The Federal Way High School boys basketball team will enter the 2008-09 season as one of the teams to beat in Class 4A.
The Eagles are coming off a run into the state championship game last season and bring back four starters, including Eastern Washington University-commit Jeff Forbes, Washington State football commit Andre Barrington, junior Cole Dickerson and junior Isiah Umipig. Federal Way also added former Decatur first-team, All-South Puget Sound League point guard Michael Hale, along with 6-foot-10 J.T. Koontz.
The trip to the state title game, along with the talent returning for longtime coach Jerome Collins, earned the Eagles a coveted spot in the Arizona Basketball Challenge. The elite-level, 16-team tournament will be played at Mesa Mountain View High School Dec. 26-28.
“We have a very good lineup this year,” said tournament director Marc Beasley. “This is our second year and we are very excited about having Federal Way down here.”
The 2008 Arizona Basketball Challenge will include 12 of the top teams from Arizona, as well as Utah’s Lone Peak High School, North Hollywood’s Harvard-Westlake and Sagemont High School from Weston, Fla.
Lone Peak should be the team to beat. The team has won three of the last four Utah state titles, including the last two in a row. They feature 6-5 Tyler Haws, the reigning Utah “Mr. Basketball,” along with 6-10 Nate Austin, who are both Brigham Young commits.
The top Arizona teams at the tournament will include the defending state champion Desert Vista from Phoenix, Highland High School from Gilbert and Estrella Foothills from Goodyear. Some of the top players include University of Indiana-commit Matt Carlino (Highland), 6-3 Arizona State commit Corey Hawkins (Estrella Foothills), junior Daniel Bejarano (North High School), among others.
Federal Way, along with all the schools around Washington, open up practice on Nov. 12.
• The Tacoma-Pierce County Volleyball Officials Board is in need of individuals who are interested in officiating middle school, junior high,
senior high, college, and recreation department volleyball matches throughout Pierce County. A comprehensive training program, starting October 24th, is offered for all new officials and the opportunities to advance in the organization are extensive.
For students, retirees, or former athletes looking to re-connect with a sport, officiating high school and middle school sports is also an excellent way to earn some extra income and provide a great service to the teams. Registration is due no later than Oct. 23 so please contact us immediately.
For additional information on becoming a volleyball official, visit www.tpcvob.com or contact Marc Blau at (253) 848-1360 or blaumarc@qwest.net or John Wohn at 253-272-8543 or jwohn@yahoo.com.
• Apple Physical Therapy will honor one boy and one girl student athlete for both the Fall and Winter sport seasons with a $1,000 Athlete of the Quarter Scholarship.
Eligible student athletes must be high school seniors enrolled in a Western Washington high school, participating in a varsity sport and be in good-standing academically. The scholarship criteria include athlete performance, community service/involvement and other compelling personal circumstances.
Nomination forms are available to download at Apple Physical Therapy’s Web site, www.applept.com, and can be turned in to any Apple Physical Therapy clinic location or other participating private practice location. A complete list of locations is on Apple Physical Therapy’s Web site. Nomination forms are due December 1 for fall, 2008 and March 1 for Winter, 2009 applications.
Scholarship winners will be announced at the conclusion of the Fall, 2008 and Winter, 2009 seasons on the High School GameTime television program on King 5 and Kong 6/16.
Apple Physical Therapy is also the official athletic training partner for the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) and oversees young athletes at the state football, basketball and softball tournaments each year.
• NW Krush is seeking players for a new 14U fastpitch program in the Auburn/Puyallup area. Call Mark at (206) 793-2449 or email m.larsen@comcast.net for more information or to arrange a tryout.
• The Federal Way School District sign program is entering its second year. Advertising banners may be placed at Federal Way Memorial Field or in secondary schools. Each banner costs $500. For more information, contact Greg Flynn at gflynn@fwps or call (253) 945-5575.
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