Sports Archives - Page 20 of 54

Hawks qualify for playoffs despite 64-6 Loss

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

The Tulalip Heritage football program (1-3) played their final game of the 2016 regular season. The Hawks, with home field advantage, took to their brand new field, the Alpheus Gunny Jones Sr. Field, one last time as they closed out the season against the Crescent Loggers.

The Hawks started the game energetic on offense and sharp on defense yet were held scoreless for the first three quarters. The Loggers, had 32 points on the board by the end of the third.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Tulalip fans were treated to a highlight as number 21 for the Hawks, Josh Iukes, hit nitro boost as he returned a kick the length of the football field for Heritage’s only touchdown of the day. The Loggers would close out the game on a 32-0 run resulting in the final score of 64 Loggers – 6 Hawks.

Heritage ends their season 1-4, however, they will be competing in the district playoffs at the number four seed. Despite the blowout the boys never gave up and were playing every down at full speed. Their defense showed flashes of potential and if the Hawks are able to tighten up their offensive line and convert on a few third downs, something special could happen during their playoff run.

Lady Hawks rollercoaster season continues

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks volleyball team were coming off back-to-back losses that dropped them to a (6-4) record and 4^th in the league standings last we checked in. They would get a week’s worth of rest and practice in before their next game.

On Wednesday, October 19, the winless Lummi Blackhawks came to town. As expected, the match was very one-sided. Tulalip won the 1^st game 25-5. Coach Tina Brown used the 2^nd game as a prime opportunity to get her less experienced girls into the game and get some reps. They showed great effort and made use of their court time, barely losing 22-25. Coach Tina went back to her starters in the 3^rd game and, again, it was a lopsided 25-6 win for the Lady Hawks. The home team went on to win the 4^th game 25-16 and the match 3 games to 1. Upping their overall record to (7-4).

In a quick turnaround, the Lady Hawks hit the road the following day and travelled to Kirkland to take on the Providence Classical Christian Highlanders. The Highlanders are the league’s best team, sitting atop the NW 1B standings and sporting an impressive ten-match win streak. During their dominant run only the Lady Hawks managed to give them a competitive match, when they previously played each other back on September 30.

The Highlanders were much more prepared for the Lady Hawks this time around and brought the heat early. The aggressive style of play and hard hit spikes proved to be too much for Tulalip to handle. In a decidedly quick match, the Lady Hawks got blanked 0 games to 3. It was the first time all season they failed to win a single game, dropping their record to (7-5).

Next up, Tulalip hosted the Cedar Park Christian Lions on Monday, October 24. The match was ‘Senior Night’ for the Lady Hawks, as family and friends filled the bleachers to cheer on their team.

The match started out very well for the Lady Hawks. They came out pumped up and full of energy thanks to the pre-game ceremonies. In the 1^st game, they took a commanding 13-4 lead and held on for a 25-19 win. Then in the 2^nd game, they played the Lions nearly point for point and grinded out a 25-23 win. Up 2 games to 0, Tulalip only need to win one more game to clinch the match victory and make a defining statement on week before league playoffs.

However, the Lions are the league’s second best team record wise for a reason. Their coaches made some between game adjustments and focused on hitting the ball to the Lady Hawks back row. After dropping the opening games, the Lions would take the 3^rd game 25-22 and the 4^th game 25-21.

Tied at 2 games apiece, the match went to a deciding 5^th game. Minutes into the clincher the score was 6-6. The Lions eventually pulled away, as the Lady Hawks made some costly miscues and found themselves trailing 9-14. They refused to give-up and took the next three points, but a bad serve gave the Lions the last point they need. Tulalip lost the 5^th game 12-15 and the match 2 games to 3.

It was a heartbreaking loss for the Lady Hawks after playing so well and having a 2 games to 0 lead. Their record now sits at (7-6) on the year with two more matches before playoffs.

The District 1B playoffs will be held Saturday, October 29, at Mt. Vernon Christian High School.

