Community Sports
Sports Beat | Gig Harbor sweeps Peninsula in match that was closer than the final score
Gig Harbor (7-4 in league and overall) defeated Peninsula (3-8) in three sets in a well-played volleyball contest at the Tides’ gym on Thursday, Oct. 9.
Gig Harbor has to have one of the best pregame atmospheres of all of the local sports teams, with upbeat music jamming loudly from their speakers. Plenty of fans and students bobbed their heads in unison and shared the energy before the game.
This rivalry has seen some thrilling matchups in the last few years between two programs that are rich in volleyball talent.
Early Peninsula lead
Peninsula jumped out to an early 6-3 lead thanks to some flat serves that came across the net with pace. Frontline players Leah Schmidt and Emma Young, both 6-foot-1, were pounding the Tides’ shots back early.
The Gig Harbor High School volleyball team.
Gig Harbor came back to tie the score at seven on Emma Kusen’s service ace. Then the Tides piled on three more points that included a well-disguised dink and a difficult backline kill from Maggie Maharry.
The Seahawks put an end to the celebration when Young, one of the top high jumpers in the state, crushed a spike to make the score 10-8.
Sound fundamentals
One aspect that stood out early was how fundamentally sound both teams were. Passes were crisp and sets and spikes were timed and placed perfectly. Few service errors halted momentum.
Both teams are led by talented liberos. Payton Heim of Gig Harbor and Kate Cardinal of Peninsula are two of the best the Puget Sound League has to offer at their positions.
Gig Harbor libero Payton Heim sets up outside hitter Hannah Artman during the Tides’ three-set victory over Peninsula. Photo by Vincent Starr
Gig Harbor’s front line started to take control in the latter part of the first set. Promising sophomore Kylie Goranson and senior Hannah Artman, both 6-footers, blocked several Seahawk shots.
The Peninsula High School volleyball team.
Gig Harbor put the first set away on one of the match’s best points. The Tides’ Bethany Rajnus swung her arm like she was going to hit all out, but at the last moment closed her fist and knuckled a dink shot. A diving Cardinal couldn’t reach it and the Tides won the first set 25-20.
Gig Harbor earned a 25-18 victory in the second set, which set up a wild and thrilling third.
Third set
The teams were tied at 14 in that third set before Gig Harbor went on a run to take an 18-14 lead. Sophomore Adaline Anderson and Artman hammered kills during the Tides’ burst.
But Peninsula wouldn’t go away. Indi Ballard, a 6-foot senior, blocked a spike and then displayed her touch shot to give the Seahawks a 19-18 lead. Seahawks coach Katrina Cardinal leapt in the air in celebration and Tides coach Slade Klein took a time out.
The intensity peaked with Schmidt’s annihilating block and foot stomp to even the score at 23. But Gig Harbor setter Kaija Mackie went to old reliable, Maharry, on the outside. Maharry punched a cross-court winner, then pounded a ball off Peninsula blockers to seal the 25-23 third-set victory.
Gig Harbor setter Maddie Baker passes to a teammate during her team’s three-set win over Peninsula. Photo by Vincent Starr
Klein wore a big smile after the match as his team put together one of its most complete performances of the season.
“The win was super important for the standings and our playoff position, plus it was great for our girls,” Klein said. “Peninsula is so well-coached and they made nice adjustments that we had to counter, then we just had to gut it out at the end.”
Klein was pleased with the Tides’ service and service return game and liked that his team blocked well and ran their offense through the middle. “Maharry played really well and Anderson had some thunder caps while Ellie Hawkins had some big digs that flipped momentum,” Klein said.
The Tides play Lakes next week before battling three teams the following week — including Lincoln and Silas, teams tied with Gig Harbor for second in the Narrows Division.
Puget Sound League Narrows Division volleyball standings as of Oct. 9.
“The week after next is huge for us as we are still fighting for second place,” Klein said. “This team is really special. They are smart, play the right way and really support each other.”
