Category: Sports

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

A season filled with much excitement and anticipation came to an abrupt end over the weekend, as the Tulalip Heritage boys basketball team (13-7) hosted Tacoma Baptist (16-7) in a 1st round matchup of the 1B Tri-District tournament.

The loser-out game was played on Saturday, February 15 at Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium. The stakes were simple, win and be guaranteed two more Tri-District games or lose and be finished. 

Adoring fans filled the gym’s bleacher sitting prior to the game’s opening tip-off. 

Early in the game Tacoma Baptist was dictating tempo and shooting a high percentage of 3-point shots against the Hawks’ defense. Making matters worse, the Tulalip boys were struggling to find their rhythm offensively.

At the end of the 1st quarter, the home team trailed 7-21. That deficit grew to 18-35 at halftime. 

During the intermission, Tulalip coaches emphasized to their players to not scoreboard watch, but instead simply play their game: High energy on both ends and leave nothing for later because there might not be a later. 

In the 2nd half, trailing by 17 points, the boys kept their heads held high and came out determined to make a game of it. They came out hustling on defense, going all out to force turnovers, while routinely diving on the floor for loose balls. On offense, they finally found a rhythm and made a point of attacking the basket.

Leading the comeback charge was junior forward Alonzo Jones. He connected on five straight shots at one point, capitalizing on the steals his fellow backcourt players were coming up with. The crowd was fully engaged and back into it, cheering madly for their squad to come up with a miracle comeback. 

The Hawks trimmed the Tacoma Baptist lead from 17 points all the way down to just 4, when they trailed 56-60 with just over a minute remaining in the 4th quarter. Forced to foul to preserve precious seconds of game play, they boys hoped their opponent would miss critical free-throws. Instead, Tacoma Baptist clutch free-throw shooting iced the game. 

Tulalip lost 59-67. Alonzo led his team with 25 points and 18 rebounds. Senior guard Leno Velo added 16 points and 3 steals in his final high school game. 

Heritage finished the season with a (13-8) record overall and, most impressively, continued the school’s streak of eight consecutive years making it to at least the Tri-District phase of postseason play.

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Tulalip Heritage Hawks boys basketball team entered the Northwest 1B district playoffs as a #3 seed and as such had to play on the road on February 6 versus the #2 seeded Cedar Park Christian. These two teams matched up twice in the regular season, with both teams winning on the other’s home court. 

A 3rd matchup made for a highly entertaining game. It was a back and forth affair with both teams determined to execute game plans. Heritage wanted to push the tempo and run at every opportunity, while Cedar Park wanted to be more methodical and slow the game down. Cedar Park’s strategy won out on this day because Tulalip’s shooting went cold in the game’s final minutes and resulted in a 57-65 loss.

“Looking back, we played too conservative and that’s what cost us,” explained Coach Cyrus ‘Bubba’ Fryberg. “The style that best suits us is playing fast, fast, and more fast. That’s what our focus has to be.”

In a 2nd round matchup with Lopez, Tulalip lived up to the coach’s expectation of playing fast. From the opening seconds they came out firing on all cylinders. The defense was forcing turnovers and making everything difficult for Lopez shooters, while the Hawks offense caught fire from field. A double-digit halftime lead continued to grow in the 2nd half. Lopez was unable to limit the Hawks’ high flying attack and the boys went on to make quick work of their opponent, 75-51.

Tulalip matched up with Mount Vernon Christian on February 11 in a battle for 3rd place at Districts. The atmosphere was heated as the gym was at maximum capacity with fans cheering loudly for both teams. 

The Hawks aggressive style was on full display from the game’s opening tip. The boys took a 19-4 lead by coming up with one steal after another and converting those into transition buckets. Their opponent refused to go down quietly however, as the Hurricanes adjusted and took advantage of their size and mismatches down low. The Hawks lead was trimmed to just four points, 29-25 at halftime.

In the 2nd half, the Hurricanes continue to play to their strength and cut the Hawks lead to just a single point, 33-32. Tulalip felt the pressure and used it to bounce back with an amazing 20-4 scoring run. They were once again feasting on forced turnovers and everyone was getting quality looks at the basket. Their relentless attack of the basket eventually wore down the Hurricanes. Now leading 53-36, the Hawks could coast to victory.

Heritage won out 65-49 to claim 3rd place at Districts. They were led by a trio of eye popping stat lines, including Alonzo Jones’ 16 points – 9 rebounds – 5 steals, Leno Vela’s 15 points – 5 assist – 8 steals, and Josh Miranda’s 13 points – 8 rebounds. 

What’s not visible in the box score is the high energy and contagious competitive spirt role players Daron Fryberg and Tarel Gonzales brought from beginning to end.

“They bring so much energy to our team and by giving them more playing time their aggressiveness is infectious…it ignites the rest of our team,” said Coach Bubba after the 3rd place showing. “We’ll look to continue playing our style of play at Tri-Districts, taking good shots, and playing an aggressive defense. I like our chances vs. anybody.”

