For the only time during the regular season, the No. 2-ranked Decatur Gators and the No. 3-ranked Federal Way Eagles will play each other. But the game between the two district rivals won’t be in Federal Way. The Decatur and Federal Way boys basketball teams are scheduled to play at the 2009 King Holiday Hoopfest at 2:30 p.m. at the University of Washington. The last time the two teams played was inside the Tacoma Dome in the Class 4A state semifinals. Federal Way won the classic game in overtime.
The Decatur-Federal Way game is one of seven contests at the King Holiday Hoopfest. The day will feature some of the top teams on the West Coast and some of the top players in the Pacific Northwest at the University of Washington’s Bank of America Arena.
The event kicks off at 9:30 a.m. with Class 1A powers Bellevue Christian and King’s squaring off before finishing at 7:30 p.m. with perhaps one of the best games ever seen at the King Holiday Hoopfest, featuring Class 4A No. 1-ranked Garfield against Class 3A No. 1-ranked Franklin.
Four of the 14 teams involved in this year’s King Holiday Hoopfest are ranked among the top-20 in the West Region by ESPN. In fact, nationally Rainier Beach is ranked 16th, Dominguez from Los Angeles is ranked 40th and Franklin is ranked 48th. The Kentwood girls are ranked second nationally.
Rainier Beach and Dominguez will meet in the 4 p.m. game. The Kentwood girls will take on Bellarmine Prep in the only girls game at 11 a.m. while the Bellarmine Prep boys, featuring All-American Abdul Gaddy, will take on Bellevue, which is ranked 18th on the West Coast at 6 p.m. The Kentwood boys will play Bothell at 12:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students with ASB and seniors.
• The Washington Sports Hall of Fame announced Wednesday that former Sonics player and coach Lenny Wilkens will become its newest inductee.
Wilkens will be honored at halftime of Saturday’s men’s basketball game between Washington and California.
Already enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame, Wilkens spent four seasons with the Sonics as a player and another 11 seasons as a coach, leading them to their only NBA title in the 1978-79 season. He had a 478-402 record as Sonics coach, and his No. 19 jersey was retired by the team.
The NBA all-time leader in coaching victories with 1,332 wins, Wilkens has not coached since the 2004-05 season with the New York Knicks.
• Auburn native Chris Eylander, who led USL First Division goalkeepers in saves the past two seasons, has signed a Major League Soccer contract with Seattle Sounders FC, it was announced today. Terms were not disclosed.
Eylander, a 24-year-old graduate from the University of Washington and Auburn Riverside High School, played the past three seasons with the USL-1 Seattle Sounders, making 78 appearances and finishing No. 2 in career shutouts (29). He is the second keeper on the Sounders FC roster, joining Kasey Keller.
“Having played for the USL Sounders the past three years and having grown up in the area, I had always wanted to play in MLS,” Eylander said. “To reach that goal and do so by playing for the first MLS team in Seattle is really, really special for me and very exciting.”
Each of the past two seasons Eylander led USL-1 in saves and finished second in league shutouts. He starred in the 2007 USL-1 championship game, in which Seattle defeated Atlanta, 4-0.
“We’re very excited to have Chris join our team,” said head coach Sigi Schmid. “I’ve seen him play at the University of Washington and I also followed his career with the USL Sounders. “He’s a quality goalkeeper and a quality individual for our team.”
During the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Eylander set a tournament record by holding opponents scoreless for 453 minutes, including shutouts against Chivas USA and the Kansas City Wizards. His performance earned him the player of the tournament, chosen by USOpenCup.com. Seattle reached the Open Cup semifinals in both 2007 and ’08.
Eylander trained the past two USL-1 seasons under Tom Dutra, who was announced as the Sounders FC goalkeeper coach on Dec. 29.
Eylander was Auburn Riverside High School’s male athlete of the year. He lettered four years at the University of Washington (2002-05), sharing the starting the final two years. Following his senior season he ranked No. 3 in career shutouts (18), No. 4 in saves and No. 5 in goals against average.
Sounders FC begins its inaugural MLS season by hosting the New York Red Bulls at Qwest Field on March 19.
• The Seattle Sounders FC Sounders SuperSearch, presented by Disney, will air on Evening Magazine and Northwest Sports Tonight on Jan. 15 (Tukwila) and January 22 (Yakima). The shows will be broadcast on KING 5 (NBC), KONG 6/16 and Northwest Cable News.
Beginning on January 23, fans can visit www.king5.com to view videos, bios and comments from evaluators for all 10 finalists. Fans may vote for their favorite player from January 26-30. The finalist with the most fan votes will be guaranteed a spot in the final four.
The final tryout show will be broadcast live on Sunday, February 1, 2009, following Super Bowl XLIII on KING 5 (approximately 8:30 p.m.). The winner will be selected by a distinguished panel of judges and awarded a spot on the 2009 Sounders FC roster.
Over 1,000 players registered to participate in the Sounders SuperSearch during a series of three regional tryout events designed to help the team find a talented player ready to compete in the MLS. The tryouts were held in Spokane, Tukwila and Yakima.
For more information visit www.soundersfc.com or www.king5.com.
• Sudden Impact girls fastpitch softball team of Federal Way is looking for players from ages 8 to 14 (age as of Jan. 1, 2009) for its 10 and under, 12U and 14U teams during the 2009 season. Practices are at Decatur High School and includes plenty of local play. The teams play in various weekend tournaments, mostly in the Seattle-Tacoma area. The girls on the 10U team also play in a recreational league. No previous fastpitch experience is required and indoor practices resume this month. For more information, contact 14U coach Bailey at (206) 709-5707, 12U coach Bains at (206) 310-6226, 10U coach McDonnell at (253) 973-4568 or send an email to SuddenImpactFP@aol.com or visit www.eteamz.active.com/simpact.
• Sign ups for 2009 spring baseball season are running now through Jan. 31 for Federal Way National Little League. Cost for sign-up depend on age group and players from age 5 through high school may sign up. Players can sign up by mailing a registration form to 1911 SW Campus Drive, #214, Federal Way, Wash. 98023. Players can also register in person at The Commons mall on Jan. 10, 14 and 17 or online at www.eteamz/fwnll. For more information, email fwnll@comcast.net or call (253) 332.5924.
• Apple Physical Therapy will honor one boy and one girl student athlete for Winter sport season with a $1,000 Athlete of the Quarter Scholarship.
Eligible student athletes must be high school seniors enrolled in a Western Washington high school, participating in a varsity sport and be in good-standing academically. The scholarship criteria include athlete performance, community service/involvement and other compelling personal circumstances.
Nomination forms are available to download at Apple Physical Therapy’s Web site, www.applept.com, and can be turned in to any Apple Physical Therapy clinic location or other participating private practice location. A complete list of locations is on Apple Physical Therapy’s Web site. Nomination forms are due by March 1.
Scholarship winners will be announced at the conclusion of the season on the High School GameTime television program on King 5 and Kong 6/16.
Apple Physical Therapy is also the official athletic training partner for the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) and oversees young athletes at the state football, basketball and softball tournaments each year.
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