Category Archives: Olympia Reign
Friday Scores: Saints Season Ends; Blazers Take Narrows; Cougs Advance
College baseball
GNAC Championships
| Western Oregon 4, Saint Martin’s 2 – Box score | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MONMOUTH, OR | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| SMU (18-29) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| WOU (30-19) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | X | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| W: Spenser Watkins (7-3) L: Zach Carter (6-4) SV: Jesse Pratt (3) | ||||||||||||
| Central Washington 2, Saint Martin’s 0 – Box score | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MONMOUTH, OR | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| SMU (18-30) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| CWU (29-18) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| W: Brandon Williams (9-3) L: Josh Moss (3-10) | ||||||||||||
The Saint Martin’s baseball team’s season came to an end on Friday afternoon after their 2-0 loss to Central Washington dropped them to 0-2 at the GNAC Championships. Earlier in day, the Saints fell 4-2 to the host Western Oregon.
Both starting pitchers for the Saints pitched well. Zach Carter gave up four earned runs on four hits over eight innings in game one against the Wolves and Josh Moss allowed just two unearned runs over eight innings in game two.
The Saints finished their season at 18-30 overall.
High school baseball
Narrows League Tournament championship game
| Timberline 8, North Thurston 1 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blazers (#2 seed), Rams (#1 seed) |
Timberline scored two runs in the first, three runs in the second and three more runs in the third to build an 8-0 lead and Brandon Olson threw a two hitter to lead the Blazers to an 8-1 win over North Thurston in the 3A Narrows League championship game. With the win, the Blazers get the #1 seed to districts and earn a first round bye. They next play on Wednesday at 7:00 PM in Tacoma. The Rams will face a loser-out game on Tuesday at 7:00 at Heidelberg Park in Tacoma.
Boys soccer
District 4 Playoffs
| Capital 5, Black Hills 2 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goals: CAP – El-Sokkary (2), O’Neill (2), Castillo-Lopez BH – Duff, Cutler |
Nigel El-Sokkary and Kellan O’Neill each scored two goals and Capital opened up districts with a 5-2 win over Black Hills at Ingersoll Stadium. The Cougars will face the winner of Saturday’s Centralia/Hockinson game on Tuesday night while the Wolves will get the loser of that game.
College softball
| Centralia 17, SPSCC 2 – Box score | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LACEY | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E | ||||
| SPSCC (0-19 WEST) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||
| Centralia (17-2 WEST) | 7 | 3 | 2 | 5 | X | 17 | 18 | 0 | ||||
| W: Kalynn Randt (13-5) L: Amanda Rupright (0-28) | ||||||||||||
| Centralia 15, SPSCC 1 – Box score | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LACEY | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E | ||||
| Centralia (18-2 WEST) | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 15 | 14 | 0 | ||||
| SPSCC (0-20 WEST) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | ||||
| W: Brooke Williams (13-5) L: Amanda Rupright (0-29) | ||||||||||||
International Basketball League
| Bellingham Slam 139, Olympia Reign 106 – Box score | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BELLINGHAM | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |||||||
| REIGN (0-1 IBL) | 23 | 26 | 21 | 36 | 106 | |||||||
| SLAM (2-2 IBL) | 35 | 31 | 28 | 45 | 139 | |||||||
| OLY: Kyle Calhoun – 29 points, Virgil Matthews – 23 points BELL: Nick Moore – 31 points, Blake Poole 21 points, 18 rebounds |
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The Olympia Reign made their debut in Bellingham but it was an Evergreen grad and a Saint Martin’s grad that starred for the Slam in their 139-106 win. Ex-Greener Nick Moore scored 31 points and Saints great Blake Poole scored 21 and pulled down 18 boards in the win.
2013-2014 Geoduck Kyle Calhoun led the Reign with 29 points and Virgil Matthews added 23 in the loss.
The two teams were set to meet in Olympia on Saturday but the game has been cancelled because of some kind of problem at the Sound Sound Sports Center in Tumwater.
