa, Fla., New Year’s Day weekend. Contributed

The three boys — Casey Krueger, Stephan Mahler and Eric Virta — were playing for the Seattle Starz, a regional lacrosse team.

They also play for Mount Si Lacrosse.

The Seattle Starz advanced to the tournament after winning a regional qualifying tournament last summer.

Krueger attends St. Joseph’s School. Mahler is at Twin Falls Middle School. Virta goes to Snoqualmie Middle School.

The three boys began playing lacrosse two years ago.

Learn more about the local lacrosse club at www.mountsilacrosse.org.

The 5-foot, 10-inch junior set a personal record in points per game.

Mount Si improved its overall record to 5-3. Its conference record is 2-2.

Phil Pugh, former Mount Si High School quarterback and track star has earned induction into the Washington State Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Contributed

A former Mount Si High School quarterback who coached North Mason High School to the state football title in 1982 has added one more laurel to his bio.

In the same year North Mason High School changed the name of its football field to Phil Pugh Stadium, the Washington State High School Football Coaches Association added Pugh to its Hall of Fame.

“It’s a great honor,” the 71-year-old Pugh said from his home in Kitsap County.

Pugh played for Mount Si for four years until 1958, but he became best known as coach of the North Mason Bulldogs for 27 years.

“We never played Mount Si,” he said, later adding, “it would have been great fun.”

Instead, he played teams like Raymond, who knocked North Mason out of the playoffs twice in a row on their way to state crowns.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Bulldogs kept making the playoffs only to run into strong teams. Raymond (champions in ‘74 and 75), South Whidbey (runners-up in ‘79), Lynden (champions in ‘80) and Montesano (runners-up in ‘81) stopped North Mason.

Despite the losses, Pugh developed a reputation as an innovator.

“He was really good at knowing what his personnel was and adapting,” said Gregg Guidy, who played for Pugh from 1978 to 1981. “I would say he was ahead of his time. He was willing to try different things before they were real popular.”

Then, in 1982, the Bulldogs’ luck turned. They went all the way to the Kingdome and beat Woodland for Pugh’s only state title.

“I don’t have to tell you, that was quite the special experience for our kids,” he said.

Pugh retired in 1998 and moved to Nevada three years later. In 2004, Pugh came out of retirement for a second stint at North Mason that lasted six years.

He retired for good in 2009.

During his years on the Olympic Peninsula, he never lost his connection to the Snoqualmie Valley. This year, he traveled to Gig Harbor to watch his former team beat Peninsula.

Wildcat wins were a bit more rare in the mid-1950s.

“It was tough sledding,” he said.

Mount Si was smaller than several league rivals. Bothell, Bellevue, Federal Way and Mercer Island all had more students and athletes than Mount Si. Pugh’s graduating class had about 67 students

“We had a mismatch a lot of nights,” he said, “from the talent in those teams and the depth particularly.”

Pugh graduated from Mount Si thinking he wanted to be a veterinarian. His grades changed his mind.

“I wasn’t a particularly good student in high school,” he said. “I was all about athletics and friends.”

Without a strong science background, he decided to copy two of his siblings, who had earned degrees in education. He majored in physical education and minored in English.

“I didn’t know I wanted to coach,” he said.

After he got his first job in the Clover Park School District near Tacoma, he began coaching and learned he loved it.

“At that point, I knew I wanted to continue coaching,” he said.

His love of coaching has lured several players of his to the sidelines. Guidy coached basketball at North Mason. His son is a track coach at North Kitsap High School.

Bud McKay played tight end and middle linebacker for Pugh for two years until 1978. He coached youth football at Rainier Beach for six years.

Practices under Pugh were “almost like a military boot camp every day,” McKay said.

“He demanded and commanded respect at the same time,” McKay said. “It wasn’t just with him. He expected us to be respectful to our teammates, our opponents and the referees.”

Still, he added, players listened to everything Pugh said.

“You could tell he knew teaching, knew football and loved what he did,” McKay said. “It was fun playing for him. Winning games was great, but getting praise from him meant the world.”

McKay last saw his coach this fall, when the school rechristened the football field. At 52 years old, McKay said he still can’t call him anything but Coach.

“I can’t praise Coach Pugh enough,” he said. “Thirty years later, I can remember vividly all the practices. That was when the fun was.”

