Area Sports by Michael Dashiell

More hoops for Moores at Everett

After four years of being a Wolf, Sarah Moores has signed on to be a Trojan.

The 5-foot-8 post who led the Wolves in scoring 11 times as a senior and helped the Wolves to four consecutive district playoff appearance — and in 2006-07, their first state appearance in two decades — will suit up for Everett Community College this fall.

The Trojans (14-2, 23-9) are the reigning NWAACC North champions and finished eighth in the conference tournament.

Under different circumstances, Moores might be looking for a school with a top swimming program. But the three-time state swim meet athlete injured her shoulder before her senior year and skipped the entire swimming season to focus on basketball.

“I decided I wanted to for sure play basketball since I couldn’t swim,” Moores says. “At the beginning of the year, I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do.”

After drawing the interest from a couple of community colleges, she landed the interest of coaches from Everett.

The Trojans, led by 19-year veteran coach Chet Hovde, have topped the North division two years running but were looking for some height after graduating all but one player taller than Moores.

“I think it will be a good experience,’ says Moores, the scoring forward with a knack for getting to the hoop. She led the Wolves in scoring 11 times in her senior campaign.

But she’ll need that shoulder to hold up if she wants continued success.

“I’m pretty much … recovered,” Moores says. “I’ve been lifting weights this summer and it’s been OK.”

Moores says she plans to major in psychology or criminal justice.



Gates tries to turn

Rangers around

At 5-foot-3, Brittany Gates isn’t the most imposing player on the soccer pitch.

Until she shows off a little bit of speed.

The Sequim High School senior figures to be a key recruit for Olympic College this spring after knocking home 11 goals for the Wolves last fall.

In four years of varsity play, Gates tallied 41 goals, all the more impressive considering the Wolves were just 15-32-1 in league play and 21-40-4 overall.

Joining her in signing letters of intent this May were four Kitsap County prep standouts: Jadie Fanua, goalkeeper from Olympic; Samantha Gallegos, midfielder from South Kitsap; Maria Jose, defender form South Kitsap; and Brittany Nelson, midfielder from Central Kitsap.

The Rangers will need all the help they can get after posting a 1-17 record last season under first (and only) year coach Daniel McDonnell.

“Last year I heard they had some recruiting problems, but I’ve played against some of the girls they are adding and I think it should be a big improvement,” Gates says.

Now, former assistant coach Dick Lowry leads Olympic into the fall 2008 campaign, hoping to lead Olympic to its best finish since the program’s inaugural season in 2003. That may be a hard task with just four returning athletes on the 2008 roster.

By 12 years old, Gates was playing on a boys’ select team. As a freshman, she scored 16 goals, including three hat tricks (three-goal games).

Gates says one of her favorite memories from that 2004 season was her first hat trick, blasting three goals against rival Port Townsend in a 5-2 win.

“I would love to transfer (and) play beyond Olympic,” Gates says, “but I don’t know if it will happen.”

Gates says she’s undecided on a field of study and is simply planning to get her two-year degree at Olympic for now.



Sequim alumni notes:

Former SHS baseball standout Dan Lauritzen pitched seven and a-third innings for Tacoma Community College this spring as a freshman. He gave up six hits and three walks, struck out seven batters and posted a 4.91 earned-run average … Stephanie Marcy red-shirted her freshman year at Stanford and looks to bolster the NCAA defending champion Cardinal in cross country this fall … freshman Summer Steenberg had Pacific University’s top pole vault mark for 2008, clearing 2.75 meters (9-0.25 feet). The Sequim High grad also earned All-American status in wrestling this winter.