By CELESTE CORNISH

North Kitsap Herald

North Kitsap High School’s Bill Hobaugh is considering holding his pre-game meetings in the trainer’s room to better accommodate his varsity girls basketball team. He’s only half-kidding.

The Vikings lost at home against South Kitsap on Thursday night, 52-35.

Nearly all the starters are injured in one way or another, with ankle and thumb injuries being the most popular afflictions. But this is not these are not the kind of athletes who make excuses for themselves, and Hobaugh is no exception.

“We played hard tonight, we’re just not making baskets when we need them. We’ve lost our confidence,” Hobaugh said. The 4-8, 3-6 Vikings “have been physically beat up.”

As the losses mounted, the girls were starting to lose their passion for the game.

It wasn’t all bad news for the beat up, battered and bruised Vikings, as the loss served as a turning point for the team, said senior point guard Ashley Tobin, one of the few not battling an injury. Tobin said she and her teammates fought through the final seconds. The Vikings also had a different attitude.

“We lost, but I consider it a moral victory. We had fun tonight,” Tobin said.

The 5-foot-5 Tobin had her work cut out for her guarding South’s Jessica Jordan, who stands a full five inches taller. While Tobin did her dirty work on both sides of the ball with aggressive defense and putting up 10 points on offense, she managed to hold Jordan to two points.

“We finished with our heads up,” Tobin said. “We have to take our losses with a smile and take our wins the same way.”

Wolves’ coach Mike Allen was able to come to Vikings’ territory with some advance preparation under his belt. The coach sat in the stands last week to watch the Vikings play Gig Harbor, video camera in hand.

That tape set the basis for his game plan.

“He didn’t really want us to play zone offense because he was afraid (the Vikings) were going to make cuts to the basket and take easy shots,” said Wolves guard Tori Fairweather, who ended the game with 10 points.

“We set a goal early in the season to make it to districts,” Allen said.

South Kitsap, now 6-9 for the season, will host Lincoln tonight at 7.

South Kistap 52, at North Kitsap 35

South Kitsap 17 16 8 11 — 52

North Kitsap 10 13 5 7 — 35

South Kitsap—Caitlin Daniels 2, Sam Guilsao 5, Stephanie Osterdahl 7, Amanda Feeney, Maria Jose, Ashley Stoner, Chell Thuring, Tori Fairweather 10, Jessica Jordan 2, Angel Sheldon 13, Molly Wurder, Kayleigh Westermann 13.

North Kitsap—Darcey Hughes 15, Ashley Tobin 9, Coourtney Coleman 4, Crystal Hart 3, Brandi Ritter 2, Kateese Carter 1, Nikki Taplin 1.