Community Sports
Sports Beat | Soccer showdown ahead for Tides
Gig Harbor (8-1-1) stayed in the fight to win a Puget Sound League Narrows Division boys soccer championship with a much-needed 1-0 victory over second-place Central Kitsap on April 14 in Silverdale.
The Tides have been impressive this year, averaging 3.7 goals per game while only surrendering 1.3. But the Cougars (8-2-1) have been even better on defense, allowing just 7 goals all season.
Gig Harbor soccer goalie Malachi Wilson. Photo courtesy Gig Harbor soccer
Senior forward Jack Learned scored the game’s only goal for Gig Harbor. The Tides made the lead stand up thanks to huge performances by their defensive back line and goalkeeper.
Gig Harbor coach Joe Ross said goalie Malachi Wilson “had an amazing showing, making clutch saves including one top-corner save and multiple one-on-one saves.”
Puget Sound League Narrows Division boys soccer standings as of April 17.
The win gave the Tides sole possession of second place in the Narrows Division. They stayed there with a 1-0 win over Bellarmine on April 16, with Learned scoring the lone goal again. The shutout over the Lions was Ross’s 100th win as coach.
Jack Learned scored goals in a pair of 1-0 Gig Harbor wins this week. Photo by Vincent Starr
The Tides remain a game behind league-leading Silas, who are in the driver’s seat thanks to their 5-1 victory over Gig Harbor on April 2 in Tacoma.
The Tides and Rams play again at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, at Roy Anderson Field. A win would put Gig Harbor in a first-place tie in the Narrows Division.
Two steps forward, one back for Seahawks
On the other side of town, the young Peninsula Seahawks (3-7) have had an up-and-down season under head coach Jose Brambila.
The Seahawks have suffered some lopsided loses but also have some promising wins, including a 4-0 victory over River Ridge on April 2. Ryan Rogers, Davi Da Cruz and Carter Messer scored goals in that win while Jonas Koller had a goal and two assists.
The Peninsula High 11 for a recent game. Photo courtesy Peninsula soccer
Rogers and Messer scored again, joined by a goal from senior center midfielder Ramse Vitale, in a 3-2 victory over Lakes on April 9. But the Seahawks took a step back with a 2-1 home loss to Timberline on April 16 to keep them in fourth place in the Nisqually Division.
Puget Sound League Nisqually Division boys soccer standings as of April 17.
Baseball teams cruising through Puget Sound League
Both local baseball teams are atop their respective divisions. Neither team has had much trouble with their league opponents, going a combined 18-2 versus Puget Sound League teams this season.
Gig Harbor (9-5, 9-1) won two games over Mount Tahoma this week by a combined score of 42-1. Peninsula (10-2, 9-1) is sixth in the Class 3A state rankings and boat-raced Lakes by a combined score of 34-1 in two games.
Both teams scheduled some tough non-league opponents to sharpen their skills for the postseason.
Peninsula faced one of those talented teams on April 10, when they played 3A No. 3 Decatur at Sehmel Park.
Puget Sound League Nisqually Division baseball standings as of April 17.
A hard-hitting Decatur team broke the game open with six runs in the third inning of a 9-2 win. Yet the Seahawks probably learned more in that loss than their 28-1 win over Mount Tahoma on March 21.
The same could be said of the Tides’ 5-3 loss to Class 4A power Curtis on April 11 at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma.
The Tides led 3-1 in the fifth inning, but the Vikings scored a run in the fifth and three more in the sixth to steal a victory.
Peninsula first baseman Thomas Marzano. Photo by Ed Johnson
Team leaders and next games
Junior first baseman Thomas Marzano leads Peninsula at the plate with a .581 average, 25 hits and 19 RBIs. Junior pitcher Logan Johnson is 3-0 and with a 1.03 ERA and 27 strikeouts.
For the Tides, pitcher Quentin Bockhorn has allowed just one earned run in 16 innings, good for a 0.44 ERA and 23 strikeouts. Senior Jake Cuda leads the Gig Harbor offense with a .424 average, 14 hits and 12 RBIs.
The teams face off April 28 at Sehmel Field and possibly again a couple weeks later to determine the Puget Sound League champion.
Peninsula is in action next at 4 p.m. April 20 against Capital at Sehmel Field. Gig Harbor faces Central Kitsap at 4 p.m. April 21 at Sehmel.
Puget Sound League Narrows Division baseball standings as of April 17.
Tides water polo riding a wave
The Gig Harbor (2-3) girls water polo team faced some choppy waters early but have rounded into contention after facing the toughest schedule in the state to start the season.
The Tides have a mix of underclassmen and a couple of established seniors who are the anchors of the team.
Some top returners include seniors Jenna Nelson and Lauren Elliott, junior Eva Dahlin and sophomores Alex Ensminger and Naomi Crosby.
Eva Dahlin. Photo by Mike Kelly
Much like soccer, a water polo team is only as good as its goalie. The Tides lost four-year starter Kiah Sawyer to graduation, but reloaded with freshman Annika Shearer, who has starred for the Narrows Water Polo Club.
Shearer did her best Wonder Woman impression early on, when Gig Harbor faced the three top-ranked Division One teams in the state — No. 1 Bainbridge, No. 2 Curtis and No. 3 Kennedy Catholic. The Tides nearly knocked off the Lancers, falling 10-8.
Gig Harbor’s first win was a 12-2 defeat of Peninsula. Dahlin had four goals, Crosby added three goals and Elliott contributed four steals.
The Tides kept the winning going against Division Two opponent Ingraham, which came in undefeated. The Tides scored four straight goals in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 12-7 win.
Gig Harbor water polo goalie Annika Shearer. Photo by Mike Kelly
“I’m optimistic for the season despite what seems to be a slow start,” coach Mike Kelly said. “The athletes are working hard at improvement every day and their efforts are evident during gameplay as we work toward our goal of finishing in the top six, at the season-ending state tournament.”
The Tides and Seahawks will meet in the Peninsula pool once more this season at 5:30 p.m. May 18.