The 1B Tri-District tournament begins this weekend. The Hawks will host their opening round matchup. Opponent is to be determined, but game time will be 1:30pm on Saturday, February 15.

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News  

Just three short weeks ago, the Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks basketball team had a (7-7) record and were looking to solidify their identity on the hardwood. The Lady Hawk coaching staff reviewed game footage and box scores to determine what they needed to focus on was defense.

In their seven wins, they held their opponents to a miniscule 31 points per game. But in their seven losses, they were giving up 46 points per game. The game plan was simple then, according to coaches, if the team locked in defensively they gave themselves the best chance to win.

“We decided we are going to control what our opponents do offensively by playing a box-and-1 style defense,” explained head coach Marc Robinson. “By taking away our opponents’ biggest threat and funneling everyone else towards our bigger and more physical interior defenders, we force a style that better suits us. If we play with those defensive principles we are difficult to beat.”

During their next four games vs. Grace Academy, Chief Kitsap, Cedar Park and Shoreline Christian, the Lady Hawks found a renewed sense of purpose and team identity anchored by their defense. The girls won each of those games by holding their opponents to 31 points or less, and rode the momentum of a 4-game winning streak into the Northwest 1B District playoffs. 

Kicking off on February 6, Tulalip earned the right to host a 1st round game at home in Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium. Led by their sophomore center Jacynta Myles dominating on both ends of the court, the Lady Hawks routed Lopez, 46-30. Jacynta scored a game-high 25 points. 

Next up, the girls hit the road to play the District’s #1 seed Grace Academy on February 8. In the regular season the two teams matched up twice and both times Tulalip was victorious. Before the game started it was obvious the Lady Hawks’ confidence was high and their defense was locked-in. They started the game riding their post-advantage by feeding the ball to Jacynta over and over. To her credit, Jacynta responded to her teammates trust by scoring one big bucket after another. 

The defense was impressive yet again as they held the top seeded Grace team to only 34 points, led by senior guard Deachae Jones and junior forward Krislyn Parks’ active hands and physical play. Tulalip game up big with an upset victory, 40-34, over rival Grace Academy to move on and play for the District championship. 

The District title game was held at Mt. Vernon Christian on February 11. The game pitted the Lady Hawks, who were on a 6-game winning streak, against the hosting Hurricanes, who had won eight of their last nine. Fans from both teams turned out and filled the gym with eager onlookers.

In the battle for 1st place, the intensity was turned up to the max. The Lady Hawks scouted their opponent and were determined to limit the Hurricanes best player. Unfortunately, Mt. Vernon had a team full of shooters who were ready to step up. Mt. Vernon’s role players showcased a 3-point touch that Tulalip was unable to shutdown. Meanwhile, Jacynta was seeing routine double-teams and even triple-teams to prevent her from scoring and the rest of her Lady Hawk teammates were having difficulty scoring the ball. 

Tulalip trailed 15-32 at halftime. They battled back early in the 3rd quarter with an 8-3 scoring run, but the Hurricanes continued to pile on with timely 3-pointers. The Lady Hawks daunting defense let them down this game, resulting in a 29-53 loss. Disappointed at the game’s results but still very much aware of the big picture, the Lady Hawks rejoiced in their 2nd place showing at Districts. 

“Throughout these playoffs we’ve really just had fun and enjoyed playing as a team,” shared co-captain Krislyn. “Our defense had been so good lately and our offense will continue to get better. We know we missed a lot of shots vs. this Mt. Vernon Christian team, but credit to them for playing as well as they did. 

“We will recoup and look forward to hosting a Tri-District game. At the end of the day, by finishing #2 here, we are super excited because we placed higher than the boys!”

The 1B Tri-District tournament begins this weekend. The Lady Hawks will host their opening round matchup. Opponent is to be determined, but game time will be 12pm on Saturday, February 15. Be sure to support your local hoopers on their quest for State.

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

M.P. vs. Getchell. Tomahawks vs. Chargers. The cross town rivalry lived up to all the hype when the green and gold Chargers (9-6) nearly toppled mighty Marysville-Pilchuck (14-2) on Friday, January 31. 

Many thought M.P. basketball would take a step backwards this year after losing all-state standout RaeQuan Battle to the University of Washington. They were wrong. The red and white Tomahawks have piled up one big win after another on their quest to get back to the State tournament. They were a perfect (10-0) in league play when the upset minded Chargers, led by junior phenom Malakhi Knight, entered the gym.

Three Tulalip tribal members are among the M.P. roster – senior T.J. Severn, Alec Jones and Elson Battle. Unfortunately, T.J. and Alec were unavailable to play in the rivalry game due to injury. 

