COLUMN: Odds and ends from the prep sports world

A big weekend is ahead of us, gang.

In fact, on a yearly basis, this particular weekend — when district basketball collides with state wrestling gymnastics and swimming — has traditionally been the busiest in the prep sports world. Before we go forward, however, I need to quickly touch on a few items regarding the local prep scene that has been rattling around in my empty head of late.

• A few weeks ago, Kentwood High boys basketball coach Michael Angelidis informed me the Conquerors might be better “because” of the early season injury to star Josh Smith.

While it sounded strange at the time, it also made complete sense. While Smith spent a month out of action, the rest of the team was forced to rely on one another.

“When Josh went down, it allowed us to play a little bit differently,” Angelidis said. “We had to play more as a team, move the ball.”

The results?

After Smith returned last month, Kentwood won 7 of its last 8 league games, going from sixth to second in the standings and emerging once again as a state contender. What makes the Conquerors more dangerous this season than the past two, as Angelidis noted, is the fact that they’re playing together. Everybody is contributing.

Put a different way, Smith led the Conquerors in scoring in 24 of their 26 games last year and Kentwood just missed a state berth. During Kentwood’s late-season surge against league opponents, it was led in scoring by Smith four times, Tre Tyler twice and once apiece by Jason Boyce and Alec Wilson.

Something tells me this group is finally going to break through that state barrier during the next couple of weeks. And when they do, look out.

• The South Puget Sound League announced its All-League basketball teams last week and a few items made me a bit curious.

First off, Angelidis was named the North’s Coach of the Year. I have no qualms with Angelidis’ selection. Without Smith much of the season, he’s done a lot of good stuff with that team. However, in virtually every other sport in every other league, the person who is chosen as Coach of the Year typically comes from the first-place team. Federal Way boys basketball coach Jerome Collins guided the Eagles to a share of last year’s North crown and a state title. Collins and the Eagles won the North again this winter and they’re currently ranked No. 1 in the state.

Yet, when awards came out last week, the FW coach was left behind.

Something tells me he didn’t win over too many fans with that 137-70 debacle-of-a-win over Kentlake.

• The big surprise in regards to the All-League team, to me at least, was Kent-Meridian’s Briana Shannon being named a second-teamer. Shannon, a 5-foot-4 senior, tied Kentwood’s Kylie Huerta for the North lead in points-per-game (18.9). Huerta was named the North’s co-MVP with Auburn Riverside’s Mercedes Wetmore. While Shannon didn’t deserve MVP honors, she certain deserved to be listed among the league’s top five players. As for Huerta, it was good to see her earn a share of that MVP honor. Kentwood’s sparkplug is deserving of such an honor and has followed nicely in the footsteps of Lindsey Moore and Courtney Vandersloot, who combined for the previous four North Division MVPs. Like Moore and Vandersloot, Huerta possesses both a ton of talent, but a ton of class as well. I attest she’s the most entertaining player — male or female — to watch in the area … signature headband and all.

• I’m sure by now everyone has heard about the potential re-alignment of the South Puget Sound League North 4A, which currently consists of the four Kent School District schools, Auburn and Auburn Riverside, Federal Way and Jefferson along with Tahoma.

Well folks, somebody is leaving town.

Yep, we’re heading to another re-shuffling.

Auburn and Auburn Riverside stepped out a few years back, when each was in the SPSL 3A. This fall, either Federal Way or Thomas Jefferson will be making an exit. Last week, the two schools were supposed to decide between one another which would shift to the SPSL South. That plan, however, didn’t work out as well as SPSL principals would have liked as neither school wanted the change primarily due to the additional travel expenses it costs for each to be part of the South.

In the North, schools are located relatively close to one another, especially for those in Kent. That’s not the case in the South, where league rivals include Curtis (University Place) and Bethel (Graham) among others.

Which school is leaving won’t be decided until March 1, when the next meeting among SPSL principals will be held.

The re-alignment doesn’t end there.

It appears imminent that Mount Rainier High, which currently resides in the Class 3A Seamount League, will be moving to the North.

“We align very, very well in like-type programs with Mount Rainier,” SPSL commissioner Dave Lutes said. “It’s a four-year school like we have in Kent and things matchup, including geographically.”

I was a bit surprised when I first heard of Mount Rainier moving to the North, then I looked at the numbers. Mount Rainier has 1,572 students, which is more than Kent-Meridian (1,450) and Kentlake (1,474), both of which have spent the past decade in the league. A school must have an enrollment of at least 1,304 students to be considered Class 4A, so it seems like a no-brainer.

Will MR be able to compete with the likes of the rest of the North?

I wasn’t sure at first since the Seamount League on a yearly basis tends to struggle at the state level in many sports.

“Overall, they have some outstanding programs,” Lutes said.

After talking with Lutes and doing a little homework, I realized Lutes was right. MR’s baseball team has advanced to state in 7 of the last 8 years; its boys basketball team has moved on in 3 of the last 4 years while girls basketball, swimming and fastpitch remain rather strong.

Will MR take over the North?

Not likely. I’d suspect the Rams will take their lumps here and there, but overall will be plenty competitive across the board.

• Finally, I spent Feb. 6 at the SPSL sub-district wrestling tournament and have to say Kentridge opened my eyes.

The KR program has been thin on numbers and talent for years, but it became clear to me that the Chargers are unquestionably on the rise. Kentridge advanced four wrestlers to this past weekend’s regional tournament — Nick Aliment, Billy Johnson, Jeff Seid and Chris Bailey. What intrigues me about this bunch is the fact that, assuming they all stick with the sport and don’t move out of the Kentridge boundary, each will be back next year.

Aliment, a two-time league champion, and Seid were particularly impressive.

Seid, a sophomore who took second at the league tournament, is a young kid competing in a relatively high weight class for his age. This typically spells doom for young wrestlers, but Seid gave K-M standout Nick Lemmon all he could handle, falling 7-4. I’d be surprised if Seid didn’t emerge next year as a league champion at either 160 or 171.

“We have a really young team,” said coach Jason De La Rosa. “Next year, we’re probably going to be one of the teams to beat.”