The Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks have found their groove at the perfect time. After consecutive victories over Muckleshoot, Orcas Christian and Fellowship Christian, the Lady Hawks volleyball team was riding a wave of winning momentum into their final regular season game played on Monday, October 22, versus the Lummi Blackhawks.
It was “Senior Night” for 12thgraders Yesenia Araiza and Nancy Enick. Prior to the match, family and friends of both players took to the court with balloons and flowers to recognize the occasion.
“My family shows a lot of support all the time, but it still felt really great sharing that moment with them,” said Nancy.
“I felt sad at first realizing this would be my last home game here,” added Yesenia. “Having so many fans come out to support us made the night special and got me excited to play.”
With emotions running high and the bleachers full of cheering Tulalip fans, the Lady Hawks took to the court. In the opening game Nancy served her team to a 5-0 lead. Lummi battled back eventually tying the game at 14-14, but the home team wouldn’t be denied. Tulalip went on an 8-0 run to take a 22-14 lead and closed out the game 25-16.
In the 2ndgame, Lummi jumped out to a 6-3 lead. Freshman Jacynta Myles served up several aces to give the Lady Hawks a 12-7 lead. It would be a back forth game for several points, but the home team would close it out strong, winning 25-20.
Team captain Deachae Jones displayed her solid serving abilities in the 3rdgame. Behind her, Tulalip jumped out to an overwhelming 13-4 lead. Lummi was unable to muster a counter attack, yielding the final game 25-14 and giving Tulalip yet another win in straight sets.
Deachae spoke for her squad following the “Senior Night” victory by saying, “We’re looking forward to playing in Districts because every game we’re having fun and continue to improve.”
Now, riding a four match win streak, the Lady Hawks (8-6) are primed for a quality showing in the upcoming District playoffs. They’ve been seeded #6 in the playoff bracket and will be hitting the road to play games on October 24thand
We’re midway through the North Sound Junior Football season, and two Tulalip Junior Hawks teams are garnering state-wide attention. The latest update to the Western Washington Junior Football power rankings have the fourth-grade level 89ers (4-1) ranked 8th in state, while the seventh-grade level Bantams (5-0) are all the way up to 4th.
Both teams excellent play on the field and growing hype, as far as championship expectations go, has led to extra attention from opposing coaching staffs. It’s often the case lately that coaching staffs of soon-to-be opponents are coming out to video record the Junior Hawks’ games in order to scout formations and particular players. It’s respect of the highest honor really; youth football teams playing so well that extra time and attention is being given to them like a high school or college program.
On Saturday, October 6, the Tulalip 89ers hosted Oak Harbor in a week six matchup. Coming into this game, the 89ers defense has been tremendous. In fact, they’ve only allowed one team to score all season. That level of defensive play would continue and overwhelm Oak Harbor.
The 89er defense was relentless, putting a lock on Oak Harbor’s offense in every way. Meanwhile the 89er offense was focused on using their ground game to move the ball up and down the field. In the red zone, running back Jesse Voss ran in a touchdown to give his team their first lead at 6-0. Later in the game, once again in the red zone, quarterback J.J. Gray scrambled for a touchdown of his own to push their lead to 13-0.
The defensive would hold it down from there. Once again holding their opponent to zero points, the Junior Hawks’ record moved to (5-1) with the 13-0 victory. Bryson Fryberg, one the leaders on defense, had several QB pressures and several key tackles during the game. Bryson shared it felt good to hold Oak Harbor scoreless, but that his favorite moments were the hard tackles he dealt out.
Following the victory Coach Omar Gray said, “Our kids stepped up big against a quality opponent. Offensively and defensively our players are really focusing on playing as a team and that allows us to play great football.”
JR Hawks Bantam
Later that Saturday, the undefeated Junior Hawks Bantam squad took the field in a matchup with Arlington at Arlington High School. The Bantams are led by a high-octane offense that averages nearly 45 points per game, while their opponents only average a single touchdown.
