The year in sports

People and teams that made the sports pages in 2014

January

Wolverines defeat Totems in basketball

The Bellevue Wolverines boys hoops squad registered a 76-31 victory against the Sammamish Totems. The Wolverines improved their undefeated record to 9-0 in early season play. Kyle Foreman scored a game-high 17 points and Mikey Henn added 16 points in the win.

February

Baker signs with the Huskies

Bellevue Wolverines football star safety Budda Baker officially signed a letter of intent with the University of Washington Huskies football program.

Baker announced his collegiate decision on KING 5 News in a live broadcast with sports anchor Chris Egan.

Newport swim team second at KingCo

The Newport Knights boys swim team captured a second-place finish at the KingCo Swim and Dive Championships at the University of Washington. The Knights were led by 200 Free relay team, which captured first place, consisting of swimmers Andrew Pana, James Campbell, Will Dittig and Dave Markhervaks.

Villani captures a state title

Bellevue Wolverines junior Christian Villani earned his second consecutive state championship at the Mat Classic state wrestling tournament. Villani defeated Peninsula’s Zach Goddard 17-0 in Class 3A state title match.

March

Wolverines basketball teams advance

The Bellevue Wolverines boys and girls varsity basketball teams advanced to the Class 3A state tournament at the Tacoma Dome. The boys team captured a win against Lincoln and the girls team earned a victory against Kennedy Catholic to advance to the state tournament.

Wolverines take third at state

The Bellevue Wolverines boys basketball team defeated the Wilson Rams 71-61 in the Class 3A third place/fourth place game in the Class 3A state basketball tournament at the Tacoma Dome.

Craig new Totems football coach

Former Bellevue Wolverines assistant coach Todd Craig was hired as the new Sammamish Totems head football coach. The Totems haven’t advanced to the state playoffs since a state championship game appearance in 1999.

April

Wolverines get back to .500

The Bellevue Wolverines softball team cruised to a 10-0 win against the Interlake Saints. The Wolverines improved their overall record to 2-2 with the win.

May

Bellevue wins KingCo track title

Budda Baker captured first place in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash, capitulating the Wolverines to the Class 3A KingCo track and field championship. Sophomore Isaiah Gilchrist also finished in first place in the 400-meter dash as well.

Newport punches ticket to state

In a loser-out game, the Newport Knights came through in the clutch. The Knights defeated the Bearcats 1-0 in a district crossover contest. Newport ace pitcher Kathryn Wood tossed a complete-game shutout in the pitching circle.

June

Marrese wins golf title

Sammamish Totems junior Matt Marrese won the Class 2A state golf championship at the Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place. Marrese dominated the tourney as the second-place finisher was 11 strokes behind him.

Spring football sessions are underway

The Bellevue Wolverines, Sammamish Totems, Bellevue Christian Vikings, Interlake Saints and Newport Knights kicked off their annual spring football practice sessions in preparation for the 2014 season.

July

Wehner tosses a perfect game

Interlake Saints 2014 graduate Nate Wehner tossed a perfect game for his American Legion Bellevue-based team against a squad from Canada in July. Wehner, who threw 91 total pitches, struck out nine batters in the contest.

Stanchi named to coveted squad

Bellevue Wolverines water polo player Marco Stanchi was named to the United States water polo cadets traveling roster. A position on the team is very rare as there are only 14 spots on the roster.

“His desire to be the best is unmatched,” Wolverines assistant coach Evan Kaseguma said.

August

Suman resigns sports reporter position

After three years of writing sports for the Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter, Josh Suman resigned his position. Suman accepted a position with nonprofit Jubilee REACH in Bellevue, serving as the site coach for after-school programming, and the media coordinator for the organization.

Tomlinson displays a fearless attitude

Newport Knights girls soccer player Sydney Tomlinson enjoys being the last line of defense as the goalie for her team. Tomlinson, who has been in the starting lineup since her freshman year, is adept at attacking the ball in the air. “When the ball is in the air she is just a force,” Newport head coach Jake Savette said.

September

Bellevue continues winning ways

The Bellevue Wolverines defeated Serra High School 31-14 in the Honor Bowl in the season opener at Oceanside High School in Southern California. The Wolverines extended their winning streak to 55 games with the win.

Wolverines water polo starts strong

The Bellevue Wolverines boys water polo team won its first two contests of the 2014 season. The Wolverines won state titles in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

October

Wagner leads by example in volleyball

Interlake Saints volleyball player Jamie Wagner, who has been in the starting lineup since her freshman season in 2012, was one of the best outside hitters in the KingCo Division in her junior season.

Parrish puts up mind-boggling numbers

Interlake Saints running back De’Jhion Parrish, who rushed for 295 yards and three touchdowns against Liberty, was profiled in the “Beyond the Athlete” segment of the sports section. Parrish said his favorite NFL team is the Indianapolis Colts.

November

Wolverines water polo wins state

The Bellevue Wolverines boys water polo team defeated the Curtis Vikings 8-6 to win their fourth consecutive state championship. Bellevue goalie Quinlan Hughes finished with a game-high nine saves between the posts.

Newport wins in quarterfinals

The Newport Knights football team defeated the Federal Way Eagles 17-10 in the Class 4A quarterfinals. Newport defensive back Justin Lau sealed the victory with an interception in the fourth quarter.

December

Bellevue’s winning streak comes to end

The Eastside Catholic Crusaders football team registered a 35-13 victory against the Bellevue Wolverines in the Class 3A state championship football game. The Wolverines had won 67 games in a row.

Bellevue Christian undefeated

The Bellevue Christian girls basketball team had a perfect 5-0 record in non-league action to start the 2014-15 season. Bellevue Christian junior Emily VandenBrink said her team is selfless in every way. “One of our best attributes is that we all mesh together really well and everyone is really positive,” VandenBrink said.