THE END OF each high school sports season means one thing at the Peninsula Daily News sports desk: It’s All-Peninsula time.
What first began as a way to identify the top basketball players from the North Olympic Peninsula four years ago eventually morphed into all-sports extravaganza honoring high school athletes from all walks of sport.
On Friday, readers will find the All-Peninsula Spring 2009 section tucked neatly into their papers.
It will contain the MVPs from each of the major spring sports our teams compete in — girls and boys track and field, girls and boys tennis, girls and boys golf, boys soccer, baseball and softball — as well as various All-Peninsula teams and the area’s prep athlete of the year.
(Anyone who’s paid attention to Peninsula preps this year probably won’t be too surprised who the latter is.)
There is one small problem with these sections.
Since these productions focus on individuals, team accomplishments tend to fall by the wayside.
So as a precursor to Friday’s special section, I’ve decided to come up with some other awards for this year’s prep sports year.
Without further ado, here they are:
The Schubies
• Top team performance — I have to go with the Port Townsend boys basketball team on this one.
The senior-laden Redskins squad reached the state semifinals for the second year in a row on its way to a third-place finish in Class 1A.
The Redskins more than held their own as the little brothers of the Olympic League this season as well, winning a share of the league crown.
They then followed that up with a brilliant postseason run that included a miraculous second-half comeback from 17 points down against Seattle Academy that resulted in a 58-50 overtime victory.
Due to a tight deadline, I had actually began writing up a loss for the Redskins as the second half began at the Yakima SunDome.
As soon as outgoing senior Parker McClelland started draining 3-pointers, I knew I had to start all over.
Runner up: The Chimacum baseball team taking third in Class 1A.
• Game of the year — Part of me wants to give it to PT’s stunning comeback at state, but in the end, I have to go with the Sequim-Centralia state football playoff.
There’s just something about competing gallantly and losing in heart-breaking style that appeals to me more. Chalk it up to being a life-long Arizona Cardinals fan.
The Sequim Wolves were actually quite Cardinal-like in their loss at the hands of Centralia (think Super Bowl XLIII).
They were on the verge of scoring a game-winning drive that would have secured the school’s first-ever state football win before stalling out on fourth-and-2 at the Centralia 25-yard line with 33.9 seconds left in regulation.
The Tigers proceeded to drive 75 yards down the field, capped by a 26-yard touchdown pass with only 0.4 seconds left that slipped past a pair of Sequim defensive backs and into the hands of a diving Centralia receiver.
It was the perfect pass, and a dramatic finish to an almost-perfect game . . . unless you’re a Wolves fan, that is.
Since that game I made a vow: I will not leave the Peninsula until Sequim wins a state playoff game. I have to be there to witness it and, of course, write about it later.
So if you end up being stuck with me for life, blame the Wolves.
• Most surprising team — This one has got to be the Sequim boys basketball team. Nobody saw this group coming, including me.
The PDN’s preseason Olympic League coaches’ poll had them picked to finish eighth in the league.
And all the Wolves did was make it to the Class 2A state tournament, where they earned their first state win since 2001.
Throw in their first win over Port Angeles since 2003, and you’ve got yourself quite a season.
Runner-up (Tie): Port Angeles softball’s run to its first-ever state tournament, and the Crescent football team’s run to the postseason.
• Top individual performance — There’s really only one choice here, and that’s Port Angeles heavyweight wrestler John Camp’s state championship run at the Mat Classic in Tacoma.
Not only did Camp go a perfect 4-0 on the way to capping a 40-0 season, he did it all by pin. That included a 38-second pitfall victory against Mount Si’s Ryan Ransavage in the final.
You literally cannot do any better than that.
Runner-up: Sequim’s Allison Cutting topping Ruby Roberts of Kingston for the 2A girls cross country state crown.
• Best halftime performance — I usually prefer to spend my halftimes counting up stats and getting things organized.
Every so often, however, there is a halftime routine that causes me to pause.
Sequim High School’s rendition of stomp during the aforementioned PA-Sequim basketball game was certainly one of those.
Not only was it loud and intense, but it had a little unintentional comedy going on.
Let’s be honest, watching face-painted Sequim teenagers dressed like scraggly street people bang on trash cans is hilarious . . . and quite entertaining.
Runner up: The Port Angeles guy-girl dance.
• Best reminder of why I love Peninsula prep sports — Clallam Bay-Neah Bay hoops.
It doesn’t matter if it’s the girls or the boys, these games are the height of intensity. Hands down the best rivalry on the Peninsula.
Let’s put it this way: They had to move one set of the games to Forks High School since Clallam Bay didn’t have a gym this winter.
Yet it felt like both of the towns’ entire populations showed up for the game. And it was as loud as I’ve ever heard a high school basketball game.
Of course, both the boys and girls delivered classic games, as is almost always the case.
Runner up: The Olympic League cross country meet at Cedars at Dungeness.
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Matt Schubert is the outdoors and sports columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. His column appears on Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at matt.schubert@peninsuladailynews.com.
