Orness, Tupolo players of the year
3 Kitsap teams thrived during the 2024 hoops season
It’s been pretty common in recent years for North Kitsap’s boys basketball team to come away with a top-six trophy in state tournament play. The Vikings have accomplished that feat the past five seasons.
This winter, Bremerton’s boys and Crosspoint’s girls joined in on the hardware party. The Knights, Warriors and Vikings all reaching the state semifinals makes the 2023-24 hoops season one of the most memorable in West Sound history.
North Kitsap’s boys (23-5) began the season in hoops of adding a 2A state title to go along with the one the Vikings captured in 2020. It appeared head coach Scott Orness’s team would get that chance in Yakima, but a poor shooting performance in the second half against Grandview in the semifinals cost North Kitsap a shot at on No. 1 seed Lynden in the title game. The Olympic League champion Vikings rebounded to place third with a win against Bremerton for the third time of the season. Orness’s program continues to be one of West Sound’s most consistent playoff performers.
Bremerton’s boys (20-8) started the 2023-24 campaign with an interesting mix of freshmen and veterans, and head coach Miah Davis’s squad peaked at the right time as the Knights upset Mark Morris and Renton in the first two rounds of state tournament play. Bremerton nearly pulled off a shocker in the semifinals, falling to Lynden 53-52 in a game that saw Jalen Davis, the head coach’s son, score 33 points. Lynden went on to claim its third consecutive 2A crown, while the Knights’ fifth-place
trophy was the program’s first top-five finish since Miah Davis led Bremerton to fifth place in the 3A tournament in 1999.
Crosspoint’s girls team (24-5) experience a dramatic finish in the quarterfinals of the 1B tournament in Spokane. It took Riya Tobosa’s free throws with five seconds left to push the Warriors past Oakesdale. Crosspoint lost to No. 1 seed and eventual champion Neah Bay in the semifinals and then fell to WatervilleMansfield in the third/fifth-place game. Crosspoint earned a state trophy for the first time since placing fourth in 2B in 2008, and with a strong sophomore class projected to return next winter, there’s a strong possibility the Warriors will remain in the title hunt.
Kitsap Sun players of the year: Orness, Tupolo
North Kitsap senior Cade Orness is the Kitsap Sun’s selection for boys player of the year. Known for his athleticism, strong two-way play and gym-rat mentality, Orness earned Olympic League 2A most valuable player and defensive MVP honors and averaged 22.1 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game, 6.1 assists per game and 3.0 steals per game. The 6-foot-5 guard finished his career with a school-record 1,821 points, third-most all-time in West Sound, and a school-record 635 assists.
A four-year starter, Orness was an all-state tournament first-team pick after averaging 20.6 points across three games in Yakima.
North Mason junior Adrianne Tupolo earns the girls basketball player of the year nod. The 5-foot-9 guard led all West Sound players in scoring at 22.8 points per game while adding seven rebounds and two steals per contest.
Like Orness, Tupolo’s desire to put in extra training hours showed up on game nights as the All-Olympic League 2A first-team pick led North Mason (9-12) to its second district tournament playoff win in as many years after the program went over a decade without qualifying for the postseason.
In a Kitsap Sun player of the year online poll this week, voters selected Tupolo as girls player of the year with 748 votes, while Bremerton’s Jalen Davis topped the boys player of the year poll with 1,019 votes. Davis earned all-state tournament first-team honors after averaging 26.5 points across four games in Yakima.
Super Six girls, boys teams
In addition to Tupolo, members of the Kitsap Sun Super Six girls basketball team are Kingston senior guard Khi Tall Bull (12.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.4 APG, 4.2 SPG, All-Olympic League 2A first team), Central Kitsap senior Abi Lundblad (10 PPG, 10.9 RPG, All-South Sound Conference 3A second team), North Kitsap junior forward Avery Kline (16 PPG, 7 RPG, All-Olympic League 2A first team), Bainbridge junior guard Bella Ramirez (15 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 3.8 SPG, All-Olympic League 2A first team) and Crosspoint sophomore forward Riya Tobosa (9.8 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 2.4 APG, 2.8 SPG, Sea-Tac League 1B most valuable player). The pick for girls coach of the year is Crosspoint’s Jenny Kuske.
