Olympic High School wrestling coach Steve Polillo was named the 2009-10 Olympic League Coach of the Year on Friday, and five Trojans earned all-league status.
Under Polillo, in his second year, Olympic finished fourth overall at the Class 3A state championships at the Tacoma Dome Feb. 20.
Senior Branden Yeik and sophomore Caleb O’Halek both won individual state titles at 145 pounds and 160 pounds, respectively, and were named to the first team. Jesse Borcherding, a senior who placed third at state at 130, also was named to the first team.
Trojans Cody Yeik (112), Matt Hoyt (152) and Keinan Paulino earned second-team status.
Meanwhile, four wrestlers from Klahowya Secondary School — Adam Burchett (103), Joe Sawyers (140), Neil Sell (152) and Nehemiah Salo (171) — were named to the first team.
Sell placed second at state and Burchett took third.
Bremerton High School junior Lauren Richardson, a third-place finisher at state, earned first team status on the girls side.
Boys basketball
Bremerton senior Jarell Flora was named Olympic League Most Valuable Player.
Flora averaged 22.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game during the regular season, leading the Knights to a league championship and a No. 1 seed to the Class 3A West Central District III/Southwest tournament.
“Jarell was the best player in the league and maybe even on the peninsula,” Bremerton coach Casey Lindberg said. “He’s come a long way, he’s just a winner.”
Lindberg was named Coach of the Year after leading the Knights to a 14-4 regular-season record. The team would secure its first berth to the state tournament since 1999 with a win Friday against Lakes High School in the first round of the district tournament.
“It’s always nice to be recognized by your colleagues for doing a nice job,” Lindberg said. “But, really, the players are the one who deserve all the credit.”
Larry Dixon, a senior from Olympic, was named to the first team, as was Bremerton junior Andre Coleman.
Olympic sophomore Trent Gallagher and Bremerton senior earned second-team status.
The Trojans received the team sportsmanship award.
Girls basketball
Olympic senior Samantha Thornton and Bremerton sophomore Jalyn Carpenter were both named to the first team.
Lady Trojans Riza Suriben and Jalyn Halstead made the second team, as did Klahowya junior Jordan Dixon.
Olympic shared the team sportsmanship award with Sequim and Port Angeles high schools.
