>We continue our year in review by looking at Mount Si volleyball where it was a similar dramatic run which put them into state. It started out with a solid performance in the Kingco Tournament, as they finished second. However, that second seed drew them a trap opponent in the first round at districts November 13 in Seattle Prep, and once again, as had been the case twice in the past under Wildcat coach Bonnie Foote, the Panthers proved to be a difficult test for Mount Si. The Wildcats lost the first two sets, and were on the ropes. Mount Si, though, found a second wind, and rode that to wins in the next three games, and a second chance, which they made the most of, shocking a tough Bishop Blanchet team October 15 to help land a solid third seed to the state dance.
That state dance once again started out terribly, just as it did in 2007, as they fell in a five-set barnburner to Lakes October 21 in round one, but then Mount Si once again found another dose of magic, and rode that all the way to the semifinals that night, where Kennedy was waiting for them, and yet again, the Wildcats’ former Seamount rivals had the Valley’s number, knocking Mount Si from state one game short of a trophy. It was quite the run once again, and the memories will hopefully last a long time for these ladies as well.
Mount Si football had maybe the state’s toughest schedule in the first month, and it showed on the win-loss column.
But that preparation helped out much later in the season, as the Wildcats trounced opponents four straight weeks in October, giving many young players quality playing time late in those contests, and allowing one Mr. Sean Snead to develop into one of the region’s top running backs. Snead consistently had 150-200 yards a game as the season went one, and he became the one money threat on the ground other teams didn’t want any part of.
Mount Si used a school-record five-TD performance from their senior back to send Peninsula home on their home field November 6, then used him again to get into the lead very late in their state first-round game in Seattle against Eastside Catholic November 12. Things, though, changed in a New York minute, and the Crusaders were back on top just seconds after Snead scored for the Wildcats. What appeared to be the joy of victory instead became the agony of a very painful defeat, one that will not be forgotten by this program for many years to come. The Valley sports community who was there was shaken to the core by what they witnessed, and it was a moment many of them will not soon forget, either.
Alex Rudd was the story once again for Mount Si cross country as she had a good effort at state in 2008. Rudd will be a senior in 2009 and is likely to run in college, and on the local running scene during the summer months.
2008 winter and spring sports struggled some, although Wildcat softball made districts barely, and basketball-both boys and girls-made league. Track sent a solid contingent to state and had great success. Gymnastics and wrestling also had great seasons, and saw athletes have solid state efforts. Boys’ soccer and baseball, though, both struggled in rebuilding modes.
During the summer, local teams and athletes had great success, and some teams had amazing games. Case in point: the Fall City Little League All Star 9-10 year old girls softball team. In a district tournament game July 6 against the Bellevue Thunderbird Little League all-star team, FC was down 19-0 after just the top half of the first inning, but didn’t quit. They went to work right away, and started to climb back into the game. Down 25-17 after four, FC was running out of time to make a last comeback, so they went ahead in the fifth and made the comeback. It was quite the rally, indeed, as they scored 16 runs in the frame to take a 33-25 lead. BTLL re-took the lead in the top of the sixth, meaning FC had to comeback one more time, and these kids, despite all the adversity, had a little more left in them, and scored the necessary runs in the bottom of the inning to take the victory 36-35. This comeback rates among the greatest, if not the greatest, ever by a youth sports team in this community IMO. History should not forget this group of girls, and hopefully they and their peers learned many valuable lessons about the results of hard work and dedication and effort from this game.
As you see, 2008 was a great year for local youth teams and athletes, and coming up, a look at what 2009 could offer.
Snoqualmie Valley Sports Journal 