Inside the Huddle

Nathan Adrian, a 2006 Bremerton High School grad, won the 100-yard freestyle Thursday at the Pan Pacific championships in Irvine, Calif., with the world’s fast time this year in 48.15 seconds.

You’ve seen ‘em, those long, big-wheeled boards that look as if they could float on water. Longboarding is becoming more popular in Bremerton, at least it seems like it based on how many riders I’ve seen recently, so I decided to check out the riding scene this week.

Pretty interesting sport — and those who participate in it do so for different reasons. Some enjoy going fast, others love attempting tricks. Some even commute on their board.

Here’s my report on longboarding, and a few images I took out at Pendergast Regional Park on Tuesday:

In 1998, I turned out for the eighth grade basketball team at Woodward Middle School on Bainbridge Island, convinced my smooth jump shot would make up for what in hindsight was clearly an inability to pass, rebound, defend or run up and down the court more than twice without breaking into a messy sweat.

The coach told me to take a hike before I’d opened my first Gatorade.

In a strange sort of way, that day came to define my high school career. I spent four years on the sidelines, literally — never tried out for basketball again — and was envious,  jealous, of the kids who got to play the game I loved.

At the time, I considered basketball my “best” sport. Every day I played alone on the cracked court outside my childhood bedroom, providing play-by-play and commentary for the birds and whoever or whatever else was around and would listen. I’d play for hours, shouting in glee over game-winning jumpers, made possible by the imaginary game clock I could rewind because I was the referee, too.

All I ever wanted to be was a basketball player, and when that eighth grade coach told me otherwise, I threw in the proverbial towel.

Now, when I think back to my biggest hardship over those four years, that’s it. I didn’t play basketball.

I was incredibly lucky.

There are teenagers in our community who have been through far, far more. Yet they persevere and step up to the same podium, on the same stage, the night of high school graduation. They should be commended, congratulated, because their journeys went beyond jump shots and buzzer-beaters. They overcame  illness, homelessness, neglect, depression and others.

Read about two incredible soon-to-be-graduates, Kandyce Alvear and Cathy Dang, as part of a special feature in Friday’s Bremerton Patriot and Central Kitsap Reporter.

The buzz is back.
That’s right, the Kitsap BlueJackets, the county’s summer collegiate baseball team, open the regular season at home June 4.
It should be an interesting season for the Jackets, who struggled to a last-place finish in the West Coast League West Division in 2009. But sixth-year coach Matt Acker, with whom I spoke to Friday morning, is optimistic as the season approaches.
One of the main reasons? The arrival of stars Koji Hamaguchi and Hiroto Ohmachi, both of whom are from Osaka, Japan, and play for Riseisha College. Ohmachi is a 5-foot-10, 187-pound catcher, and Hamaguchi is a 5-11, 154-pound pitcher.
In an area where there already is a large Japanese influence on baseball — Ichiro, anyone? — it will be fun to watch Hamaguchi and Ohmachi right here in Kitsap.
Acker said it’s such a big deal for the two players to be here, that their Riseisha College teammates will make a week-long trip to Kitsap to watch them play.
Look for a feature story on them in the June 4 editions of the Central Kitsap Reporter and Bremerton Patriot. Neither player speaks English, Acker said, but they have a translator in Kitamura Masaki, a baseball agent who has made the trip over and also will serve as an assistant coach this season.
I’ll ask both players about playing across the water from Ichiro, one of Japan’s most legendary ballplayers, and also about adjusting to the American style of play. And how might the language barrier affect their roles on the team?
We’ll have this and much more next week with the 2010 season preview story.
In the meantime, let’s play ball.

Bremerton High School Athletic Director George Duarte said in an e-mail Tuesday that Debbie Lindgren is the new girls basketball coach. She replaces Al Valencia, who resigned after one season. Lindgren coached the junior varsity team in 2009.