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

Alex Censullo (in the blue shirt) prepares to kick the ball in Alabama while playing for Eastside FC. Censullo is one of three Mount Si High School students competing for a berth in nationals. By Francine Heck

Escaping the cold, wet Snoqualmie Valley for Alabama in December might sound great.

After four full-length premier-level soccer matches in four days, all of the Southern hospitality could not help three Valley soccer players and their aching legs.

“It was pretty crazy,” said Davis Karaica, a senior at Mount Si High School and one of three Wildcats playing for Eastside FC.

“The first game wasn’t that bad, a little sore the next day, but by the last game we were just dead,” he said.

Dead maybe, but Karaica, Alex Censullo, Kody Clearman and the rest of Eastside FC have a 4-0-0 record and a great shot at qualifying for nationals.

The team plays seven matches total. The next three are in Las Vegas in March.

“Whoever wins with the best record after the seven games has an automatic berth to nationals,” Karaica said.

A Maryland team has a 3-1 record, second-best among the seven, but Frederick FC’s only loss was against Eastside FC, and so the Evergreen-staters own the tiebreaker.

“We win two out of three in Vegas, and we for sure clinch,” Karaica said.

It’s been a great experience for Eastside FC, and a great change after the 2010 foray into the Premier Club League. The club finished that year with a 2-1-1 record after the first four matches.

“This year, we seem a lot more focused,” Karaica said. “When in practice, we are working a lot harder for each other.”

Of the three Wildcats, Karaica is the only senior; Censullo and Clearman are juniors. As the elder states-teen of the group, Karaica said he has taken on a larger leadership role.

“I kind of show them what our club is all about,” said Karaica, who played for Eastside in 2010. “They fit in perfectly and are playing well. I’m happy they are on our team now.”

The Wildcats’ Josh Mitchell won the title for the 285-pound weight class for the second year in a row. He is the defending 3A state champion.

The senior started his tournament, hosted by Pasco High School, by pinning Heber Martinez, of Spokane’s North Central High School. He followed that with another pin, this time of Ian Overton, from Heritage High School in Vancouver, Wash. In the semi-finals, he pinned Corey Brumbaugh, of Kiona-Benton High School.

In the title match, Mitchell, who has committed to play football at Oregon State University, faced Tyson Brook, of Connell High School. Mitchell needed just a little more than a minute to pin Brook.

Mount Si’s Eli Clure (106-pounds) placed fourth. He advanced to the semifinals, where he lost to the eventual class champion, Mikel Perales, of Nampa (Idaho) High School. Clure faced Selah’s Kyle Anson in the third-place match, but couldn’t get the better of him despite a strong effort.

The Mount Si High School basketball squad saw some fierce competition from several California schools.

Mount Si’s tournament began Dec. 19 with a close, 40-36 loss to Redondo Union High School, from Redondo Beach, Calif. The Wildcats led going into the fourth quarter, but Redondo Union rallied to outscore them, 14-4. Senior Anthony McLaughlin led the Wildcats with 10 points.

The next day, Oaks Christian dealt Mount Si a 75-47 loss. The Wildcats kept pace with the opposition except for in the second quarter, when they were outscored 26-6. Miles Zupan led the Wildcats with nine points.

Mount Si beat San Pedro (Calif.) High School, 37-35, Dec. 21 for the school’s only win of the tournament. Griffin McLain led the Wildcats with 12 points.

On the final day, Dec. 22, the Wildcats lost 64-40 to Inglewood (Calif.) High School. Inglewood’s defense shut Mount Si down in the first half, outscoring the Wildcats 35-11. McLaughlin led the team with eight points.

a Coach Jessica Easthope talks to her gymnasts during a practice at Mount Si High School. The team looks poised for another run at a state crown. The state gymnastics championships are in February in Tacoma. By Sebastian Morag

It was the last five seasons, compressed into to 10 seconds.

After a set of reps on the beam, Mount Si High School gymnastics head coach Jessica Easthope gathered her Lycra-clad troops.

“What did you learn from the exercise?” Easthope asked. One gymnast spoke up:

“I’m not very good at beam,” she said, cracking up her teammates.

Easthope allowed herself a chuckle and then asked her girls to believe in themselves.

“That’s where the confidence comes in,” Easthope told them. “If you can’t do it in practice, it’s going to be much harder in a meet setting, when it’s just you and the judge.”

