AHS PREVIEWS
8A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015
BOYS BASKETBALL
Big lineup has Astoria ready to compete
By GARY HENLEY
The Daily Astorian
The Kevin Goin era of Asto-
ria boys basketball managed to
get off the ground last season …
even if it only hovered around
like a U.S. Coast Guard helicop-
ter.
Following a few tough years
for the Fishermen, Goin came to
the rescue last season, as he tried
to turn a program around that
had gone 5-19 overall the year
before and had lost most of its
talent.
Heading into the 2015-16
season, Goin has his system
in place, along with three all-
league returners as the Fisher-
men look to improve on last
year’s 9-15 record.
And right off the top, Astoria
should be much better in Year
No. 2 of the Goin era.
THE COWAPA
It’s hard to get anywhere
when you live in the “Confer-
ence of Champions.”
Like several other sports at
the 4A level, boys basketball is
the home of a defending state
champion, following a state
title won last year by Scap-
poose.
The Indians lost a load of
talent to graduation, but Scap-
poose is always contending for
a league title. And so is Seaside,
which is ready to make another
strong run at the state tourna-
ment.
“We had a really good league
last year,” Goin said. “We had
IRXU RI WKH ¿QDO :H UHDOO\
Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
Kyle Strange was all-league last year and looks to lead
Astoria this season.
ASTORIA BOYS
Coach: Kevin Goin, 2nd year
2014-15: 9-15 (3-7 Cowapa)
Playoffs: None
All-League Losses: None
All-League Returners: Morgan Fruiht, Sr.; Derek Jarrett, Sr.; Kyle
Strange, Jr.
proved out to be one of the bet-
ter leagues.
“Scappoose lost quite a bit,
but Seaside brings almost every-
body back, and they should be
real tough. Tillamook is always
good, even though they lost
some guards (including Player
of the Year Zane Wright).
“As usual, everything will
be pretty competitive, and on
any given night you could get
a win,” he said. “Seaside has to
be the clear cut favorite. They
have their guards back … that
group is all a year older, and I
GH¿QLWHO\WKLQNWKH\¶UHWKHRQHV
to beat.”
Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
Morgan Fruiht is one of seven players on this year’s roster
listed as over 6-foot tall.
THE FISHERMEN
A year older, a year wiser,
taller, bigger, stronger … the
team has more depth … what
more could Goin ask for?
“It’s nice to not have to start
from scratch,” he said. “We have
good numbers, with a really big
freshman class. I’m real excited
about the varsity level.”
For one, “We’re a lot deeper
than we were last year. We’ve
got guards. Having Ole Englund
(Jr.) back helps, Fritz (Fremstad,
a junior who suffered a shoul-
der injury in football) should be
ready by mid-December. Clay
Williams (hamstring injury),
should also be back by mid-De-
cember.”
The Fishermen will likely be
the biggest team in the Cowapa.
“We’re really big, with Ryan
Palek (Jr.), Jackson Arnsdorf
(Jr.), Morgan Fruiht (Sr.) and
Rory Loughran (Sr.) — four
kids who are 6-4, and Derek Jar-
rett (Sr.) is 6-5 or 6-6. Clay Wil-
liams (Sr.) is 6-2; Alex Burch-
¿HOG-ULVDQGSOD\VDORW
bigger. We’ve really got a lot of
size.”
7KHVLJQL¿FDQWUHWXUQHUVDUH
all-leaguers Kyle Strange (Jr.),
Fruiht and Jarrett.
Strange played football,
while “Derek and Morgan have
really spent of lot of time in the
ZHLJKWURRP7KH\DUHVLJQL¿
cantly different kids, physical-
ly,” Goin said. “Having Kyle
and Ole back … we really have
some depth and more guard
play than we’ve had in a long
time.”
Other players on the Asto-
ria roster include guards Kyle
Meisner (Sr.), Jasyn Gohl (Jr.)
and Cade O’Brien (Jr.).
GIRLS BASKETBALL
New attitude could lead to big season for AHS girls
By GARY HENLEY
The Daily Astorian
0LNH -DFREVRQ¶V ¿UVW \HDU
as the Astoria girls basketball
coach didn’t go exactly the way
he wanted — at least in wins
and losses.
