Category: Sports

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

After narrowly losing to Orcas Island, 29-34, in a defensive battle in their opening game of the NW1B District playoffs, the Tulalip girls hosted their crosstown rival Grace Academy on Tuesday, February 6, in a loser-out game. In front of a horde of their devout fans, the Lady Hawks took to the Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium hardwood with full knowledge of the stakes: win and advance, lose and go home. 

In their two regular season matchups, Tulalip bested Grace 33-27 and 41-29, which gave the home team a boost of confidence seeing the same opponent a third time. That confidence showed on Tulalip’s opening possession when Audrielle McLean splashed a 3-pointer on her first touch and gave her team a 3-0 lead. It showed when moments later Lilly Jefferson shot a midrange jumper that banked in. Those 5 early points would be all the Lady Hawks could muster for a long while though, as Grace implemented a 3-2 zone that stifled Tulalip’s perimeter-oriented offense. 

Trailing 5-11 midway in the 2^nd quarter, sophomore forward Raylee Lewis battled for an offensive rebound and was rewarded with a put-back bucket. The 5’5” Raylee again snatched a rebound away from Grace’s nearly 6-foot center, and put up a super quick layup off the glass before any defenders could contest. Her two buckets were the Lady Hawks only ones in the 2^nd quarter.

Fast forward to early in the 3^rd quarter, Tulalip trailed 11-25 and things began to look bleak. The transition game that the girls made their bread and butter on all season was nonexistent, and to make matters worse their senior guard Tieriana McLean was out for the remainder of the game with a wrist injury. They also had no answer for Grace’s center Candice Mugo who resembled Shaq with her dominating presence in the paint.

BUT, and it’s a big but, the beauty of sports is sometimes miracles happen. Epic comebacks. Catastrophic collapses. And whether or not any one thought they could actually come back against such undesirable circumstances, junior guard Audrielle did. At least her play conveyed that.

From late in the 3^rd quarter to midway through the 4^th, her teammates fought for every loose ball, did their best to corral every rebound and force turnovers, and each time they got another possession, they’d immediately look for Audrielle and pass her the ball. She turned into a true solo artist on offense. Splashing one deep 3-pointer after another. Each met with a louder and louder cheer from the home crowd. After her sixth made 3 ball, the Lady Hawks had clawed their way back to get within one possession of Grace, 28-30, with just under 2:00 left.

Comeback almost nearly complete, the Lady Hawks got a few quality looks in the games final seconds, but they would rim out. Grace would feed their post monster, who scored on their next two possessions, and that was a wrap. Tulalip lost on their home floor 28-35, ending their season.

Audrielle finished with 19 points, Raylee added 6 points, Lilly scored 2 points, and Isabelle score 1 point. 

“This season was my first time ever playing basketball,” shared 15-year-old Raylee after the game. “I’ve got a lot of cousins on the team and they were the ones who convinced me to play. My coaches and teammates kept telling me how much I was improving practice after practice and game after game. Looking back at how far I’ve come from the beginning to now, it really did mean so much to play on this team and in front of so many fans from the community. I’m not known as a scorer, so with this being our last game, it was actually real exciting to get some buckets with my parents and grandparents in the stands.”

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Tulalip Hawks hit the road and travelled north for a matchup with the Hurricanes of Mt. Vernon Christian. A 3^rd round game of Districts with a chance to play in the 1^st/2^nd place game, Tulalip’s adoring fans hit the road, too, and actually outnumbered the Hurricanes fans in their own building.

A tense atmosphere in the early going as both teams traded buckets to notch it at 7-7. With chants of “Defense!”, the boys turned up their defensive intensity and forced the Hurricanes to play out of their comfort zone. Tulalip got their transition game going and continued to force the tempo to run up a 28-21 lead at halftime.