This gymnastics lifer has served her charges that mixture of psychology, coaching and “girls just being goofy girls,” as Easthope put it, for almost five years.

“I run a pretty tight ship, but I also try to have fun with the girls,” she said. “The program has stayed consistent the past few seasons, and it has resulted in success, so the community and the team have bought in.”

This year, once again, Easthope is betting on her team.

“Definitely,” she said. “You’ll see them there as a team again.”

“There” is how Easthope referred to the Tacoma Dome, which hosts the State Gymnastics Championships this year, Feb. 18 and 19.

Last year, the Wildcats took sixth at state, capping an undefeated regular season and a strong showing at the KingCo Conference and the district tournaments. The team lost two seniors to graduation, but has two seniors and four exchange students that will count as seniors come Senior Night Jan. 5. It’s a young squad, but a squad that can make some noise along the road to Tacoma, not least of all, four newcomers from overseas.

“We have never had four before,” Easthope said. “They are a great ball of energy.”

About 30 girls joined this year’s team, splitting the varsity and junior varsity squads into almost identical groups.

The varsity team seems to be strongest on floor exercise, with a handful of girls able to score nine points, a really good floor score, Easthope said.

Without excelling, the team defeated Mercer Island Dec. 17 on the road.

“Not our best meet but we won,” Easthope said. “Our big goal is to have a team score of 165. If we put it all together we can be a 165 team.”

Until they hit that mark, and likely after, Easthope will continue keeping an eye on her girls, her “Rotate!” shout piercing the warm air of the school’s third gym.

Gymnastics being a winter sport, Easthope, as many of her charges do, arrives at school when it’s still dark and leaves for home when it’s already dark. The darkness sometimes wears on her, but when she sees the girls working hard for a common goal, it lifts significantly.

“I do get pretty excited,” she said, “to have a chance to work with these girls.”

Members of the Middle Schools’ Mountain Bike Club take a break during one of their runs. Luke Talbott, their instructor, said many of these middle schoolers want to keep biking once they reach high school. Talbott and other parents want an existing Issaquah club to expand to the Valley before Valley cyclists break out on their own. Contributed

Bigger may just mean better for mountain bikers in the Valley.

Right now, the nearest mountain-biking team gathers cyclists from the Issaquah-Sammamish area.

If Luke Talbott and Karen Auletta have something to say about it, that chapter of the Washington State Mountain Biking Association may include Valley riders in 2012.

“Our goal is a mountain biking team,” said Auletta, a mountain biker and the mother of two mountain bikers. “But that’s way in the future. The route that looks the most safe for us is having the Issaquah team expanding.”

That way, she said, Valley riders will learn from Issaquah coaches right away, instead of waiting until a Valley team opens.

Auletta and Talbott have scheduled an information meeting 7 p.m. Jan. 12 at Singletrack Cycles, 119 W. North Bend Way in North Bend, to get as many mountain biking enthusiasts into the fold.

“The goal is to let kids know about this great thing,” Auletta said.

At first, the Valley riders may have to compete with riders from places like Bellingham, Auletta said.

She predicted that as interest grows, more teams would emerge on the Eastside. Then, Valley riders would have a calendar similar to high school sports, with nearby rivals.

The state league has about 14 teams, with more than 70 riders, said Talbott, a rider and mountain bike instructor.

A Valley team may well be in place as soon as next year, but the races occur in spring.

Right now, Valley middle schoolers have a mountain-biking program, Talbott said. They love the idea of continuing their hobby in high school.

“Next year, we are going to have about eight to 10 kids who are going to be ninth-graders,” he said. “They are really excited about having a team to ride in.”

A mountain-biking child becomes closer to his environment, Auletta said, connecting with the outdoors as its caretakers, not just its users.

“We want to get the kids that don’t fit the normal sports mold,” Talbott said, “and get them active.”

Auletta agreed.

“We want to get kids outside,” she said. “And help them stay away from the computer and the Wii.”

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

KingCo Conference 3A/2A

Standings: Sammamish 4-0 (L), 6-0 (S); Bellevue 2-0, 4-0; Lake Washington 4-1, 5-1; Mercer Island 2-1, 4-1; Mount Si 2-2, 2-4;

Liberty 1-2, 3-3; Interlake 0-4, 1-4; Juanita 0-5, 2-6.