“The most important thing for us as a coaching staff is to make sure our boys play for each other and as a family,” shared Coach James Madison prior to kick-off. “We’ve had several key players go down with injury, but it’s up to our players to step up and show the quality of our depth.”
Tulalip took it to Arlington early and often. At halftime they led 26-0 and piled on several more offensive highlights in route to a 34-0 victory. Wide receiver Jayden Madison led the Junior Hawks with three touchdowns. After the win he said, “I thought it would be a closer game, but our passing attack was just too good. My favorite play was when Gaylan threw me a perfect pass in the corner of the end zone and I caught it over two defenders.”
With two more regular season games before playoffs start, both the Junior Hawks Bantam and 89ers teams are playing great football and keeping their eyes on the prize: a Junior Football League Championship.
After opening the volleyball season with a subdued 0-3 record, the Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks were anything but disappointed. They understood that this year’s squad was full of new faces that required a few games, a lot of practices, and some line-up tinkering before success would be found the court.
Behind the scenes, the new look Lady Hawks were working diligently to craft a team identity; one that each player was able to participate in and be proud of even when working through an early season rough patch. With seven underclassman on the team, it was important for the junior and senior girls to lead by example and remain uplifting whenever possible.
“We’ve really been stressing the importance of communicating on the court at all times, never giving up on a play, and always fighting hard,” said team captain Deachae Jones.
“We’re coming together and realizing what everyone’s strengths and weakness are so that we’re in the best position to help our teammates,” added co-captain Krislyn Parks. “We’ve definitely grown as a team. Everything is starting to fit together.”
Playing for one another and keeping high spirits allows the new faces to find a comfort zone. As the team identity forms, so does the contributions of each Lady Hawk player.
Tulalip displayed their new team identity on September 19 when they played Cedar Park Christian. The Lady Hawks would win their first match of the season in convincing fashion. They won in three straight sets. Then they kept the momentum going when they took on Skykomish days later in another straight set victory.
With back-to-back wins under their belt the girls felt really good going into a matchup with the undefeated Lopez Lobos. Tulalip got humbled by Lopez in straight sets, but took the loss in stride. They were eager to get back to practice and work on the holes in their game Lopez was able to exploit.
After a few practices the Lady Hawks (2-3) hosted the Knights of Arlington Christian (0-4) at Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium. Plenty of fans came out to cheer on the home team.
In the opening set, the score was tied 4-4 when Deachae and Martie McLean showcased their service games by combining for one ace after another. They served their team to a comfortable 18-5 lead. The Lady Hawks went on to take the first set 25-8.
The second set saw Tulalip run out to an 8-1 lead before the Knights battled back to tie the score at 9-9. With the home crown getting lively and the bench players cheering them on, the Lady Hawks settled into their game and took control. They went up 21-13, before a mass substitution to get the bench players some reps, and closed it out 25-21.
Coach Tina Brown left the bench players in to start the third set. The back-ups played well and were consistently cheered on by the starters in between points. Tulalip trailed 17-20 when the starters were put back into the game and quickly dispatched the Knights 26-24, winning the match in straight sets.
“Our new rotation is working well, but most importantly this group of girls has taken it upon themselves to pump each other up and really focus on teamwork,” said Coach Tina. “Evenin the games we’ve lost, you would think we are winning by how the girls cheer each other on. Their sportsmanship and teamwork is the best I’ve seen.”
Having won three of their past four matches, the Lady Hawks (3-4) hit the road to play at Grace Academy and at Muckleshoot before returning home to play Providence Classical Christian on Monday, October 8.
The 2018 season has officially started for the Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks volleyball team. After back-to-back successful seasons that included making the playoffs and playing at least four postseason games, the volleyball program looks to keep the momentum going with a whole new crop of players.
Only two starters return from last season’s squad, junior Deachae Jones and senior Yesenia Araiza. The rest of the team is filled out with underclassmen who will have to gain the skill and court awareness necessary to become fixtures in the coach’s rotation.