The Seahawks played high level volleyball with total effort against Gig Harbor, but it came down to just a few points late in each set that proved to be the difference.
Peninsula will play next in the 15-team Capital City Invite on Saturday, Oct. 11, before returning home to play Bellarmine on Oct. 15.
Puget Sound League Nisqually Division volleyball standings as of Oct. 9.
Big game for Peninsula football
The Peninsula (3-2, 2-0) football team faces its biggest challenge on Friday, Oct. 10, against Lakes (5-0, 2-0) at Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood.
The Lancers have outscored their opponents 136-19 this year.
But Peninsula’s first year head coach Clay Mauro sounded respectful but unafraid in a recent phone interview. He expressed confidence in his team’s chances in the game.
Peninsula has enjoyed recent Nisqually Division wins over Capital, 10-9, and last week’s 55-0 trouncing of North Thurston.
For comparison, Lakes beat North Thurston 49-8 on Sept. 25.
Puget Sound League Nisqually Division football standings as of Oct. 9.
“We are in my opinion a good football team and we keep proving that to ourselves every single day,” Mauro said. “What I like about us at this point is that we learned some hard lessons early and now that we have kind of locked in and bought in they have seen the success come and the fruits of their labor start to show.”
The Seahawks’ come-from-behind win over Capital may have been the team’s galvanizing point. They stayed together and proved they could fight through adversity.
“The Capital game was massive, that was pretty big for playoff implications and just our program and confidence overall and then North Thurston was a nice little cherry on top for Homecoming,” Mauro said. “But we definitely have a pivotal match-up this week against Lakes.”
The Peninsula defense shut out North Thurston, 55-0, last week. Photo by Dennis Browne
Top players
Mauro said junior outside linebacker and running back Thomas Marzano, who had two rushing touchdowns last week, is among the players who have stepped in to larger roles this season. “Marzano is a first-team all-conference designated hitter off our baseball team that’s a sturdy kid that likes contact and has been having a pretty darn good year,” Mauro said.
“Then we have a cornerback in Logan Johnson that, in my opinion, is playing all-state ball. He is known as lock-down Logan. He has an interception in four straight games and people keep trying him and he keeps on answering the bell.”
Mauro said quarterback Lucas Wiseman “might be our team MVP, as against Capital he came up big throwing the pill for over 150 yards and had the big throw at the end of the game for a touchdown that wins us the game.”
So how is Mauro settling in as the team’s new head coach?
“At first it’s kind of like moving into a new house, you’re making the payment, your cars are parked out front and the furniture is inside, but it doesn’t quite feel like it’s your house yet,” Mauro said. “It just takes time, you know, but everyone here has been so supportive, including (athletic director and former coach) Ross Filkins, who has been great, so it’s starting to feel like my house now.”
Gig Harbor runs all over Silas
The other new football head coach in town, Jeff Scoma, is proving to be a successful leader as well. His Tides (3-2, 1-1) are coming off a 35-8 win over Silas on Oct. 3.
The Tides’ rushing offense continues to mow down defenses like a Toro on a hot day. Gig Harbor gained 342 yards on the ground against Silas.
Troy Arnold gained 109 yards and two touchdowns on only five carries. Taylor Carrie found the end zone once and had 71 yards on five carries and Wilson West rumbled for 66 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.
Troy Arnold of Gig Harbor during a game earlier this season. Photo by Bryce Carithers
All those rushing yards usually take time off the clock and that gives the Tides’ defense time to rest. The defense allowed 219 total yards, but only 88 passing yards on 9 of 27 passing. The Tides’ defense held Silas to only 3 of 13 conversions on third down.
Gig Harbor hosts Central Kitsap (0-5, 0-2) for Homecoming at 7 p.m. Oct. 10 at Roy Anderson Field.
Puget Sound League Narrows Division football standings as of Oct. 9.