A Championship Weekend

The sun continues to set over the horizon as the team is presented with their trophy for the third year in a row. Everyone has been in the heat for hours, but no one cares; the smiles on the player’s faces, the energy of all the students, it all makes it worth it. Who cares about sunburnt cheeks and growling stomachs when your school’s soccer team has just one it’s third consecutive state title? 

This season, even more than the past two, has been one for the AMHS boys soccer record books. And Saturday was the perfect end to the season. 

After a slow start Friday evening during the semi-final game against Cedarcrest, junior midfielder Sam Johnson was happy to start things off with a bang in the championship. “To get things started in such a big game gave us all the momentum. Throughout the entire state tournament, we’ve scored first, and in the semi-final that didn’t happen, so it was good to get back to our style of play,” he said. His goal came within the first 3 minutes after kickoff, a beauty from inside the right corner of the box. 

The next goal came shortly after from senior Jensen Crisler. What everyone thought was going to be a close game, was already looking like it could be a blowout. 

Goals continued to be made minutes after each other; Matt Williams, the Wildcat’s leading scorer, netted two and Crisler added another before half. 5-0 at halftime in a championship game? That wasn’t what anyone was expecting. 

The second half continued in similar fashion; Williams, Crisler, and Diego Rios all added goals to the scoreboard for the Wildcats. Every single rostered player stepped on the field, and at the end of the game, Coach Bartley returned all his starters to the field to finish their season together. 

That was the beauty of Saturday’s game. Seeing the core group of players who have grown together over the past 3 years finish their careers at Murphy, seeing the new talent that the team has for the upcoming seasons, and seeing all of us, as an Archbishop Murphy family, celebrating with each other. 

“It’s been a really awesome experience getting to play alongside the guys I did for the past few seasons and getting to lift the trophy with them one last time,” Williams, who was one of the team’s three captains this year, commented. For him, yesterday marked the last time he’ll play competitive soccer, as he does not plan to continue playing in college. “It’s still a bitter pill to swallow, but I don’t think I’d want to end my career any differently,” he told me. 

After this championship weekend, other players are also looking towards the future. “Even though we have a ton of seniors leaving, I still have 100% confidence that we will be state contenders next year,” sophomore goal keeper Daniel Mycroft believes. Johnson, one of next year’s captains, however, knows that next year will be a whole new team. “It’s gonna be on myself and the other upperclassmen to bring the younger guys up to speed,” he said. 

There’s no doubt next year will be different. But for now, basking in the glory of 3 state titles is enough to focus on. 

Wildcat Soccer Team tops Greyhounds in 1st Round of State

On a gray afternoon, the Wildcat boy’s soccer team took on the Grandview Greyhounds for the first round of the 2A state tournament. Parents, siblings back from college, and classmates packed the stands in what turned out to be a typical AMHS boy’s soccer game for this year: a blowout. Every player on the roster received playing time, and the Wildcats won the game 6-1.

The first goal for the Wildcats came from junior Sam Johnson off the right side of the field, 6 minutes into the game. This was quickly followed by a goal from Isaac Feeney, also  a junior, in the 11th minute. The only other action in the first half came in the form of 2 yellow cards; one for a Greyhound and one for senior Mitchell Lovell.

The second half provided more action.

Only a minute after kickoff, senior Chase Whittaker volleyed in a beautiful goal from the top of the D-ring. In similar fashion to the first half, 5 minutes later (46′) Matt Williams (sr) bypassed 2 defenders to add one more to the scoreboard. 4-0. The next 2 goals came from Grandview, however only 1 of those goals was for their team. In the 52nd minute, Williams took another ball up top to the Greyhounds’ goal and, after shooting it, a Grandview player helped finish it into the goal. The Greyhounds did put one of their own in the AMHS net though in minute 52 after a free kick and some confusion in the box, keeping it from being another Wildcat shutout. The final goal of the game was an absolute laser by Feeney from the 20 yard line to the bottom left corner of the goal.

With a 6-1 win, the Wildcats advance to the 2A State Quarter-Finals for the 3rd year in a row.

The Wildcats are currently undefeated and have a goals for to goals against ratio of 18 to 1. That’s phenomenal, in case you were wondering.

 

Player Profile: Jensen Crisler

Jensen Crisler is a four year varsity member of the Wildcat soccer team. Playing forward, he’s been a crucial piece of the team, especially the past two seasons. A leading scorer, Crisler has also taken on a new role this year as a senior, one which he has embraced fully.

