Layoff May Be Soccer Elixir For Newport

The KingCo Conference soccer title was great. But the 1 1/2-week layoff that came with it might be the best part for the Newport boys.

Injuries hit the Knights hard in the regular-season finale and ensuing week. One, senior forward Phil Daniel's broken collarbone, isn't going to get better in time for tomorrow's Class AAA state-tournament opener against Puyallup's Rogers (10-3-5). Game time is 7 o'clock at Newport High.

Senior Newport fullback Cody Mast is probably out for the duration, too, with shin splints.

But senior midfielder David Fontaine can use the time to repair an injury that might be a bruise or could be shin splints.

"I don't think it'll be a (negative) factor," Coach Paul Mendes said.

Mendes has used the time for some boot camp-style practices.

"We trained hard," he said. "We did a lot more conditioning than we usually do. We pushed really hard every day until Friday."

Bright spots for Newport (8-3-2) are healthy senior goalkeeper Andrew Gilligan (six shutouts) and healthy freshman Jake Christoferson, who scored game-winning goals in both final-week victories. And healthy sophomore midfielder Brian Britton-Simmons, the team's leading scorer, has switched to forward.

"We're confident we can make the adjustment," Mendes said.

In another state-tournament opener, Bothell (9-2-2) plays WesCo champion Mariner (9-0-6) tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Goddard Field in Mukilteo.

Bothell beat Lake Washington 3-0 Saturday for KingCo's No. 2 seed. Jeff Martin scored two goals and Erik Warner one - all in the second half - and goalkeeper Josh Stein recorded a shutout as the Cougars eliminated the Kangaroos (11-5-1).

Dialing hot 800 numbers -- Newport High's Erik Mickelson was just trying to help his boys track team get some points during the KingCo Conference meet Friday. But the sophomore wound up point man on a five-man convoy in a blazing 800-meter race.

Mickelson, who won the KingCo 1,600-meter title during first-day meet action Wednesday, specializes in longer distance events. But his 1-minute, 53.88-second 800-meter effort Friday was the second-fastest in the state this year and best ever by a KingCo sophomore. His mark was better than last year's Class AAA state champion.

What's more, the next four 800 finishers - Woodinville's John Logsdon, Juanita's Kurt Grichel, Issaquah's Brian Hodges and Mercer Island's Grant Farmer - all came in under 1:56. Any of their performances would have placed them among the top six at last year's state meet.

Sparks on fire -- Since an early-season car accident that kept her out of action for three weeks, former state 200-meter champion Stacy Sparks of Sammamish has continued to accelerate.

Friday, the senior swept the KingCo sprint titles for the first time since she was a freshman. She improved her state-best mark in the 200 to 24.98 seconds and raced to a 12.23 electronically timed victory in the 100.

"I'm OK," Sparks said.

Rising Nielsen ratings -- Juanita High's Matt Nielsen might have been the only one at the KingCo meet Friday more stunned by the boys 200-meter race results than defeated favorite Coby Dilling of Woodinville.

"I'm kind of in shock," Nielsen said after winning the KingCo 200 title in only his fourth career 200 race. "I'm terrible at starts. My last 100's probably my best."

Nielsen, a senior, has been one of KingCo's top 400 runners the past two seasons. He qualified for districts with a third-place KingCo finish earlier Friday. He then ripped off his 22-second-flat 200, tied for best this season in KingCo.

"After that 400, I didn't know how much I had left," he said.

Sammamish AD retiring -- Mike Ritch, Sammamish High School athletic director, has announced he'll retire at the end of this school year.

Ritch, 55, has spent all of his 33-year education career in the Bellevue School District - the past eight at Sammamish, where he's finishing his third as AD.

Before arriving at Sammamish, he spent 19 years at Newport High, where he coached football and track and worked as a guidance counselor.

"The time is right. It's been a good year, and things are going right," he said. "It's time for somebody else to take the reins.

"And I'll miss it."

Ritch said he'll continue working as the assigning secretary for the Pacific Northwest Football Officials Association and working with the Washington Cultural Exchange program.

Redmond High's longtime athletic director, Dennis Rieger, also announced he's retiring at the end of spring.

Ritch said he and Rieger will return next winter to work the KingCo Conference basketball tournaments.

Eastside sweep -- Eastside teams rank No. 1 in all three final state baseball coaches polls, including Woodinville (17-3), which maintains its Class AAA poll position despite losing twice by shutouts last week.

In fact, three KingCo Conference teams occupy the top AAA spots. Interlake (13-7) jumped from unranked to No. 2 after beating Woodinville 1-0 in Friday night's KingCo title game. Redmond (18-3) dropped one spot to No. 3 after a 4-1 week.

Redmond plays Woodinville tonight at 7 for KingCo's second berth to state. Tonight's loser is eliminated.

In the AA poll, Eastside Catholic (19-1) of the Metro League remained in the top spot, and Metro rival O'Dea moved into the poll at No. 8. Eastside plays O'Dea today at White Center Stadium at 4:45 p.m. for the league's top seed to the state tournament.

In the A poll, Tolt (19-2) moved up a notch into the No. 1 spot for the first time. The Cascade League champions have qualified for the state tournament.

Baseball notes

-- The Woodinville Falcons had won 15 straight games to reach the No. 1 ranking in the Class AAA state coaches poll for the first time before losing their past two games by shutout. The Falcons scored 9.5 runs per game during the streak with an average winning margin of 6.7.

-- Redmond played five games in five days last week, including three in a two-day stretch, and won four of them. Three games were decided by one run, two in extra innings. The Mustangs' lone loss during the week was a 12-1 setback to Bothell.

-- Crest Division champion Interlake (13-7) was 1-4 against Crown teams until its 1-0 victory over Woodinville in the KingCo title game Friday. It was the fourth straight title-game appearance by Interlake, which faced four different opponents (Lake Washington, Redmond, Juanita, Woodinville). Interlake had lost three straight title games before Friday.

-- Because of Interlake's Friday night special, Woodinville (17-3) and Redmond (18-3), teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in last week's state poll, face each other tonight at 7 in a winner-to-state, loser-out game at Bannerwood Park. -- Redmond Coach Ray Cassidy said shortstop Jeff D'Amico's availability for tonight's game is in doubt. The UCLA-bound senior played Friday's playoff game against Inglemoor on a sprained ankle. D'Amico pitched a four-hitter and hit a three-run homer in that game.

-- The last two teams to win the KingCo title (Redmond and Juanita) went on to win Class AAA state championships.