Lady Hawks fall to 3rd in standings

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Tulalip Heritage Hawks volleyball program’s scorching hot (5-0) start seems like a distant memory after losing four of their past five matches. Their latest loss came at home when they hosted the (4-5) Arlington Christian Knights on Wednesday, October 12.

Game 1 was a lackluster effort from the Lady Hawks. They went through the motions of playing, but the effort wasn’t there and they dropped the opening game 16-25. During intermission, they tried to talk strategy and came to the conclusion they just weren’t pumped up to play. During game 2, the home team fell behind 3-9 before putting together a few rallies and got the score to 14-15. The crowd got into it and the Lady Hawks looked to be getting their groove back. The Lady Hawks played as a team with energy and grinded out a 27-25 win.

Their momentum continued in the 3^rd game, as they took a 9-3 lead and extended it to a 20-14 lead before the Knights called a time-out. Following the timeout the Knights took momentum back and left the home team reeling. After being up 20-14, the Lady Hawks were unable to close out the game and lost 23-25. They were unable to muster a comeback and dropped game 4, resulting in a 1 game to 3 match defeat.

With the loss the Lady Hawks are now (6-4) and find themselves in 3^rd place in NW 1B standings. They have work to do and it will start in practice to rebuild their team chemistry. The next two games are against the winless Skykomish and Lummi Nation teams. Hopefully the girls can right the ship, get those Ws, and figure out how to sustain their energy for a full match in order to clinch a spot in the postseason tournament.

Lady Hawks soar back vs. Eagles, stumble vs. Tomahawks

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

After losing their first matches of the season, the Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks (5-2) looked to bounce back and right the ship when they traveled to Grace Academy to play the Lions (3-3) on Friday, October 7. This was the second matchup between the teams, as they previously played back on September 8 in a thrilling match the Lady Hawks won 3 games to 2.

In the 1^st game, the Lady Hawks came out flat and Grace took advantage by going up 17-10, forcing coach Tina Brown to call timeout. Following the timeout, Lady Hawk players were much more active and got engaged defensively. They were flying around and diving to save rallies. Clutch serving by Aliya Jones and Cidney Marteney proved to be the difference, as they helped their team go on a 15-4 run and take the opening game 25-21.

Both the 2^nd and 3^rd games played out the same with both teams playing well at the net and forcing each other into unforced errors. The Lady Hawks weren’t able to go on those long rallies to string together points, which allowed Grace to close-out both games. Grace took the 2^nd game 25-22 and the 3^rd game 25-19.

Down 1 game to 2 and needing to grind out back-to-back games is an all too familiar place for the Lady Hawks lately. They were not able to do it in their last two losses. However, unlike in the previous two games, the Heritage fans were in full force and were determined to give that “7^th man” energy to their team. It was such a great experience to witness the Heritage fans pick up their team and motivate the girls to dig deep.

Seemed like after every point the Lady Hawks scored in the 4^th game was met with cheers and applause from their fans. After winning the 4^th game and forcing a match deciding 5^th game, the fans really let loose. Sounded more like a home game then an away game for sure.

In the 5^th and final game, the momentum from the last game coupled with the energy from their fans proved to be huge for the Lady Hawks. After being down 1 game to 2, they soared back and won back-to-back games to claim match victory 3 games to 2.

On Monday, October 10 the Lady Hawks (6-2) hosted the Marysville Pilchuck C-team (4-3) at Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium. On paper this looked to be a very lopsided mismatch, with all the advantages in favor of the home team. There were expectations going in that the Lady Hawk starters would take care of business early, so that the younger bench players could see heavy minutes and get more game time experience. Unfortunately, that expectation would not be met.

Games 1 and 2 played out in near identical fashion. In each game the Lady Hawks took an early 5-2 lead, only to squander it and be tied 13-13 minutes later. Instead of going on rallies and putting the pressure on the less experienced Tomahawks, the girls played without energy and kept committing unforced errors. The Lady Hawks lack of team work and hustle cost them both games by the score of 23-25.