Crisler’s times as a soccer player started long before his freshman year at Archbishop Murphy. “My dad wanted to coach me,” he said about the start of his soccer career. Coming from a big soccer family, he put on his first pair of cleats when he was only three years old. He’s played hundreds of games since then; including, of course, Archbishop Murphy’s two state championship games.

This year, Crisler has taken on a new role as team captain. Selected last year by teammates, he, along with fellow seniors Matt Williams and Ryan Henderson, have been tasked with being role models both on and off the field.  When asked about what his personal goals for the season are, he humbly replied, “I don’t have any personal goals. I just like to help the team achieve our main goals which are: one, win league, districts, and state; two, allow only 5 goals against us all season; and three, stay focused until the season is over.”

As the number of games he has left with the Wildcats winds down, Crisler says he wants his teammates to be able to remember him as a leader and someone who was, and still is, like family to them. “What I’ve learned from high school soccer is that your team is your family. We’d do anything for each other and we all look out for each other,” he added.

Having played soccer for 15 years now, Crisler has decided to hang up his cleats after his time with the Wildcats is done. “I want to focus on school. I plan to play many intramural sports to make up for not playing soccer though,” Crisler says of his college plans.

Catch Jensen Crisler and the Wildcat soccer team in their last home conference match and Senior Night this Friday, April 28th, at Terry Ennis Stadium against Cedar Park Christian. Game time is 6pm.

Beautiful Day for Baseball

Parents, grandparents, and students alike filled the small section of bleachers at Roman Miller Field Friday afternoon as the Wildcats took on the Sultan Turks. Over the loud speaker boomed the steady voice of history teacher Tyler McLaughlin. As other spring sports practices ended, the stands filled more. It was a beautiful afternoon for baseball. 

Senior Travis Coop took the mound as the starting pitcher for the Wildcats. He, and the rest of his team, were sporting their brand new red jerseys. The Sultan Turks prepped for their turn to bat. 

I could list every hit and run of this game, but that would 1) take too long and 2) be pretty pointless. So instead I’m going to focus on a short recap of the 3rd inning, which was, in my opinion, the most exciting. 

During the top of the inning senior short stop and Seattle University commit Connor O’Brien had a very well executed double play, knocking out runners heading to 1st and 2nd, and sending the Turks off the field. 

Josh Madison (sr), O’Brien, Brandon King (so), Gabe Feliciano (jr) and one more player each added a run for the Wildcats during the 3rd inning. 

If you’re planning on coming out to watch some AMHS baseball, I suggest getting to the field early. And if you’re not planning on going to a baseball game, you should change your plans. 

The Quiet Dedication of Track

The last time I was at a track meet was 8th grade. It was one of those track meets that all the Catholic school PE teachers in the Everett area make all the kids participate in, and half of those kids don’t take it seriously at all while the other half take it way too seriously. It was loud, chaotic, and crazy to be at. Because of this, I was pleasantly surprised by the quiet calm that was the Granite Falls track this afternoon as they hosted both Archbishop Murphy and Cedar Park Christian.

As I approached the team, I could overhear Coach Paul Turner talking strategy with 1600 meter runners Mackenzie Ryan (jr), Megan Dorney (jr), and Alaina Hines (sr). On the track, Caroline Adams (sr) and Tia Asher (so) practiced handoffs for their relay alongside Barrett Floyd (jr) and Jacob Lucas (sr). At the opposite end, Paul Schireman (sr) was prepping for his first time competing in high jump.

After a few events, I moved to the fence and waited for the excitement to pick up. The energy started to pick up as the girls 1600m race was called to the line; this was the race Coach Paul had been talking strategy for. Ryan, Dorney, and Hines all stepped to the line ready for the 4 laps that lay ahead of them. With the sound of the start gun, it quickly became evident what the strategy was: every 200m whichever one of the three was in the back would snake to the front in order to save energy for the last lap. Ryan ended up coming in first, with Hines and Dorney right on her heels.

The meet continued to pick up as the boys 4×100 meters team stepped up for their turn. After a quick high five given to me by Anfernee Gurley, he, along with his teammates, Max Kelleher, Schireman, and Raymond Pimentel, took their places around the track. It was only them and a team from Cedar Park Christian. Before I get to the actual race, I want to say one thing: I was very aware all four of these boys were very fast. I was still shocked by their race. Right from the start it was clear that CPC had no chance. Even finishing with a time of 45.22, though, the boys still weren’t satisfied. “We need to work on our handoffs. We’re trying to cut our time down to 43 seconds,” Schireman told me later. 