“For us coaches, it’s been a huge adjustment because the underclassmen are young and inexperienced, so we’ve had to go back to teaching the basics,” explains Coach Tina Brown. “These girls play with such pride and they know that with every practice and every game their skill level will continue to rise.”
The season opener saw the Lady Hawks hit the road and travel to Shoreline where they played against the Shoreline Christian Chargers on Monday, September 10.
In game one, the Lady Hawks started out cold and found themselves trailing 3-11 before calling a timeout. Following the timeout, Heritage found a quality serving game from Nancy Enick, Jacynta Myles, and Krislyn Parks. Behind the good serves and a rowdy cheering section, the Lady Hawks clawed back and took a 21-20 lead. Their effort would fall just short as the team made a couple unforced errors and dropped the opening game 21-25.
Game two started out with both teams trading points. The score was 8-10 before the Chargers went on a big run that the Lady Hawks were unable to match. They dropped the second game 14-25.
The scoring drought continued into the third game, as the Lady Hawks found themselves trailing 4-14 before calling a timeout. Although the team was down big, the girls didn’t let the score reflect how much fun they were having. They kept their composure and were still cheering on each point they earned. Tulalip went on to lose the third game 13-15, and the match 0 games to 3 games.
“I’m so proud of our team for rallying back in the first game and keeping our spirits up,” said Krislyn following the match. “We were communicating more and more, and everyone was trying their hardest. Our team chemistry will come with time, the more we play together and get used to one another.”
“For our first game together and still trying to find our chemistry, I think we did really great. We fought hard,” added Deachae, team captain. “We fed off our energy from practice the night before. We didn’t want to give up and played our hearts out.”
Next up, the Lady Hawks have their home opener on Wednesday, September 12 in what will be an early afternoon game played at 2:30pm versus Lopez Island.
Seventeen-year-old RaeQuan Battle’s basketball journey is filled with tales of amazing athleticism, skyrocketing potential, and a relentless determination to get buckets. The teenage Tulalip tribal member has gone from rez ball regular to Marysville-Pilchuck stand out to a four-star prospect committed to play at the University of Washington.
“Basketball is in my blood. Without it I don’t know where I’d be,” explains RaeQuan of the sport that has come to define his past, present and future. “Everyone in my family has played. Basketball has given me the opportunity to travel the country and, hopefully in the future, it’ll allow me to travel the world.”
In his junior year at Marysville-Pilchuck High School, RaeQuan dazzled opposing coaches and college scouts everywhere as he averaged 21.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. He was instrumental in guiding the Tomahawks to a 19-5 record, their first District title in over two decades, and a memorable trip to the Class 3A state regionals last winter.
Following his career year at M.P., the University of Washington’s recruiting team was again at his door with scholarship in hand. They convinced the 6-foot-5, 200 pound RaeQuan he’d be a perfect fit in the up-tempo style that features outstanding guard play. Plus, the idea of staying in state to remain close to his family and reservation was a huge perk.
“Being able to play the game I love at my dream school is amazing,” says the future Husky. “I was super excited to receive the offer, especially since the University of Washington had been with me since my sophomore year. They never switched up, they believed in me the whole way, and I really appreciate the coaching staff for that.”
Over the last several seasons, RaeQuan has continued to work on his basketball skills while playing on the national AAU circuit. He’s traveled the country playing for Seattle Rotary, a high-profiled team that competes as part of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League. With his height advantage and skill set both growing, so has his profile. Per ESPN’s composite rankings, he is listed as a four-star prospect and the No. 4 overall player in the state of Washington.
The national attention has garnered him invite after invite to national tournaments and high profile basketball camps, where he can showcase his talents against the best high schoolers around. Such was the case during Labor Day weekend, when RaeQuan was invited by Jamal Crawford, NBA player and Seattle hoops legend, to participate in his Top 30 camp held at Rainier Beach High School.
