Walax Rundown Week Three

Check it out! New rankings for both Division I and II, selections for Baller of the Week and Game of the Week with highlight reel.  Spring break this week for all the high schools, Walax will get progress reports and updates from the Washington teams headed all over the country.  Also, some important exhibition games this week for both divisions, so the action will not let up.  Stay tuned for the Drop this week and some "On The Road" specials.  On the horizon are new features, including some check in's with the boys at the collegiate level.  

Division I                                                       Division II

1- Bainbridge Island                                     1- Sammamish 

2- Issaquah                                                  2- Woodinville

3- Mercer Island                                           3- Snohomish

4- Bellevue                                                   4- Wenatchee

5- Skyline                                                     5- Blancet

6- King's Way                                               6- Three Rivers

7- Tacoma                                                    7- Providence

8- Curtis                                                       8- Redmond

9- Stadium                                                   9- Garfield

10- Northshore                                            10- Klahowya

The Shifting Totem Pole

More revelations this week.  Bainbridge will sit comfortable at the no. 1 spot with their strong offense and an improving defense with no losses thus far.  Issaquah has rebounded after their loss to Centennial in the Northwest Invitational.  Their offense proves dangerous with several big guns like Jake Fritz and Kevin Powers.  Attackman Matt O'Neill has stepped up along with Ben Director.  Big DI news is Mercer Island's trip down south, as the Islanders dropped their first loss to Oregon Episcopal School 10-3.  It was the last game in a three game streak.  Their loss against O.E.S and narrow escape from King's Way 7-5 revealed the need for offensive fine tuning when faced with some quality defense packages.  On Thursday night, the Islanders held on against last year's state champion Bellevue 8-6.  The young Wolverines are dangerous, with five freshmen, eight sophomores, ten juniors and only two seniors. With half their team comprised of underclassmen a late May spark could make Bellevue the sleeping giant of the playoffs.  Junior attackman Blake Samuel is point leader, supported by freshman standout Hank Bethke and sophomore Cole Johnson.  Junior goalie Austin Boyd averages 67%.

On the bubble is Skyline. Despite injuries the Spartans marched all over their opponents last week.  They outscored their opponents 45 to 6 against Lynnwood and Curtis.  Jack Pruitt, Max Saffle and Ryan Benz continue to lead Skyline in points.  However, sophomore Cannon Gardner stepped up his game racking up goals and assists like a veteran.  Freshman long-stick midfielder Spencer Noonan amassed 44 ground balls and two goals in eight games this season.  King's Way is close behind, but they face Bainbridge the end of this week which will decide the leader of the Southwest Conference.  In the close contest against Mercer Island, the Knights are proven against a top five team.  Jack Beall still racks up points, but was shut out against the Islanders.  

Across the Division II landscape, Woodinville dropped Snohomish 8-2. Some athletic play from freshman Daniel McKee shook up the Cascade conference.  A big exhibition test for the Falcons comes this week during a non-league game against DI's Northshore.  The Cascade and Metro conferences clearly are the strongest in DII.  Elsewhere, Sammamish continues to roll over their competition in league play.  They sit at no. 1 for the week, with senior attack Tyvan Schmidt leading the team in points and the division in goal scoring.  However, a five goal loss 11-6 in an exhibition against Northshore gages their talent level against the mid-level DI.  While simultaneously Wenatchee and Blancet are emerging as dark horses in the league.  Three Rivers is making waves with attack duo Drew Wade, leading the division in points with 48 and Trent Wellner with 32.   

What are you doing for Spring Break?

• Bellevue heads south to Texas for three games, one against well regarded Highland Park.  
• Issaquah visits New Jersey for their own three game string, one against the legendary Lawrenceville School.  
• Mercer Islands ships out to Boston for a trio of prep schools, including Duxbury. 
• Several teams head to Oregon including Skyline, Eastside Catholic, Curtis and Bainbridge. 

Baller of the Week- Cannon Gardner- Soph., Attack, Skyline

In the absence of senior attackman Brennan West, sophomore Connor Gardner has stepped up to fill the void.  After a injury spout, Gardner returned to action against Lynnwood and Curtis last week.  He tallied seven goals and two assists in both games, 18 points total in two games back.  Skyline's bench is receiving lots of playing time, providing experience for the dark horse team.  By May these guys should be contending with the heavyweights. 

Game of the Week- Mercer Island v. Bellevue 8-6

In the first Heavy Four match-up, cross town rivals Bellevue and Mercer Island played a close one.  The rematch of the 2010 state championship was another close one, with great performances all around.  The Islander's early lead proved pivotal as the Wolverines mustered enough young talent to come back within in one in the fourth quarter.  From the looks of Bellevue, we will be saying their players's names for a few years to come.