It was a good year to be a carpenter as many a local trophy case called for expansion in 2023.
Seven individuals and two teams that call the Twin Harbors home were crowned state champions in 2023 as the year was typified by high state placements and district championships.
Monte’s Sanchez crowned state wrestling champ
Local prep wrestlers had a banner year in 2023, highlighted by one Montesano Bulldog’s impressive state-title victory.
A total of 14 Twin Harbors high school grapplers placed at the Mat Classic XXXIV state championships in February, led by Montesano’s Mateo Sanchez.
The Bulldogs senior rallied from down 4-0 in the final 30 seconds of the 1A 182-pound final to beat Toppenish’s Kaiden Kintner and win the state-championship that so closely eluded him a year prior, when he lost by a point in overtime.
In addition to Sanchez, four additional Harbor wrestlers advanced to their state-title matches.
Monte’s Cole Ekerson (1A, 132 pounds), Willapa Harbor’s Tyson Portmann (1B/2B, 145) and Elma’s Xavier Espinoza (1A, 106) and Austin Salazar (1A, 195) each advanced to their respective finals.
The highest state-placer in the girls competition was Elma senior Hailee Stoken, who placed fourth in the 135-pound 1B/2B/1A/2A class.
Monte’s boys team placed eighth as a team with Elma taking 14th in the 1A class.
Willapa Harbor’s boys team took 14th in the 1B/2B class.
THE CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO The Willapa Valley boys basketball team poses with the 1B fifth-place trophy at Spokane Arena in March.
Willapa Valley wins state trophy in boys basketball
They didn’t know it at the time, but Willapa Valley’s fourth-place state trophy turned out to be a fitting send-off for longtime head coach Jay Pearson.
The Vikings, which won the 1B District 4 title with a 62-54 win over Oakville on Feb. 18 – just missed a spot in the state final with a 56-53 loss to No. 1 Wellpinit on March 3 in Spokane.
Fourth-seeded Willapa Valley lost 64-52 to DeSales the following day to place fourth in the state, which turned out to be the last game coached by Pearson, who stepped down from the position in the summer.
Elma earned a spot in the state tournament with an incredible run through the 1A District 4 playoffs.
Led by First Team all-league guard Cason Seaberg, Elma advanced to the district-title game to earn a spot in the state playoffs.
The Eagles lost to King’s Way Christian 61-53 for the district title and were seeded 15th heading into the state championships.
Elma lost to No. 10 Seattle Academy 71-56 in seeding-round of the state-tournament, bowing out after just one game.
DAILY WORLD FILE PHOTO The Montesano girls basketball team raised its third-straight district trophy with a win over Seton Catholic in February.
Monte’s girls hoops win third-straight district crown
Montesano’s girls hoops team won its third-straight District 4 title with a 72-36 thrashing over Seton Catholic, but the No. 4 Bulldogs went 1-2 at the state tournament to miss out on earning a state trophy for the second-consecutive season.
Hoquiam’s girls team advanced to the state regional round by placing third at districts, beating Columbia-White Salmon 52-44 behind the coaching of 1A Evergreen League Coach of the Year Chad Allan.
The Grizzlies missed a spot in Spokane with a 47-19 loss to Freeman.
Raymond’s girls team faced a winner-to-state-loser-out elimination game in the 2B District Tournament against Toutle Lake, but led by standout guard Karsyn Freeman, the Seagulls earned their second straight berth to the state playoffs with a 49-33 win on Feb. 18.
The 12th-seeded Seagulls beat No. 13 Davenport 50-42 in the seeding round but fell to No. 5 Adna 55-33 to end their season on March 1 in Spokane.
It would turn out to be the last game for Freeman as a Seagull after the high-scoring guard transferred to Adna over the summer.
It was also possibly the final time a Raymond Seagulls jersey will be seen on the court as the school decided to combine with South Bend for girls basketball in the winter, a trend that has continued for nearly all of the two Pacific County schools’ sports teams.
