Liberty beats Skyline 39-34 in season opener
September 6, 2010
NEW — 9:33 a.m. Sept. 6, 2010
The Liberty High School Patriots showed they could still stand up against the most dominant of opponents Sept. 3.
As the home crowd stood, chanting “We are one! We are one!” they let out a deafening roar of jubilation as time expired.
The Patriots, ranked No. 2 in the state in Class 3A, beat Skyline High School, which is defending three consecutive 4A state championships, 39-34 in front of a packed house at Liberty.
“It was great,” Liberty coach Steve Valach said after the game. “Our fans are so much a part of it.”
Facing tough odds is not new to the Patriots — they overcame great adversity in the 2009 season to play in the state title game. This time, the team faced the Skyline game with the intensity and focus it learned to play with last year, Valach said. And they didn’t let a few bumps in the road get to them in the nonleague season opener.
“There was some magic tonight, for sure,” Valach said.
Football teams get ready to open seasons
September 3, 2010
NEW — 11:30 a.m. Sept. 3, 2010
Skyline and Liberty high school football teams meet for the first time in three years at 7 p.m. Friday when the Issaquah District rivals tangle at Liberty. Skyline enters the game as the reigning 4A state champion.
The Spartans also won the 4A title in 2008 and the 3A title in 2007. Liberty finished second in the 3A state tournament last season. The Patriots are expected to battle defending 3A state champion Bellevue for the 3A KingCo title this season.
Liberty returns outstanding skill players in Jake Bainton, Chandler Jenkins and Trey Wheeler. Bainton, a wide receiver, and Jenkins, a running back, were first-team all-league selections last season. Wheeler, a quarterback, earned second-team all-league honors last season. He is regarded as one of the top quarterbacks in the state this season.
Eagles looking much improved on defense
August 31, 2010
Adam Dondoyano, Issaquah senior wide receiver, takes in a pass during practice with teammates Aug. 27 at Issaquah Stadium, where they return for their home games this year. By Greg Farrar
Issaquah High School football teams have been able to put up the points and pile up the yards with the best teams in recent years. Read more
Skyline’s Kasen Williams chooses to be top dog
August 31, 2010
Skyline senior wide receiver Kasen Williams makes a ‘W’ with his hands Aug. 27 after choosing to play at the University of Washington in 2011. By Christopher Huber
Kasen Williams sat in a blue chair, his right hand hovering over five hats on a folding table.
He dangled the hand over the Washington hat. He let it linger on the Louisiana State hat. He waved it over the Florida hat. Then, he surprised everyone.
“Dad, can you help me out?”
As Williams, Skyline High School’s 6-foot-3, 200-pound wide receiver, waved his arms to excite the crowd, his father Aaron stepped forward. Read more
Patriots crank up their run to state to 11
August 31, 2010
- Brandon Ryberg, Liberty senior linebacker, eludes a would-be tackle during a drill Aug. 27 between teammates. By Greg Farrar
It has been 22 years since the Liberty High School Patriots last won a state football title, but this year, they have their thumbs on the reset button.
The team has buckled down, and with quarterback Trey Wheeler, running back Chandler Jenkins and receiver Jake Bainton each back for his senior season, the goal of winning the 3A state championship is in reach.
“There’s very much a sense of urgency from everybody,” Wheeler said. “We’ve all pushed each other to work as hard as we can.”
However, the team has a difficult schedule ahead of it this year. In its opening game Sept. 3, it hosts 4A state champion Skyline. It will also host 4A district rival Issaquah Sept. 10.
The Patriots will also need to prepare for Mount Si on Sept. 24, Juanita on Oct. 1 and Bellevue on Oct. 29. Head coach Steve Valach said the key to success isn’t in worrying about other teams, but in the Patriots being the best team it can.
“If we are, then I think we’re going to win a lot of games,” he said. “If not, and we play somebody who’s just as good or better than us, then those are games that we’ll probably have some regrets in.”
Of course, that isn’t to say the team doesn’t have its eye on taking down Skyline, the juggernaut from Sammamish. Liberty has a countdown in its locker room that ticks away the seconds until the 7 p.m. kickoff Sept. 3.
“We know what our best is, and if we put out our best, we know we can beat any team,” Bainton said.
With the loss of graduating seniors, such as linemen Alex Kaser and Coleton Langdon, and linebackers Cameron Talley and Troy Solly, new players will need to step up for the team to thrive.
“The great thing about having senior leadership is pretty obvious,” Valach said. “The hard part is when they graduate, you feel the void. We’re going to miss all of them.”
Senior middle linebacker Brandon Ryberg looks to help fill the holes on defense, and his unwavering work ethic has drawn attention from teammates and coaches. Others to watch include sophomore lineman Kevin Aherns, sophomore receiver Anthony Avery and receiver and senior receiver Anthony Lemmon.