Before the start of game 3, coach Tina Brown urged her girls to get into game mode and to work through their mistakes as a team. Her team responded in an emphatic way. The Lady Hawks came out with a sense of urgency and were firing on all cylinders to take a commanding 16-8 lead. They continued their solid play and closed out the 3^rd game, 25-12.

For whatever reason the Lady Hawks lost that sense of urgency and again played sluggishly. They found themselves trailing 5-15 in the 4^th game and waited too late to mount a comeback. They lost the game 20-25 and the match 1 game to 3, sending their overall record to (6-3).

Hawks run over Bruins, 51-26

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Tulalip Heritage Hawks (0-1) held their home opening football game on Saturday, October 1, when they hosted the Bruins out of Clallam Bay (2-1). The game was played at the newly built Alpheaus “Gunny” Jones, Sr. ball field.

These two teams previously faced off on September 9 at Clallum Bay. That was a highly competitive game in which the Bruins pulled out a 28-26 victory.

The Hawks were determined to get their first win of the short season and did what they could to show off for their home crowd. Everything seemed to go the Hawks way on both sides of the ball. The offense was clicking and had no trouble moving the ball. Meanwhile, the defense came up big by forcing three interceptions and a couple fumbles.

After four quarters of solid play, the Hawks won by the score of 51-26.

The twenty-five point victory is sure to be a shining spot on a season that has seen two games cancelled thus far. On Monday, October 3, it was announced Tulalip Heritage has forfeited its next game against the Lummi Blackhawks.

Saturday, October 29, is the next and last home game on the schedule for the Hawks.

Lady Hawks stumble in back-to-back defeats

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

After opening the season in grand fashion, undefeated at 5-0 and sitting atop the league standings, the Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks have taken the L in consecutive matches.

On Friday, September 30, the Lady Hawks (5-0) hosted the Highlanders (2-1) from Providence Classical Christian. The Lady Hawks got shellacked 9-25 in the 1^st game, but responded with a gritty 25-23 win in the 2^nd game. The 3^rd game was a repeat of the 1^st, with the Lady Hawks committing too many errors and not able to return the ball. They dropped the 3^rd game 10-25. Again, the home team responded with a well-played 4^th game, winning 25-14, and forcing a match deciding Game 5.

In the 5^th game, the Lady Hawks started out playing with a sense of urgency and went up 6-3. However, they weren’t able to keep it up and the Highlanders would battle back and claim the game and match victory. It was the first taste of defeat for the Lady Hawks.

On Monday, October 3, the Lady Hawks (5-1) traveled to Mountlake Terrace to take on the Lions (5-1) of Cedar Park Christian. These two teams were tied for first in the Northwest 1B league.

The Lady Hawks came out ballin’ in the 1^st game. They took a very quick 12-1 lead and closed out the game 25-16. Unfortunately, the tide turned in the Lions favor as they seemed to figure out the Lady Hawks offensive strategy. At every opportunity, the Lions would wait for the setter and put their tallest players at the net to block Lady Hawk attacks. The Lions strategy worked as they won the 2^nd game 25-18, 3^rd game 25-19, and 4^th game 25-15.

Tulalip falls to second in the standings with a (5-2) record. They now have a few days to practice, watch game film, and figure out where they can make adjustments. With upcoming home games on Monday, October 10, and Wednesday, October 12, the Lady Hawks will look to right the ship and get back to their winning ways.

Lady Hawks top NW 1B standings

By Micheal Rios; photos by Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

Four matches played, four matches won. The Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks volleyball team is undefeated and sitting atop the NW 1B standings as of Tuesday, September 27. After narrowly defeating Grace Academy and Arlington Christian both in thrilling matches that went the full five sets, the Lady Hawks won in straight sets over Skykomish and Orcas Christian.