Midway in the 3^rd quarter, freshman guard J.J. Gray caught fire from deep and swished in three straight 3’s to push his team’s 43-31. With 3:00 in the 3^rd quarter, the Hurricane’s called timeout to attempt to settle their team, but instead were met with a devastating chant of “Tulalip Power!” from the unrelenting visiting fans. 

In the 4^th quarter, the game tightened up and the usual shots for the Hawks weren’t falling. The Hurricanes finally started to execute their offense and flipped the turnover script by getting Tulalip to force errant pass after errant pass. The boys watched their 12 point lead vanish and were suddenly trailing 43-44 with three minutes to go. 

Freshman guard Amare Hatch finally put an end to his team’s scoring drought by coming up with a steal and scoring a contested layup. Moments later he’d splash a 3 that put his team up for good, 48-45. Just for good measure, senior forward Hazen Shopbell, instead of holding the ball and waiting for the Hurricanes to foul him, opted to shoot a 3 of his own and join in on the long ball party. Fortunately, it went in to the delight and uproar of his teammates and all the Tulalip fans who knew the W was secured. 

The Hawks 52-46 win means no less than 2^nd place in Districts. They’ll again hit the road, this time for Lummi Nation, for a matchup with the Blackhawks on February 8. 

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Tulalip Heritage boys basketball team finished a hard fought regular season with a (12-6) record. Having won seven of their final eight games, the Hawks earned a high seed in the NW1B District playoffs and the right to host a playoff game.

            On Saturday, February 3, family and friends lined the bleachers of Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium to cheer on their local teenage hoopers as they hosted the (7-14) Concrete Lions. This would be the third meeting between Tulalip and Concrete, with both getting a W on their home court previously.

It was a pressure-filled 1^st quarter as the Hawks came out tight in the opening minutes of their first playoff game. Senior guard Chano Guzman did his best to set the tone offensively with his usual attacking style. He knocked down two 3-pointers and three middy’s to score 12 points in the 1^st. With 2:15 to play in the 1^st quarter, the score was tied 14-14. The Lions were able to keep pace by hitting 3-pointers of their own and capitalizing on their bigger front-line players securing offensive rebounds and put back buckets.

Concrete continued their overachieving play to take their first lead of the game 20-18 early in the 2^nd quarter. It would be a super short-lived lead though as it seemed to spark Tulalip’s competitive fire. Fueled by their unrelenting pressure defensively, the boys forced Concrete into one turnover after another. Each seemingly leading to transition layup or high percentage shot. Six Hawks players scored down the stretch before halftime, then freshman guard J.J. Gray caught fire in the 2^nd half. 

After the Hawks went down 18-20 early in the 2^nd quarter, they used stifling defense and a diverse offensive attack to go an incredible 38-8 run that spanned to late in the 3^rd quarter. Now up big 56-28, head coach Shawn Sanchey used the comfortable lead to insert his bench to the cheer of the crowd. 

Nearly every shot by a reserve player received a little roar of anticipation from the crowd and benched starters, who were more than eager to see their brethren get a playoff bucket. Final score was a whopping 72-49 win. The Hawks were led in scoring by J.J.’s 25 points and Chano’s 22 points, while seven of their teammates also got into the box score. 

After the game, Coach Shawn shared his thoughts on the playoff W. “Having played Concrete twice before, we had a good idea on what we’d see from them and which areas we really needed to prioritize. The first two games, we weren’t at full strength either, so that was a benefit this time around knowing we were at full strength.

“It was impressive to see one of our senior leaders on the team, Chano, rise to the occasion early with his on-ball defense and timely buckets. He’s been a part of our Heritage program for a few years now and has the experience needed to keep our team together in tough moments and set the tone for us.”

Lastly, Coach Shawn added the significance of his starters taking control of the game and building the big lead so that their teammates could get some court time. “I tell the boys every game that they owe to the game and their team to work hard each quarter so the whole team gets a chance to play. Everyone, starters and bench players, works super hard and grinds every practice to get us here, so it’s only fair that we work hard in games like this to get our whole team some court time.”