The afternoon only got better from there. Floyd won his heat of the boys 400m, Gurley and Holly Sudol (so) snagged the boys and girls 100m respectively, and Teresa Barron (sr) took the 3200m (wow) with ease. For the field events, Schireman and Sudol both clinched high jump, Ryan Kenny (fr) won long jump, and Regan Krueger took 2nd in pole vault. 

Also, a shoutout to one of my closest friends, Livia Haynes (jr), for giving me the honor of letting me wear her lettermans jacket and for PRing in the 800m. 

I had a great time at the meet; every single person in the team made me feel welcomed and appreciated. It really is a bummer more people don’t take the time to go out and watch track meets because it was clear to me that every member of the team has dedication. Dedication to making themselves better, helping their teammates get better, and being a good sport to their competitors. My suggestion is that if you have free time, go. Watch your friends run their race, even if it lasts only 45 seconds. I’d be happy to drive anytime. 

Common Denominators

I’ve been an avid fan of the AMHS boy’s soccer team since freshman year, when I started going mainly because a few of the guys in my biology class were on the team. That year the boys played the majority of their season at Tambark Park because the turf field was being installed at Terry Ennis Stadium. Forcing my mom to pick me up another 15 minutes away from my house that year was probably one of the best decisions I made. Sorry mom.

As anyone who keeps tabs on AMHS sports knows, that year, 2015, the team, under the leadership of phenom coaching duo Mike Bartley and Mike Boswell, won the 2A state championship game against Fife 3-0. Last year, the Wildcats took home the title once again, with a victory ensuing only after a shootout in which sophomore (at the time a freshman) goalkeeper Daniel Mycroft blocked 2 penalty kicks. This year, the team looks to claim a 3rd consecutive 2A state title. So far, they seem on track to do so.

But who are the common denominators you ask? In this extraordinary team, which players have been consistent in their roles these past two and a half seasons?

My answer: the following 7 seniors.

As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, the class of 2017 boasts many phenomenal athletes. The Wildcat boy’s soccer team is lucky to have several of them among their ranks. Matt Williams, Jensen Crisler, Keaton Weyers, and Diego Rios are integral parts of the AMHS offense, while Ryan Henderson, Chase Whittaker, and Jacob Snider hold down the fort on defense.

Williams and Crisler form a pair up top that is nearly unstoppable; between Williams’ speed and Crisler’s physicality, it is rare to see a game go by where at least one of them doesn’t score. Weyers serves as a ball distributor in the middle, sending the ball up and out towards goal. Rios, like Williams, uses his speed to break past defenders and distribute the ball up top, or just shoot it himself.

In the back, Henderson serves as coordinator for the back line at center back. Comfortable in this position from his days as goalie, Henderson easily analyzes the fields and sends the ball up using his strong foot. Whittaker works on the outside, preventing opposing forwards from working down the sidelines while also bringing the ball up them himself. And Snider, although benched this year due to a surgery, typically serves in a similar position as Henderson, distributing the ball off of the back line.

These 7 players don’t completely make up the greatness that is the Wildcat soccer team. However, they’ve been key in the team’s success the past years and so far this season. This year, they are also serving as leaders and mentors to the younger players on the field, which I can already tell they are doing an amazing job at.

Come out and watch the boys at home anytime this season before they take on districts and, hopefully, state.

My 1st Time Watching Lacrosse

I sat down on the cold bleachers for the first time this spring, if you can even call it that yet, wrapped in blankets and hoping my first time watching lacrosse would be easy to understand, move quickly, and would be entertaining. At least it was entertaining.

Going into this game only knowing that lacrosse involved sticks, I was not prepared for the mash up of multiple different sports that it ended up being. With a penalty box like hockey, clock stopping like football, constant ball movement like soccer, but with a stick and a lot of body checking, I got a lot more than I planned for by going to lacrosse. But it was definitely fun to watch.

Entertaining is seriously the best word I can think of to describe lacrosse. The physicality of the defensive play, the quickness of the offense, and the crazy trick shots kept me watching throughout the entire game. Of course, it was made even more entertaining by the 3-man heckle squad made up of seniors Riley Quinton, Aleks Hansen, and Ben Harasek.