Willapa Valley placed second in the district after a 63-22 loss to Mossyrock, but earned another spot in the state tournament in the process.
The No. 12 Vikings advanced to Spokane with a 51-30 win over Orcas Island in the opening round followed by a 51-43 loss to No. 5 Inchelium, ending their season.
The game was the last for the Vikings’ veteran head coach John Peterson, who retired after 31 years as a coach at Willapa Valley.
Chokers wrestling successful despite schools’ athletic struggles
Led by a national championship from Reneah Ureste, the Grays Harbor College women’s wrestling team placed second at the National Collegiate Wrestling Association’s National Championships on March 11 in Puerto Rico.
Ureste won the 191-pound title after pinning Texas Tech’s Melissa Moore in just 25 seconds.
Kali Hood took second at 235 pounds as the Chokers placed second overall behind Ottawa (Arizona).
The Chokers’ men’s team placed ninth overall as the school’s wrestling programs continue to be successful despite the college struggling to properly support its athletic teams as many have become defunct and/or are inactive while finding it difficult to retain head coaches.
PHOTO BY SHAWN DONNELLY The Montesano Bulldogs won their 11th state softball title with a victory over Royal in the 1A State Championships in June.
Monte wins 11th state softball title
Midway through the spring, the Montesano Bulldogs looked nothing like a state-champion contender.
But behind the brilliance of Hall of Fame head coach Pat Pace, Montesano got hot at the right time to win its unprecedented 11th softball title in school history.
The turning point seemed to be in the district-championship game, where down by two runs with just two outs left, junior Riley Timmons belted a dramatic three-run walk-off home run to give Monte the district title.
The young Bulldogs carried that momentum into the state tournament, where they battered Cashmere 13-3 and Blaine 10-0 to advance to the title game against No. 2 Royal.
Top-seeded Monte beat the Knights 8-2 in an odd game that included an overnight delay due to a lightning storm.
The victory gave Montesano its 11 state title in school history, all under Pace, who arguably cemented himself as the greatest head softball coach in state history with the victory.
Hoquiam advanced to the state semis but lost 5-1 to Royal.
The Grizzlies placed fourth in the state after a 10-3 loss to Deer Park on May 28.
In the 2A class, Aberdeen earned its first state trophy since 2012 by placing fourth in the state tournament.
The No. 10 Bobcats knocked off higher seeds No. 7 Orting and No. 2 Sedro-Woolley to advance to the state semifinals, where they lost to No. 3 Ridgefield 13-7.
Aberdeen then beat No. 6 Port Angeles 17-7 followed by an 8-2 loss to No. 5 Othello to place fourth in the state.
In the 2B class, Ocosta shocked the softball world by winning its first District 4 title thanks largely due to the performance of pitcher Jessie Gilbert.
The flame-throwing right-handed sophomore dominated her district opponents, tossing four no-hitters – including a 3-0 win over top-seed Adna in the district final – to give the Wildcats their first softball district championship in school history.
The two teams faced off again in the state semifinals, with Adna finding a way to manufacture runs to beat the Gilbert and the Wildcats 8-7.
Fourth-seeded Ocosta would go on to beat defending state-champion Pe Ell-Willapa Valley 8-7 and No. 3 Okanogan 6-3 to place third in the state.
Newly formed combo-team Raymond-South Bend also earned a spot in the state tournament after surviving through the district consolation round to beat Friday Harbor 9-5 on May 20.
Monte baseball falls in state semis
In a game that will be talked about in East County for years to come, Montesano lost a chance to play for a 1A State baseball title after a controversial balk call gave Naches Valley a 5-4 walk-off win in Bellingham in May.
The No. 4 Bulldogs, which placed second to La Center in the district tournament, beat No. 13 College Place 11-5 and No. 12 Colville 5-4 to advance to the state semis, where it took a 4-2 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.
