Kamiakin girls, Richland boys get high preseason basketball rankings
The first state basketball poll came out this week, and the Kamiakin girls have the highest preseason ranking out of the Mid-Columbia.
The poll, by the Seattle Times, only ranks Class 4A and 3A.
The Braves, coached by Lane Schumacher, are ranked second in Class 3A.
Led by seniors Oumou Toure, Alexa Hazel and Symone Brown, Kamiakin is expected to be the top team out of the Mid-Columbia Conference.
Toure has signed a letter of intent to play at Butler University, while Brown signed with Central Washington University. Hazel also is expected to sign with a school.
The Times pegged Gig Harbor as the top 3A girls team. It has four starters back from last season’s state title team, including Brynna Maxwell, who is headed to the University of Utah next year.
Meanwhile, even with 7-foot-4 Riley Sorn now at the University of Washington, as well as starting point guard Ryan Wagar also graduated, the Bombers have enough talent remaining to be ranked No. 3 in 4A boys.
Colten Northrop, Cody Sanderson and Garrett Streufert all return as starters.
Northrop led the MCC in scoring last season at 19.3 points. Sanderson is a great all-around athlete.
Streufert, the son of Richland head coach Earl Streufert, is a do-everything type of guy who can roll up a triple-double in points, rebounds and assists in a hurry.
The Bombers played host to Southridge on Tuesday night in the season opener that also doubles as an MCC opener.
The Times has Federal Way and last year’s state champ, Gonzaga Prep, ranked 1-2 in the 4A boys.
In 4A girls, Kentridge gets the nod as the preseason No. 1 by the Times.
Sunnyside, with senior Ashlee Maldonado signing a letter of intent recently to play for Santa Clara, is ranked No. 5.
Steve Davis’ Chiawana girls, who return all but one player from last season, gets the No. 9 spot.
▪ The Kamiakin boys got an On The Bubble notice for the 3A boys by the Seattle Times, which chose Rainier Beach as the No. 1 team.
Rainier Beach is ranked 19th in the nation in USA Today’s Super 25 preseason rankings.
The Vikings will boast MarJon Beauchamp, who has earned a 5-star recruiting rating this past summer at various camps.
This is the third team in as many years for him. He played two seasons ago for Nathan Hale, then was with Garfield last season.
His father is Jon Beauchamp, who was a star at Davis High School in Yakima years ago.
▪ A couple other notes as MCC rosters start to pop up on the conference’s website: Nice to still see Phil Neill and Jim Castleberry coaching the Richland boys freshman basketball team.
The two longtime standout coaches love working with the young players. Coaching is hard to get out of your blood.
It may change, but Hanford’s boys roster is going with an eight-man rotation. All are seniors, and all played varsity last season for head coach Paul Mayer.
Tri-City Americans
The Americans finally got to play at home last week after being on the road for a few weeks.
They lost 5-1 to Kamloops on Friday at the Toyota Center, but turned around Saturday, rallying to beat the Calgary Hitmen 3-2 in a shootout.
▪ The Americans were looking to shore up their defense this week, making a trade with Regina. The Ams sent forward Brett Clayton and a third-round 2019 bantam pick to the Pats in exchange for 20-year-old right defenseman Aaron Hyman.
Hyman is playing for his fourth WHL team. He started with Calgary, then was with Seattle before Regina.
More importantly, Hyman has played in two Memorial Cups — one with Seattle and one with Regina.
▪ Former Ams defenseman Jake Bean was to suit up Tuesday night with the Carolina Hurricanes when they play the Montreal Canadiens, making his NHL debut.
Soccer
Chiawana grad Summer Yates, who just completed her first season with the University of Washington women, was invited to participate with the US Women’s U-20 National squad this past week.
Yates was also recently named to the Pac-12’s all-freshman soccer team.
College notes
Makes you wonder what Connell grad Matt Hadley would have done had he got a chance to run with the football earlier in his BYU career.
But the senior, who has played other positions than the one he did while starring for the Eagles, has been a standout at running back since being called to duty at midseason.
Hadley rushed for 64 yards and helped lead BYU to a 27-7 lead over Utah last weekend.
Then he and a couple of key defensive players got hurt, and while they were out Utah rallied to win the game in the second half 35-27.
BYU, 6-6, is not guaranteed a bowl game, so this could have been Hadley’s final game.
He has 383 yards rushing, plus another 8 catches for 102 yards. He started at running back in six games.
▪ Two Tri-Citians finished in the top 10 of the men’s NWAC Cross Country Championships a few weeks ago.
Southridge grad Keanu Daos, running for Spokane Community College, placed fourth among 73 runners, completing the 8-kilometer course at Kent-Meridian High School in 26 minutes and 3 seconds.
Richland High grad Anthony Stone, competing for Lane Community College, was sixth in 26:18.0.