A4 • Friday, February 25, 2022 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com
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Sibony is Seaside’s sharp-shooting guard
By GARY HENLEY
Seaside Signal
Ever Sibony, a Seaside High
School senior, is a standout in aca-
demics and athletics.
Ever, short for Everest, is the
third and last of the Sibony broth-
ers. The sons of Salomon and
Cecilia Sibony are familiar to fans
of Seaside sports, year-round.
Rafael, Samson and Everest
Sibony have taken part in every-
thing from cross-country, football
and soccer in the fall, to golf and
track in the spring. It’s basketball
only in the winter.
As you might imagine, the
Sibony house has its fair share
of medals, trophies and letters
received for competing.
In fact, Rafi, from the Class of
2018, is said to be the only athlete
in Seaside school history to let-
ter in four sports — cross-country,
soccer, basketball and track — all
four years.
The second oldest, Samson,
was a standout golfer, and now it’s
Ever who is carrying the torch and
holding out hopes for one more
state championship medal for the
Sibony family.
In addition to being a possi-
ble future Ivy Leaguer, Ever —
one of the most accurate long-
range shooters in league history
— is a strong candidate for Cow-
apa League boys basketball Player
of the Year this season. The Gulls
likely have one more home game
appearance before they head south
to Marshfield, with hopes of com-
peting in this year’s 4A state bas-
ketball tournament.
After a first round exit in 2019-
20, Sibony is up front and honest
about Seaside’s expectations, the
final year for several key seniors
on the team.
“Our goal is not just winning
league,” he said, “we’re definitely
trying to go for state this year.”
Setback
A day before being interviewed,
Sibony and the Gulls suffered their
first league loss of the season, a
47-32 setback at Banks. “Suffered”
is the key word whenever the Gulls
and Braves get together.
“I made it out of that game with
two bruised ligaments in my left
thumb, two stitches on my right
forearm, and a cracked knee,”
Sibony said. “It’s frustrating to
lose a game in league, but Banks is
a pretty good team.”
He added, “Their whole defen-
sive plan was based around me,
because of how much I scored the
first time we played (29 points).
I was trying to get other people
involved, but we couldn’t pene-
trate their zone very well. They
played a lot of man the first time,
and switched it up.”
Seaside rebounded two nights
Gary Henley
Ever Sibony, left, has always looked up to and competed with older brothers
Samson, middle, and Rafi.
Seaside tops Banks
52-49 in tiebreaker
The Astorian
Kelsey Betts
Ever Sibony sails in for another two points.
later with a win at Astoria, after a
little soul-searching.
“Our team was a little bit shaken
after (the loss at Banks),” Sibony
said. “A lot of people are taking
a look at themselves, including
myself. We were getting into too
much of a winning, cocky attitude,
and I think it will be a good learn-
ing point.”
The Gulls have lost just six
games to Cowapa League oppo-
nents over the last four years —
all to the Braves. The very same
Braves who will drop to the 3A
level next school year. In other
words, Seaside is saying goodbye
to its only competition in league
play.
“As far as rivals go, Banks has
been the main one,” Sibony says.
“Their fans do not like us.”
Sibony and the Gulls scored
a little revenge on Banks with a
52-49 win over the Braves in Sat-
urday’s tiebreaker for the Cowapa
League’s No. 1 seed to the state
playoffs.
The Gulls can take anybody on
a given night.
“We’ve gotten pretty good
looks at everybody,” he said. “We
played both (No. 1) Junction City
and (No. 3) Marshfield this year,
and I know for a fact that we can
beat any team in the state.”
The road to state is never easy.
Especially so this season for
Sibony.
In addition to the bumps and
bruises and stitches he received
at Banks, “I’ve been a bit inju-
ry-plagued this year. I had (foot)
stress fracture and missed a few
games.”
Sibony was told he would miss
four to six weeks, but was back in
three.
A lot of that has to do with Sibo-
ny’s competitiveness to be on the
floor, injured or not.
