Kitsap News Group
South Kitsap High School is accustomed to fielding ben one of the area’s — and even the state’s — top boys basketball teams. But after finishing 11-10 and not advancing to the state playoffs in 2008, the Wolves were left without a starter on the annual all-Kitsap team, while guard Tionne Curry and forward Nick Johnson were honored as reserves.
The all-county team, made up of eligible players from schools in Kitsap County, was voted on by the sports editors and writers of the Kitsap Newspaper Group, including the Port Orchard Independent, Bainbridge Review, Bremerton Patriot, Central Kitsap Reporter and North Kitsap Herald.
2007-08 All-Kitsap County Boys Basketball Team
Starters
• G — Kyle Erickson, North Kitsap, junior: Erickson averaged a team-high 18 points and four assists per game. He spends his summers traveling to elite basketball camps in Los Angeles and Las Vegas and plays AAU. His coaches commonly refer to him as a “basketball magnet.”
• G — Nick Fling, Bainbridge, senior: The 6-foot-4 guard was the most consistent player for the Spartans this season as he averaged 12 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.1 blocks per game. His assist-to-turnover ratio was 3-to-1 and he shot 63 percent from the field, upping it to 70 percent during Bainbridge’s winning streak that led them to the playoffs.
• G — Andre Moore, Klahowya, junior: The standout running back made a quick transition to basketball, where he scored a team-leading 18.9 points per game as the Eagles fell a game short of the state tournament. He also averaged five rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.5 steals per game.
• F — Brandon Durham, Central Kitsap, junior: The 6-foot-7 post led CK with 15.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per contest. He was a major part of CK’s defensive game plan as well, swiping 1.1 steals and swatting 1.4 shots per game.
• F — Taylor Hoffer, North Kitsap, junior: Recognized by his coaches as NK’s most improved player, he averaged 17 points and 18 rebounds per game. Hoffer’s season also includes 12 double-doubles.
Bench
• Jordan Coover, North Kitsap, senior, F: Coover posted 13 points and averaged 7 rebounds per game.
• Tionne Curry, South Kitsap, junior, G: Curry averaged 9.0 points per game and converted 13-of-30 (43.3 percent) 3-pointers. He finished second on the team with 26 steals as a point guard and had a team-high 100 assists.
• Ben Eisenhardt, Bainbridge, junior, F: The 6-foot-10 Eisenhardt averaged 13.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 2.2 blocks per game to help the Spartans to the state tournament.
• Nick Johnson, South Kitsap, senior, F:— The 6-foot-6 senior averaged a team-best 10.8 points per game and was one of the better shooters in the Narrows League. He converted 11-of-24 (45.8 percent) 3-pointers, pacing the Wolves with 176 rebounds (8.8 per game).
• Caleb Leavitt, Klahowya, senior, G: One of the seniors responsible for helping turn Klahowya’s program around, Leavitt was a leader on the floor for the Eagles while also scoring 13.7 points per game. Leavitt also grabbed 3.8 boards and had 1.5 steals per game.
• Eli Olson, Bremerton, senior, G: Olson brought court awareness and explosive scoring to the Knights offense, averaging a team-best 18.6 points per game. Late in the season, he broke out for a career-high 40 points against league foe North Mason.
• Mike Walsh, Bainbridge, senior, F: The 6-foot-4 Walsh averaged 9.2 points and grabbing 7.4 rebounds a game.
Coach of the Year
• Tony Chisholm, North Kitsap — In his first season as coach, Chisholm helped his team to a 14-11 record. Under Chisholm’s guidance, the Vikings finished their season a game away from the state tournament. Before he took over at NK, Chisholm led Kingston Middle School’s basketball team to three consecutive undefeated seasons. “I’m lucky,” he said. “I love being around good young men.”
Honorable mention
• Gene Armendariz, Klahowya, senior, F: The 6-foot-4 senior was the main post presence for the Eagles and one of the team’s best all-around defenders. He averaged 4.6 points per game, 4.6 rebounds and a steal per game.
• Andrew Braun, Central Kitsap, senior, G: Braun scored 9.9 points and 1.6 steals per game.
• Jack Clearman, Kingston, senior, G: Clearman averaged 13.5 points and 2 steals, assists and rebounds per game.
• Caleb Davis, Bainbridge, senior, G: The 6-foot guard averaged 11.6 points a game for the Spartans.
• Chase Estes, King’s West, sophomore, G: Estes averaged 7.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.
• Rashad Greene, Olympic, senior, F: One of the toughest inside players in the county, Greene scored 8.5 points and grabbed 8.7 boards per game. He also came up with 1.1 steals per game.
• Joey Johnston, Olympic, senior, G: Johnston averaged a team-best 13.7 points per game along with 2 assists and 1.7 steals per contest.
• Josh Koets, Bremerton, junior, F: Koets was the “Bremerton Bruiser,” providing physical and aggressive play in the low post. He led the team in rebounding with 7.5 per game and also chipped in 7.7 points per game.
• Leon La Deaux, South Kitsap, sophomore, G: La Deaux scored 14 points and hit 4-of-6 three-pointers to help the Wolves to a 51-50 win Dec. 7 against Gig Harbor. He was third on the team with an average of 8.4 points per game.
• Aaron Lawrence, Kingston, sophomore, G: The 5-foot-5 Lawrence averaged 8 points, nearly 4 assists and 2 steals per game.
• Kyle McCown, North Kitsap, senior, G/F: He averaged 6 points, nearly 5 steals and 7 rebounds per game.
Drew McCullough, King’s West, junior, G — McCullough averaged 11.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game.
• Collin Monagle, South Kitsap, junior, F: The younger brother of former Wolves’ star Josh Monagle averaged 6.9 points per game. A 6-foot-5 post, he also finished second on the team with 5.6 rebounds per game.
• Johnny Olwell, Bremerton, senior, G: Olwell brought sound fundamentals and an acute understanding of the game to the floor, averaging 8.9 points per game.
* Jesse Powell, Bainbridge, senior, guard: The 6-foot Powell was busy on defense with some of the state’s top guards in the Metro League. He averaged 5.8 points per contest.
• Phillip Thomas, Central Kitsap, junior, G: After CK lost point guard Cody Thurmond early in the season, Thomas shouldered much of the offensive load, averaging 12.5 points per game. He also pulled in 4.6 boards and recorded 1.1 seals per game.
• Chris Zumdieck, Klahowya, senior, G/F: The 6-foot-4 Zumdieck was among the most versatile players in the West Sound region, easily hitting the paint or running the point. He paced the Eagles with 7.3 rebounds per game and also averaged 10.8 points and 3.7 assists per game.
