Girls Basketball
Blaine girls basketball (10-12. 6-9 NWC) relied on its class of seniors all season, and the Borderites final game of the year was no different.
Seniors Jordyn Vezzetti, Deja Dube, Amelia Berkeley and Alia Ball combined for all but one of Blaine’s 38 points in a heartbreaking, nail-biting, 40-38 loss to Meridian on February 10. The win would’ve earned Blaine a chance to rematch against Lynden Christian, who beat them 74-21 in the quarter final round of the playoffs, with a chance to place in the state tournament on the line.
Unfortunately for the Borderites, they fell just two points short.
Vezzetti, coming back from a badly injured ankle suffered in the February 7 loss to Lynden Christian, hit a clutch 3-pointer to put the Borderites up by four points with under a minute to play. Meridian pressed aggressively on defense, forcing a series of turnovers by the Borderites that resulted in six unanswered points by Meridian in the final 40 seconds of the game. Meridian would go on to win, and now has a chance at an upset against Lynden Christian to make it to state.
It was a repeat of last year’s district tournament, when Meridian bounced the Borderites 54-34. The difference with this year is that the Borderites were much more mature, and finished the season with 10 wins compared to just three last
season.
That senior class showed out in their last game of the year, led by Vezzetti, who scored 18 points playing on one good ankle.
“She just toughed it out,” head coach Vic Wolffis said of Vezzetti’s performance. “Her ankle was not perfect. It was very well taped and supported, but she had to gut through a couple practices in between those games. That just shows a level of toughness that she was able to play through that pain.”
The Borderites season ended with a 10-12 record, going 6-9 against a stacked Northwest Conference that featured multiple powerhouse 1A teams like Nooksack Valley and Lynden Christian that rank in the top-10 in the entire state.
Wolfiss said he was excited to start his coaching tenure at Blaine with a strong group of four seniors, and was proud of the tenacity to win they showed every game.
“They were so committed and they were so hungry to learn the game and learn how they could use what they do [well] to have a chance to win games,” Wolffis said. “They were really receptive to coaching, they led really well by example … and they were always there. It was a great core group for leadership.”
Boys Wrestling
The Blaine boys wrestling program had another stellar weekend at the 1B/2B/1A/2A regional tournament at Vashon Island High School on February 10, taking third place as a team with 168 points, just losing out to Mount Baker (170) and Cascade Christian (181).
Eight Blaine wrestlers – Chris Zamudio, Cole Voigt, Vinnie Saia, Daniel Johner, Cal Fitzgerald, Blake Goltz, Victor Gervol and Otto Shelton – will travel to the Tacoma Dome for the state championship Mat Classic XXXV, starting Friday, February 16.
Victor Gervol, the standout heavyweight senior with a 34-1 record on the year, was the lone Borderite to earn first place in his weight class, with fellow heavyweight Otto Shelton standing beside him at the podium with a second place finish.
Shelton was one of four Blaine wrestlers who earned second place in their respective weight class, with three other wrestlers taking third place.
The eight wrestlers heading to state didn’t quite meet the expectations of “11 or 12 guys” that head coach Tom Hinz predicted last week before regionals kicked off, but it’s still a fantastic showing for a relatively small 1A school like Blaine.
At last year’s Mat Classic, then-junior Gervol just missed out on the title, placing second in the 1A heavyweight division. This year, Gervol told The Northern Light the goal is a state championship, but he mostly hopes his win comes along with success for the rest of his team.
The last time a Blaine wrestler won an individual state championship was Saul McGallon in 2017, according to Blaine Athletics. There’s a good chance that will change this weekend.
The Mat Classic XXXV kicks off on Friday, February 16. For more information about updated match times and brackets, visit bit.ly/3SDL1Mw.
Girls Wrestling
The Blaine girls wrestling team will be heading to the Mat Classic, sending three girls to the state tournament after a solid showing at the 1B/2B/1A/2A regionals on February 10 in Buckley, placing fifth out of a 35-team field.
Captains Lucy Dahl and Makenna Lausier are guaranteed a spot in the state tournament, with Claire Hume named an alternate.
Dahl won first place in her weight class, with Lausier earning third place, and Hume getting fourth after an early-round loss. The other two Borderite wrestlers participating at the tournament, senior Cheyenne Rose-Jimenez and first-year wrestler Abby Marquez, weren’t able to push through a crowded field and place in state.
“These girls continually amaze me,” head coach Damon Higgins said. “Lucy was on fire today, dominating each of her opponents.”
Dahl has been on a stellar run recently, not placing below second in her weight class in either postseason tournaments so far.
The Mat Classic XXXV state tournament begins on Friday, February 16. For more information on brackets, matchups and starting times, visit bit.ly/3SDL1Mw.
The headline of this article was updated online February 16 .
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here