Postseason play has arrived for the Plateau’s high school athletes. All were busy the past week with qualifying action that saw some advancing into district or state competition, while others saw their seasons come to a close.
Here’s a look at how teams and individuals from Enumclaw and White River fared and where they’re headed.
FOOTBALL
Enumclaw: The powerhouse Enumclaw High football team, slotted at No. 2 in the WIAA’s latest state rankings, begins its postseason quest this Friday, Nov. 3.
The Hornets (8-0 in league, 9-0 overall) will host Sammamish High (4-2 in Kingco League, 5-4 overall). Game time is 7 p.m. at the Enumclaw Expo Center.
Friday’s winner will advance to the Class 2A state playoffs, which culminate with a December 2 championship game in Seattle, while the loser is done for the season.
White River: Having shown a notable turnaround after opening the season with three losses, the White River squad received an at-large bid into the District 2/3 playoffs.
The Hornets will head into postseason play this Friday, November 3, taking on the North Kitsap Vikings. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. on the North Kitsap High campus in Poulsbo.
White River (3-5 in league play, 4-5 overall) is the No. 11 seed in the 12-team bracket and North Kitsap (7-0, 8-1) sits at No. 2. The six district winners will head to the state playoffs while the others are finished for the year.
CROSS COUNTRY
White River girls: In a field of a dozen teams, the White River High girls took championship honors at Saturday’s Westside Classic and earned a berth in the Nov. 4 Class 2A state meet.
That season-culminating event will be staged, as usual, at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.
The Hornet girls cruised to the team title on the strength of placing three runners in the top five finishers. Leading the way was individual champion Emma Tomlinson who was followed by Paeton Poelman (fourth) and Vivian Kingston (fifth).
Rounding out the state-bound squad, and their district placing, were Nativity Leddy, 13th; Evelyn Holmes, 17th; Lily Rodarte, 24th; and Paityn Kaydus, 28th.
There were 105 girls in the Class 2A race.
Enumclaw girls: With a third-place finish at Saturday’s Westside Classic, the Enumclaw High girls’ squad qualified for the Nov. 4 Class 2A state meet.
That event, drawing competitors from schools of all sizes throughout the state, will be staged at Pasco’s Sun Willows Golf Course.
Enumclaw’s team success included a sixth-place showing by Ava Sawyer and a 10-place finish by Lillian Haas. Also in the EHS team mix were Avery Marecle, 16th; Stella Grant, 18th; Brynne Stafford, 50th; Kami Bullock, 59th; and Sydney Poe, 78th.
Enumclaw boys: McCoy Brooks was the first runner across the finish line and Even Cheney placed fifth, leading Enumclaw High to a second-place showing in the Westside Classic 2A team standings.
That finish guaranteed the EHS crew a spot in the November 4 Class 2A state meet at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.
Also running for Enumclaw in the Westside Classic, and their overall finish, were Elliott Cheney, 28th; Ellis Behrens, 33rd; Michael Poleski, 34th; Cole Olson, 56th; and Jeremy Dumler, 64th. All will be competing at Sun Willows.
White River boys: Michael Marlow was the lone member of the White River boys’ team to earn a spot at the Nov. 4 Class 2A state meet. He qualified for state during Saturday’s Westside Classic at Chambers Creek.
White River just missed qualifying the entire boys’ team, which placed seventh in the team standings. The top six squads earned a Pasco appearance.
Marlow placed eighth in the field of 125 Westside Classic runners. Others running for White River were Cannon Ross, Porter Simmons, Eli Long, Oliver Schramm, Josiah Dehnert and Anthony Riggs.
VOLLEYBALL
The District 2/3 volleyball tournament will play out over the course of two days, beginning November 3 with matches at both Foster and Sammamish high schools and wrapping up the following day at Bremerton High.
White River heads into the tourney as the district No. 1 seed while EHS is No. 4. The top six district finishers will head to the November 10-11 Class 2A state tournament at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
Enumclaw: EHS opens the district tourney Friday at Sammamish High with a 4 p.m. match against Foster The winner heads to the tourney semifinals and will play at 1 p.m. Saturday against Fife or White River. The opening-round loser plays again Friday in a loser-out contest, facing North Mason or Franklin Pierce.
White River: The top-seeded Hornets begin district play at 6 p.m. Friday with a match against the No. 8 Fife Trojans. The contest will be at Sammamish High. The winner heads to Saturday’s semifinals against Foster or Enumclaw while the loser plays a second match on Friday, facing either Port Angeles or Orting in a loser-out contest.
GIRLS’ SOCCER
The District 2/3 soccer tournament began October 31, wraps up November 4 and will eventually whittle a field of 16 teams to six that will participate in the state tourney.
Enumclaw was given the No. 4 seed into district play and White River was slotted at No. 6.
Enumclaw: Enumclaw began district play October 31 by hosting the Sequim Wolves. If EHS was victorious, the next game is a semifinal pairing Thursday against Highline or top-seeded Fife. If Enumclaw fell on the 31st, a Thursday game would be a loser-out affair against Franklin Pierce or Lindbergh, again at the Enumclaw Expo Center.
White River: White River opened tourney play on the road, traveling October 31 to face the Sammamish squad. A victory on Monday would result in a semifinal contest Thursday against either Steilacoom or North Kitsap; a Monday loss would mean a Thursday, loser-out game against Bremerton or Evergreen of Seattle.
GIRLS SWIM AND DIVE
Next up for the region’s swimmers and divers is a district meet, to be staged November 3-4. The diving competition will take place the first day at Lindbergh High School; swimming events will span both days at Mary Wayte Pool in Mercer Island.
The following girls will be taking part, hoping to land a berth in the November 9-11 state meet that will again take place at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.
Enumclaw: Scarlet Connelly, 200-yard medley relay, 200 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay, 100 butterfly, relay alternate; Alexandra Levesh, 200 medley relay, 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle relay, 100 breaststroke; Tori Massey, 200 medley relay, 200 individual medley, 200 freestyle relay, 100 backstroke; Audrie Roddy, 500 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 400 freestyle relay, relay alternate; Addisyn Sawyer, 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 400 freestyle relay, relay alternate; Molly Michael, 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay; Lily Pedersen, 400 freestyle relay, relay alternate; Ava Barth, relay alternate; Adele Razor, relay alternate; Briella Marecle, relay alternate; and Louisa Stuenkel, relay alternate.
White River: Cheyenne Fessler, 200-yard medley relay, 50 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay, 100 freestyle; Hayley Weisheyer, 200 medley relay, 50 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay, 100 freestyle; Trista Turgeon, 200 medley relay, diving, 200 freestyle relay; Isabel Laris, 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay; Emily Knudtson, relay alternate; and Rashelle Girardier, relay alternate.
BOYS’ TENNIS
Teams from throughout the region gathered October 27-28 at the Kitsap Tennis Club in Bremerton, all gunning for a berth at the springtime Class 2A state tournament that will be contested May 24-25 at the Nordstrom Tennis Center in Seattle.
The Enumclaw High duo of Noah Nuttle and Caden Zuydhoek placed fourth in the district doubles competition to earn a state trip.