“You don’t really know until the lights come on and the first snap goes off,” Wheeler said about who could be the team’s next great player. “We’re working hard, training hard, and expecting a lot from the guys who are stepping up to fill those spots.”
Wheeler, Jenkins and Bainton have already taken leading roles this year. Wheeler has worked to improve his decision-making abilities, Bainton has worked to become more explosive and Jenkins has continued to give maximum effort on every play.
Last season Jenkins and Bainton each earned first-team all-3A KingCo Conference honors.
Jenkins was second in KingCo rushing with 1,024 yards, and ran for 11 touchdowns. He also tied for third in the league in receiving, with 34 catches for 447 yards, and caught nine touchdown passes. Jenkins tied for the league-lead in all-purpose yardages with 1,695 yards and was second in league scoring with 126 points.
Bainton was selected as the league’s special teams player of the year. He was second in KingCo receiving, with 41 catches for 675 yards, and caught 10 touchdown passes. On defense, Bainton lead the league in interceptions with five. He also topped the league in punting, averaging 38.4 yards a boot.
Wheeler passed for 2,385 yards and 29 touchdowns last season. He directed the Patriots to playoff victories against Camas, O’Dea, Lindbergh and Lakes.
Valach, now in his 12th season as the Patriots’ head coach, said the three leaders understand that the team’s success is more important than individual performances, and each works to make those around him better players.
The team’s motto this year is “finish,” and it will need to if it hopes to be crowned champion in the Tacoma Dome.
“It’s come down to our seniors this year,” Bainton said, adding that he and his teammates learned tremendously from last year’s seniors. He said they learned from the best.
“We’re going to come out and give it our best this year,” Bainton said. “No regrets.”
Spartans are fine with sophomore quarterback
August 31, 2010
Skyline sophomore quarterback Max Browne delivers a pass during the team scrimmage Aug. 27. By Christopher Huber
The fact that Skyline High School sophomore quarterback Max Browne has some big shoes to fill might be a gross understatement.
But he and his teammates aren’t letting the fact that all-state quarterback Jake Heaps, who directed the Spartans to three state championships, isn’t here to lead the team to another title get to them.
And even though Skyline lost a handful of its core varsity squad to graduation, Browne and the Spartans carried over their energy from the 2009 championship season with the same goal in mind this season — make it to the Tacoma Dome. Read more
Skyline football star Kasen Williams picks UW
August 27, 2010
UPDATED — 7:10 p.m. Aug. 27, 2010
Skyline High School star Kasen Williams has announced his plans to attend the University of Washington.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound senior receiver was expected to pick the UW, and follow in the footsteps of his father, Aaron, who played receiver for the Huskies from 1979 to 1982.
Williams made the announcement at Spartan Stadium after a scrimmage Friday evening.
Williams recently narrowed his list to a final five that included Florida, Notre Dame, California, Louisiana State and Washington. In a radio interview earlier this week, he said his list was down to two schools but would not reveal the names.
Issaquah officer collars Beaver Lake Triathlon
August 24, 2010
Jason Houck wins men’s division; Seattle’s Kara Nielsen takes womens group
Jason Houck, of Issaquah, crosses the finish line first during the 17th Beaver Lake Triathlon on Aug. 21 in Sammamish. By Christopher Huber
Jason Houck took his night shift with the King County Sheriff’s Office off Aug. 20 to rest up for the early-morning start of the Beaver Lake Triathlon the next day. He needed to save his energy to perform at his peak. Plus, he had to work the night after the race, too. Read more
Local players hold on to the dream of playing in the show
August 24, 2010
There have been some high points, and some low ones, for five local baseball players who have been competing in the minor leagues this season.
Of the group, only Issaquah High School graduate Colin Curtis has played in the major leagues this year. The New York Yankees called up Curtis in June from Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, of the International League. The left-handed hitting outfielder played in 22 games with the Yankees, batting .256 with a home run and eight runs batted in. Read more
Athletes prepare for Lake Sammamish Triathlon Aug. 28
August 24, 2010
While some athletes will head north for the rigorous Subaru Ironman Canada race in Penticton, British Columbia, on Aug. 29, many local triathletes will be wrapping up their season Aug. 28 at the Lake Sammamish Triathlon.
The Lake Sammamish Triathlon, at Lake Sammamish State Park, is the final local triathlon of the year. The event begins at 7 a.m. As of Aug. 23, registration for the race was still open. Sign up for the triathlon at www.signmeup.com/67401 or www.buduracing.com. Get more information by calling 206-920-3983.
The course consists of a 400-meter swim, a 14-mile bike ride, and a 3.1-mile run through the park along Issaquah Creek.
The Lake Sammamish Triathlon has the standard age group categories as other triathlons, including Clydesdale (men 200 pounds or heavier), Athena (women 150 pounds or heavier), junior age groups, friends and family, and relay teams. The friends and family category is a noncompetitive category.
All finishers will receive a medal.
A portion of the registration fees goes to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The mission of the foundation is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research.