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

It’s been a roller coaster like season for the Lady Hawks. This up and down, twist and turn filled ride is most evident by their final two home games.

On Saturday, January 27, Tulalip hosted fellow tribal school Taholah at Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium. We’ll save the disastrous details and simply refer to this one as a game to forget as the Lady Hawks found themselves on the wrong end of an 83-11 thumping. 

Forty-eight hours later, the girls rebounded in a huge way when Shoreline Christian came to town on Monday, January 29.  A slow-paced opening quarter yielded buckets by Tieriana, Audrielle, Raylee, and Kendra who combined to put their team ahead, 9-4.

Over the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters, the Lady Hawks found their groove in an emphatic way. With the McLean sisters spearheading the attack, the home team got the crowd into a frenzy by forcing Shoreline to turn the ball over and over again. Each time resulted in a transition opportunity for either an Audrielle layup or a Tieriana 3-pointer.

Entering the 4^th quarter, Tulalip led 37-17. Kendra, a senior forward, continued to battle multiple Shoreline players to secure rebounds which opened up uncontested shot attempts for her teammates. When only being single covered, she’d use her size advantage to shoot over the smaller defender. 

To the delight of all the friends and family who turned out for senior night, the Lady Hawks bounced back the Taholah loss with a 52-24 W. Audrielle led all scorers with 22 points, her big sister scored 18 points, and Kendra added 8 points.

After the game, senior guard Tieriana shared, “Being senior night, there was a lot of pressure to perform and get the win. Usually when I miss shots early in the game, I quit shooting late, but that didn’t happen today. I kept shooting and, especially in that 3^rd quarter, I got hot. [Steph Curry hot]. After our tough loss to Taholah, we really needed this game and we got it.”

When was asked how much it meant to get this W for her sister on senior night, junior guard Audrielle quipped, “I don’t know. A lot!” Fair enough. She then added, “This win boosts our confidence with playoffs coming up. That’s for sure.”

As of January 31, the WIAA website showed the Tulalip Lady Hawks earning a play-in bye, which sets them up with a Saturday, February 3, showdown with Orcas Island at Orcas Island high school. Tip scheduled for 12:30pm.

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Hawks secure #2 seed with back-to-back Ws at home

The Tulalip Heritage Hawks were riding a 4-game winning streak when they faced off with Taholah on Saturday, January 27. The gym was near full capacity with some people going so far as to bring in chairs from staff offices in order to sit down. Playing another tribal school always adds some extra juice to players on the court and fans sitting courtside.

The boys mauled their opponent from the get go, jumping out to a 20-9 after one quarter of play. Playing their patented style of run-and-gun offense, fueled by forcing turnovers, would wear on Taholah’s starters as the game went along. 

While Heritage dictated tempo, freshman guard J.J. Gray carved up the Taholah defense at every opportunity. At halftime, J.J. had 19 points and nearly outscored the visitors by himself as the home team led 37-19.

In the second half, Chano Guzman, Tokala BlackTomahawk, and Amare Hatch would score an array of buckets from within the painted area and along the perimeter to put the game away.

The Hawk’s extended their winning streak to 5 with a 67-45 win. Tulalip was led by J.J.’s 22 points, while Tokala scored 13 points, and both Chano and Amare had 11 points each.

“Our practices have been improving, our team energy is going up, and our mentality is getting right,” remarked senior guard Chano of the team’s win streak.

“All the fans filling the gym and their energy we definitely feed off,” added freshman guard J.J.

Tulalip thrived in their home court advantage, once again, just two days later when they hosted Shoreline Christian. Head coach Shawn Sanchey, a Heritage alum and four-year hooper, understood the importance of senior night for his squad and trotted out an all-senior lineup.

Senior forward Hazen Shopbell Jr. responded to the starting nod by knocking down a midrange jumper and then swishing a 3-pointer. Up 5-0 in the early going, Coach Sanchey called timeout to get his normal starters into the game and his seniors a rousing ovation as they hit the bench. Shoreline responded by going on a run of their own and took a short-lived lead, 5-6.