Sunday Scores: Saints Swept at Central; Derby Shutout
College baseball
| Game 1: Central Washington 5, Saint Martin’s 1 – Box score | ||||||||||||
| Ellensburg |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMU (5-10 GNAC) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| CWU (7-8 GNAC) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | X | 6 | 7 | 3 |
| W: Josh Sontag (0-3) L: Stuart Fewell (3-2) SMU: Jake Huskey: 2-for-4, HR |
||||||||||||
| Game 2: Central Washington 4, Saint Martin’s 3 – Box score | ||||||||||||
| Ellensburg |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMU (5-11 GNAC) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 | ||
| CWU (8-8 GNAC) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | X | 4 | 10 | 0 | ||
| W: Cory Welch (1-1) L: Brad Banker (1-6) SMU: Travis Shaw: 1-for-4, HR |
||||||||||||
Roller derby
| Oly Rollers 258, Oly Athenas 0 |
Olympia Reign are Back for 2014, Kind of
Hey look at that, the International Basketball League released their 2014 season schedule and for the second season in a row, Olympia is being used as a team to round out the league’s schedule.
The Olympia Reign are scheduled to play six games, four at home at South Sound Sports Center in Tumwater beginning with an away and home set with the Bellingham Slam beginning on May 9th.
Reign owner Mark Felton ceased operations of the fledgling basketball team after Little Creek Casino decided not to renew their sponsorship shortly before the 2013 season. The Reign played their home games at the Skookum Creek Events Center at Little Creek in 2012 after the casino invested in a basketball court and went all in for the team. Without the sponsorship, the Reign were unable to afford to play at Little Creek or anywhere at all.
The league now operates the Reign and they played two games at SPSCC last year as a “branding team”, a term the IBL describes as an “opportunity…to determine market viability.” How they expect to determine market viability while playing two games at SPSCC last year and four games in a warehouse in Tumwater this year is a question that has yet to be answered. The IBL said in a tweet that there is new interest in the team but operating them in a limited fashion does not set them up for success.
In reality, the Olympia Reign will exist as a way to round out the IBL schedule since the league is down to two full time teams in the Northwest – the Bellingham Slam and the Vancouver Volcanoes. Olympia will make two trips to Bellingham while the Slam will travel to Tumwater once. The Volcanoes, the Salem Sabres and another team listed as Free Agent each will make appearances in town. Here is the 2014 schedule…
Friday, May 9th – @ Bellingham Slam – 7:00 PM
Saturday, May 10th – vs. Bellingham Slam – 7:00 PM
Saturday, May 17th – @ Bellingham Slam – 7:00 PM
Friday, May 23rd – vs. Vancouver Volcanoes – 7:00 PM
Friday, June 20th – vs. Salem Sabres – 7:00 PM
Saturday, June 21st – vs. Free Agent – 7:00 PM
The only teams in the IBL with a full schedule of games as of right now are the Slam and the Volcanoes (the only two teams that are even semi-professionally operated).
Though I expect the schedule will change multiple times before and after the season starts, as of right now the Salem Sabres will play six games, two at home. The Portland Chinooks have six games scheduled, all on the road. The Seattle Flight play three games on the road and two at home. The Lonestar Strikers are scheduled to play three games, all on the road over a weekend in June. Finally, the Santa Barbara Breakers play five games, three in a tiny gymnasium in Los Angeles (maybe, the address for Mount Carmel Park is wrong on the website) and two on the road. What a professional schedule!
Personally, I’m ready for the Olympia Reign to just go away, especially this “branding team” iteration of the team. Do it right or don’t do it at all, IBL.
Minor league basketball: it’s fantastic.
Thursday scoreboard: Reign finish perfect season; Silvers top Brewers
International Basketball League
Olympia Reign 128, Nippon Tornadoes 115
Mike Ward scored 37 points and pulled down eight rebounds and the Olympia Reign finished their abbreviated 2013 season with a perfect record (2-0) with a 128-115 comeback win over the Nippon Tornadoes at the SPSCC gymnasium.
The Reign trailed by 12 points at halftime but outscored the Tornadoes 41-27 in the third to take a 96-94 lead into the fourth. Olympia continued their hot second half putting up another 32 points in the final quarter and held on for the 13 point victory.
Virgil Matthews and Patrick Lewis scored 25 and 22 points respectively and Giovonne Woods came close to a triple-double with 12 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds. Antonio McClinon led the Reign with 11 boards.
Puget Sound Collegiate League baseball
Nisqually Silvers 7, Tumwater Brewers 5
West Olympia Linx vs. Lacey Saints – No report
The Nisqually Silvers put a five spot on the board in the first inning and added runs in the fifth and seventh inning to hold off the Tumwater Brewers 7-5 in game one at The RAC. Naoki Imeto (Olympic College), Travis Shaw (Saint Martin’s) and Colby Fitzgerald (Bellevue University) each collected two hits and Shaw scored three times and Imeto drove in a pair of runs.
