Photo Gallery - Ilwaco Holiday Classic, Day 2

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

Associated Press tabs Naselle’s Mike Shirley as first-team all-state

NASELLE – The honors continue to come in for Mike Shirley of the Naselle Comets football team. Shirley, a senior, was named to the first team Associated Press all-state squad as an offensive lineman. The standout center for the Comets was also named to the Pacific 2B League all-star team as both center on offense and defensive end.

Ilwaco Holiday Classic, Day 1

Late Lady Fishermen blitz not enough to catch West Anchorage 48-40

ILWACO - The Lady Fishermen hadn't played a basketball game in 17 days and Monday evening they didn't score for another six minutes and eleven seconds of the first period, falling behind 8-0 to West Anchorage of Alaska. That scoring drought proved to be crucial as Ilwaco dropped a 48-40 decision to the touring Lady Eagles Dec. 29 at Carl Aase Gymnasium.
"We came back well," Coach Ned Bittner said. "Unfortunately we just dug ourselves too big a hole." Ilwaco trailed 12-3 after one quarter of play and was behind by as many as 19 points in the final period before they mounted a comeback.
Read the whole story HERE

21-0 run helps Fishermen dethrone Kingston 67-48

ILWACO - The Fishermen scored a whopping 21 unanswered points in the second half and sailed to a 67-48 non-league victory over visiting 2A Kingston here Dec. 29. Four Ilwaco players were in double figures, including Jack Whealdon who finished with 21 points, Karl Oman with 16, Kolby Kirby with 11 and Justin Short with 10 points.
The Fishermen had built a 30-18 advantage late in the second period, but an 8-0 burst brought the Buccaneers to within 30-26 with just over six minutes left in the third quarter. That is when Whealdon connected on two free throws, made an old-fashioned three-point play off an acrobatic move in the key, drove for a reverse layup and then hit a long trey to spark the Ilwaco scoring outburst.
Read the whole story HERE

*After weather cancelled all games for almost two weeks, we're back up and running again with regular updates of games and photos! Thanks for checking back!

2 for take down says the Ref.

In the last three weeks Ilwaco high school has attended The Knappa Invite, the Astoria Duel Meet, the Warrenton Invite and the home meet at Ilwaco. These are all pre-season matches to get the team better for season in January. Although I wrestled my freshmen year I had know drive to want to be a wrestler at my former school Franklin High which is a 6a school. When I moved to Ilwaco from Portland Oregon 6 months ago I did not think that they would have a good team let alone a good coach. I was shocked to see at least 30 guys in the mat room wrestling both middle school and High school. That’s more than the football team had.
I had a choice to play basketball or wrestle I was torn between the two I knew I was a better wrestler than a basketball player but I enjoyed playing basketball it was fun to muscle people who were bigger than me when I drove to the basket. On the other hand my previous coach’s In wrestling were very inexperienced which made wrestling hard for the me to learn from them because they were trying the moves for the first time also.
Here at Ilwaco I have found that Coach Kevin Mcnulty is the best coach I have ever encountered. He is a wonderful coach to have. I have never had a coach that gives you the one on one time you need to break the moves down to our understanding and help’s us to rein act the moves to get the best of our abilities through drills. The team has had a dramatic improvement from the first day we wrestled we still make novice mistakes but that’s what pre season is for its to get us better for the real matches that count.

All games cancelled for remainder of week

All scheduled games for Ilwaco and Naselle high schools have been cancelled through the weekend due to impending winter weather that threatens more snow, ice and below-freezing temperatures. Check here for further on game reschuling.

Lady Vikings edge icy Comets 22-21

MENLO - The Lady Vikings upset Naselle 22-21 there Tuesday in one of the lowest-scoring girls' basketball games in recent memory. The contest was a Pacific 2B affair and leaves both Valley and the Comets knotted at 1-1 in league play.
Naselle had a 21-13 lead after three periods, thanks to the seven points of Taylor Wasmundt and led by as much as 19-8 in the second half, however they did not score a point in the final period and Valley made nine to come away with the victory. Maggie Stamper for the Lady Vikes hit a baseline jump shot with 1:21 on the new scoreboard at Tenoski Gymnasium to put her team up for the only time in the fray.

To read whole story click HERE

Starks, Short undefeated at Ilwaco six-team tournament

ILWACO - Tyler Starks won all three of his matches at 171 pounds and Dylan Short won both of his at 285 as Ilwaco hosted a six-team, eight-school wrestling meet Tuesday. Terry Elliott (160), Taylor Odneal (152), and Blake Bradshaw (140) each went 2-1 in the extravaganza held on three mats at Carl Aase Gymnasium.
Starks pinned Jake Goldsmith of Wahkiakum, Cody Cameron of Knappa, and Jacob Ripp of Rainier, with his first match going 2:57 and the other two were pins in the first round. Short made quick work of Sean Pomeroy of Rainier and Hawkins Winslow of Willapa Harbor, pinning both in the first round. Willapa Harbor (WH) is a combination of Valley, Raymond and South Bend High Schools for wrestling and golf.

