The Blaine boys wrestling team rewarded its cadre of seniors with one final home win on January 21, defeating Mt. Baker in a head-to-head matchup, 45-36.
Seniors Tucker Greene, Denali Deming, Daniel Johner, Jaiden Constance, Thomas Cox, Blake Koreski, Zi Yu, Malloy Messenger and Otto Shelton were honored before the match with Borderite-orange flower bouquets, handed out by head coach Tom Hinz. These seniors have seen multiple state appearances and countless pins over their collective years with the program, and the Borderites wouldn’t be denied sending the group out with one final win at home in Blaine.
Blaine’s lightest- and heaviest-weight class wrestlers (Trent Crabtree and Otto Shelton) each won their respective matches by forfeit, and Blaine went out to a quick lead with multiple lightweight wins to start the matchup.
Chris Zamudio, Cole Voigt and Vinnie Saia started off the night with three wins, with Zamudio winning by a 7-5 decision after three rounds, Voigt winning quickly by fall after just 33 seconds, and Saia winning by fall in the third round.
Blaine won just one of the next six matchups, with Daniel Johner defeating Cole Christensen by fall in the second round of the 144-pound division. Rhys Milligan defeated Gunner McGrath by fall, and Blake Koreski finished off the night with a dramatic pin of Jeremiah Sheridan in the second round.
With Blaine up 39-36 headed into the heavyweight match featuring Otto Shelton, Mt. Baker forfeited, handing Blaine the head-to-head win in front of a raucous home crowd.
The Borderites have done well in head-to-head matchups this month, defeating Meridian 39-36 on January 15 and Sehome 45-20 on January 10.
The Borderites have one last road trip before postseason play begins, with a double-header at Oak Harbor High School on January 28. Blaine will face Oak Harbor at 6:45 p.m., then Burlington-Edison at 7:30 p.m.
Blaine girls basketball had one of its best first halves to a game this season during its 22-19 win over Northwest Conference rival Oak Harbor on January 20, earning the team’s first conference win on the season.
The Borderites showed great defensive prowess in the first half, heading into halftime up 13-3 before Oak Harbor came roaring back with an 11-2 third quarter swing.
Blaine was able to hold on for the crucial conference victory in the fourth quarter, led by an eight-point, nine-rebound performance by junior forward Aaliyah Bowman. Sophomore guard Marcella Bring led the team with 10 rebounds, and sophomore guard Kate Koreski tallied four points, four rebounds and four steals on the night.
The Borderites weren’t able to keep the momentum going the very next night after traveling to face Cedar Park Christian (CPC) on January 21. The Borderites couldn’t stop CPC’s high-powered offense, losing 60-20. A 26-point second quarter by CPC put the game into blowout territory heading into halftime, but the Borderites continued to fight, putting up consistent effort throughout the night.
Bowman again led the team on offense with six points, and Korseki again tallied four points along with three steals.
The Borderites will travel to Redmond to face Bear Creek on Saturday, January 25, then return to Blaine to host Lakewood on Tuesday, January 28. Senior Night will be held on Wednesday, February 5 when Blaine hosts Bellingham.
Stats provided by whatcompreps.com
Blaine fell to 3-11 (0-10 NWC) on the season after a tough road loss to Oak Harbor on January 20, losing 82-67. In frustrating fashion, the Borderites scored a season-high 67 points on offense, even though it wasn’t enough to defeat the 3A Oak Harbor team.
Oak Harbor was lights out from beyond the arc, making 45 percent of its 3-point attempts, and the Borderites simply couldn’t keep up despite its best offensive production so far this season.
Despite the loss, it was a great night on offense for senior forward Jacob Dohner, who scored a career-high 21-points on 9-of-11 shooting, leading the Borderites in scoring. Senior guard Josiah Weeda added 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists, and senior forward Dulio Kanagie scored 15 with eight rebounds.
The Borderites have a tough stretch of opponents up ahead, hosting Lynden on Thursday, January 23 before two road games against Bear Creek on Saturday, January 25 and Lakewood on Tuesday, January 28.
Stats provided by whatcompreps.com
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