A ruckus Marysville Pilchuck gymnasium grew louder and louder as the game played out. Tied at halftime, 27-27, the Tomahawks had no answer for Charger’s do-it-all player, Knight. He would finish the game with an impressive 34 points, but his scoring barrage wasn’t enough to outduel an M.P. team full of experienced seniors who are unafraid of the big moments.  The Tomahawks executed their plays in the game’s critical moments and capitalized on their home floor to secure the W, 61-57. 

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Riding a 5-game winning streak, the (7-2) Heritage Hawks hosted the (11-2) Lummi Blackhawks at Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium on the evening of January 17th. A large contingent of both teams’ fans turned out to watch the matchup of tribal heavyweights play out on the hardwood. 

The Hawks found themselves facing an early deficit, 0-7, after failing to score a single point midway through the opening quarter. However, the tide turned dramatically after senior guard Josh Miranda hit back-to-back 3-pointers to spark a 12-3 run by Tulalip and take the lead, 12-10.

The stands filled with energetic supporters cheered the loudest they have all season when the 2nd quarter began and their Hawks extended their lead to 14-10. After a series of plays in which Heritage players thought they were fouled, but the refs didn’t blow the whistle, the frustration boiled over when senior point guard Leno Velo got T’d up arguing a non-call. Now trailing, 16-19, Lummi sharpshooters caught fire and found success shooting 3-pointers against the Hawks’ zone defense.

By the end of the 3rd quarter, Tulalip struggles to keep up with the offensive pace of Lummi and lack of foul calls led to a 27-40 deficit. In the 4th quarter, Coach Bubba kept with his starters and urged them to keep playing their game. They responded by shocking Lummi with a 23-13 run in the final quarter. Led by Leno, Josh and Isaac Comenote all hitting 3-pointers and shots from the perimeter, while Alonzo Jones nabbed rebounds and steals, the boys fought back and got within one possession, 50-53, with under a minute to play. 

  An Isaac 3-point attempt with 20-seconds remaining rimmed just short. The bucket would have tied the game, but instead capped off a near stellar comeback by the Hawks. Lummi would hit their free-throws in the closing moments to seal the game. On an evening of back and forth runs, Tulalip’s late game surge nearly overcame a big deficit. With the 50-56 loss came an end to the Hawks’ season best winning streak.

Josh Miranda led his team in scoring with 21 points, while Alonzo double-doubled with 10 points and 15 rebounds.

“I liked our team’s hustle tonight, for sure,” reflected Coach Bubba following the game. “We played really hard and felt the game out possession by possession. We mixed up our defense throughout to give Lummi different looks. At halftime we were down by 13 points, but in the locker room we were focused on playing our game and urged the boys to push the ball for quick shots. In the last five-minutes, the boys got loose and let their shots go naturally and that’s when the game turned in our favor. Another minute or two and we could have won that game.”

The Hawks play two home games this week – January 22nd vs Lopez and January 25th vs Chief Kitsap Academy. Senior night is scheduled for Tuesday, January 28th vs Cedar Park Christian.

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

In a battle between the Northwest 1B’s top two teams, record-wise, the Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks hosted the Lummi Nation Blackhawks on January 17th. Heritage entered the game winning three of their last four games and looking to avenge their nail-biting 43-45 loss to Lummi earlier this season.

The 1st quarter was a struggle to score points for the home team, as rising star Jacynta Myles was forced to sit out the opening eight-minutes. Without her domineering presence holding down the painted area, the girls had difficulty executed their offense. Sophomore forward Shalana McLean scored on a running floater to give her team their first points nearly five-minutes into the game. A few plays later, Krislyn Parks muscled in a layup to give the Lady Hawks their second score. 

Heritage trailed 4-10 entering the 2nd quarter, and received a boost when Jacynta checked into the game. She immediately made an impact by scoring in the post and grabbing one rebound after another against the much smaller Lummi players. However, Lummi did a good job of adjusting their game plan and focused on perimeter shooting. 

The Lady Hawks trailed by double digits for most of the 2nd half until going on a late surge in the 4th quarter. An 8-2 scoring edge in the game’s final minutes cut their deficit to 29-36, but the girls couldn’t build upon that spark. Critical turnovers stopped their momentum and the Lady Hawks fell to Lummi, 32-41. 

Krislyn led her team with 14 points, while Jacynta finished with 12 points, 19 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots.

“It was a difficult week with all the school closures and delays because of the snowy weather. Because of that we only practiced once all week,’ said Krislyn postgame. “We need to get back to practicing our passes because in this game especially we turned the ball over a lot on bad passes. We did have moments where we played really well together, but will focus on our chemistry and cutting down the turnovers.

“Our defense has really gotten better and showed in this game. We held Lummi scoreless for stretches and considering both our match ups were really close, we feel like we can beat them if we play again.”

The Lady Hawks play a home game January 25th vs Chief Kitsap Academy. Senior night is scheduled for Tuesday, January 28th vs Cedar Park Christian.