With regular season over, Plateau teams gear up for the endgame

White River’s basketball teams seeded well in this year’s district competitions, but only time will tell if they make it to state.

By Kevin Hanson • February 15, 2022 4:34 pm
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Enumclaw’s Charlee Torgison heads to the hoop, guarded by White River’s Josie Jacobs, during Friday night basketball action at EHS. It was the South Puget Sound League 2A finale and featured the cream of the crop: White River entered with a 13-0 league record while Enumclaw was just a stop behind at 12-1. Avenging an earlier loss to their Buckley foes, the Enumclaw girls wound up on the winning end of an exciting 70-65 contest. The Plateau neighbors carry co-champion honors into postseason play. Photo by Kevin Hanson
Enumclaw’s Charlee Torgison heads to the hoop, guarded by White River’s Josie Jacobs, during Friday night basketball action at EHS. It was the South Puget Sound League 2A finale and featured the cream of the crop: White River entered with a 13-0 league record while Enumclaw was just a stop behind at 12-1. Avenging an earlier loss to their Buckley foes, the Enumclaw girls wound up on the winning end of an exciting 70-65 contest. The Plateau neighbors carry co-champion honors into postseason play. Photo by Kevin Hanson

It’s a busy, busy time in the world of Washington high school athletics and the hectic pace isn’t lost on the Plateau’s players, coaches and fans.

Basketball’s regular season is complete and this week’s games will determine the Sweet 16 that head to state tournaments; the Tacoma Dome will host two days of state championship wrestling; the King County Aquatic Center will highlight the state’s best swimmers and divers; gymnasts will gather for district competition that will send teams and individuals to the coming state meet.

Here’s a look at where things stand at Enumclaw and White River high schools.

WHITE RIVER BASKETBALL

Both White River squads will be playing in this week’s District 2/3 tournaments, looking for a top five finish and a berth in the upcoming Class 2A state tourney.

The White River boys are the No. 1 seed into district play, due to their perfect 14-0 record during the South Puget Sound League 2A campaign. The Hornet girls, who shared the league title with Enumclaw (both 13-1) carry the No. 2 seed.

White River’s boys open district play at 6 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) with a home contest against Bremerton High. The winner advances to the district semifinals and will play again on Friday, Feb. 18, at Sammamish High against Port Angeles or Franklin Pierce; tonight’s loser will host a game on the 18th against Olympic or Highline.

The White River girls started their district experience tonight (Tuesday) with a home game against Renton. Win or lose, the team will play again Thursday. If the Hornets win Tuesday, the next game will be a semifinal affair at Sammamish against either North Kitsap or the hosts Sammamish crew; if the team fell on Tuesday, the Thursday game will be in Buckley against either Foster or Clover Park.

The district tournament is a double-elimination affair that has five teams advancing.

ENUMCLAW BASKETBALL

The EHS girls carried the No. 4 seed into the district tourney, meaning they debuted tonight (Tuesday, the 15th) with a home game against the Sequim Wolves.

If the EHS girls are victorious, they head to Sammamish High for a semifinal contest on Thursday against either Franklin Pierce or top-seeded Port Angeles; if they lost last night, the Hornets host a loser-out game on Thursday against Orting or Tyee.

Enumclaw High’s boys are the No. 6 district seed and will begin play at 6 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) at Renton against the host team. A victory brings a Thursday game at Sammamish against Clover Park or North Kitsap while a loss would result in a home game on Thursday against the winner of a Washington/Foster pairing.

The district tournament is a double-elimination affair that has five teams advancing.

WHITE RIVER GIRLS: STATE WRESTLING

Nine Hornets will be in the Tacoma Dome representing a White River girls’ team that is widely regarded as one of the top squads (all classifications) in the state.

Included are four wrestlers who are coming off championship performances at last weekend’s regional competition. That impressive list includes senior Jalia Williams, 170 pounds, and juniors Anna DiCugno at 120, Shelby Moore, 130, and Nicole Poussier, 135.

Also headed to state are seniors Allaina Cox, 235 pounds, Maria Hawthorne, 145 and Kirya Reither, 145; sophomore Adriah Blue, 105; and freshman Lilyana Lamothe, 110.

The White River girls battled their way to a regional team championship last weekend while hosting 28 other schools from all classifications.

WHITE RIVER BOYS: STATE WRESTLING

Headed by regional champions Caleb Dale (freshman, 145 pounds) and Logan Lisherness (junior, 285) the White River High boys’ team will be taking 10 grapplers to the Tacoma Dome.

The rest of the state-bound Hornet contingent includes seniors Brendan McBride, 120 pounds, and Cooper Reeves, 132; juniors Christopher Bowen, 182, Chase Campbell, also 182, and Caleb Evanger, 120; and freshmen Hunter Oswold, 113, Riley Simmons, 220, and Thomas Stanhope, 195.

The WRHS boys placed second, trailing only the traditionally tough Orting Cardinals, during last weekend’s 16-team regional meet.

ENUMCLAW RIVER BOYS: STATE WRESTLING

Senior Cade Carter, fresh off a regional championship, leads a Hornet group of five into this week’s state Class 2A championships.

Joining the 132-pound Carter in the Tacoma Dome will be fellow senior Tyler Ramirez, also at 132 pounds; juniors Zeke Luchi, 285, and Westin Triplett, 160; and freshman Dylan McMahan, 113.

BOYS SWIM AND DIVE

With the regular season in the books and last week’s district meet a recent memory, top swimmers and divers are now preparing for this weekend’s state competition.

The state meet takes place Feb. 17-19 at the King County Aquatics Center in Federal Way.

Locally, athletes from Enumclaw and White River turn out together, share a coach and follow the same schedule, but are scored separately.

As of press time, coach Scott Usborne reported that Enumclaw’s Tanner Harms had posted state-qualifying times in both the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard breaststroke, assuring himself a trip to Federal Way.

Others will be competing at state as well, but the coach was awaiting final confirmation.

Usborne highlighted the following performances from the district meet:

– from Enumclaw, Samuel Beal’s seventh-place finish in diving, Harms in the butterfly and breaststroke, and the 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relay teams (both made up of Connor Strong, David Prince, Dean Paulson and Joshua Hughes-Kuruganti);

– from White River, the 200-yard freestyle relay team (Mason Arnold, Jordan Simon, Evan Slish and Cole Holmes), Arnold’s third-place effort in the 500-yard freestyle and sixth-place finish in the 200-yard individual medley, Slish in both the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle, and the 400-yard freestyle relay (Arnold, Anthony Martin, Simon and Slish).

ENUMCLAW GYMNASTICS

The Hornets captured the team title during last weekend’s league meet, meaning the entire squad advances to district competition this week.

The West Central District event is set for tomorrow (Wednesday) at the gymnastics center on the grounds of Puyallup’s South Hill Mall. The full day of competition includes teams from the larger classifications; the 2A/3A events will take place in the morning with Class 4A gymnasts competing in the afternoon and evening flights.

In the combined 2A/3A division, two teams, three all-around performers and the top 10 individuals will advance to state. That meet takes place Feb. 25-26 at Sammamish High School.

Individual honors at last week’s league meet went to Enumclaw’s Julia Carter, who won the vault, and Brooke Faul, who was tops on the balance beam. Additionally, Lara Meyer – who attends White River High as an exchange student from Germany – was an individual district qualifier in both the vault and beam.

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