Dec. 13 Game

MOUNT SI 46, JUANITA 44

Juanita     8 17 8 11 – 44

Mount Si   9 10 11 16 – 46

Juanita – Ty Eng 11, Ryan Reid 10, Sean Brennan 8, Avery Britton 7, Landyn Milburn 6, Brett Hamry 2, Trevor Andrews 0.

Mount Si – Anthony McLaughlin 17, Jason Smith 9, Levi Botten 7, Beau Shain 5, Ryan Atkinson 4, Jack Nelson 2, Miles Zupan 2, Hunter Malberg 0, Tyler Button 0, Josh Piper 0, Joe Williams 0, Griffin McLain 0.

Dec. 15 Game

JACKSON 58, MOUNT SI 42

Mount Si   6 16 9 11 – 42

Jackson   16  8 16 18 – 58

Mount Si – Anthony McLaughlin 13, Levi Botten 7, Jason Smith 6, Tyler Button 5, Griffin McLain 4, Joe Williams 3, Beau Shain 2, Miles Zupan 2, Ryan Atkinson 0, Jack Nelson 0, Charlie Corriveau 0, Brandon Justham 0, Hunter Malberg 0, Josh Piper 0.

Jackson – Jason Todd 14, Dan Kingma 13, Andrew Graff 9, Brian Zehr 4, Trevor Waite 3, Andrew Dodd 2, Connor Willgreen 2, Sam Brown 10, Tyler Graff 0.

Prep girls basketball

KingCo Conference 3A/2A

Standings: Liberty 4-0 (L), 6-0 (S); Juanita 3-1, 5-1; Lake Washington 3-1, 4-2; Bellevue 2-2, 3-3;

Mount Si 2-2, 2-3; Mercer Island 1-3, 1-6; Interlake 0-3, 2-4; Sammamish 0-3, 1-3.

Dec. 14 Game

JUANITA 64, MOUNT SI 45

Mount Si 11 10  9 15 – 45

Juanita    20 12 13 19 – 64

Mount Si – Jordan Riley 9, Shelby Peerboom 8, Alex Welsh 6, Dariam Michaud 5, Molly Sellers 5, Katy Lindor 4, Grace Currie 2, Kelsey Lindor 2, Elizabeth Prewitt 0, Katie Swain 0.

Juanita – Kate Cryderman 19, Bre Carter 16, Mikayla Jones 13, Molly Grager 6, Linnie Leavitt 3, Molly Steck 3, Taylor Lloyd 2, Mckenzie Waltar 2, Shannon Brink 0, Mary Carter 0.

Dec. 17 Game

LAKESIDE 37, MOUNT SI 23

Mount Si   5 3  6  9 – 23

Lakeside   10 5 10 12 – 37

Mount Si – Shelby Peerboom 9, Jordan Riley 4, Grace Currie 3, Alex Welsh 2, Darian Michaud 1, Kelsey Lindor 0, Elizabeth Prewitt 0, Ally Pusich 0, Molly Sellers 0, Katie Swain 0.

Lakeside – Danielle Estell 12, Kaylee Best 11, Sydney Koh 6, Lauren Estell 3, Darby Mason 4, Christina Cheledinas 0, Makayla Dejong 0, Avalon Igawa 0, Alena Kantor 0, Grace Noah 0, Ishami Ummat 0, Zoe Walker 0.

Metro League

Dec. 13 Game

HOLY NAMES 90, EASTSIDE CATHOLIC 53

Holy Names 22 19 28 21 – 90

E. Catholic 15 10 18 10 – 53

Eastside Catholic – Michael O’Rourke 29, Emma Burnham 8, Sara Hill 8, Shelby Newell 7, Ashley Blanton 3, Molly Callans 3, Lauren Johnson 3.

