Notebook -- Former UW Player And Coach Named Newport High Ad

Bob Johnson, a former University of Washington basketball player and assistant men's basketball coach, has been named athletic director at Newport High School.

Johnson, 51, was athletics and activities director at Seattle's Rainier Beach High School the past 2 1/2 years.

He replaced Chuck Crickmore, who will teach physical education and coach the golf team at Newport this school year.

"It's a great program," Johnson said of Newport athletics. "Newport is one of the top programs in the state."

The chance to work as an administrator focusing solely on athletics was a major factor in Johnson's decision to apply for the job, he said.

Johnson was a Husky player in 1964-65, and an assistant for UW coach Marv Harshman from 1975-85. He was men's basketball coach at Seattle University from 1986-91.

Sophs get baseball offers

All 11 sophomores on this year's Bellevue Community College baseball team have received offers to play at four-year schools - including seven with offers from NCAA Division I schools.

Those moving on to D-I programs from the two-year school: Eastside Catholic High graduate Ryan McDonald (Oregon State), Woodinville High's Matt Grier (Portland State), Redmond's Geoff Hirai (Hawaii-Hilo), Juanita's Scott Hardy (Washington State), Darold Phinney (San Diego State), Robert Pearsall (Gonzaga) and Marc McDonnell (Gonzaga).

The four others heading to four-year schools: Issaquah High's Jeff Beaton (Central Washington), Luke Brown (George Fox College), Jim Keil (Pacific University in Oregon) and Woody Fernandes (Peru State University in Nebraska).

Northern Region-champion Bellevue CC went 30-10 this season. The team finished fourth in the NWAACC tournament.

BCC gets all-staters

Four all-state prep players head the list of recruits to reload BCC's baseball roster.

Cascade (Everett) teammates Todd Smasal, a left-handed pitcher and first baseman, and Aaron Tripp, a third baseman, made commitments to BCC, along with fellow all-staters Ryan Woodward, an outfielder and pitcher from Shorecrest High, and Jason Lippert, a pitcher from Gig Harbor High.

The seven others making commitments: Eastside Catholic infielder Scott Binder, Eastside Catholic catcher/outfielder Kevin Stinson (transfer from College of Southern Idaho), Curtis High pitcher Mike Komorous (transfer from PLU), Federal Way High pitcher Lyone York, Bremerton High pitcher Ryan Winderl, Cascade High pitcher Ryan Baumgartner, and Cascade outfielder Danny Keim.

Biddle named MVP

Bellevue's Owen Biddle was named tournament most valuable player after leading his team to the title game of the recent Continental Amateur Baseball Association World Series in Dublin, Ohio.

Biddle hit .563 (18 for 32) with one home run, two triples and a double in the tournament. Two teammates on the state-champion Brewers, Federal Way's Justin Paris and Enumclaw's Gordon Corder, also were selected to the all-tournament team. Bellevue's Matt Haines slugged a key three-run homer in a semifinal victory over a team from Tennessee.

The Brewers (53-9), coached by Doug Good and Aaron Horrocks, lost to a team from Encinitas, Calif., in the championship game.

Power shortage

After finishing second in state last season, you'd figure things would be smelling pretty sweet at Lake Stevens High School.

Not quite.

The Vikings opened fall practice yesterday - but there was no power at Lake Stevens High School because of construction on campus.

That means the only light is from portable generators.

That means no water pressure for hoses to keep the players hydrated. Large drums of water were filled at the junior high, then brought to the field.

That also means no hot water in the locker room.

No hot water, no post-practice showers.

"Today was just a mad scramble," said Ken Collins, in his sixth season as head coach at Lake Stevens. "It was kind of a weird practice today with all that construction going on, but it went well. We weathered it and got things done, but it was different, to say the least. We just have to be patient."

Collins said power should be restored by the end of the week.