Sophomore sensations make Columbia Gorge league a battle zone
ANDREW CHRISTIANSEN
Reporter
You get to know a lot about someone if you have to compete against them several times per year. If you have to compete every year, you get to know almost everything. So it is when sophomores, Liz Vogt, Samantha Brewer, and Katelynn Clinton step on the court in Columbia Gorge League basketball.
It’s a regular occurrence in school sports to have a couple of top athletes face each other for a couple of years in high school. But the battles between Vogt, Brewer and Clinton are something fans rarely get to see. The three have been going at it since last year, and will continue to butt heads for three more years.
Two weeks after firing volleyballs at each other over the net, Vogt, Brewer and Clinton are about to get it on under the net. The first clash took place between Vogt and Brewer at the Klickitat Jamboree, on Wednesday. Clinton tackles the other two in back-to-back games, early in January.
Vogt has current bragging rights on the basketball court. Vogt plays for Trout Lake-Glenwood and is the only one of the three who can say she made it to State in basketball. TLG was runner-up to Sunnyside Christian last year and they played well at State, missing out on a trophy game due to a two-point loss to Neah Bay.
Vogt stands about 6-0 and goes head-to-head with 5-11 Brewer, whenever TLG plays Klickitat. She is relied upon more for defense and less for offense than the other two girls. That may change this year with the loss of three TLG starters to graduation.
Vogt likes to post up against Brewer and try to dip around her or shoot over her. Brewer does the same to Vogt. Each girl finds the other to be tough for them to play.
Brewer learned to play inside from Aryn Davis at Klickitat. Davis played a physical kind of game that Brewer is trying to develop. She tries to assert herself inside, but it can be rough going for the slightly built Brewer. But she doesn’t lack for determination or competitive drive.
When you ask who’s most physical, the fingers point in different directions. Clinton says she and Brewer really go at it. Brewer thinks it’s Clinton. Vogt thinks she is rougher than either one of the other two.
When it comes to competitive drive, Clinton is hard to beat. Giving up about three inches to the other players, she admits she has trouble shooting over Vogt and Brewer, but she believes she can muscle her way inside and around the taller girls. She plays a rugged brand of basketball, often diving for balls on the floor and scoring a lot of points from under the basket.
Clinton was not only a starter on the Bickleton High School team as an eighth grader, she was the offensive force, dribbling the ball into the key and making things happen. Clinton took a beating that year, but gave out as good as she got.
As exciting as it is to watch the three slug it out over a volleyball net, or battle for rebounds and shots on a basketball court, it is all the more fun knowing they understand it is a game. Vogt and Brewer have been friends since the sixth grade. Clinton is more recently making friends with the other two.
“In sixth grade my attitude was they are the enemy,” says Clinton. After getting to know the enemy better, she began to see them as friends.
Track is the sport that helps friendships grow. There isn’t much time for pleasantries on a volleyball or basketball court, but there is time in track, especially when all three are hanging out at the high jump pit.
Clinton was second to Brewer in high jump at the league meet, but would have to cede track dominance to Brewer and Vogt.
Vogt is a great runner. As a freshman at the 2007 State meet, she placed third in the 400, fourth in the 200 and was part of the 4x400 first place team.
Brewer also took home three medals from State. She was second in the 100 hurdles, second in high jump, and third in triple jump.
When it comes to grades, all three are excellent students and all three want to continue with sports at the next level.
Vogt would love to go to Stanford, but is thinking Oregon if she goes in track, or Gonzaga for volleyball.
Brewer is focused on Washington State University where she would compete in track or volleyball, and wants to become a math teacher.
Clinton is a WSU fan, but is also interested in USC and UCLA. She wants to become an athletic trainer.
It is hard to keep in mind that they are just sophomores and have the rest of this year and two more years of high school to grow, get better and mature. It is a treat for the fans who get to watch the three go at it.
Who has the basketball team to beat this year? Brewer and Clinton agree it has to be TLG. Vogt is looking out for Bickleton. And oh, yes, there is another team out there called Sunnyside Christian. The Knights surely believe the road to State goes through them, but they better lace them up, because three names, Vogt, Brewer and Clinton are sure to haunt them over the next three years.