With two outs and a runner on second, a throwing error allowed the tying run to score.
After an intentional walk followed by another throwing error loaded the bases, where a balk call allowed the winning run to cross the plate.
Monte went on to place fourth in the state the following day after a 3-1 loss to Cedar Park Christian (Bothell).
SUBMITTED PHOTO Montesano girls golfer Hailey Blancas won the 1A State title with a three-stroke victory over Elma’s Olivia Moore in May.
Monte’s Blancas wins state golf title
One year removed from placing second at the state tournament, Montesano’s Hailey Blancas took the top spot in the 1A State championship in May.
Blancas shot a two-day total of 165 to edge Elma’s Olivia Moore by three strokes in May at the Riverside Golf Club in Chehalis..
A week earlier, Moore defeated Blancas to win the district crown.
Elma’s Sophia Hamilton placed 14th overall at state to give Elma a third-place state finish.
In the girls 2A state competition, Aberdeen’s Britt Rajcich placed 13th overall with a two-day score of 168.
Raymond’s boys team earned a 2B state trophy by placing fourth overall in Yakima.
Willapa Valley’s McGough wins two state titles in track and field
Willapa Valley standout Lauren McGough led a total of four local prep track and field stars at the state championships in Yakima in May.
McGough won girls 1B titles in the javelin and pole vault, setting a new meet record in the latter at 12 feet, three inches.
Teammate Brooklyn Patrick won a girls 1B title in the 100-meter race.
In the girls 2B competition, Raymond sophomore Karsyn Freeman won the discus state title with a mark of 129-0.
Montesano’s Gabe Bodwell won a state title in the boys 1A high jump with a leap of 6-2.
DAILY WORLD FILE PHOTO The Montesano boys soccer team raises its first ever district championship after defeating Seton Catholic in May.
Bulldogs win first boys soccer district title
Montesano advanced to the 1A District-title game and made it count, beating Seton Catholic 2-1 on penalty-kicks in May to win the school’s first district championship in boys soccer.
The Bulldogs received a No. 2 seed in the state tournament and after defeating No. 15 Northwest Christian (Colbert) 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals, a 2-0 loss to No. 7 Seton Catholic ended the 1A Evergreen League champs’ season one win shy of the Final Four.
Aberdeen advanced to the 2A District 4 championship but lost to eventual state-champion Columbia River 3-0.
The Bulldogs entered the 2A State playoffs as the No. 5 seed and host No. 12 Fife in the opening round.
Locked in a scoreless tie in the first minute of sudden-death overtime, Bobcats forward Evan Cone uncorked a long 35-yard shot over the keeper’s outstretched arms for a golden goal for arguably the single most memorable sports moment on the Harbor this year.
The Bobcats would fall to No. 4 Sehome 5-0 a few days later to end the season.
DAILY WORLD FILE PHOTO The Elma Little League Intermediate All-Star Team won the state title and represented the state of Washington in the Little League West Regionals in the summer.
Elma Little League wins state title
The summer sports scene on the Harbor belonged to Elma Little League’s Intermediate All-Stars.
Elma’s 11-13 year-olds upset powerhouse Bellevue National – a team that beat Elma 14-0 two days earlier – twice on July 15 to win the state title.
Led by back-to-back quality starts by Bryston Crawford and James Modersohn, the Eagles beat Bellevue 6-3 and 4-2 to advance to the Little League West Regionals in Nogales Arizona, representing the state of Washington.
After a send-off parade escorted by police and fire services through the streets of Elma followed by a ceremony and Lloyd Murray Park, the Eagles beat Oregon then lost to Southern California and Hawaii in regional pool play.
Elma then lost to Woodland (Northern California) in the tournament quarterfinals to end its amazing journey.
The Eagles were only the second team from District 3 to reach the West Regional and the first since 2005.
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Hoquiam’s Jane Roloff won the girls 1A State Cross Country Championship in November, becoming just the second Grizzly to win an individual state cross country title.
