SPORTS: Five area players make Olympic League first team

The North Olympic Peninsula garnered just one major award for the 2012-2013 2A All-Olympic League boys and girls basketball honors.

Port Angeles girls basketball coach Michael Poindexter was voted the coach of the year.

Seven area players received awards for girls basketball while honors were handed out to five area boys basketball players.

On the girls side, Port Angeles junior Maddy Hinrichs received the third most votes while teammate Macy Walker, a senior, tied with Port Townsend junior Jewel Johnson for the fifth most votes as all three players earned first-team accolades.

Receiving second-team honors were Port Townsend senior Codi Hallinan and Port Angeles junior Krista Johnson.

Honorable mention went to Port Angeles senior Mariah Frazier and Sequim junior Alexas Besand.

Port Townsend, a 1A school, had a strong showing with two players honored on the 2A level.

Top player

Olympic senior Ashli Payne was voted the league MVP while North Mason won the sportsmanship award.

Others making the first team were Bremerton junior Sawyer Kluge, North Kitsap junior Kristin Brown and sophomore Rebekah Baugh.

In a somewhat surprise move on the boys side, Olympic senior Quentin Phillips nosed out Sequim senior Jayson Brocklesby for league MVP.

The Trojans swept all the major awards as coach Devin Huff was voted the coach of the year and Olympic also won the team sportsmanship award.

Seniors on first team

Joining Brocklesby on the first team was senior teammate Gabe Carter while the Wolves, tied with Olympic for first place in league, were shut out of the second team.

Area players receiving honorable mention were Sequim senior Anthony Pinza, Port Angeles junior Hayden Gunderson and Port Townsend junior Cody Russell.

Other players making the first team were Bremerton senior andrew shadle and junior Deonti Dixon and Kingston senior KT Deam.

Chimacum’s Mallori Cossell and Lauren Thacker, and Jillian Raben of Forks all received postseason honors in their 1A leagues.

Raben, a senior, was voted to the SWL-Evergreen Division 1A second team.

“I’m quite proud of her,” Forks coach Al Scheibner said about Raben.

“Having six coaches in four years is tough for anyone. Her tenacity, work ethic, sportsmanship, leadership and athletic ability have been a very positive influence on her teammates and fans as well as myself.”

Elma senior Megan Finger was named league MVP while first-team honors went to Elma junior Brooke Goldsmith, Rochester sophomore Keeli Demers, Montesano sophomore Megan Choate, Rainier senior Kelsey Eygabroad and Hoquiam senior Chelsy Stewart.

Both Cossell, a senior, and junior Thacker both received 1A Nisqually League honorable mention.

Cascade Christian senior Kaycee Creech was voted the league’s MVP while Cascade Christian’s Bryan Peterson was named coach of the year.

Earning first-team honors were Cedar Park Christian junior Laura Goodnight, Eatonville seniorHailey Latherow and junior Kaelyn Voss, Charles Wright junior Vanessa Davis and freshman Shoni Pritchett and Cascade Christian junior Katie Rozumny.

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