Once Tulalip’s offense found its normal tempo, it was a wrap. At the end of the 1^st quarter, the boys led 16-11. By the end 2^nd quarter, that lead was pushed to 29-19. There was some contentious moments, fueled by physical play by both teams and the heightened tension from a packed house, but it proved to only fuel contributions from Tokala BlackTomahawk and Amare Hatch.

Tokala scored 12 points, including two 3-pointers, and Amare scored 18 points, including three 3-pointers, that kept the Hawks rowdy fanbase in classic form while the home team secured another W, 59-34.

With the winning streak now at 6 in a row, Coach Sanchey described how much the big night meant to his boys.

“Senior night is really important to the kids. I still remember my senior night and how much it meant to have all the support in the stands, rooting us on,” he said. “Staring five seniors allowed for them take in the moment and hopefully share in an experience they’ll never forget. And they responded, too, by helping us to the early lead. 

“Of course, there were some moments of adversity late in the 1^st half, but my coaching staff has prepared them for moments like that. We emphasize fighting through adversity, keeping the motor going, and not letting anything dictate what we know we’re capable of achieving on the court. They really showed that resilient mindset tonight. I’m really proud of all our players.” 

As of January 31, the WIAA website showed the Tulalip Hawks earning the right to host a home playoff game in the opening round of Districts. Game time and opponent yet to be determined. However, it will be played at Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium on Saturday, February 3.

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a New Year’s resolution as a promise to do something differently in the new year. That definition doesn’t really do justice for the true dream chasers out there. Individuals with the courage to take risks and push themselves beyond their perceived limits to achieve something incredible. For these types, resolutions are merely goal-oriented tasks that bring them one step closer to fulfilling a dream.

Enter Tulalip artist Ty Juvinel and his dream of fusing formline, the traditional art form of our Coast Salish ancestors, with his passion for the Washington’s professional sports scene. Following the newly minted Seattle Kraken officially announcing their team name and logo, in July 2020, it was a perfect blend of rhyme and reason for Ty to attempt to manifest his dream.

“The first helmet I did was simply a passion project. Something I wanted to do to challenge myself by creating something new,” recalled Ty. “I’m a big hockey fan. Other people may not view it this way, but I view hockey as an evolution of Lacrosse, which is an Indigenous sport. But also, if you do some research and look up Mic-Mac hockey sticks, you’ll find the best hockey sticks of the early twentieth century were made by First Nations people….[rest of quote]

“After I finished the helmet I posted it online and shared with people close to the Kraken organization. Seemingly, there was no interest,” he divulged. “But that didn’t stop me from continuing to try and make my dream a reality.”

As 2020 rolled into 2021 and then 2022, a new development began to take form within the intersection of creativity and athletics. A new trend emerged as up-and-coming artists began finding unique opportunities to collaborate with professional sports teams. This innovative partnership is redefining the way sports and art converge, turning the gigantic fan bases of professional teams into a platform for artists to showcase their talents to a much broader audience.

Seattle Kraken vice-president of brand, Aaron Wiggan, recalled how it became a priority for to collaborate with local Indigenous artists. “It began by understanding how much representation matters. When we think about Seattle and the fabric of culture in this place, so much of it is rooted within the Coast Salish people and history. It’s something that really separates this region from other places across the United States. 

“It became a foundational component of who we want to be as a team, to connect with different communities, specifically tribal communities. There’s probably no better way for a mass audience to engage with, relate to, and understand a culture better than through art,” he added. “Ty is such a generous person. He showed up wanting to participate, willing to give a lot of himself and his artwork to us, but also desiring to share with us his history and his people’s history.”