Growing up as the youngest
brother, he said, teaches you a little
about being competitive. But also
in keeping with the Seaside tradi-
tion, and being a Gull.
“We were always real compet-
itive, but the thing that helped me
most in basketball wasn’t as much
the competitive thing, it was get-
ting involved with my older broth-
ers, going to their practices and
working with coach Q (Gene Quil-
haugh) and coach (Frank) Januik.
“Growing up, I would join in
with all the older kids. That’s really
where my love of basketball came
from, playing up all the time. I
always wanted to be better than the
older kids.”
And watching the older kids
play in four straight state champi-
onship games was, no doubt, an
influence. Sibony had his idols, for
sure.
“Jackson Januik (now an assis-
tant coach to Bill Westerholm)
of course. I always liked the way
Hunter Thompson played defense
— I kind of modeled myself after
that. I liked the 2012 team, too,
with Nick Nelson, Aaron Chesnut
No season would be com-
plete without a tiebreaker at Til-
lamook High School between the
Banks and Seaside boys basket-
ball teams, and the 2021-22 sea-
son was no exception.
The two teams met for tie-
breakers at Tillamook in 2019
and 2020, with each team win-
ning one.
In a tiebreaker to break the
tiebreakers, the Gulls defeated
Banks 52-49 in a Saturday night
contest at Tillamook, helping
Seaside earn the league’s No. 1
seed to the state playoffs. The
teams finished the regular season
as co-league champions.
The Braves held an early
13-7 advantage, before the Gulls
reeled off a 15-2 run for a 22-15
lead midway through the second
quarter.
Banks held a very brief 34-33
and those guys. Another one was
Ryan Hague, who was a mentor
for me when I was a freshman and
sophomore.”
‘Mount Everest’
Januik went on to play at George
Fox University, but very few Gulls
have managed to play at the next
level. Sibony is hoping there’s a
spot for him, back East.
“My main plan after high
school is to go to the University of
Pennsylvania to study business,”
he said. “I’m also in direct con-
tact with their coach, and if I could
play there, that would just be the
cherry on top. I find out in March
BRIEFS
Writers Read event
explores ‘Recovery’
In an era when the word “recov-
ery” is on the minds of many peo-
ple, the word manifests itself in
myriad ways.
For 11 writers selected to read
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
Kari Borgen
R.J. Marx
if I make it into the school, and if
I make it into the school, there’s
basically a spot waiting for me.”
Finally, the name. Where does
Everest come from?
“It’s a funny story,” he said.
“Apparently when I was born and
still in the hospital, I didn’t have a
name for a day or two, and my par-
ents were making a bunch of jokes,
saying, ‘I love you forever and
ever, ever.’ They really liked the
nickname ‘Ever,’ but they couldn’t
think of a full name that they liked.
“The only other option was
Everett. But one day there was a
documentary on Mount Everest,
and they were like, ‘that’s it!’”
PUBLIC MEETINGS
Contact local agencies for latest meeting information and attendance guidelines.
Flash mob wishes
Allens ‘Happy Trails’
More than two dozen well-wish-
ers sang “Happy Trails to You” on
Monday, a serenade for John and
Lisa Allen of the Pacific Way Bak-
ery and Cafe on their final day of
business.
The Allens opened Pacific
Way at the corner of Cottage and
Pacific Way in Gearhart in the late
1980s, and the restaurant became
known to visitors nationwide and
beyond. The bakery followed with
equal success. While the restaurant
closed at the start of the pandemic
in 2020, the Allens maintained the
bakery to a steady and loyal cus-
tomer base hungry for tarts, pot
pies, muffins and sandwiches.
The Allens will be leasing the
iconic bakery to Jennifer and Alan
Arora of Lake Oswego.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe
this,” John Allen said to the crowd
of fans. “You’re all too kind.”
lead in the third, but the Braves
couldn’t keep pace with Sea-
side’s long-range bombers.
