ENUMCLAW BOYS
Members of the Enumclaw High boys basketball team will be looking to continue their upward trajectory, building upon last season’s success.
A year ago, the Hornets advanced to the Class 4A state tournament, where they won their opener before losing twice and heading home.
The most positive note surrounding that state story found in the lineup. All five starters from last year are back in uniform. That has to please second-year coach Terry Johnson, who was honored as Coach of the Year during his first campaign at the EHS helm.
Among those leading the way are senior Kaden Anderson, who was a first-team all-league selection a season ago, and sophomore Peter Erickson, who picked up third-team honors.
Joining them is a roster deep with experience, built primarily with seniors and juniors. Seniors include Griffin Webb, Kale VanWieringen, Josh Brown and Keegan Ulrich; juniors on the early-season varsity roster are Kale Engebretsen, Bryson Engebretsen, Kellen Kranc, Easton Tandecki and Travis Smith.
“We have high expectations this season, but our goal is really just to maximize what this group is capable of,” Johnson wrote in an email. “We return our top three scorers from last season and we have a lot more experience, so we are in a good place to start from.”
Last year’s Hornets placed second during the South Puget Sound League 4A regular season, split four district contests and dropped a regional game against top-ranked Union High of Camas. That sent the team to the 4A state tourney at the Tacoma Dome, the program’s first state appearance since 2010.
ENUMCLAW GIRLS
With a lineup boasting plenty of varsity experience, the Enumclaw High girls basketball team will be looking to take a major step forward this season.
A season ago, the Hornets finished 9-14 and came up one victory shy of making an appearance in the district tournament.
The positive news for coach Ted Carlson is plenty of Hornets acquired valuable experience and spent considerable minutes in a varsity uniform.
Leading the way this time around is senior Jessica Cerne. The 5-foot-8 guard was a second-team selection a year ago when coaches votes for their all-league teams. Other seniors on Carlson’s varsity roster are Mackenzie Putman and Abbie Carlson; juniors include Maggie Poulin, Rebecca Lindberg, Lauren Hanson, Kennedy VanHoof and Kyndra Rademacher; and the four sophomores cracking the varsity roster are Sawyer Anderson, Claire Lewis, Sydney Brazier and Jesslyn Huizenga.
Nine of those 12 players saw time in the majority of the Hornets’ game last season.