Hoquiam’s Roloff wins state cross country championship
In another local sports story that garnered the attention of the Twin Harbors community, Hoquiam senior Jane Roloff ran the race of her life to win the girls 1A state cross-country championship in November.
Roloff, who placed second behind Montesano’s Haley Schweppe in the district-championship race a week earlier, outran the field over the last mile to cross the finish line first by a wide margin.
Shattering her previous personal-best with a time of 18:28.00, Roloff became the first girl in school history to win a state cross country championship and joined Michael Galeana as the only Grizzly to win a state cross country title.
A week later, Roloff was honored by Hoquiam mayor Ben Winkelman and the Hoquiam City Council.
“Jane Roloff has demonstrated exceptional dedication, skill and perseverance throughout her athletic career, embodying the true spirit of sportsmanship and inspiring other young athletes,” Winkelman said.
Schweppe placed fifth overall to lead a Montesano team that took fifth in the team standings.
DAILY WORLD FILE PHOTO The Aberdeen Bobcats football team won six games for the first time in over two decades after going 6-4 and placing third in the 2A Evergreen Conference in 2023.
Aberdeen football takes another step forward
Every year under head coach Todd Bridge, the Aberdeen Bobcats have taken a step forward.
In the fall, the Bobcats did something no Aberdeen team has done in more than two decades: Win six games.
Aberdeen placed third in the league and earned an outright playoff berth with a 6-4 record, with key wins over Prosser, Black Hills, Rochester and Shelton.
The Bobcats lead in the second half but lost to Washougal 35-21 in the crossover round to end their season.
Montesano was once again the best gridiron team on the Harbor, boasting an undefeated regular-season record to win its first 1A Evergreen League title in three seasons.
After bulldozing over Stevenson in the crossover round, No. 7 Monte was upset by No. 10 Freeman 28-21 to end its season with a first-round playoff loss.
Elma, Pe Ell-Willapa Valley and Raymond-South Bend also advanced to the state crossover round, but lost to end their seasons.
DAILY WORLD FILE PHOTO The Montesano Bulldogs hoist their state third-place trophy after defeating La Center in November.
Montesano girls soccer places third in state
In its third-straight trip to the state Final Four, the Montesano Bulldogs finally cracked the code.
After suffering another loss in the district-championship game, the No. 6 Bulldogs beat No. 11 Bellevue Christian 2-1 followed by a 2-0 quarterfinal victory over No. 3 University Prep on the road to advance to the 1A state semis for the third-consecutive season.
Playing a better brand of soccer than in its previous two trips, Monte just missed a spot in the title game with a narrow 1-0 loss to No. 2 Seattle Academy.
The next day, the Bulldogs won their first Final Four game in school history, beating La Center – the team Monte lost to in the district-title game – 3-1 on two goals by Lex Stanfield and a goal from Jaelyn Butterfield.
The victory gave Montesano a third-place finish in the state, the highest placement for a Bulldogs girls soccer team in school history.
Elma finished one game back of Monte in the 1A Evergreen League and failed to retain its status as district champion after a 2-1 loss to La Center in the district semis.
The Eagles lost 2-1 to Seton Catholic in a penalty-kick shootout in the district third-place game, ending their season.
Bulldogs, Vikings bow out of state tournament in first round
The only two prep volleyball teams out of the Twin Harbors to advance to the state championships had early exits in November.
Evergreen-league champion Montesano reached the tournament as the No. 16 seed and fell in straight sets to No. 1 seed and eventual state-champion Chelan 3-0 followed by a 3-0 loss to No. 8 King’s in the double-elimination tournament.
Willapa Valley lost a play-in game against No. 16 DeSales 3-2 on the first day of the state tournament.
Of note during the volleyball season was the emergence of the Aberdeen Bobcats, which finished third in the 2A Evergreen Conference and just missed a spot in the state tournament, capping one of their most successful seasons in recent memory.
