Odds and ends
When it comes to team state champions, 2023 was a pretty good haul for West Sound with Klahowya baseball (1A), North Kitsap softball (2A), Central Kitsap girls cross country (3A), Crosspoint girls soccer (B) and Bainbridge boys water polo winning it all. We also had a good amount of individual champions in swimming, wrestling and track and field.
Who could I see snagging state titles in 2024? Well, let’s begin in the winter. North Kitsap’s boys basketball program, led by senior backcourt duo Cade Orness and Harry Davies, is pretty loaded and expects to be a force in 2A. The Vikings claimed a state title in Yakima three years ago right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
On the wrestling mats, Bremerton senior and Stanford University commit Lars Michaelson will be going for his third state title at the Tacoma Dome after placing first as a sophomore and junior. If he wins, he’ll become the first West Sound wrestler to be a three-time state champion. We’ve had two four-timers (North Mason’s Jake Velarde and Kingston’s Bobby Reece) and numerous two-timers, including Bremerton’s Thor Michaelson, now wrestling for the Cardinal in Palo Alto.
Since there was no state tournament in 2021, that cost Thor a chance at being a three-time champion and Lars a shot at being a four-timer. Regardless, they’re still in line to be the most decorated set of brothers in West Sound history (Olympic’s Branden and Cody Yeik won two titles apiece from 20082012).
In the spring, North Kitsap’s softball team and Klahowya’s baseball team should remain state contenders, as graduation wasn’t overly harsh for either team. The biggest losses were behind the plate as Vikings catcher Mackenzie Phillips and Eagles catcher Matt Bailey were seniors. They were the Kitsap Sun’s softball and baseball players of the year.
North Kitsap’s boys soccer team also finished second at state and there’s plenty of talent slated to return.
Paris is a place North Mason High School and Washington State University alum CJ Allen hopes to be in 2024 for the Summer Olympics. One of the top U.S. men’s 400-meter hurdlers can achieve that goal by finishing high enough at the Olympic Trials, which will be June 21-30 in Eugene, Oregon.
Allen looks forward to returning to Eugene after placing second there at the 2023 U.S. Track and Field Championships.
“As long as I’m healthy, I’ll be there,” Allen said. Allen, who turns 29 in February, is coming off a successful 2023 campaign, having set a new U.S. record (48.88 seconds) in the 400 indoors and set a new personal-best in the 400 outdoors (47.58). He also qualified for the World Championships in Budapest for the first time.
With the news of North Mason football coach Rob Thomas stepping down earlier this month, the Bulldogs obviously want to fill that job sooner rather than later. The top priority for new head coaches is assembling staff and prepping for offseason workouts/training. Bulldogs athletic director Ray Bonnell said the school will begin the interview process in January, so don’t expect things to drag on too long.
In addition to Thomas’ replacement at North Mason, you’ll see some new coaches in action in 2024. Job openings happen all the time. One coach I’m interested to see in action is longtime South Kitsap baseball assistant Nick Kenyon. He’ll take over for Marcus Logue, who resigned after the 2023 season. Logue led the Wolves to the 4A title game three times from 201315, winning it all in 2015. The program hasn’t been as successful since moving to the SPSL, so this is Kenyon’s chance to build things back up.
Bainbridge Island’s JR Ritchie likely won’t see much action in the Atlanta Braves’ minor league system in 2024 as the right-handed pitcher continues to recover from Tommy John surgery. He’s expected to return to the mound in 2025 . ... Two other Kitsapers in the minor leagues are Shane Matheny (Olympic HS grad) and Lucas Knowles (South Kitsap HS grad). Matheny is a free agent after spending his entire career in the San Francisco Giants organization, which drafted him in 2017. The utility player split time at Double-A and Triple-A in 2023. Knowles pitched at three levels last year in the Washington Nationals’ organization, briefly seeing time in Triple-A. He was drafted by the Nats in 2019.