Ever Sibony hit a pair of
three’s to start the fourth quarter,
with additional second half treys
from Cash Corder and Connor
Langmo.
Sibony had two 3-pointers
in the first half as well, to finish
with a game-high 16 points.
Unless the two teams meet in
Marshfield at the 4A state tour-
nament, Saturday’s game was
the last between the two league
rivals. Banks drops to the 3A
level next school year.
Saturday’s tiebreaker also
brings an end to the Cowapa’s
best rivalry over the past six
years.
Since the 2015-16 season,
Seaside has lost just 13 games
to Cowapa opponents, including
eight to the Braves and two to
Valley Catholic, the two schools
dropping to the 3A level.
TUESDAY, March 1
Seaside Community Center Commission, 10 a.m., Bob Chisholm Communi-
ty Center, 1225 Avenue A.
Seaside Planning Commission, 6 p.m., 989 Broadway.
WEDNESDAY, March 2
Gearhart City Council, 7 p.m., www.cityofgearhart.com.
THURSDAY, March 3
Seaside Parks Advisory Committee, 6 p.m., 989 Broadway.
MONDAY, March 7
Seaside Housing Task Force, 6 p.m., 989 Broadway.
THURSDAY, March 10
R.J. Marx
Fans of the Pacific Way Bakery and Cafe say farewell to Lisa and John Allen.
during the Cannon Beach Library’s
Writers Read Celebration, “recov-
ery” ranges from life after COVID
to tending to an ailing bird. Recov-
ery also means a light-splashed
winter day, finding the path after
being lost on a trail, discovering an
old swimming hole or relearning to
garden as a cyborg.
Among participants is Gear-
hart’s Bill Graffius, author of the
poems “The Cyborg Gardener”
and “Deciding Factor.”
Steven Mayer of Cannon Beach
will read his essay, “On Recovery.”
Last year, the Writers Read Cel-
ebration reached more than 1,300
viewers.
This is the fourth year the Can-
CIRCULATION
MANAGER
Shannon Arlint
ADVERTISING
SALES MANAGER
Sarah Silver-
Tecza
ADVERTISING
REPRESENTATIVE
Haley Werst
non Beach Library has hosted the
Writers Read Celebration. Sixteen
pieces to be read include poems,
essays, a rap and a “shuffle” poem,
where lines are written and shuf-
fled to create different poems.
A five-member panel selected
16 pieces from 45 entries without
knowing who wrote them.
The celebration begins at 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 5 on Facebook
Live. Viewers don’t have to be
Facebook members. To access the
program, go to the library’s web-
site at www.cannonbeachlibrary.
org and click on the banner at the
top of the page. The event can also
be reached by going to the library’s
Facebook page.
PRODUCTION
MANAGER
CONTRIBUTING
WRITERS
John D. Bruijn
Skyler Archibald
Joshua Heineman
Katherine Lacaze
Esther Moberg
SYSTEMS
MANAGER
Carl Earl
CONTRIBUTING
PHOTOGRAPHER
Jeff TerHar
Seaside Convention Center Commission, 5 p.m., 415 First Ave., Seaside.
MONDAY, March 14
Seaside City Council, 7 p.m., 989 Broadway.
TUESDAY, March 15
Seaside Planning Commission, work session, 6 p.m., 989 Broadway.
Seaside School District, 6 p.m., https://www.seaside.k12.or.us/.
TUESDAY, March 22
Seaside Airport Advisory Committee, 6 p.m., 989 Broadway.
MONDAY, March 28
Seaside City Council, 7 p.m., 989 Broadway.
TUESDAY, March 29
Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District Board of Directors, 5:15 p.m.,
1225 Ave. A.
Gearhart City Council work session, 6:30 p.m., www.cityofgearhart.com.
TUESDAY, April 5
Seaside Community Center Commission, 10 a.m., Bob Chisholm Communi-
ty Center, 1225 Avenue A.
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