This is a decent move by the school, in part because Lindgren is already familiar with the program. She joined it last season when she accepted the JV job. From my experiences with Lindgren — she often helped Valencia during varsity practices last season — I’ve found her to be high-energy and easy going around the players.

That style is great for connecting with high school athletes because they, too, bubble with energy. It will be interesting to see how the 2010-11 season goes for the Lady Knights, who haven’t finished with a winning record in any of the three seasons I’ve covered them. Yet, the team has a solid nucleas beginning with post player Jalen Carpenter, a sophomore who averages nearly a double-double.

Bremerton Special Olympics power lifter Ricco Morales participated in a regional event this weekend as he prepares for the 2010 Summer Games, to be held in July in Lincoln, Neb.
The 25-year old is one of a handful of area athletes training for the Games, and we printed a story about him in April. See Ricco and other athletes at this past weekend’s event here.

Happy Monday morning, Bremerton sports fans. This just in from basketball coach Casey Lindberg:

Bremerton High School senior basketball player Terrick McGhee signed a letter of intent Monday to play basketball next season at Highline Community College.
The 5-foot-9-inch guard averaged 10.6 points and 1.5 steals per game in 2009, helping the Knights to the Class 3A state tournament for the first time since 1999.
McGhee, who also plays football, is the second Bremerton player to sign with a college for next season. Fellow senior Jarell Flora is headed to Seattle University to play under coach Cameron Dollar.

Playoffs are in full swing on the prep scene. Here’s an update on Bremerton and Central Kitsap teams.

This youngster is ready for a challenge. Any takers?
Northwest Washington Wrestling Club athlete Jacob Vickers, 7, of Bremerton, celebrates after pinning his opponent to win gold in the bantam, 75-pound-and-up division at 2010 WSWA Kids Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Centralia Saturday:

A special thanks to coach Ty Michaelson for sending such a frightening, yet adorable, photo.

A total of seventeen NWWC wrestlers ages 4 to 14 competed at the tournament. Twelve athletes medaled, placing in the top eight, while five earned individual championships.
Here are the results from the competition:

Lars Michaelson, Bremerton, PeeWee, 39 lbs, Placed 4th
Roiel Sorensen, Seabeck, PeeWee, 43 lbs, Placed 4th
Thor Michaelson, Bremerton, PeeWee, 46 lbs, State Champion
Diego Clemen, Bremerton, PeeWee, 48 lbs, State Champion
Alex Sinclair, Bremerton, Bantam, 45 lbs, State Champion
Josiah Sorensen, Seabeck, Bantam, 50 lbs, Placed 4th
Colby Amick, Belfair, Bantam, 60 lbs, Placed 8th
Jacob Vickers, Bremerton, Bantam, 75+, State Champion
Luis Guerrero-Amaral, Bremerton, Intermediate, 65 lbs
Zach Abrahamson, Silverdale, Intermediate, 70 lbs, Placed 8th
Heaven Kemp-Sinclair, Bremerton, Novice, 60 lbs, Placed 3rd
Chance Erwin, Silverdale, Novice 80 lbs
Jeston Rusnak, Poulsbo, Novice 80 lbs
TJ Vickers, Bremerton, Novice, 85 lbs
Brandon Forster, Port Orchard, Schoolboy, 84 lbs
Brian Burchett, Seabeck, Schoolboy, 98 lbs, Placed 5th
Bobby Reece, Kingston, Schoolboy, 136 lbs, State Champion

The buzz is back.

This just in from the Kitsap BlueJackets, the county’s collegiate baseball team that each summer calls Gene Lobe Fields at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds home:

Single-game tickets go on sale May 10. The Jackets, who play in the West Coast League, open the season July 4 against the Corvallis Knights. To reserve seats call (360) 479-0123.

Season tickets also are available by calling (360) 479-0123. Tickets can be purchased at The UPS Store in Silverdale or at the TEAM STORE on Wheaton Way in East Bremerton as well.

For additional information contact Bill Anderson, wanderson@kitsapbluejackets.com or (360) 731-3239.