Spencer Dodd (Saint Martin’s) went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and Tanner Marty (Lower Columbia CC) added a two hits for the Brewers.
Tonight (6/20): Oly Rollers Relay for Life bout; Reign wrap up season; PSCL baseball
Roller Derby
Oly Rollers Relay for Life benefit bout – Skateland! – 6:00 PM
The Oly Rollers host an intersquad bout tonight to benefit the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Tickets are just $5 or by donation and they will have a load of items to auction off with all money raised going to Relay for Life. Items available for auction include Team USA Derby jerseys, Oly Rollers Cosa Barbie dolls, Oly Rollers photo book from their awesome team photographer Joe Rollerfan and more from various sponsors and supporters. Doors open tonight at 6:00 PM with derby action getting underway at 6:30 PM.
International Basketball League
Olympia Reign vs. Nippon Tornadoes – SPSCC gymnasium – 7:00 PM
Not interested in game seven of the NBA finals? Well, the Olympia Reign wrap up their 2013 season, all of two games since they are considered a “branding team” that is still alive but looking for new sponsors and ownership, tonight at SPSCC against the Nippon Tornadoes. The Reign knocked off the Tornadoes last week 161-117 behind Nate Menefee’s 45 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists and Mike Ward’s 25 points, nine rebounds and 14 assists. The Reign roster for tonight includes a host of former Evergreen Geoducks including Menefee and Ward and former Saint Martin’s star Blake Poole, who is currently a member of the Bellingham Slam and is averaging 18 points and 11 boards.
Puget Sound Collegiate League baseball
Tumwater Brewers vs. Nisqually Silvers – The RAC – 5:00 PM
West Olympia Linx vs. Lacey Saints – The RAC – 7:30 PM
Tuesday scoreboard: Brewers, Linx and Reign victorious
Puget Sound Collegiate League baseball
Tumwater Brewers 7, Olympia Athletics 4
West Olympia Linx 8, Hawks Prairie Cardinals 2
Tanner Marty (Lower Columbia CC) went 3-for-4 with an RBI single in the third inning and a two run homer in the seventh in the Tumwater Brewers’ 7-4 win over the Olympia Athletics in game one at The RAC. The Brewers pounded out 13 hits including a 3-for-5 night from Spencer Dodd (Saint Martin’s) and a 3-for-3 night from Josh DeVaughn (Olympic College). Dodd drove in two runs and scored twice and DeVaughn scored three runs in the win.
JJ Nazzaro (Gardner-Webb) hit a two run home run of his own in the seventh inning and Joe Crunkilton (Western Nevada) and Kameron Banister each collected two hits for the A’s.
In game two, CJ Bader (Freed-Hardeman) hit a solo bomb in the third inning and Danny Flahie (Dakota State) and Zack Larsen each collected a pair of RBIs in a 8-2 West Olympia Linx win over the Hawks Prairie Cardinals. Connor Atchison (Centralia College) and Ryan Snyder (Oregon Tech) combined to hold the Cardinals to just three hits on the night.
International Basketball League
Olympia Reign 161, Nippon Tornadoes 117
Today (6/11): Reign return; PSCL doubleheader
International Basketball League
Olympia Reign vs. Nippon Tornadoes – SPSCC gymnasium – 7:00 PM
The Olympia Reign are back…at least for two games. The Reign are sitting out the 2013 season after losing the Little Creek Casino (and consequently their home court at the Skookum Creek Events Center) as a sponsor but are still part of the IBL as what they call a “Branding Team”. Basically, they are a way to fill out the Nippon Tornadoes schedule this season. The Reign will face the Tornadoes tonight and again on Thursday, June 20th again at SPSCC. No word on what the Reign roster will look like but expect a handful of locals on the court tonight.