Prep wrestling 

KingCo Conference 3A/2A

Dec. 14 Match

MOUNT SI 51,

BELLEVUE 28

106: Hunter Conway (MS) won by forfeit. 113: Christian Villani (B) p. Gunnar Harrison, 0:09. 120: Ryley Absher (MS) won by forfeit. 126: Tanner Stahl (MS) p. Garret Williams, 3:18. 132: Andrew Ewing (B) p. Lucas Currie, 0:27. 138: Bruce Stuart (MS) d. Ben Matteucci, 6-1. 145: Colin Small (B) maj. dec. Aaron Peterson, 9-0. 152: Peter Ovens (B) p. Tye Rodne, 2:36. 160: AJ Brevick (MS) p. Sam Bassford, 1:18. 170: Cole Palmer (MS) p. John Manusco, 0:27. 182: Douglas Knox (MS) p. Alex Palander, 0:35. 195: Jamey Mange (B) p. Tyler Hutchinson, 1:20. 220: Mitch Rorem (MS) won by forfeit. 285: Joshua Mitchell (MS) p. James Trull, 0:27.

By Calder Productions Wildcats forward Anthony McLaughlin takes a shot during Mount Si’s 65-43 loss to Mercer Island on Dec. 2.

It has been a difficult year so far for Mount Si High School’s boys basketball team. The team is without many of its would-be returning players. That means the varsity squad is made up mostly of athletes who’ve never played one minute of varsity basketball.

But the Wildcats (1-2 conference record, 1-3 overall) are showing the same dogged tenacity they always do, and while they might lack experience, they do have athletic ability.

It will be up to their coach, Steve Helm, to mold them into a basketball team.

“I’ve got 12 kids who’ve never really played varsity before,” Helm said. “I think we’re going to get there, but it’s not going to happen overnight.”

Mount Si’s opponents in the tough 2A/3A KingCo Conference won’t let up on the team, either.

The Wildcats are led by Anthony McLaughlin and Levi Botten, the only two players to have logged significant time on varsity last season.

As the team’s point guard, Botten runs the show on the court by setting up the team’s offense.

The 5-foot 9-inch junior is a tough competitor and a good leader for the team, Helm said. “He knows our system. He’s smart.”

While Botten logged some time last year as point guard, it was as a backup to Dallas Smith, who graduated. This year, he is getting used to playing a more prominent role, especially when it comes to scoring.

So far this season, he’s averaged 4.5 points per game, which is what he averaged last season.

McLaughlin has been the Wildcats’ key offensive threat this season, averaging 12.3 points per game. The 6-foot 6-inch junior scored a career-high 19 points against Interlake in the Wildcats’ win on Dec. 6.

McLaughlin is Mount Si’s key to controlling under the net. The team is missing Tyler McCreadie, a 6-foot 8-inch sophomore who is out for the season. McCreadie had surgery after dislocating his knee for a second time in a fall league basketball game. Without, McCreadie’s height, the Wildcats will have to battle fiercely for rebounds and controlling the post play.

Miles Zupan will be an important piece of that effort. The 6-foot 4-inch senior is back after sitting out much of last season due to an ACL injury. Zupan has averaged 6.3 points per game so far this season, including 13 against Interlake.

Sophomore Beau Shain has stepped up this season as a guard and forward. Through four games, he’s averaging 7.5 points per game.

“They’re competitors, they’re athletes,” Helm said.

He pointed to senior Ryan Atkinson, who was Mount Si’s starting quarterback this fall, as a player with athleticism and a drive to win, but not a lot of basketball experience.

“Now, I’ve got to mold them into good basketball players,” Helm said. “We’re still trying to figure out our identity.”

That won’t be an easy task to do while facing the tough competition in the KingCo Conference.

Mercer Island, Bellevue, Sammamish and Lake Washington all have squads full of returning, talented players.

“If we finish between fourth and sixth, that’s good,” Helm said. That would give the Wildcats a shot at making the playoffs.

“We’re going to have our hands full with those teams,” he said.

Dan Catchpole: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com.

Tony Schlotfeldt says that his wrestlers are starting to get it.

“It’s the third year under our system,” he said. “And they really are starting to buy in.”

From left, Tye Rodne, Bruce Stuart and Riley Absher, members of the Mount Si High School wrestling team, work out at practice. By Sebastian Moraga

Thirty-seven wrestlers turned out for this season, where the goal is to live up to the image the wrestlers have of themselves.

“We are the team to beat,” said 220-pounder Mitch Rorem. Heavyweight Josh Mitchell agreed, saying the team’s second place finish in the KingCo Conference last year was one rung lower than this year’s will be.

Having lost two varsity wrestlers, one of whom did not even finish the 2010-11 season anyway, the Mount Si grapplers look, if not unbeatable at least impressive. Galvanizing the team even more is the memory of Mitchell’s performance at state last year.

