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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 22, 2016)
10A January 22, 2016 Seaside Signal seasidesignal.com Together, on and off the court Gulls’ boys beat defending state champs, girls roll Team from Page 1A Teamwork is a prized concept for the Lady Gulls basketball program. “You don’t win league championships without hav- ing good team chemistry,” Hamer said. During the ¿rst week of practice, the girls basket- ball program held an in- town retreat. After splitting off from the junior varsity players for the night, the varsity girls went over their goals for the season, ac- cording to senior Whitney Westerholm. This year, she said, they “bonded over the question” of what were their biggest fears for the season. “You kind of get to know your team on a different level beside basketball,” she said. “We talk about how we’re going to accom- plish those goals and how we’re going to overcome those fears as a group. I think that’s another rea- son why we’re so close as a team. Because we know each others’ fears, and we know what they need to do to overcome them. And we all have the same goal in the end.” Some of the deep con- nections between players can be attributed to long- standing friendships forged through many years living in the same small town, attending the same schools and participating in many of the same activities be- sides basketball. Yet players like senior Jesse Trott, who moved to Seaside from out of state as a freshman, show there is more to it than sim- ply adding up years. “I had no friends for the ¿rst three and a half months,” she said. “When I walked on the basketball court, I kind of just imme- diately had friends.” During those months, she said, she felt like an out- sider “everywhere else, but not on the basketball court.” By Gary Henley EO Media Group JEFF TER HAR/SEASIDE SIGNAL Whitney Westerholm, driving for a lay-up against Estacada, is an important part of the team’s success on and of the field. The Gulls won 64-26. “I never got treated like a new kid,” she added. The team’s slogan, cre- ated two years ago and brought into re-use this year, is T², which stands for “tough and together,” Ham- er said. “It has been really a cool thing for our girls to think about, always being tough. No matter what the situa- tion is, we’ve got to handle it in a tough manner,” he said. “And we’re going to be together and have each others’ backs, no matter what.” As student-athletes, the girls approach the game with an understanding that other responsibilities are equally important. The varsity team practic- es after school each day and on Sundays. To participate in games, the girls abide by certain criteria. They cannot be failing more than one of their ¿ve classes. They can- not practice if they’ve taken an unexcused absence that day. If they don’t practice the day before a game, they can’t play in at least the ¿rst half. If they’re failing a class, they can’t miss that class to go to an event. Senior Annuka Brown, who plays post, said the coaches encourage them to be “really good people off the court,” which means “having respect and man- ners” and “treating every- one nicely.” The girls know basket- ball doesn’t last forever, and when the game ends, it is what they have learned that will last. “It’s not just about how good we are and how many points we scored and stuff like that,” Westerholm said. “It’s more about how it re- lates to the bigger picture.” The girls hope to be playing basketball into March, at the state tour- nament as the Cowapa League champions, which “will be tough” goals to ac- complish this year, Hamer said. But what the girls will do beyond that is still being set in motion. Ideue anticipates play- ing softball, her primary sport, at Centralia College in Washington on a schol- arship and possibly playing intramural basketball for fun. Junior Maddi Utti is being scouted as a college basketball prospect. For West, Brown, Trott and Westerholm, however, they see their days on the court as numbered. “There are so many oth- er things in the world and so many other avenues,” Trott said. SCAPPOOSE — The two teams that tied for the Cowapa League champi- onship last year opened the 2015-16 league season Tuesday night at Scap- poose, in the Game of the Night in Class 4A boys basketball. And — as expected — Round 1 went to the Sea- side Gulls. But just barely, as the state’s No. 2-ranked team had to hold on for a 59-56 win over the de- fending state champion Indians. Seaside led Scappoose by as much as 17 points in the third quarter, only to watch a furious rally by the Indians in the fourth that brought Scappoose to within one point. 0eanwhile, the ¿rst half featured four ties and seven lead changes. A pair of 3-pointers by Scappoose junior Tanner Kramer gave the Indians a 16-11 advantage in the ¿rst quarter, but the lead didn’t last. Scores by Jack- son Januik and Hunter Thompson in the second quarter resulted in a 27-23 Seaside halftime lead. And the momentum carried over into the third period, as a score by Aus- tin Eagon, a 3-pointer by Thompson and a jumper by Januik gave Seaside a 34-26 advantage. Baskets by Attikin Babb, Eagon and Thomp- son made it 40-26, and a 3-pointer from Januik gave the Gulls their larg- est lead at 45-28. Trailing 49-34 to start the ¿nal quarter, the In- dians rallied behind Joey Wagenknecht, Robert Do your ears, nose or throat need a good doctor? Schedule a visit with Christopher Nyte, D.O. Sometimes your ears, nose and throat need a doctor of their own. If your primary care provider refers you to an “ENT” – an ear, nose and throat specialist – now you can get this expert care close to home. Dr. Nyte is a board-certified otolaryngologist, or ENT, and also board certified in facial plastic surgery. His other specialties include skin cancer, nasal obstruction and therapeutic use of Botox for migraines. For more information on our ENT services, please call 503-717-7060 or visit www.providence.org/northcoast. Christopher Nyte, D.O. Lohman and Ian Donald- son, whose layup with just under a minute remaining cut Seaside’s lead to 55- 53. Jaxson Smith scored inside for the Gulls to push it to 57-53, but Don- aldson nailed a 3-pointer seconds later to bring the Indians to within 57-56. Thompson hit two free throws with 15 seconds left, and Scappoose was unable to get off a poten- tial game-tying 3-pointer. Eagon led the Gulls with 17 points, followed by Januik with 13 and Thompson with 12. “We played well for the most part, but we didn’t have good shot selection from about six minutes to three minutes left in the fourth quarter,” Seaside coach Bill Westerholm said. “We didn’t play well for that span. But it’s a big win on the road, in a tough place to play.” Girls Basketball Gulls 48, Indians 20 SCAPPOOSE — The No. 2-ranked Seaside Lady Gulls have domi- nated the Cowapa League for the past two years, and they’re showing signs of doing it again. Seaside led 20-0 after one quarter Tuesday night at Scappoose, on its way to an easy 48-20 win over the Indians. Maddi Utti scored 21 of her game-high 25 points in the ¿rst half, which ended with a 3-pointer by Utti for a 33-10 lead. Sydney Villegas scored nine points and Whitney Westerholm added eight for the Gulls, winners of nine straight.