“This camp means everything to me because it’s all about these kids and giving them perspective that’ll come in handy at the collegiate and pro levels,” admits eighteen-year NBA veteran Jamal Crawford. “I understand that basketball is everything for these kids. The player development coaches we have assisting are here to further develop skills and give knowledge. We want these kids to keep dreaming and to never cheat the game because I promise them if they truly love the game and give their all to it, the game will be good to them.”
During Top 30, RaeQuan not only hooped against some of the best basketball players in the state, but received important advice and training tips from several current NBA players who’ve come out of the greater Seattle area, such as Jamal, Isaiah Thomas, Nate Robinson, and Zach LaVine.
“The group of high school players I competed against here, everyone had the mentality to just compete and play their best every scrimmage, every drill,” reflects the high-flying RaeQuan, who had a number of acrobatic dunks during the three-day camp. “I learned a lot from Jamal and Isaiah, too. They both emphasized just how hard you have to work, how you have to separate yourself all the time because you can be replaced at any moment. I will take these lessons and apply them to my own game for the remainder of high school, college, and the rest of my life.”
The combination of height, athleticism and scoring touch that has come to define RaeQuan’s game stood out, even in a gym full of Washington’s Top 30 high schoolers. Lead trainer and former men’s basketball coach at Evergreen State College, Arvin Mosley, points out “RaeQuan’s obviously explosive, but his ability to shoot the ball is what separates him. Yeah, he’s athletic and can dunk, but at the next level his shooting touch and range will prove even more valuable.”
Now, the high school senior looks forward to wrapping up his career at Marysville-Pilchuck and dreams of graduating with a state championship. With his Division 1 collegiate playing days only months away, RaeQuan will continue to sharpen his skills on and off the court in order to be a foundational player for the Dawgs of U.W. In his own words, “It’s all up from here.”
89ers Bryson Fryberg and Derek Wilson forcing a QB sack.
By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
Last year, for the first time in nearly fourteen years, Tulalip began an initiative to have its own youth tackle football program. Under the careful guidance of Youth Services employees Lonnie Enick and Josh Fryberg, the Junior Hawks program kicked off with a single team of 9-12 year olds who played during the 2017 season. That lone team was the spark that ignited a flame, attracting many more aspiring Tulalip football players for the 2018 season.
Now in its second season, the Junior Hawks youth football program has grown from having just the single team to having five teams, each separated by age level; Peewees, 89ers, Juniors, Bantams, and Seniors. Each team is comprised of mostly Tulalip tribal members. These youth, who before were only able to play football under the banners of Marysville or Everett, now proudly sport stylish uniforms that read Tulalip Hawks.
Tulalip sought and received acceptance into the North Sound Junior Football League, legitimizing the program as a whole and establishing themselves as the official feeder program for the reservation’s Heritage High School.
“We have a lot of very dedicated players, coaches, parents and volunteers who are ready for football season to start,” noted Junior Hawks president, Bantam team coach, and Tulalip tribal member James Madison. “It takes a lot of hard work for it all to come together, but we’re ready and we’re excited.”
89er coaches reviewing the game plan at halftime. Right – Bryson Fryberg and Derek Wilson forcing a QB sack. Below – J.J. Gray throwing for a TD.
This season’s campaign kicked-off on Saturday, August 25, with four of the Junior Hawks teams playing home games at the youth center versus Lake Stevens teams.
The 89er division got things started with a 9:00am game. Quarterbacked by tribal member J.J. Gray and coached by his father O’Mar Gray, the Junior Hawks executed their game plan flawlessly by dictating tempo on both sides of the ball. Offensively, J.J. looked like a young Mike Vick running quarterback options and routinely juking multiple defenders as he left the pocket for long runs. Meanwhile, the defense was giving up nothing on the ground or through the air. Several Junior Hawks players, like Bryson Fryberg and Derek Wilson, were able to overpower their Lake Stevens counterparts and come up with multiple quarterback sacks.
