Sports previews: North Kitsap

Editor’s note: Capsules on Kingston sports will run in next week’s paper.

Girls Soccer

2021 record: 5-5-1

Head coach: Greg St. Peter

Key players: Kamora McMillian, forward, sr.; Sophia Castillo, midfielder, sr.; Nicole Rosen, goalkeeper, sr.; Tyra Zetty, defender, jr.; Ellie Young, midfielder, jr.; Sydnee Hogan, midfielder, jr.; Maegan Theriault, defender, jr.; Evelyn Beers, forward, so.

Outlook: The spring was a bit of a rebuilding year for the Vikings after losing two large senior classes over the previous two years, but the program is already back on the upswing. McMillian is still recovering from an injury, but St. Peter hopes to have her back on the field in October. She’s a big-time scoring threat upfront and would be a big help as this team looks to get back into the top three and back to districts this year.

Schedule: Sept. 7, 7 p.m. at Central Kitsap; Sept. 9, 6:45 p.m., Bremerton; Sept. 14, 6:45 p.m., at Kingston; Sept. 16, 6:45 p.m., at Sequim; Sept. 21, 6:45 p.m., Port Angeles; Sept. 23, 6:45 p.m., at Olympic; Sept. 28, 6:45 p.m., North Mason; Sept. 30, 6:45 p.m., Bainbridge; Oct. 5, 6:45 p.m., at Bremerton; Oct. 7, 6:45 p.m., Kingston; Oct. 12, 6:45 p.m., Sequim; Oct. 14, 6:45 p.m., at Port Angeles; Oc. 19, 6:45 p.m., Olympic; Oct. 21, 6:45 p.m., at North Mason; Oct. 26, 6:45 p.m., at Bainbridge.

Volleyball

2021 record: 13-1

Head coach: Kaelea Makaiwi

Key players: Ellyssa Fultz, opposite hitter/libero, sr.; Emma Stephens, setter/defensive specialist, sr.; Kate Ryan, middle blocker/opposite hitter, sr.; Sophia Baugh, setter/right side, jr.; Madeline Pryde, middle blocker/opposite hitter, jr.; Lillian Pruden, right side, junior; Mary Allen, right side/middle blocker/opposite, jr.; Emma Gaines, middle blocker, jr.

Outlook: This team is loaded with talented, athletic and experienced players excited to take part in a full season. The goal remains the same for the Vikings — contend for a league title and then get to districts and to state. All of the returners played either full- or part-time roles last season, except for Gaines who missed her six-week sophomore season with an injury, but was a starting middle her freshman year, so her return is a big boost to an already deep team.

Schedule: Sept. 9, 6 p.m., Bremerton; Sept. 14, 6 p.m. at Kingston; Sept. 16, 6:15 p.m., at Sequim; Sept. 21, 6 p.m., Port Angeles; Sept. 23, 6:15 p.m., at Olympic; Sept. 28, 6 p.m., North Mason; Sept. 30, 6 p.m., Bainbridge; Oct. 4, 7 p.m. at Central Kitsap; Oct. 5, 6 p.m., at Bremerton; Oct. 7, 6 p.m., Kingston; Oct. 12, 6 p.m., Sequim; Oct. 14, 6 p.m., at Port Angeles; Oct. 19, 6:15 p.m., Olympic; Oct. 21, 6 p.m., at North Mason; Oct. 23, 8 a.m., Burlington-Edison Invitational Tournament; Oct. 26, 6 p.m., at Bainbridge.

Girls Swimming

Head coach: Greg Braun

Key swimmers: Zoe Cera, sr.; Tiffany Le, so.; Caylie Slama, jr.; Alissa Sanchez, jr.; Megan Whitsitt, jr.; Baily Braeger, jr.; Madison Carmichael, so.; Emma Nodolf, so.; Nadia Berry, fr.

Outlook: With two local pools down, the girls’ swim season will be a challenge for all teams, but Braun said the team has been using early season practice time for some dryland training. Cera and Slama will serve as the team captains, and it should be another typically solid year for this program.

Schedule: Sept. 9, 3 p.m., at Port Angeles; Sept. 16, 3:30 p.m. at Olympic; Sept. 23, 3 p.m. at Sequim; Sept. 30, 3:30 p.m. at Klahowya; Oct. 5, 3:30 p.m., at Bainbridge; Oct. 7, 3 p.m., Bremerton; Oct. 14, 3:30 p.m., at Kingston; Oct. 26, 3 p.m., Last Chance Meet at Port Angeles.

Cross Country

Head coach: Richard Christopher

Key runners (boys): Dereck Cordova, sr.; Matthew Fee, so.; Carson Monette, sr.; Sam Erickson, sr.; Quinny Stuart, so.; James Trogden, jr.; Alec Ibarra, jr.;

Key runners (girls): Salix Wartes-Kahl, so.; Genesi Funston, sr.; Ingrid Burchill, so.; Kendall Becker, so.; Maggie Niven, so.; Eliana Ginn, jr.; Isadora Miller, jr.; Eally Ondusko, so.

Outlook: Plenty of young runners abound for this reloaded team. Both the boys and girls featured plenty of underclassmen with talent during the spring running season, and that bodes well for the fall as they look to get runners into the postseason.

Schedule: Sept. 15, 5 p.m., league meet at Bremerton; Sept. 22, 5 p.m., league meet at Sequim; Sept. 29, 5 p.m., league meet at Olympic; Oct. 6, 5 p.m., league meet at Bremerton; Oct. 13, 5 p.m., league meet at Bainbridge; Oct. 20, 5 p.m., All-League meet at Bainbridge.

Boys Tennis

Head coach: Jay DeVries

Key players: Drake Jones, sr.; Josh Smith, sr.; Jason Hart, sr.; Garrett Rhoads, sr.; Carl Burchill, sr.; Lucas Reister, sr.; Jon Sugimoto, sr.; Andrew Myers, sr.; Alex Kenney, sr.; Ryan Williams, jr.; Ethan Gillespie, jr.; Blake Hoepfinger, jr.; Dayshawn Harper, fr.; Indigo Gallagher Zapf, fr.

Outlook: Another year, another group of top-notch tennis players turning out at North Kitsap. Drake Jones and Josh Smith qualified for state in 2020 as a doubles team, but never got to participate. They came back as juniors and won the Olympic League tournament and are a good bet to do it again. Hart took third in the Olympic League singles tournament as well. With 28 players on the team, they’re deep enough to go head-to-head with anyone in the league.

Schedule: Sept. 8, 4 p.m., Olympic; Sept. 9, 4 p.m., at Bainbridge; Sept. 13, 4 p.m. at Klahowya; Sept. 14, 4 p.m., Sequim; Sept. 16, 4 p.m., Kingston; Sept. 20, 4 p.m., at Port Angeles; Sept. 22, 4 p.m., Bremerton; Sept. 23, 4 p.m., North Mason; Sept. 28, 4 p.m., at Olympic; Sep. 30, 4 p.m., Bainbridge; Oct. 4, 4 p.m., at Sequim; Oct. 6, 4 p.m., at Kingston; Oct. 7, 4 p.m., Port Angeles; Oct. 12, 4 p.m., at Bremerton; Oct. 14, 4 p.m., at North Mason.

Drake Jones, along with partner Josh Smith, are the favorites in the Olympic League doubles tournament. The duo also qualified for the 2A state tournament as sophomores. (Mark Krulish/Kitsap News Group)