Read the whole story HERE

Photo Gallery - IHS wrestling @ Warrenton Invite

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Photos by Damian Mulinix/Observer photojournalist

Photo Gallery - NHS girls hoops vs. Ocosta

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Photos by Damian Mulinix/Observer photojournalist

Whealdon, Oman combine for 45 in Ilwaco 69-49 win over Canucks

ILWACO - "Jack Whealdon had a great game," Coach Kip Meinhardt said as Whealdon poured in 25 points, dished out four assists, snagged five steals and garnered six rebounds and Karl Oman added 20 points as Ilwaco ran past Holy Cross of Surrey, BC 69-49 here Friday.
In the early going the game looked like it would be a blow out, but the winner appeared to be the Crusaders as they piled up a 21-9 lead early in the second period. "We started out pressing them and they were able to break it and get layins," Meinhardt explained. "When we went to an active 2-3 zone (in the second quarter) we got several steals and some easy transition baskets and we were on our way."

Read the whole story HERE

Alvarez wins two; Ilwaco 9-15 against Astoria, R.A. Long mat men

ASTORIA - Rudy Alvarez (103 pounds) swept two matches against formidable foes and seven other Fishermen wrestlers won matches in a challenging double-dual meet with R.A. Long and host Astoria Thursday. Alvarez improved his overall record to 3-1 on the young season and is looking like a promising contender for super-regional and even Mat Classic honors at season's end.
Other winners for Ilwaco were Blake Bradshaw (140), Terry Elliott (160), Taylor Odneal (160), Tyler Starks (171), Rey Sanchez (189), Bobby Richards (189), and Ikaika Thomas (285). Starks put up spirited efforts in both of his matches, coming out with refreshing intensity. Elliott and Sanchez showed exceptional athleticism and determination in their wins and Bradshaw, Odneal, Richards, and Thomas used their experience and gutsy efforts to defeat their opponents.

Read the whole story HERE

Also, catch the team in action today (12/13/08) at the Warrenton Invite, 9am-5pm

Smith and Burkhalter lead Naselle in doubling up Montesano 76-38

NASELLE - Conor Smith and Austin Burkhalter keyed a 33-10 run as Naselle broke open an 18-18 tie to double up on Montesano 76-38 at Lyle Patterson Gym Wednesday in a non-league basketball tilt. The Comets had bolted to a 12-5 advantage in the first period, but the Bulldogs proved to be stubborn and catch most all of the early breaks as they went ahead briefly in the second quarter and at the 2:48 mark before intermission tied the score at 18-18.
It was then that Coach Brian Macy called a timeout. "I just told the guys to quit settling for three-point shots and passing the ball around the perimeter and to get to the hoop. We got three easy buckets to end the half and we continued to penetrate and score the second half. Our defense also picked up considerably." Smith scored the final six points before intermission to give the Comets a 24-18 lead going into the locker room.

Read the whole story HERE

The Season — final gallery at Friday Night Sights

Check out a year-end retrospective photo gallery on the Comets historic run through the playoffs on the Friday Night Sights Blog

Lady Fishermen cruise past Naselle 64-37

ILWACO - It was the opening game for the Ilwaco girls' basketball team, but they looked in mid-season form as they defeated Naselle 64-37 in a non-league game at home Tuesday. The Comets fell to 1-3 with the loss.
Four Lady Fishermen were in double figures and all nine varsity girls scored for the winners as they went up 18-5 at the end of the first period and were never headed. Mid-way through the third quarter Ilwaco's lead had swelled to 41-20. Vallori Crowston led all scorers with 13 points and she added 11 assists for a double-double. Ashley Tapio in her first varsity start and Alexa Wirkkala and Cameo Ulbricht each added 10 points for the Lady Fishermen.

Read the whole story HERE

South Bend upends Fishermen 71-62

SOUTH BEND - A deep and "well-coached" South Bend team defeated Ilwaco 71-62 in a non-league boys' basketball game there Monday. "We played hard, but South Bend ran disciplined patterns on offense and Ryan Vongmixay got open for too many easy baskets," Coach Kip Meinhardt said.
"They also had a lot more depth than we did. They played 10 guys and they all contributed. We will need to continue to develop our younger players." Meinhardt had praise for Jack Whealdon. "We asked him to guard their best player (David Lorton) and to also score for us." Whealdon finished with 21 points for the Fishermen and held Lorton to 14.

