Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009

Kamiakin takes win streak into playoffs

By Jack Millikin, Herald staff writer

Kamiakin may be the hottest team heading into the 4A state playoffs beginning today, having won 12 straight matches and 15 of its last 16.

But Braves coach Chris Erikson is still wary of any team from the Greater Spokane League at this point of the season.

"Size is one thing the GSL has, but they also play very smart," said Erikson, who recently earned her 11th district title in her 23rd season at Kamiakin. "Tri-Cities teams are faster and more aggressive, but the GSL may be more intelligent as far as placing shots."

The Braves (16-1-1) will see that intelligence first-hand when they play host to University (12-6) at 7 p.m. today at Lampson Stadium in the first round of the 4A state playoffs.

The two teams have combined for 24 state playoff appearances, but neither has earned a berth since 2006, when Kamiakin finished fourth at the 3A tournament.

"I'm trying to get in the right frame of mind," Erikson said. "We're fast and aggressive, and we want to stick with our style."

Pasco (14-5) will travel to Spokane to face GSL regular-season champion Lewis & Clark (14-4-1) at 4 p.m.

The Bulldogs beat the Tigers 1-0 in an early-season matchup in Pasco. This time, the match will be played in neutral territory at University High School.

"I don't expect it to be a whole lot different in terms of their system and style," said Bulldogs coach Justin Carey. "They're very possession-oriented with a lot of solid players. But they don't have that huge scorer."

Pasco, making its third straight 4A state appearance, is led by senior midfielder Kaylie Winston, who finished second in the CBBN with 22 goals and tied for the lead with 10 assists.

In the 2A tournament, Prosser earned its third consecutive berth with Saturday's 3-1 win over Othello. The Mustangs (13-5) will travel to Cheney (17-1), which has won 16 straight games en route to its fourth straight appearance. The Blackhawks, the Great Northern champ, have outscored teams 82-6 this season.

The 1A tournament will feature three teams from the SCAC, two of whom will face each other. Connell (17-3) will play host to league rival Naches Valley (11-7-1). The Eagles, who have won 17 of their last 19 games, and Rangers have 16 state appearances and three state championships between them.

The new kid on the block will be Kiona-Benton (11-7), which earned its first-ever girls state berth with a 1-0 win over Royal on Oct. 31. The Bears drew a tough opponent in Cashmere (16-2), winners of five straight, but Ki-Be coach Marty Martinez said his team will be ready.

"We've played some pretty big teams in our league. We played LaSalle to a 0-0 first half and had a chance to beat Connell twice," said Martinez, who guided the Pasco girls to state in 2002. "We are a young team, but we're growing really fast."

Three Oregon teams will play in the first round of the OSAA 3A/2A/1A boys state tournament today. Santiam Christian plays at Umatilla at 2:30 p.m., Irrigon travels to Portland Christian at 2:30 p.m. and Riverside plays host to Riverdale at 2 p.m.