The gentle giant earned the first state crown of Schlotfeldt’s tenure as coach, beating Juanita’s Jeremiah Laufasa in the finals at the Tacoma Dome last winter.

“It totally created a different element in the practice room,” said Schlotfeldt. “The kids now see that it’s possible. It’s pushing kids to work a lot harder in the off season.”

Having a state champion in the flesh working his 6-foot 3-inch frame silly during practice helps all the more, Schlotfeldt said.

“It’s so beneficial, because Josh is such a hard worker,” he said. “For being 285 pounds, the guy moves his body like 106-pounder. He’s so agile for his size, and his attitude and his work ethic, he’s going to push himself just as hard as our lightweight kids.”

In this year’s KingCo, nobody will just bow down to the mighty Wildcats and they know it.

Mercer Island wrestlers are already looking forward to hosting the clash between Islanders and Wildcats Jan. 17.

The Wildcats look forward to it, too. They also look forward to putting the 2010 season behind them, which was as filled with triumphs as it was with anguish.

After every match, the wrestlers would point to the heavens, in honor of a teammate who died before the season.

Mitchell did it after he defeated Laufasa.

“It’s all for him,” Mitchell said at the time.

Now it’s almost the same team, but it’s a different attitude. The wrestlers have endured and rebounded and prepare to make their mark in 2011.

“It’s really started to gel,” Schlotfeldt said.

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com.

Foote also won the KingCo Conference 3A Volleyball Coach of the Year award for the third consecutive year.

Mount Si’s Sarah McDonald won the KingCo Conference’s Most Valuable Player award. McDonald, Lauren Smith and Lindsay Carr made the all-conference first team. Krista Galloway and Rachel Hayford made the second team.

Kailey Capelouto and Lexie Read received honorable mentions.

By Dan Catchpole Mount Si High School’s Katy Lindor fights off two Mercer Island players to keep control of the ball in the Wildcats’ 47-45 win Dec. 2.

Mount Si’s girls basketball squad might be young this year, but they are ready to play, and win, this season.

Only five of the team’s 12 players logged significant time in varsity games last season, when the Wildcats won the KingCo Conference Tournament after finishing second in the league with an 11-3 record (17-7 overall).

What the Wildcats lack in experience, they make up for in physical prowess.

“We are tall and powerful,” coach Megan Botulinski said.

It is her third year in charge of the program.

Leading the team on the court is point guard Katy Lindor, a 6-foot junior.

She put up a big performance against Mercer Island in the Wildcats’ season opener.

Mount Si won the Dec. 2 game, 47-45.

Lindor gave the credit to her teammates.

“It’s easy when your teammates come to the ball strong,” she said after the game.

The Wildcats have dynamic offensive potential this season with strong post play and good outside shooting.

“We’re blessed this year with height,” Botulinski said.

Molly Sellers, a 5-foot, 10-inch junior, is Mount Si’s top outside threat this year.

She showed off her shooting skills against Mercer Island, racking up 10 points and six assists. She made a key 3-point shot late in the game, helping hold the Islanders at bay.

Under the basket, the Wildcats have strong, tall post players led by two of the team’s three captains — Jordan Riley and Shelby Peerboom.

Riley has recovered from an ACL injury that sidelined her last December.

The two seniors are joined by newcomers Darian Michaud, Sally Nelson and Kelsey Lindor.

Botulinski has high hopes for the trio.

“I see them coming on strong, especially the second half of the season,” she said.

Michaud, a 6-foot, 1-inch junior, showed off her potential against Mercer Island. She was a resolute presence in the paint going both ways. She scored six points and blocked two shots.

Nelson and Kelsey Lindor are sophomores.

Botulinski has more options at forward in juniors Grace Currie and Katie Swain. Currie is good from the outside. Swain got limited varsity playing time last season. She is an aggressive and physical athlete, Botulinski said.

Alex Welsh, the team’s third captain, is the “defensive spark plug” for the Wildcats, Botulinski said.

She showed off her fire against the Islanders when she forced a turnover from Mercer Island with less than 20 seconds remaining in the game, which was tied, 45-45.

Mount Si retook the lead and got the win.

Ally Pusich, a junior, provides more hustle in the team’s defense, Botulinski said.

The Wildcats’ other guard is Elizabeth Prewitt, a 5-foot, 8-inch freshman.

