Spartans represented in league, county selections
Though the Bainbridge girls’ soccer team struggled throughout the season and didn’t make the playoffs, first year head coach Scott Druker said he felt the team was “the best 5-9-2 team around.”
“Unfortunately we couldn’t develop consistency through a game, or throughout the season,” he said. “At times we played like we can beat anybody, and other times we made mistakes, or didn’t capitalize on opportunities.
“Half of our games we lost by one goal, including games against all the playoff teams,” Druker continued. “A bounce here or there and the season has a different look.
“I think the girls need to know we are capable of playing and beating any of these teams, and there have been halves in a game where we have showed this.”
Six girls made the All-Metro team.
Ashley Waplinger was a first team selection while Annie Johns, Kelsey Thompson and Maddie Ginder were second team selections.
The All-Kitsap County teams are compiled by the sports writers for the Bainbridge Island Review, the Bremerton Patriot, the Central Kitsap Reporter, the North Kitsap Herald and the Port Orchard Independent.
Candidates for the team are nominated by the writers for their respective areas. The nominees are then voted on by the writers, with the top vote-getters making the teams.
Two honorable mentions are selected from each school for each sport.
The teams include the best players from area schools who not only performed well individually, but played a role in the success of their team as well.
The starters
F — Brandi Hamre, Central Kitsap, senior — Hamre, one of the West Sound’s top goal scorers since her sophomore season with CK (she started as a freshman), set career bests for herself this season with a mind-boggling 26 goals, accounting for more than half of the Cougars’ goal scoring this fall.
But that wasn’t her only asset, as Hamre, heading to Seattle Pacific University next year, also dished out nine assists.
F — Jacki Hill, Bremerton, senior — Hill, a very dangerous forward for the Knights, created a match-up problem for every team she faced.
Despite routinely having two defenders marking her throughout matches, she still scored 16 goals and made five assists.
F — Siara Byers, North Kitsap, sophomore — Byers was one of the fastest forwards in the Narrows League.
She finished with a team-high 16 goals for the Vikings despite being double- and tripled-teamed by opponents throughout the season.
MF — Liz Curry, Olympic, senior — As versatile as they come, Curry was the strongest Oly player on the field no matter where on the field she was.
She led the Trojans with 15 goals and 12 assists, but more importantly, helped lead Oly to it’s first state playoff berth in seven years.
MF — Sierra Cook, Klahowya, senior — In her only year playing for Klahowya, Cook made her presence felt.
The Eagle senior, who has been a force on the club scene for some time, notched 20 goals while assisting on eight more.
Previously a state-placing cross country runner for the Eagles, Cook used that experience to not only blow by defenders with her breakaway speed, but also to run the field, utilizing her stamina to maintain those runs.
Cook helped Klahowya advance to state for the first time since 2001 and nearly helped Klahowya advance farther, as the Eagles fell in a 1-0 (4-3 shootout) nailbiter.
MF — Hannah Anderson, Central Kitsap, sophomore — Anderson provided CK a more-than-adequate second offensive option to Hamre, as she poured in 13 goals and dished out 10 assists this season.
MF — Stephanie Skelly, North Kitsap, senior — Skelly was the straw that stirred the drink for the Vikings this season, scoring 12 goals and added a team-high seven assists in her memorable senior campaign.
D — Jordan King, Central Kitsap, senior — Considered one of, if not the toughest defender in the county, King battled back from an injury that sidelined her in 2006 to help lead CK back within a game of the state tournament.
King was not only a strong marker, assigned to opposing team’s toughest weapons, but also had one of the strongest kicking legs on the team, sending deep clearance balls almost anywhere she wanted upfield.
She also scored three goals while assisting two more.
D — Kayliegh Westerman, South Kitsap, senior — Led the Wolves defense that allowed just 10 goals during the regular season — the third fewest among 11 teams in the Narrows League.
D — Ashley Polen, South Kitsap, senior — Polen finished with five goals and two assists despite missing some time with injury.
Along with Westermann and Alyssa Nystrom, she helped the Wolves slow down the league’s top-scoring offense in a 3-1 win Sept. 27 against Olympia.
GK — Pepper Fanua, Olympic, senior — No Kitsap keeper exuded more confidence between the posts than Fanua. The Olympic goalie had an outstanding 2007 season, as the Trojans allowed just eight total goals this season.
Fanua was responsible for 10 shutouts this season, including blanking tough teams from North Kitsap, Peninsula (twice) and Klahowya.
Coach of the Year — Steve Haggerty, Olympic — Haggerty has long been regarded as one of the top coaches in the area. But 2007 was a special season for Olympic as the Trojans advanced back to the state tournament for the first time since 2000.
Haggerty’s Trojans allowed just eight goals this year while scoring 61 of their own.
Oly finished 14-2-0 overall, winning the Olympic League title for the second-consecutive season while also going undefeated in league for the second year.
Also stellar
D – Kathryn Deveraux, Bainbridge, senior — Deveraux was consistently solid for the Spartans this season, taking on the best forwards and midfielders the Metro League had to offer and keeping them from dominating the game.
“Kathryn quietly had a tremendous year,” Druker said.
She scored one goal during the season.
Deveraux was a All-Metro first team selection on defense.
D — Karina Hoogstede, North Kitsap, senior
MF — Meghan Antoni, Kingston, junior
GK — Ellen Boyd, Central Kitsap, senior
MF — Allie Brown, Olympic, junior
D — Anna Stewart, Klahowya, senior
GK — Lakiesha Nilles, King’s West, senior
D — Jenn Smalley, Bremerton, senior
UTIL — Katie Anderson, South Kitsap, senior
MF/F – Lucy Donohue, Bainbridge, senior — Donohue, a senior co-captain, tied for the team lead in goals with six and also contributed three assists as well.
She made her mark as one of several scorers that could be counted on to contribute every game.
“Lucy and Kelsey (Thompson) I felt most confident in putting the ball in the back of the net,” Druker said.
Donahue was an All-Metro honorable mention.
MF — Eyla Le, North Kitsap, freshman
F — Kayla Campbell, Kingston, freshman
MF — Kate Berni, Central Kitsap, senior
D — Brielle and Amanda Kadramas, Olympic, juniors
D/MF — Jenna Whetsel, Klahowya, junior
D — Maddie Johnson, King’s West, senior
D — Kelsey Johnson, Bremerton, junior
MF — Kylie Balstad, South Kitsap, senior
MF — Kelsey Anchors, Olympic, senior
D — Alyssa Nystrom, South Kitsap, junior
