Inside the Huddle

The Kitsap Sun checked in today with an interesting story, a developing story that figures only to heat up as details emerge.
The crux: All signs point to the newly installed track at Bremerton High School being below par.
I wrote a story in June about the project, and at the time, all seemed well.
Five months later, it’s come to light that not only is the track narrow in terms of lanes — the outside lane is narrower than the inside seven — but the surface is bumpy. How can a brand-new track not even be flat? How did this happen? And who’s to blame?
For all the great things that go on in and around Bremerton schools, it’s hard not to dwell on stories such as this and others of sour nature (remember what happened with former superintendent Bette Hyde’s contract, and how the school board handled the situation?).
I am digging for more and look forward to reporting as the issue heats up.
A special board meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Nov. 23 at the district administration building, 134 North Marion Avenue in Bremerton.

It’s hard to believe, really, but the fall sports season is more than halfway over and nearing the home stretch. So what better time than now to reflect on what we’ve seen — surprises and setbacks — and look ahead to what the end of the season may hold?

It’s worth noting, first, that three of the six fall sports teams at Bremerton High School featured new head coaches coming into the 2009 season. That includes boys tennis (Casey Lindberg), girls soccer (Colette Lyons) and volleyball (Beth Donnelly).

The boys tennis team is gearing for the Olympic League Tournament, which is Friday and Saturday at North Kitsap High School. I checked in with Lindberg yesterday, but he said the brackets had yet to be released. An Ho, a senior from Vietnam, is the Knights’ No. 1 singles player. He’ll have a tough road in trying to advance to districts — the top two finishers advance — because the 3A teams competing in the tournament each have solid No. 1 players. Olympic’s Cory Smith is the odds-on favorite to win the title, at least in my opinion. The Knights’ best shot may be on the doubles side with duo James Hill and Justin Wells, both of whom have seen action at singles. They are experienced, and from what Lindberg says, are the team’s strongest duo.

Lyons’ soccer team is making a late push for the playoffs after having struggled for much of the season. The team has averaged six goals per game over the past three to climb within striking distance of Port Angeles for the third and final playoff spot. BHS and PA sqaure off at Memorial Stadium at 6:45 p.m. today.

Following the volleyball team has been one of the bigger joys of this fall sports season. The first-year coach Donnelly truly has instilled a new attitude, top to bottom. The team defeated North Mason for the first time in a long, long time (couldn’t even find the last time on the WIAA Web site) at home Tuesday in convincing fashion. The playoffs are still a possibility, although it’s going to take a few upsets during the last two weeks of the season. Regardless, the word “playoffs” certainly hasn’t been used in the same sentence as “Bremerton volleyball” for quite some time. Kudos to Donnelly and Co.!

A few familiar faces — Nate Gillam, football; Justin Adrian, girls swim; and Teresa Seim, cross country — have found mixed results with their respective teams.

The gridders look to snap a five-game losing streak at home Friday against North Kitsap in what should be an interesting matchup. Not going to make any predictions, but NK isn’t the team it was last year when it advanced to state.

Adrian has a young team, comprised of up-and-coming swimmers. I look forward to tracking their postseason run as that time nears.

And lastly, cross country. I made it out to BHS’ meet with Olympic and Kingston yesterday and was thrilled to chat with Seim, whose been the coach for 14 seasons. Seim said the team is inexperienced, but she’s been pleased with its progress over the course of the season. Freshman Rebecca Frei is a promising runner who should be in the mix for postseason accolades in the coming years.

That’s where we are now — in a nutshell — but there is plenty more to discuss. Which is why you’ll have to come back for more next time. See you on the sidelines.

Well, it’s official: The Bremerton Patriot sports section is a member of the blogging family.

As the not-nearly-fearless operator of this interactive sports engine, I hope to bring you, the readers, additional — interesting — insight and analysis on all sports, all Bremerton, all the time.

Inside the Huddle will focus on the athletes and coaches who comprise the sports landscape of Bremerton. During the academic school year, that means you’ll receive additional news about your favorite student-athletes and high school teams. During the summer, that means you’ll hear even more about the Kitsap BlueJackets, Kitsap Pumas and the other teams and athletes who lace ‘em up under the sunshine of Bremerton. This is an opportunity to expand coverage and, if all goes to plan, make the Bremerton Patriot sports section better than it already is.

There are times when stories or news briefs or interesting little tidbits don’t make it into the Bremerton Patriot print edition because there simply is not enough space. In launching Inside the Huddle, my goal is to close that gap.

There is a comment section here for a reason. Please use it! If you like something, let us know. If you hate something, let us know. We’re here to provide coverage that is both comprehensive and colorful. If there is a sports-related topic you’d like to read about at Inside the Huddle, or if you have a question of any kind, please chime in.

Welcome to Inside the Huddle, your one-stop Bremerton sports blog.