“Elizabeth is a freshman, but has such a natural sense of the court — she doesn’t play like one,” her coach said.

With so much talent and enthusiasm to draw on, Botulinski said she isn’t worried about the team’s experience.

She said she sees it as “more of a challenge for us to overcome, and these girls are definitely ready to step up to the plate.”

Dan Catchpole: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com.

The team lost to Mercer Island, 65-43, at Mount Si High School on Dec. 2. But the Wildcats showed tenacity, refusing to give up.

Wildcats forward Anthony McLaughlin looks for an open teammate during Mount Si’s 65-43 loss to Mercer Island on Dec. 2. By Dan Catchpole

Mount Si couldn’t find its rhythm early on in the game, struggling to get open shots and committing several fouls in the first half.

Utilizing their significant height advantage, the Islanders led 18-3 at the end of the first quarter. At halftime, Mercer Island led 35-13.

But Mount Si kept even with the Islanders in the second half, with both teams scoring 30 points.

Jason Smith, a 6-foot, 1-inch junior, led the Wildcats’ eight points.

Levi Botten, a 5-foot, 9-inch junior, and Anthony McLaughlin, a 6-foot, 6-inch senior, both had seven points.

Mount Si lost its season opener, 76-36, to Issaquah.

The Rebels are returning with an experienced and talented team. The team’s returning players include its top four scorers from last season — Mikayla Jones, Kate Cryderman, Molly Grager and Bre Carter. The Seattle Times ranked Juanita No. 5 in the state in its preseason ranking.

The Rebels finished first in the conference last season (12-2 league, 19-7 overall), but the Wildcats upset Juanita in the conference tournament. Mount Si finished second in league play (11-3 league, 17-7 overall).

Liberty High School figures to be another tough competitor in the conference. Last year, the Patriots tied for third in the conference (9-5 league, 16-10 overall).

Liberty will see some of its key players return this season, including seniors Megan Tsutakawa and Aspen Winegar, but it doesn’t have dominating height.

Mercer Island will be a tough competitor, as it demonstrated against Mount Si in the two schools’ season-opening game. The Islanders finished last season tied for third in the conference (9-5 league, 17-13 overall).

The Islanders lost their top scorer, Jae Shin, who is playing for the University of Louisiana at Monroe this season. Shin led the league in shooting.

Still, Savanna Reid and Kristen Brackmann showed Mount Si that Mercer Island still has teeth. Reid had 16 points and Brackmann scored 12 points.

Lake Washington has several varsity players returning from last year, led by the Kangs’ top offensive threat, Hunter Hopkins. If they can stay healthy, the Kangs could be a dark horse competitor this season.

Interlake has most of its varsity squad from last year back.

Despite its experience, the Saints are still a young team, with only two seniors. However, it isn’t clear how much the team will be able to use its experience to improve on its 2-12 league record from last year.

Bellevue and Sammamish have a few starters returning, and likely will finish in the back of the pack again this year.

The Wildcats came out strong in their opening game of regular season play, establishing a 20-12 lead in the first quarter.

Mount Si’s shots were on point, the team showed great ball control and it dominated rebounding.

The Wildcats took a 27-20 lead into halftime.

Mercer Island showed renewed vigor in the third period. The Islanders put on a full press, which broke Mount Si’s stride.

As the last seconds slipped away in the third period, Mount Si’s Ally Pusich hit a 3-point shot from the corner to keep the Wildcats lead at 36-31 going into the game’s final 8 minutes.

The Islanders continued chipping away at the lead, and Mount Si (1-0 league, 1-0 overall) continued to come up with clutch shots and stiff defense to keep Mercer Island at bay for as long as possible.

With 40 seconds left in the game, Mercer Island’s Savanna Reid hit a 3-point shot to tie the game, 45-45.

But the Wildcats kept their poise, and hit two free throws when the Islanders sent them to the line.

Tough defense and a block from Mount Si’s Alex Welsh sealed the game for the Wildcats at 47-45.

What won the game for Mount Si?

“Towards the end, it was our composure,” point guard Katy Lindor said.

The junior led her team with 12 points and six assists.

Forward Molly Sellers, a 5-foot, 10-inch junior, had 10 points and six assists.

“They really dug their heels in,” coach Megan Botulinski said. “They have a die-hard attitude.”