Puget Sound Collegiate League baseball
Olympia Athletics vs. Tumwater Brewers – The RAC – 5:00 PM
Hawks Prairie Cardinals vs. West Olympia Linx – The RAC – 7:30 PM
Olympia Reign out for the 2013 season
Nate Menafee starred for the Olympia Reign but won’t have a home in 2013
The Olympia Reign announced on their Facebook page today that they will forgo the 2013 International Basketball League season after The Squaxin Island Tribe and Little Creek Casino did not renew their sponsorship. Here is the full statement from the team…
I would like to announce that the Olympia Reign will not compete in the 2013 season. Squaxin Island Tribe and Little Creek Casino did not renew the sponsorship for the upcoming season. Therefore, unless another sponsor or partner steps up we will have to forego the season. I would like to thank the Squaxin Island Tribe and Little Creek Casino for their support the last 2 years. I would like to thank all the staff and players for all their efforts over the years. I would like to thank the Olympia Reign fans as their support was much appreciated. It was nice to see the fan base grow and the following we had was really getting strong. I am saddened that after 6 years I have to pull out of the 2013 season. Thanks again to everyone!
The Reign moved to Little Creek Casino in 2012 after five seasons of playing their home games at Evergreen. The Squaxin Island Tribe purchased a basketball court for use in their Skookum Creek Events Center and the team drew marginally better than they had in previous seasons, partially because of a much better facility and marketing by Little Creek. But the Reign never developed a strong following despite lasting for a remarkable six seasons. You have to credit owner Mark Felton for keeping them alive for that long in spite of heavy losses.
The Skookum Creek Events Center had (has?) potential to be a viable facility with a decent concession stand, alcohol sales and even the possibility of luxury seating, but I’d assume that without the tribe on board as a sponsor, the facility rental would be too expensive to justify given the team’s attendance history and without an investment in some serious marketing and another major sponsor.
Unfortunately, my lasting memory of the Olympia Reign comes from the 2010 season when the Los Angeles Lightning came to town in the Reign’s regular season finale. The team promoted the fact that the Lightning featured former NBA players Byron Russell, Tyus Edney, Lamond Murray, Toby Bailey and Fred Vinson and The Olympian ran an article titled “L.A. brings ex-NBA players to Olympia” previewing the game.
But knowing minor league basketball and the LA Lightning in particular, I knew that the ex-NBA players featured in the article never traveled with the team. And sure enough, when the two teams took the court in front of a relatively large crowd, not a single ex-NBA player mentioned in the article had made the trip. Even the Reign’s Nate Menefee, mentioned prominently in the article, wasn’t in uniform. He showed up a little before halftime in street clothes, obviously after getting off of work, and played an electrifying second half scoring 27 points to lead the Reign to a 136-129 win. But without the ex-NBA players that were promised and a rather ragged level of play, it just wasn’t enough to make many in attendance lasting fans.
Poole, Ward, Bain named to IBL all-star teams
One Saint Martin’s alum and two members of the Olympia Reign were named International Basketball League all-stars on Monday. Blake Poole was named to the first team and barely missed out on the MVP award in leading the Bellingham Slam to the IBL championship and the Reign’s Mike Ward and Gjio Bain were named to the second team after leading the Reign to the IBL semifinals. All three players will represent the IBL in the Southern California Summer Pro League July 24-29th.
Former Saint Blake Poole earned first team honors after averaging 18.7 points per game and 13.2 rebounds per game. In his second season with the Slam, the 6’5″ center had 15 double-doubles out of 20 games this season including a 24 point, 22 rebound, six assist game against the Yamhill HighFlyers on June 23rd and a 23 point, 15 rebound, seven assist game against the Portland Chinooks in the IBL championship game on July 8th. This winter, Poole will return to Germany for a second season but with a new team, BG Topstar Leitershofen. He starred for BG Dorsten in his first German Pro-B season averaging 14.9 ppg and 12.9 rpg.
In his fourth season with the Olympia Reign, Mike Ward was the team’s most consistent player this season, averaging 20.7 points per game, 6.2 board per game and 4.2 assists per game from the guard position. Ward, an Evergreen alum, had his best game on May 18th when he scored 39 points against the Portland Chinooks. Ward also came up big in two late season games against the Edmonton Energy. Ward had 30 points, six boards and seven assists in an overtime win to close the regular season and 27 points, five boards and six assists in an playoff opening round upset of the Energy.
After joining the Reign on June 22nd during their trip to Orlando, Gjio Bain solidified their center position by scoring 15 points per game and hauling in 12.8 rebounds per game and the Reign went 4-2, their best stretch of the season, in his six games with the team. Bain, a seven footer from Southern Miss, had averaged 8.8 ppg and 8.9 rpg as a member of the Orlando Venom.
Andre Murray of the Vancouver Volcanoes was named MVP and Bellingham’s Morris Anderson was named Defensive Player of the Year. The full list of honorees can be found here.
Oly Sports 