At halftime the Jr. Hawks were up 21-0, giving the home crowd much to cheer about. They would tack on another touchdown for good measure in the second half on their way to a well-earned 27-0 victory.
“For this being our first game, I thought it went great,” reflected Coach Gray after the season opening win. “For them to play in front of their families and friends, here in Tulalip, was a big energy booster for the team. All of the kids stepped up and you could see each player was hungry for a win.”
Bantam squad’s Gio Vega-Hillaire shreds Lake Stevens with the ground game.
Following the 89er game, the Junior Hawk Bantam squad took to the field. Prepared by long-time coach James Madison and led by a crop of highly talented 12-year-olds, this team walked on the field with high expectations.
They set the tone early unleashing a variety of offensive formations that Lake Stevens was unprepared to defend. Players Gaylan Gray, Gio Vega-Hillaire, and Jayden Madison all scored touchdowns early as their team took a commanding 26-0 lead. Their defense would force several 4th-down stops and the offense never let off the gas, eventually winning with a lopsided score of 57-14.
“Our offense came easy because our O-line did a great job blocking for us and opening up running lanes,” said do-it-all player and tribal member Gaylan Gray. He accounted for five Jr. Hawk touchdowns on the day. “My favorite play was catching a pass and going for a 50+ yard touchdown.”
“Both our defensive and offensive lines did good,” added lead running back Gio Vega-Hillaire, who chipped in four touchdowns himself. “It was a lot of fun winning the way we did at home.”
Jayden Madison coming up with a clutch interception.
The dominant victories by both the 89ers and Bantam teams give the Junior Hawks program high hopes for the season and expect to see a champion crowned at the end of the season. All in all, the program consists of five teams, over 125 athletes, and thirty volunteers.
“Our kids are out here representing Tulalip the best way they can,” said Coach Madison. “They all know each other, most are family, and they get out on the field and just play hard. We know, as a program, we’re brand new but we’re determined to show every week that we’re Tulalip and we’re proud of it. These kids have set a goal from day one to win a championship, and we expect to do just that.”
To follow the Junior Hawks progress over the season visit www.northsoundjrfootball.org
A one-of-a-kind basketball camp was offered to the youth of the Tulalip Community during the week of August 13-17. The camp was brought together by a team led by Sharmane Joseph and Tulalip Community Health, with help from Tulalip Youth Services and the Tulalip Diabetes Care and Prevention Program. The camp taught local kids the fundamentals of the game and brought a number of guest speakers to talk with the youth about growing up Indigenous.
“It’s called EPIC Basketball Camp and stands for Explore, Pursue, Invest and Challenge,” says Sharmane. “It’s our first year and I’m part of the Community Health department and we wanted to show the community that we don’t work with just one age, we work with the entire community and we’re here for everyone. The first day we had about eighty-one participants and we opened it up at the Boys and Girls Club for the kids who don’t get to come to the youth center.”
During morning drills, the kids worked on their ball handling skills and their shooting techniques. The kids also listened to many keynote speakers throughout the week including Native American rapper Sten Joddi of Tattoo Muzik Group, Native Comedian Mylo Smith Jr. as well as Dereck Stonefish and the Reawakening Warriors and Patty Stonefish of the Arming Sisters group.
“The kids learn about a variety of things from the guest speakers,” Sharmane explains. “Like Sten, he taught about cultural identity; Patty Stonefish taught self-defense; Dereck Stonefish and the Reawakening Warriors talked about the different things the men go through with abuse and connecting with each other; and Ryneldi Becenti, the first Native American woman to get drafted in the WNBA, had an amazing story about never giving up and building family support.”
Since the camp was split into two different groups, one at the Boys and Girls Club courts and the other at the Greg Williams court, Ryneldi instructed the kids at the youth center while Randy July Jr. ran his Elevate Your Game basketball camp at the Club. Randy had an impressive ball career at Haskell University with potential to play at a professional level. Randy went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft but continued his journey with basketball by bringing both his experience and message to kids on reservations across the entire country. Ryneldi is in the same line of work and played professionally for the WNBA team Phoenix Mercury in 1997.