More than two years after fusing formline and fandom, an opportunity afforded to him by Marysville local Bill Yates who sent him the initial mask to mock-up, Ty received an invitation by the Kraken to collaborate. What was just a farfetched idea planted by a Tulalip artisan strolling the sands of Mission Beach looking for inspiration was about to bloom into a true cross culture collaboration.

Ty began working closely with Aaron and his fellow members of the Kraken’s brand team to infuse his creative vision into various aspects of the team’s identity. This included several brainstorming sessions regarding custom traditional item with remixed Kraken imagery (paddle and drum), conceptualizing stunning Coast Salish awareness campaigns (land acknowledgement), and even designing iconic team merchandise (masks and jerseys) that resonate with local hockey fans on a deeper level. All while paying homage to the ever-vibrant tribal culture that remains omnipresent in our Coast Salish territory. 

As fate would have it, Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke kept a carved and painted paddle gifted from Ty in his office. In a meeting between the CEO, Brand VP, and Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer to discuss his desire to have a one-of-a-kind mask created for the team’s upcoming Indigenous People’s Night, Philipp spotted the paddle and asked, “Who made this?”

In the weeks after that fateful meeting, Philipp, who is a German citizen, would befriend Ty. Even going so far as to visit the Tulalip Reservation multiple times, including bringing his German parents with to visit the Hibulb Cultural Center while Ty offered his cultural perspective as tour guide. Philipp and Ty discussed design imagery for the intended mask, with each subsequent conversation serving to strengthen the bond between professional player and devout fan.

“Philipp really wanted something that represented all the Tribes in Washington State, which as we know is a difficult concept for such a small canvas like a goalie helmet, so I chose some iconic Coast Salish imagery,” explained Ty. “Using the air vent holes as eyes, there are Kraken with salmon spirits on each side, a spirit bird on the crown, a wolf along the chin strap, and on the back plate is a bear fishing for salmon. The design also includes a German eagle to represent Philipp’s ancestry.”  

Upon receiving the freshly painted helmet and seeing all the fabulous formline gracing its contoured shape, Philipp, the 12-year NHL pro goalie, shared, “Unbelievable! This is one of the coolest masks or the coolest mask I’ve ever had. Incredible work. I’m so happy with it and so excited to wear it.”

Ty’s mask made it’s professional debut last month, when the Kraken held their Indigenous People’s Night at Climate Pledge Arena on December 9. Among 17,000 fans in the sold-out arena was Ty and his family, including 13-year-old son Landon and 11-year-old daughter Teagan.

“Being able to share that moment with family was everything. I had tears in my eyes because it was such a powerful moment seeing our culture be recognized in a way that’s never happened before,” said Ty. “It’s recognition on a different level, a national level. How many people from around the continent watched that game and got to see our culture be recognized and honored? It’s powerful, that’s the best I can put it.

“Definitely a lot of emotion because this whole thing started as an idea I had for what it would look like if Seattle’s newest sports team used our art, our aesthetic to create their designs,” he continued. “It went from that idea to one phone call, a couple years later, inviting me to collaborate that made my dream a reality. Now, I can use this experience to tell my fellow artists and the ones coming up to never stop dreaming. I’m just a kid from the Rez. If I can do something like this, then others can, too.”

As the trend of up-and-coming artists collaborating with professional sports teams continues to gain momentum, the future looks promising for both worlds. This mutually beneficial relationship not only provides artists with unprecedented visibility, it also enriches the fan experience by introducing diverse visual elements to the world of sports.

“Philipp Grubauer only uses a two-mask rotation and Ty’s is one of them, so seeing his mask on TV will continue to be routine,” stated Aaron, Kraken Brand VP. “Ty is in a roster of pretty incredible artists, and we absolutely plan on continuing our partnership with him.”

Collaborations, like that between the Seattle Kraken and Tulalip’s own Ty Juvinel, are not just about creating beautiful visuals, which they absolutely do, but they are also about celebrating the shared passion that unites fans and artists alike. It’s an amazing fusion that unites love for the game with the power of artistic expression that can capture an entire culture.