Read the whole story HERE

Photo Gallery — NHS boys @ Warrenton

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Photos by Damian Mulinix/Observer photojournalist

Photo Gallery - NHS girls @ Warrenton

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Photos by Damian Mulinix/Observer photojournalist

Sultemeier's 26 sparks Comets to 58-48 win in opener

WARRENTON - Nate Sultemeier poured in a career-high 26 points and had six assists, six steals and six rebounds to lead Naselle to a season-opening 58-48 win over Warrenton in Oregon Saturday. Coach Brian Macy said, "We were a little rusty tonight and it showed. A week ago most of our guys were playing football on turf and with just five practices we weren't quite clicking yet, but a win is a win. We did play well in stretches and some our reserves were usually in the game at the time."
The Comets had a 21-13 lead midway through the second period, thanks in large part to Ollie Baker's seven points off the bench. A couple of cherry-pick buckets and two put-backs put the Warriors on an 8-0 run to tie the game with 29 seconds before intermission. Sultemeier dished to Conor Smith for one basket and then made a steal and went coast-to-coast to give the Comets a 25-21 lead going into the locker room.

Read the whole story HERE

Slow first half leads to Lady Warriors 54-22 win over Naselle

WARRENTON - Naselle scored but three field goals in the first half as Warrenton blasted to a 35-6 lead at intermission on their way to a 54-22 non-league girls' basketball win there Saturday. In the first quarter Taylor Wasmundt and Kaelee Dearmore made buckets and Emily Green scored a field goal in the second period for the Comets only offense of the first half.
Coach Bobby Torppa said, "We didn't play well early against a very good team. We will need to work on getting to loose balls and shooting better, but I think that will come with more confidence. We are young and our inexperience showed tonight."

Read the full story HERE

Ilwaco runs away from Wildcats 69-44 in opener

ILWACO - The Fishermen reeled off 16 unanswered points in the third period on their way to an easy win over Ocosta 69-44 in their opening non-league basketball game at Carl Aase Gym Thursday. Ilwaco had gone up 30-22 at halftime, but ran away in the second half against the Wildcats to give Coach Kip Meinhardt his first career varsity victory.
The three-pronged guard attack of Karl Oman (18 points), Jack Whealdon (13 points) and Justin Short (12 points) led the Fishermen past Ocosta, who falls to 0-2. Ilwaco jumped out to a 9-3 lead in the first period and they were up 20-10 midway through the second stanza, but the Wildcats Kaylan Forbis poured in 20 of the visitors 22 first-half points to single-handedly keep his team in the contest at intermission.

Read the whole story HERE

Photo gallery - IHS boys off to hot start with blowout win over Ocosta

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Photos by Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer

TDN names IHS, NHS players to All-Area Team

TDN names Shirley best defensive player, Eaton repeats as coach of the year
NASELLE - The Longview Daily News released their selections for the prestigious all-area football team Wednesday and four players and Coach Jeff Eaton of Naselle were among those honored on the first or second teams. Among the 13 schools in TDN's coverage area and about 5,000 students, Mike Shirley was tabbed as the Defensive Player of the Year.
Eaton was tabbed as the Coach of the Year for the squad. Nick Hines earned first-team honors as an all-purpose running back, receiver and return specialist. Austin Burkhalter made the second team as a defensive back and Alan Erickson was on the second team as a linebacker. The Comets finished third in the state in the 2B ranks after dropping a semi-final game to Napavine 18-13 in the Tacoma Dome Dec. 5.
The team is made up of players from as far southwest as Ilwaco, Naselle and Cathlamet, includes Rainier and Clatskanie in Oregon, features Toledo and Toutle Lake to the northeast of Longview and 1A squads Castle Rock, Kalama and 2A Woodland on the I-5 corridor. Mark Morris, R.A. Long and Kelso are also included in TDN's coverage area.
Honorable mention from Ilwaco was quarterback Rey Sanchez and wide receiver Justin Short on offense. Honorable mention Comets were tight end Gabe Se, defensive lineman Marcus Sanchez and Tony Fletcher on both sides of the football as a halfback and cornerback. Castle Rock's Zack Gehring and Rainier's Andrew Allen shared player of the year honors and Jake Welch of Mark Morris was offensive POY.

Read the TDN story HERE
See the all-offensive team list HERE
See the all-defensive team list HERE

Fishermen wrestlers notch 20 wins at Knappa

KNAPPA - It has been at least a decade since Ilwaco has won 20 wrestling matches in an evening. In fact two seasons ago the team won only 40 bouts all season. But Coach Kevin McNulty and his squad showed they have potential and in a big way Wednesday in a four-way match with Warrenton, Astoria, and host Knappa as they opened their season with 20 victories in 32 matches.