“I’ve been here all week,” says Ryneldi. “I travel to all different reservations and do youth work. I enjoyed my time here in Tulalip. The kids were great, we did a lot of passing, dribbling, shooting drills, footwork and agility moves and then we scrimmaged in the afternoon. It’s been a lot of fun.”
After a week of basketball and motivational speeches, the kids received their own basketball designed with Coast Salish art by the Native American company, Trickster.
“I live in Everett and I love basketball,” says young camper Junior Parrish. “I learned a few new tricks on how to get my hops up. The speaker who stood out to me the most was the lady that taught us about self-protection. Learning about self-defense is really important and I think I could use that in real life. Every morning we’d run a few drills first and then we’d have some fun scrimmaging and playing king of the court later in the day. It was definitely a lot fun and felt good to get some runs in.”
Young Tulalip tribal member, Brodie Kane, retrieved a few tees and his left-handed driver from his mini, red Ping golf bag and headed toward the driving range of the Battle Creek Golf Course. With extreme focus, he lined up his shot, adjusted his cap to block the sun from his eyes, and took a couple practice swings before driving the ball nearly one hundred yards. Brodie, who is eight, is part of Battle Creek’s first-ever PGA Jr. League golf team.
The team recently completed their first season undefeated, competing against six other teams within their league including teams from the Snohomish and Echo Falls golf courses. Brodie is one of six Tulalip tribal members on the team of twelve, along with his younger brother Braiden, Nolan and Emily Hegnes and also Hudson and Sammy Reyes.
“This is fun, I wish they had this when I was growing up,” expresses Hudson and Sammy’s grandfather, Ray Sheldon Jr. “I think we should try to find more ways to get young tribal members involved because this is an active game they can play for the rest of their lives, instead of sitting at home and watching TV or playing video games. I hope next year even more young tribal members will come out and play and get out and enjoy the sun.”
Ray attends all of his grandsons’ matches, following closely in a golf cart, offering both advice and support to them along the course.
“Hudson can drive the ball over two hundred yards and can hit a six-iron one hundred and sixty yards,” he proudly beams. “It’s a great program, I’m so happy I get to play a sport with them.”
The PGA Jr. League is offered at many golf courses nationwide to all children under the age of thirteen. The league was originally founded in 2011 and enlists professional PGA golfers as their coaches, teaching the youngsters about sportsmanship and how to conduct themselves while on the course. The Jr. League also hosts a number of competitions and camps throughout the summer, including the very popular Drive, Chip and Putt Competitions.
“It’s been so amazing; Brodie can’t wait to keep playing. He’s ecstatic that he got to golf three times this week,” says Brodie and Braiden’s mother, Dinesha Kane. “He’s grown so much since the beginning of the season; he’s more confident. I think more of our Native children should get involved because it helps our kids learn etiquette, patience and it gives them so much confidence and that transfers over to life.”
Battle Creek coaches, Alex Stacey and Bob Styles, reflected on a successful season, crediting a great turnout and a fun environment. The Battle Creek PGA Jr. golfers are now headed to the postseason championship rounds after finishing their season with a perfect record. Although the season has come to an end, Coach Alex encourages local kids to join-in on the fun during Battle Creek’s upcoming summer camp hosted August 7-9.
Brodie also encourages his fellow Tulalip youth to join him on the course next season, offering to play with any youngins interested in hitting the links.
“I learned a lot more moves about hitting and teeing up,” he exclaimed. “I like to use my putter because you line up the hole on the putter with the ball and it’s easier to hit it in. I think other kids should play because they might want to learn as well, because they might’ve seen people on TV playing golf. I think they should ask their moms and dads or uncles or grandmas if they can play because golf is really fun!”
For more information, including how to sign-up your little golfers for summer camp or next year’s team, please visit the Battle Creek Golf Course Pro Shop or call (360) 659-7931.
