Klahowya splits varsity doubleheader with Chimacum

SILVERDALE — Expectations are high for the Klahowya boys basketball program this season, and the team is off to a 3-1 start thanks to a huge win in their first 1A Olympic League game of the season, a 58-32 triumph over Chimacum on Dec. 7.

The Eagles had their offense working early, opening up looks underneath the basket with easy layups. Senior forward Lucas Becker took full advantage, scoring eight of his game-high 16 points in the first quarter as Klahowya opened up a 15-8 lead.

Ball movement was precise and performed with confidence and the execution was solid as players were cutting in and out of the paint to get open for the easy buckets.

“They know the system, they know the offense and we can continue taking steps forward building off of what we did last year,” head coach Bryan Thoemke said.

Seniors John Hartford and Jacob Kraft also scored double digit points, finishing with 13 and 10 respectively. Klahowya had a comfortable lead throughout the game — they were up 29-19 by halftime and rarely let their advantage drop into the single digits.

The offense was good, but the defense also shined under the Friday night gymnasium lights. Chimacum had little room to maneuver as the Eagles got out to the perimeter to contest every shot and swarm the ball carrier in the post. The Cowboys hit just 11 field goals in the entire game.

“We teach that, we pressure the ball and we sprint to cover the outside shot,” Thoemke said.

With the vast majority of the varsity roster returning from last year’s 10-11 team, the Eagles have had no trouble getting off to quick starts. This experienced group has set the goal of advancing beyond districts and looks to have the talent to do just that.

“It was a good win for us,” Thoemke said.

Klahowya 58, Chimacum 32

CH 8 8 7 9 — 32

KL 15 14 13 16 — 58

Chimacum (32) — Diehl 10, Clark 6, Dotson 5, Carstensen 4, Williamson 3, Brebberman 2, Smith 2.

Klahowya (58) — Becker 16, Hartford 13, J. Kraft 10, Lewis 9, Smith 4, D. Kraft 3, M. Hytinen 2, Betzing 1.

McNair’s big night sinks the Eagles

In the first game of the doubleheader, the Klahowya girls had all kinds of trouble with Chimacum’s Mia McNair. The sophomore guard hit six 3-pointers and dropped 34 points on 14 total field goals in her team’s 64-29 win over the Eagles. And that was despite the fact that she missed the end of the first quarter and most of the second quarter with what appeared to be a nosebleed.

McNair went 4-for-5 from beyond the arc in the first quarter, scoring 14 of her team’s first 17 points.

“She shot the lights out,” said Klahowya head coach Alan Langguth.

Very much the opposite of the boys program, the girls team features mainly underclassmen and were without starting point guard Maile Lueck due to an injury. Langguth started a freshman, Kyla Radford, and two sophomores Katie Cooper and Ethel Fish alongside seniors Kylie Woodrum and Kayla Hendricks.

Cooper led the Eagles (0-1, 3-2) with 12 points and played a strong game at both ends of the court. Klahowya showed flashes of the talent within these young players, but also struggled at times, especially when Chimacum put pressure on them to move the ball quickly.

“The two losses we have, the pressure has gotten to them, and I think it’s because they’re real young,” Langguth said.

Klahowya was fresh off wins over Summit Olympus, Chief Kitsap Academy and Tyee, but had a tough time getting the offense set up in the second half. The game was 26-24 at halftime, but a 14-0 run by Chimacum in the third quarter would ultimately doom the Eagles’ chances.

Chimacum 64, Klahowya 29

CH 17 9 14 24 — 64

KL 7 15 0 7 — 29

Chimacum (64) — McNair 34, Trafton 10, Nordberg 6, Yaley 6, Young 5, Huntingford 2, Horner 1.

Klahowya (29) — Cooper 12, Fish 4, Radford 4, Woodrum 3, Hendricks 2, Hudson 2, Watson 2.

— Mark Krulish is a reporter for Kitsap News Group. He can be reached at mkrulish@soundpublishing.com. Follow him on Twitter @MKrulishKDN.