A highly anticipated match awaits on Monday, October 3, when the Lady Hawks travel to Mountlake Terrace to take on the current second seeded Cedar Park Christian. The matchup will feature the two best teams in their league and surely be a highly challenged contest. The victor will have the mental edge and inside track for being the best in the Northwest 1B.

Lady Hawks volleyball returns with emphatic victory

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks volleyball program took leaps forward last year by winning five regular season matches and winning two clutch postseason matches before losing a nail-biter to Shoreline Christian, ending their season with a 7-11 final record. This season’s Lady Hawks team returns seven players from last year, and with another off season of development under their belt the Heritage program looks to take another successful leap forward.

On Thursday, September 8, the Lady Hawks hosted the Grace Academy Eagles in what doubled as the season and home opening game. Last season, our Lady Hawks got walloped 0-3 in both match-ups with the Eagles, so a good showing would be a nice confidence booster and proof positive the program is developing in the right direction.

From the opening serve it was obvious the Lady Hawks came to play. The first game was a highly contested battle, with each team going on a series of runs. Up 23-22, the Lady Hawks tightened up the defense and scored on back-to-back points to take the opening game 25-22.

The near even play continued in the second game, until miscommunication crept in on the Lady Hawks part leading to them trailing 17-23. Digging deep, they went on a 6-1 run to make it a one point game, 23-24. The momentum was halted moments later with a bad serve that gave Grace the game 23-25.

Tied at one game each, the Lady Hawks opened up a 7-5 advantage to start the third game. However, Grace took control and the home team trailed 10-18. Heritage was unable to get back in the game, going on to lose 17-25.

Down one game to two, and with Grace only needing to win one more game to take the match, the odds weren’t looking good for Heritage. But these Lady Hawks were determined to take the momentum back. They took a very quick 6-1 advantage in the fourth game and never looked back. Winning the fourth game 25-15 tied up the match at two games apiece, forcing a match deciding fifth game.

In the fifth and final game, the Lady Hawks opened up trailing 0-2 before buckling down and scoring at will. Determined to end their match losing streak to Grace, the Lady Hawks went on a 15-3 run to clinch the game 15-6 and take the match victory 3-2 in front of a very spirited home crowd.

The Lady Hawks hit the road for their next two matches against Lopez and Arlington Christian before coming back home to host Skykomish on Tuesday, September 20.

Tulalip hosts unprecedented Jr. NBA camp

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

History was made at the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club over the weekend of July 8, as the National Basketball Association (NBA) selected the Tulalip Tribes to host a first of its kind summer basketball camp focused on engaging Native American youth. The three-day Jr. NBA camp was developed to be a youth basketball participation program for boys and girls ages 10-14. With the NBA holding this event on Tulalip Tribes’ land, it marked the first time ever a Jr. NBA camp took place in Indian Country.

“The Jr. NBA is always looking to engage different communities that love basketball,” said David Krichavsky, the NBA’s vice-president of youth basketball development. “Working with Tulalip provides us a unique opportunity to connect with our young fans and their coaches alongside some of the NBA’s best ambassadors.”

Jr. NBA camps are designed to teach the game’s fundamental skills and core values at a grassroots level to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches, and parents. Within the Tulalip community, we know how much our people, especially our youth, love the game of basketball. To have NBA players involved, such as SuperSonics legend Detlef Schrmpf and former University of Washington stand-out Spencer Hawes, the opportunity for camp participants to make life long memories and have memorabilia signed added even more benefits.

“Our Native community loves basketball and the NBA,” stated Marlin Fryberg Jr., executive director for the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club. “The Jr. NBA camp acknowledges our Native American passion for the game and will help make NBA fans for life while teaching basketball’s important values.”

With the assistance of NBA and Boys & Girls Club staff, the Jr. NBA camp taught our youth the importance of hard work, teamwork, discipline and self-respect. Their focus was to provide the young Tulalip athletes of all skill levels with the instructions and training that have made some of the NBA’s brightest stars elite on and off the court.