Wolves celebrate winning season
The Goldendale volleyball team celebrated their season with a banquet, awards and video replay of the year’s highlights, Monday.
Coach Jodi Bellamy thanked the parents and people who assisted with volleyball during the past year, including valuable help with club ball and middle school volleyball. “We all have to do it together,” said Bellamy.
What they have done is win a sixth straight league title and made it to State for the sixth time in Bellamy’s eight-years as coach. They came home with fifth place trophies in each of the last two years.
Bellamy’s highlights for the year included a record of 20-1 on the year, winning three straight from Cle Elum in Cle Elum for the first time with Bellamy as coach, the emotional win over Zillah during Homecoming week, and defeating Connell at Connell.
Junior varsity Coach Cora Heid began the evening with presentations to her squad, who also finished the year undefeated with 12 wins. She praised the team for having a team attitude and being open with their comments and having fun playing the game.
Special awards voted by the team were: hot hitter - Alex Counts, defense - Nachya George, most improved - Carly Slawson, and winning the hustle and most inspirational awards was Haley Hoffman.
Bellamy handed out awards and varsity letters. Earning their first varsity letter were Counts, Hoffman, Amber Ihrig, Cassie Kelly, Ashley Barrett, and Lexi Cameron. Cameron, a winner of a sportsmanship medal at State, was also awarded the Miss Hustle and most improved awards.
Second year letters were presented to Sadie Shattuck, Ryell Carley, Becky Gourley and Monique Scherf. Scherf was voted co-recipient of the most inspirational player award.
Third year letters went to Hannah Swigart, Nikki Williams and Sydney Bloom. Williams also won a sportsmanship medal at State and was voted best defensive player by the team. Bloom was lauded for elevating her game for the District and State playoffs and the team tabbed her for the hot hitter award.
Kylee Bellamy, the SCAC west player of the year, received her fourth varsity letter. Bellamy’s teammates voted her co-winner of the most inspirational award and named her outstanding player.
Season statistics
Bellamy - 47 aces, 93 percent serves, 326 digs, 782 assists, 129 kills; Bloom - 39 aces, 82 percent serves, 63 digs, 376 kills; Williams 22 aces, 97 percent serves, 412 digs, 444 good serve receive; Swigart - 28 aces, 90 percent serves, 283 digs, 210 kills; Carley - 89 percent serves, 75 digs, 84 kills; Shattuck - 20 aces, 89 percent serves, 116 digs, 99 kills; Barrett - 145 kills; Gourley - 10 aces, 91 percent serves, 63 digs; Scherf - 81 percent serves, 41 digs; Cameron - 12 aces, 97 percent serves, 165 digs, 40 kills; Ihrig - 7 aces, 11 digs; Kelly - 13 aces, 93 percent serves, 55 digs.
Flores optimistic about wrestling squad
Goldendale wrestling coach, Omar Flores is optimistic about his wrestlers’ chances of being a force in SCAC, despite losing several stars to graduation.
“I think we are going to be pretty good,” says Flores. “It is a rebuilding year, but we have several good wrestlers returning and some good looking young kids.”
The good wrestlers who are returning include seniors Johnathan Monroe and Darren Stelter. Monroe is the only holdover from the six who qualified for regionals in 2007. He placed second in the district meet at 189 pounds.
Stelter was an alternate to the Regional tournament in 2007. He wrestled at 189 in district, but was often penciled in at 215.
Other experienced wrestlers who are expected to score points for Goldendale are Billy Monroe, a junior, and Torey Spaulding, a sophomore.
A pleasant surprise for the coach is the return of Kyle Ross after a year’s absence. Ross, who showed a lot of promise as a freshman is returning to provide some clout at the upper weights.
In addition to the five experienced wrestlers, there will be a number of first year varsity wrestlers who could surprise, according to Flores.
The coach believes the Timberwolves might send as many wrestlers to District and State as last year, which would be a great accomplishment in what otherwise appears to be a rebuilding year.
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