What to watch for in winter sports for Gig Harbor, Peninsula high schools
The 2018 fall sports season was as exciting as any in recent memory, even delivering a state title for one of the local programs, as the Gig Harbor High School girls soccer team won the Class 3A state championship.
Now, the 2018-19 winter sports season is in full swing. Here are some things to watch for during the rest of December and into the new year.
Gig Harbor’s state title defense
The Gig Harbor High School girls basketball team won the Class 3A state title last winter, and so far, the team’s title defense is off to a (mostly) promising start. Gig Harbor has posted a 4-1 record, including a 51-40 win over Curtis in the season opener, in which Utah signee Brynna Maxwell poured in a single-game school record 37 points. But Gig Harbor has also felt the loss of Maddie Willett’s graduation, losing 61-20 to a tough Class 4A Eastlake squad on Nov. 28.
While Maxwell is undeniably a star at the high school level and will leave the program with most of the school records to her name, opponents figure to key more on Maxwell without Willett on the floor. It’ll be up other players to step up in her absence, such as guards Sydney Langworthy and Meghan Edwards.
Is it Peninsula’s time?
Gig Harbor has been the front-runner in girls basketball, but this could be the season Peninsula catches up or even surpasses the Tides. Willett’s graduation leaves the Tides more vulnerable than last year’s group, and the Peninsula program is trending upward, returning reigning South Sound Conference MVP Belle Frazier, a Portland State signee, as well as promising sophomore guards Piper Bauer and Linsey Lovrovich.
Frazier all but guaranteed a league title for the Seahawks, but Peninsula will have to back that talk up on the floor against a Gig Harbor team that has no intentions of surrendering its control of the league. The two teams meet on Jan. 9 and then again in the regular season finale on Jan. 31.
Peninsula boys hopes for a quick rebuild
The Seahawks are replacing their entire starting five from last season and have shown predictable growing pains early on, posting a 1-3 record.
But the Seahawks expect this to be a quick rebuild, and have no intention to give the season away. With guards Tyler Spurlock and Roman Bockhorn playing well and forward Kaleb Lichau scoring more this season, Peninsula has the pieces in place to contend. It all depends on how long it takes for those pieces to gel.
Tides boys look to bounce back
Gig Harbor expects to be an improved team this year, returning senior guards Kaden Garnaas and Ben Hollenbeck, sophomore wing Zach Toglia and junior center Drew Parrish.
But the early results haven’t gone Gig Harbor’s way, as the Tides are off to an 0-3 start, including two league losses.. After missing out on the playoffs last winter, the Tides are eager to turn the ship around this season.
While the season has gotten off to a bumpy start, there’s plenty of talent on the roster, and a quick turnaround doesn’t seem far-fetched.
Wrestlers among state’s best
There’s no shortage of wrestling talent for the local schools. Peninsula returns Isaac Casey, the No. 2 ranked wrestler in the 170-pound weight class in the 3A classification. The Seahawks also return his brother, Nolan Casey, ranked No. 2 in 145; Nathan Johnson, ranked No. 7 in 138 and Brock Allen, ranked No. 9 in 113. It’s as loaded a team as the Seahawks have had in recent memory, with multiple wrestlers having a legitimate shot at winning individual state titles.
Gig Harbor doesn’t have quite the talent at the top that Peninsula has, but the Tides are returning a couple legitimate contenders as well, led by senior Zayne Ball, ranked No. 5 in 160 and Trevor Zeitner, ranked No. 8 in 145.