“Skills like teamwork, passion, accountability, and responsibility are at the core of these communities and the core of our game,” said Brooks Meek, NBA vice-president of International Basketball Operations and 1994 graduate of Marysville-Pilchuck High School. “I am especially excited to help bring the NBA to my home community, having grown up with so many friends from Tulalip. We are very fortunate to work with such committed partners as we bring our League to these passionate fans.”

Every camp session started with plyometric warm-ups that got the youth primed for the next series of basketball training. After several rotations through four different fundamental skill stations that emphasized proper footwork, ball handling, shooting and defense the campers would get a short water break before moving on to team competitions. Team competitions varied by day and age group. There were shooting competitions showcasing the forgotten art of the mid-range jumper, a team oriented 3-point shot contest, and even a point-blank range, lay-up style competition. But what the youth looked forward to most were the daily 5-on-5 half court and full court games that ended every session.

During the spirited team competitions there were several game winning shots made. Each one was met with a booming celebration from the kids and the NBA staffers. A highlight of day 3 took place during the 5-on-5 full court championship game between the 10-12 year olds. With the score tied and only seconds remaining, 11-year-old Frank Salomon from Lummi corralled a rebound and launched and connected on a fade-away jumper as the game buzzer sounded.

“Hitting the game winning shot was amazing,” boasts Frank. “I didn’t know it would go in. I just shot the ball and can’t believe I made it before the buzzer. It was awesome!”

It was an unprecedented weekend all around. From all the youth who got up and got to the Boys & Girls club by 8:00 a.m. on a Saturday and Sunday, the dedicated parents who made it happen, the NBA and Boys & Girls Club staff and trainers who made this Jr. NBA camp special and memorable for all the youth participants, to breaking down a barrier and hopefully forming a lasting partnership between the NBA and the tribes.

“The Tulalip Boys & Girls Club had a great experience working hand in hand with the Jr. NBA basketball team,” adds Marlin Fryberg Jr. “We were selected to be the first Tribe ever to host a Jr. NBA camp for kids. Talking to the kids over the weekend they really enjoyed themselves. We had approximately 140 boys and girls participate, which involved representation from other tribes including Puyallup, Nooksack, Lummi, Muckleshoot, Swinomish, Klamath, and Alaska Natives.

“We are very proud to say we are the first tribe in Indian Country to host a Jr. NBA camp. To know now that Tulalip has opened the door for the NBA to expand their basketball clinics and resources to include tribes is truly an honor.”

Contact Micheal Rios at mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Little pullers, big ambitions

Youh_Canoe_Club-1 — Photo/Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Through the commitment and guidance of several Tulalip tribal members, led by Natasha Fryberg, the Tulalip Tribes has its very own youth canoe club. They’ve been practicing three times a week, rain or shine, since April. With a consistent turnout of kids and their dedicated parents, the canoe club has established itself as a safe and fun activity for our youth to practice traditions of our ancestors.

“For most of these kids, this was their first ever experience with pulling canoe. We teach them the skills and proper technique outside of the canoe first,” says Natasha. “We really focus on each kid’s individual comfort level, so that they enjoy their experiences in the water and in the canoe.”

The current age range is of club members is 5-years-old to 16-years-old, with a good mix of boys and girls. A goal of Natasha and her fellow instructors is to train the canoe club members to the point they can participate in the war canoe races circuit. Thus far, the future is bright as the kids have really taken to the water and enjoy the rigorous activity of war canoe racing during their practices.

“My kids had zero previous experience with canoe pulling, let alone being in a canoe until now,” says Nickie Richwine, mother of three daughters participating in the canoe club. “It’s been an honor to watch these kids excel on the water. I’m so thankful for their coaches Natasha and Tawny Fryberg, Alicia and Clayton Horne, and Ryan. They’ve really been a blessing for taking the time to teach and encourage our kids to be on the water.”

For those interested in getting their kids involved with Tulalip’s youth canoe club, please contact Natasha Fryberg at 425-422-9276.