"Our most exciting match was Rudy Alvarez's loss against the district champion and state competitor from Knappa (in the 112 lbs. weight class). The match went into overtime with Rudy losing but it was a heck of a match," McNulty exclaimed.

Read the whole story HERE

Scrappy Mules down resilient Naselle girls 65-47

NASELLE - "We couldn't quite match their intensity and physicality," Coach Bobby Torppa lamented after his Comets saw Wahkiakum pull away for a 65-47 non-league girls' basketball win at Lyle Patterson Gym Wednesday. The key statistic for the contest was the Mules commanding 64-27 dominance in rebounding, with over half of the boards being of the offensive variety for the winners.

The young Comets were resilient for the first three periods, before the visitors pulled away with a 22-10 run to end the game. Wahkiakum jumped to a 7-3 lead and Naselle came back to within 7-6 in the opening minutes. The Mules built a 22-13 bulge, only to see the Comets flash back to within 27-22 in the second quarter. Wahkiakum looked invincible when they jumped to a 36-24 advantage in the third stanza, but early in the fourth period Naselle was only trailing 43-37.

Read the whole story HERE

Lady Fishermen split a pair at Raymond jamboree

RAYMOND - Ilwaco girls defeated Valley 22-5 and dropped a 14-13 decision to Raymond at a basketball jamboree in Raymond Tuesday. Each game consisted of two five-minute periods. In the first mini-contest against Valley Alexa Wirkkala led Ilwaco with seven points, two more than the Lady Vikings managed. Carley Kitzman, Erin Kelly and Kenzi Wirkkala each had two points, Vallori Crowston four, Marin McDonnell five and Ashley Tapio, Aimee Banuet and Cameo Ulbricht played, but did not score.

Against Raymond Kitzman led Ilwaco with five points, Kelly had three, Crowston and Tapio two each and Alexa Wirkkala one point. Banuet, Ulbricht and Kenzi Wirkkala played, but did not score against the Lady Gulls. The Lady Fishermen will open their season by hosting Naselle Dec. 9.

Read the whole story HERE

Comets comeback knocks off Knappa 54-47 in opener

NASELLE - The Knappa girls were ahead 28-23 midway through the third period and looking like they would buzz to a win in the opening basketball game for both teams, when the Comets began executing their offense and dramatically cutting down on their turnovers.

The formula worked so well Naselle went on a 27-7 run over the next nine minutes, built a 15-point lead and then cruised to a 54-47 non-league victory over the Lady Loggers at home Monday. The contest had begun slowly as Knappa took a 10-5 lead at the end of one period and was ahead 20-15 at intermission. The Lady Loggers grabbed a seven point advantage seconds into the second half when their leading scorer Kaitlin Junes scored on a lay up.

Read the whole story HERE

Ilwaco hoops schedules

You can read and print out the full basketball schedules at chinookobserver.com HERE

Photo gallery - NHS finish third in state

Friday night the Naselle football team played their first-ever game in the Tacoma Dome, making it to the state semifinals for the first time in school history. Though the Comets were not able to pull out a win, falling 18-13 to Napavine, they finished third in state, their highest finish since the implementation of a playoff system 35 years ago.

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Photographs by Damian Mulinix/Observer photojournalist

Photo gallery - IHS wrestling

Photos from Ilwaco High wrestling practice

Photos by Damian Mulinix/Observer photojournalist

Welcome to the Observer Sports blog

Following the popularity of the Friday Night Sights football blog, we're now branching out with the Observer Sports Blog.
Friday Night Sights was built on the idea that being a once a week newspaper can leave people hungry for knowledge on how their team did on Friday night, and a blog which can be updated at any time was a good go-between. Friday Night Sights is also a vehicle for the athletes to speak their minds about how their teams are doing, something that has gained popularity especially with the Naselle football team, which has multiple bloggers. It also worked well for expanded coverage, including photo galleries featuring multiple pictures that couldn't fit into the paper.
The idea is essentially the same with the new sports blog, but with a slightly different approach. Whereas the football blog was based mostly around one day of action (most often Friday nights) the new blog will be updated throughout the week as events like basketball, wrestling, baseball, track, softball, cross country and golf take place.
And there is definitely room for community bloggers too, and this time not just the athletes. If you are a parent or a fan that attends games and would like to share your thoughts, please let us know. And of course that goes for students too! Simply send us an email: fridaynightsights@gmail.com and we'll set you up with a password to the site.

Thanks for stopping by, feel free to browse and leave comments if you like on the posts, and return often to find new material!