Push for state gets serious now

The road to state starts for area wrestlers, bowlers and swimmers this weekend.

Basketball teams are still jockeying for postseason position, but time is running out.

Here’s the sport-by-sport lowdown:

Wrestling

The Narrows League Bridge Division Class 4A sub-regionals are Friday and Saturday, Feb. 1-2, at Central Kitsap High. The top four wrestlers in each weight advance to regionals, Feb. 8-9 at Snohomish High. The top four at regionals move on to Mat Classic XIV at the Tacoma Dome, Feb. 15-16.

Central Kitsap’s first-year coach Jim Northcutt said all along that he thought his young squad would be a better tournament team than dual-meet squad. The Cougars are loaded with depth from 130 to 152 and it’ll be interesting to see how many wrestlers they’ll get through on their home mat. Every school is allowed to enter two wrestlers at each weight.

Jason Mendez (130), Chad Eickmeyer (135), Mike Frerichs (140), Jason Sencil (145), Josh Martinelli (152) and Tyler Moyer (189) are CK’s best bets for championships. Mendez (20-2) competed at state, but didn’t place a year ago. Eickmeyer was a state alternate last season.

Olympic suffered a blow last week when senior Darrin Jones (189) broke an ankle, but the Trojans still have a slew of wrestlers with a good shot of making it to regionals. Alex Jaime (103), Ryan Wheeler (119), Luke Switzer (160), Clyde Switzer (171) and Josh Allbee (275) top that list. Luke Switzer wrestled at regionals a year ago.

Klahowya’s matmen head to Orting this weekend for the Nisqually League’s 2A regionals. Matt Adams (135), Joe Gombos (140) and Dean Merker (160) are the Eagles’ best bets to move on.

Basketball

Olympic High’s boys (0-8 league) and girls (2-6) teams are both out of the playoff hunt, but they can seriously damage Central Kitsap’s playoff aspirations tonight in Silverdale.

CK’s girls dropped a 39-38 decision at Gig Harbor on Friday, Jan. 25, dropping the Cougars to third in the Narrows League Bridge Division, just a game ahead of South Kitsap. Central (6-3 league) hosts South (5-4) on Wednesday, Feb. 6. Hanging on to third-place is big, as the top three finishers in the Bridge Division move into the West Central District Class 4A Tournament. The No. 4 Bridge team has to beat Bay Division No. 5, then turn around and beat Bay Division No. 4 to earn the last district berth.

Central Kitsap’s boys (3-6 league) must win their final three games to have a shot at the No. 4 playoff berth. Good news is those games are all at home. After playing Olympic tonight, the Cougars face South Kitsap on Wednesday, Feb. 6 and Bremerton on Friday, Feb. 8.

Klahowya’s boys and girls had just one league win going into games at Chimacum on Tuesday, Jan. 29, but both were still mathematically alive in the Nisqually League 2A playoff race. But to get to district, they must win out.

Swimming

The West Central District 4A meet is at Tacoma’s Foss High School. Prelims are Friday, Feb. 1, at 1 p.m. Finals are on Saturday, Feb. 2, at 5 p.m. State is Feb. 14-16 at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

At the 4A level, Bremerton’s Zach Aho (100 back) and Anthony Moore (100 fly), a senior from King’s West swimming for the Knights, are the only local swimmers currently qualified for state. Aho will also swim the 50 free and Moore the 100 breast at district.

Central Kitsap hasn’t qualified anyone for state. “I’ve been here since 1988 and we’ve had somebody every year, but that’s all right,” said CK coach Patti Matthew. “Twelve of our 16 swimmers qualified for district.”

Olympic’s Pat Fitzgerlad has a chance to make it to state in the 200 IM and 100 back, Matthew said.

Klahowya’s Taylor Haydu has already qualified for the combined 2A/3A state meet in the 200 free and will try to qualify in the 100 free at the 3A/2A distrtict meet at Hazen on Feb. 1 and 2.

Bowling

Central Kitsap, the defending state champs, hosts the 19-team West Central District Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 2 at Silverdale’s All Star Lanes. Stephanie Sharkey leads another strong Central Kitsap team, which won the Narrows League title this season with just one loss and shouldn’t have any trouble advancing to state, Feb. 9 at Leilani Lanes in Seattle. Sharkey, who bowled a 300 game at All Star earlier this month, averaged 200 in Narrows play this year.

Olympic was third in the Narrows League and also has a chance shot at moving on to state.

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