I was completely blown away by the performances of seniors Bennett Duffy and Joseph Doyle; the pair were the sole scorers in the Wildcat victory. Duffy scored 5 goals and Doyle netted the other 3, ending the game 8-5 over Bellingham. Other amazing performances, particularly defensively, were put on by seniors Will Doud and Hayden Smith. I’d also like to shout out freshman Cece Vaughn; that girl is awesome for playing on a guys team and still rocking it.

Check the AMHS calendar and come out to watch the Wildcat Lacrosse team play before the season is over!

Emily’s Spring Sports Predictions

It’s already been a fantastic year for Archbishop Murphy sports. Girls soccer and volleyball both placed 3rd in state, football won the state title, girls basketball is playing for the district championship this week, and boys basketball needs 2 wins for a state berth. Individual sports, such as cross country, swimming, and wrestling, have all sent or are sending athletes to compete in state tournaments.

With tryouts for spring sports just over a week away, here are my predictions for how all the Wildcat sports teams will do in their 2017 season. (None of them are bad because, let’s face it, the Class of 2017 is a phenomenally talented and athletic class, and many of them play spring sports.)

Boy’s Soccer

Losing only one starting senior last year, the Wildcats will be fielding mostly all returning players this season as they look to take the state title for the 3rd year in a row. With powerhouse senior Matt Williams up top, assisted by Jensen Crisler (sr) and Isaac Feeney (jr), and a midfield and defensive front consisting of Sam Johnson (jr), Jake Snider (sr), Chase Whittaker (sr) and goalie Daniel Mycroft (sp), it doesn’t seem far fetched that the boys could bring home the state title again this season. Preseason games are still undecided, as many 3A and 4A teams don’t want to risk their RPI rankings by losing to the Wildcats, but make sure to find time to come out and support the boy’s soccer team. I know I’ll be at as many games as possible.

Girl’s Tennis

Last year, senior Lauren Braswell was the only AMHS tennis player to make districts, with 1st-alternate being Hannah Van Hollebeke. This year, Van Hollebeke is a junior and I’m prepared to see her kick some butt on the court and push through to the district tournament. Also, keep an eye out for seniors Natalie Sizelove and Maddy Williams either as a doubles pair or as singles this season.

Baseball

The Wildcat baseball team is another team poised to go far in districts and possibly state. Led by seniors Parker Sand, Connor O’Brien,  Aleks Hansen, and several others, the team has a good shot of returning to districts again this year and making a run at state. Catch them on Roman Miller Field this spring in their spiffy new uniforms.

Softball

Coaching changes this year have put assistant football coach Damien Holman and dean of students Jeff Latta in the position filled for many years by Stephanie Harmon. However, I don’t expect this to put a damper on the girls’ season. Although they lost several seniors last year, the team should be returning several strong players such as Yutanee Ryan and Mackenzie Treece, while also seeing the involvement of several new players. I’d keep my eye on the softball team this year; I’ve seen Latta coach powderpuff before, and if he can do half as well coaching this team, they’ll be in good shape.

Track & Field

AMHS boasts a large track & field team, consisting of many talented people. From cross country runners Josh Rauvola (jr), Teresa Barron (sr), and Mackenzie Ryan (jr) running the 3200m and 1600m, to football players Paul Schireman (sr), Martin Napeahi (jr), and Kobe Moorhead (jr) doing long jump, discus, and shotput, to soccer player Tia Asher (sp) running the 400m, make sure you look out for these guys throughout the season. I predict several of them will place in conference, at districts and possibly even at state. I’m definitely planning to make my way to a few meets this season because this team is star studded.

Boy’s Golf

The boy’s golf team also has several returning seniors, 3 of whom placed top 10 at districts last season. Steve Shih, Matthew Pabisz, and Jack McClincy, along with junior Fulton Brawner, should once again prove to be forces to reckon with on the course. Possibly the best dressed Murphy sport’s team, take some time to go watch golf this season.

Girl’s Golf

Coach Cassie Snyder is turning herself into a 3 sport coach this season by stepping up to coach golf. The team last year was small, but who knows, maybe there’ll be a bigger turnout this year.

Boy’s Lacrosse 

This should be a good year for the boy’s lacrosse team. The youngest Murphy sports team, only 3 years old, the lacrosse team is technically, because of Title IX, not a sanctioned AMHS team. However, led by seniors Bennett Duffy, Joseph Doyle, and Will Doud, lacrosse will definitely be a sport you should come out and watch this season.