With a dozen league games in the books, the records were perfect for both the boys and girls basketball programs at White River High.
Each was 6-0 and firmly ensconced in first place in South Puget Sound League 2A play through contests of last weekend. And each had the opportunity to extend the winning streak earlier this week: the Hornets hosted the Washington Patriots in doubleheader action Monday, with the girls playing first and the boys in the nightcap; on Tuesday, the White River girls hosted Steilacoom while the boys trekked to the Sentinels’ gymnasium.
Each team picked up two league wins last week, beating Franklin Pierce on Wednesday and Fife two nights later.
The White River girls defeated Franklin Pierce 50-44, thanks largely to a 29-point outburst by Taylor Schmidtke. The Hornets built a substantial lead but let the Cardinals back into the game with some play that wasn’t quite up to coach Chris Gibson’s expectations.
On Friday, Gibson’s crew went on the road to whip the Fife Trojans 56-42. White River led all the way thanks to a balanced offensive attack that included 14 points from Emma Robbins and Kara Marecle along with 13 from Taylor Schmidtke and 11 from Rylie Lund.
The White River boys were challenged in both games last week, but came out on top. The Hornets handled Franklin Pierce 64-60 before taking a 69-61 decision over the Fife Trojans.
With their overall record of 10-2, the White River girls have climbed to the Nov. 4 spot in the statewide Ratings Percentage Index, a measure employed by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. The Hornet boys have improved to No. 15 with their 10-3 record.
A team’s RPI is built throughout the season to measure a team’s effectiveness, taking into account a squad’s record, the record of its opponents and, finally, the record of its opponents. Teams are particularly rewarded for defeating quality foes. For example, when the White River girls downed Franklin Pierce on Jan. 8, both teams had headed into the night with undefeated marks in league play; their RPI was boosted even higher on Friday, as Fife had entered the game 5-0 in league play and 12-0 overall.
ENUMCLAW BASKETBALL
Last week was a bread-even affair for the Enumclaw High boys, who defeated Todd Beamer 41-34 on Jan. 8 but fell 49-40 to Auburn Mountainview on Friday.
The split against North Puget Sound League foes kept EHS in the middle of the league pack with an NPSL mark of 3-4 (5-8 overall).
It was a tougher road for the Hornet girls who stumbled twice, losing 56-36 to Todd Beamer and 47-39 to Auburn Mountainview. That left coach Ted Carlson’s squad at 2-5 in league, 3-9 overall.
The EHS girls have the advantage of two home games this week, having hosting Thomas Jefferson on Tuesday with Auburn Riverside coming to town Thursday. The boys’ team faces the same two NPSL foes but hits the road both nights.
The Enumclaw squads aren’t found too high in the Class 4A RPI. Through games of last week, the boys sat at No. 45 and the girls (2-5 in league play, 3-9 overall) were a few spots back at No. 48.
