BENch notes

The senior Falcon wrestlers will have to wait for the spot light to shine on them one last time in Erickson Gym.

South Whidbey’s wrestling match – its final home contest – against Archbishop Murphy is canceled due to the snow, ice and winter storm warning tonight. No date has been set for a rescheduled match.

Things at Archbishop Murphy have taken an interesting turn.

The school’s board of directors voted to fire the AMHS athletic director, Rick Stubrud, after four years at his job on Monday. The Daily Herald is covering this, and the comments have been amusing thus far.

Spoke with someone informally who suggested Stubrud’s dismissal may be because he’s bucked the parents who want AMHS to become 3A. News came out Wednesday that their longtime football coach Dave Ward sent out some unauthorized messages to parents, urging the resignation of his assistant Jeff Schmidt.

Curious to see how this impacts the conference and South Whidbey football.

South Whidbey’s basketball teams have another rough test this week as they play their second game in three days.

The Falcon girls look to recover from a 48-17 thumping by the King’s Knights on Monday. They host the Archbishop Murphy Wildcats who surged past Lakewood this week.

AMHS (6-0 Cascade Conference; 8-3 overall) is led by junior forward Beth Carlson, who scored 15 points against the Cougars on Monday.

The Wildcats average about 58 points per game against conference foes, and allow 34 – they beat every league opponent by double digits, except second-place King’s. They’re on a three-game winning streak, too.

South Whidbey averages about 38 points per game and has allowed 40 against conference teams.

The Falcon boys travel to Everett to face a limping Wildcat squad today. AMHS lost its previous five contests, all by single digits except for a 20-point drubbing by Lynden in December. The Wildcats score 53 points per game on Cascade Conference teams and their opponents average almost 44 against them.

South Whidbey has struggled with consistency (read: turnovers), at times scoring high and alternately being highly scored on. The Falcon boys average nearly 53 points a game and allow almost 57 each contest.

The Wildcats are also in the midst of athletic department turnover. AMHS’s board of directors fired their athletic director Rick Stubrud, and football coaches Dave Ward and Jeff Schmidt were placed on administrative leave Tuesday.

Sad news out of La Center in southwest Washington. The Columbian reports 14-year-old Cody Sherrell died of cardiac arrest after collapsing on the court during basketball practice in early December.  He was in serious condition at Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel in Portland, where he died Monday.

Tuesdays are great, right?

…Read the rest of this post

South Whidbey’s basketball teams face one of the best schools in the conference tonight.  …Read the rest of this post

South Whidbey Youth Soccer Club’s annual general meeting will be at 7 p.m. Jan. 9 at the South Whidbey Parks & Recreation District building at 5475 Maxwelton Road.

New board members will be selected and the first meeting of the new board will follow the general meeting. This meeting is open to the public, and organizers encourage all those who are involved in the soccer club and newcomers to attend. Community input is welcome and volunteers for several positions are needed.

Registration is still being taken for the 2012 boys youth basketball season at South Whidbey Parks & Recreation District.

Boys from second to eighth can sign up until Jan. 10. The league offers a first experience or a chance to refine your skills. Coaches will provide a chance for equal play in a positive learning environment.

Get a discounted registration fee of $54.35 (tax included) if you register between now and Dec. 30. Needs-based scholarships are available.

Tryouts will take place at Langley Middle School at the multipurpose gym Jan. 10 and 11. Here’s a map to the campus.

Players in grades 3 and 4 try out from 6 to 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11. The fifth and sixth grade team will try out from 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10.

The seventh and eighth grade players will show their talents from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10.

For players on the second grade team, there is no evaluation and the first practice will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11.

Volunteers are needed to coach, referee and assist in the operation of the league.

For registration information and more, visit the park district’s website at www.swparks.org or call South Whidbey Parks & Recreation District at 221-5484.

Winter Break is great for students, and honestly, for me too. I get to go home at a decent hour rather than midnight on Fridays. …Read the rest of this post

The Falcon wrestling team has changed its schedule more times than a bride trying on dresses.

Good news is it appears the schedule it settled now.  …Read the rest of this post