Joining Orness on the Kitsap Sun Super Six boys basketball team are North Kitsap senior guard Mason Chmielewski (6.7 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 6 APG, 2.2 SPG, AllOlympic League 2A second team), North Kitsap senior guard Harry Davies (19 PPG, 5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 2.1 SPG, All-Olympic League 2A first team), Bremerton freshman guard Jalen Davis (26.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.1 APG, 2.1 SPG, All-Olympic League 2A first team, 2A state tournament first team), Klahowya senior guard Eli Kraft (16.7 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.7 APG, 2.3 SPG, All-Nisqually League 1A first team) and Bainbridge senior guard Sam Nylund (19.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 3.6 APG, 3 SPG,
All-Olympic League 2A first team). Scott Orness and Miah Davis share the Sun’s boys basketball coach of the year award.
Roundup of all-league honors
Here’s a roundup of all-league honors around West Sound, which are determined by head coaches.
For boys in the Olympic League, in addition to Cade Orness earning MVP and defensive MVP honors, North Kitsap’s Harry Davies and Jordan Williams earned first-team honors along with Bremerton’s Jalen Davis, Bainbridge’s Sam Nylund and Port Angeles’ Parker Nickerson and Isaiah Shamp. Second-team picks were North Kitsap’s Mason Chmielewski, North Mason’s Andrew Littrean, Bainbridge’s Kaden Thielman, Port Angeles’ Kason Albaugh and Sequim’s Keenan Green. Sportsmanship honors went to Bainbridge’s Calum McCarter, Bremerton’s Dallin Anderson, Kingston’s Torsten Goller, North Kitsap’s Chmielewski, North Mason’s Derek Dunham and Olympic’s Darrell Washington.
For girls in the Olympic League, Sequim’s Jolene Vaara earned MVP and defensive MVP honors. Firstteam picks were North Mason’s Adrianne Tupolo, Bainbridge’s Bella Ramirez, Kingston’s Khi Tall Bull, North Kitsap’s Avery Kline, Port Angeles’ Paige Mason and Sequim’s Gracie Chartraw. Second-team picks were Bainbridge’s Sierra Berry, North Kitsap’s Teegan DeVries, North Mason’s Adrianna Tupolo, and Port Angeles’ Lexie Smith and Lindsay Smith.Sportsmanship honors went to Bainbridge’s Maia Greiwe, Bremerton’s Attianna Cabato, Kingston’s Taizah Franklin, North Kitsap’s Kline, North Mason’s Adrianna Tupolo, and Olympic’s Sophia Brown.
Three South Kitsap girls made the All-South Puget Sound League 4A North Division second-team honors: Kamdyn Hagerty, Grace Degarimore and Kyla Hoisington.
In the South Sound Conference 3A on the boys’ side, Central Kitsap’s Aidan Moore was a secondteam pick and Max Foster received honorable mention. On the girls’ side, Central Kitsap’s Abi Lundblad made the second team, while Sam Schaeffer received honorable mention.
For Nisqually League 1A boys, Eli Kraft was a firstteam pick, while Grant Solvie and Carson Langguth received honorable mention. On the girls’ side, Bailey O’Brien was a second-team pick, while Paige Spandler and Shyanne Kilmer received honorable mention.
In addition to Riya Tobosa earning MVP honors for Sea-Tac League 1B girls, Momoyo Iwata and Anna Kuske made the first team and Lucia Wasson made the second team. Jenny Kuske earned coach of the year honors.
West Sound senior all-star game results
Team Cascade scored a pair of wins over Team Puget Sound during Thursday’s West Sound Senior AllStars competition at Klahowya Secondary School, put on by Sports Beyond and sponsored by the Kitsap Athletic Roundtable.
In the girls’ competition, Team Cascade (Kingston, Klahowya, Sequim and South Kitsap) topped Team Puget Sound (Bremerton, Central Kitsap, North Kitsap, Olympic, Port Angeles) 51-43. Central Kitsap’s Maddy Higgs won the hot shot contest and Bremerton’s Jannisa Lizama won the 3-point contest. Game MVP awards went to Lizama and South Kitsap’s Kyla Hoisington.
In the boys’ competition, Team Cascade (Bainbridge, Bremerton, Klahowya, Port Angeles, South Kitsap) beat Team Puget Sound (Central Kitsap, East Jefferson, Kingston, North Kitsap, Olympic, Sequim) 112-88. Klahowya’s Eli Kraft won the hot shot contest, Bremerton’s Trenton Bulmer won the 3-point contest and North Kitsap’s Trey Carter won the dunk contest. Game MVP awards went to Bremerton’s Dyon Sellers and North Kitsap’s Cade Orness.