Injuries were largely to
EODPH IRU $VWRULD¶V ¿QLVK
in league play, which did not
UHÀHFWWKHWHDP¶VVHDVRQQRULWV
future.
The Lady Fishermen ad-
vanced to the second round of
the league playoffs before they
were eliminated, and with all-
league caliber players returning
at every position, the 2015-16
season promises to be a lot more
productive.
Not to mention it will be Ja-
cobson’s second year with the
program. And he only needs one
year to turn it into a winner.
THE COWAPA
It’s tough at the top — that’s
all you need to know about
Cowapa League girls basket-
ball.
“I’m sure it will be Valley
Catholic, Banks and Seaside,”
Jacobson said. “As long as Val-
ley didn’t get any new players,
it should be those three in no
certain order. And we should
be right in the middle. We
thought we should have been
last year.”
He added, “Banks didn’t lose
many. They should have the best
chance to win league.”
THE LADY FISH
It will be largely the same
cast as last year for the Lady
Fishermen, only healthier.
“Sickness and injuries really
got us,” Jacobson said. “It’s only
been a week-and-a-half of prac-
tices, but the whole attitude has
changed. They’re just more into
it, and they know what to expect.
Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
Kaylee Mitchell is entering her second varsity season and
should play a prominent role on the floor.
ASTORIA GIRLS
Coach: Mike Jacobson, 2nd year
2014-15: 10-16 (2-8 Cowapa)
Playoffs: Defeated Scappoose (32-23), lost to Banks (25-43) in league
playoffs.
All-League Losses: None
All-League Returners: Chloee Hunt, Sr.
and talented junior class returns
Ashlee Dalton, Rylee DeMand-
er, Kaisa Israel and Alexis Wal-
lace.
Israel had foot surgery, and
will be released the beginning of
January to start playing, Jacob-
son said. Mickle missed much
of last season with a concussion.
Sophomore Kaylee Mitchell
enters her second varsity season,
Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
and should play a prominent
Rylee DeMander is part of a deep and talented junior class for Astoria.
UROHRQWKHÀRRUZKLOHDFRXSOH
new additions should help with
It’s just a better vibe the coaches
Seniors Mykka Abrahams, OH HQWHU WKHLU ¿QDO VHDVRQV RI the team’s depth.
are getting from the kids.”
Chloee Hunt and Taylor Mick- Astoria basketball, while a deep
Junior Anna Gimre, who
!
O
G AN
M
R
E
FISH
KLEMP FAMILY DENTISTRY
Dr. Dennis Klemp, DMD, FAGD
1006 West Marine Dr. Astoria, OR
(503) 468-0116
klempfamilydentistry.com
A S T ORIA Y OUT H
A T H L ET I C S
would like to thank
M C DONA L DS, FUL T A NOS P IZZA ,
VA N DUSEN BEVERA G ES,
C L A T SOP DIST RIBUT ING
& the Astoria community for their continued
support of youth athletics.
AY A is a no n-pro fit a thle tic bo o ste r c lub c o m m itte d to
suppo rting a nd pro m o ting yo uth spo rts, k -12 in Asto ria ,
thro ug h vo lunte e r se rvic e a nd fina nc ia l a ssista nc e .
“ G row ing C om m unity through Y outh Athletic s ”
m &
C H u IR sto
TS
S
JERSEY S
played at Liberty High School
last year, returns to Astoria;
while the Lady Fish picked up
McKailyn Rogers, a sophomore
transfer from Knappa.
“We’ll be a better team all
around,” Jacobson said. “For
the most part, we’ll be able to
handle the ball pretty well. And
we’re pretty athletic with that
¿UVWVHYHQRUHLJKWNLGVVR,¶P
hoping we’ll use that to our ad-
vantage.”
Jacobson will be assisted by
Marla Olstedt and Nikki Jacob-
son.
Prou d su pporter of
loca l a thletic progra m s
G et you r n a m e
ou t there w ith a
custo m T-shir t