Category Archives: Premier Player Award
OlySports.com and Tags Awards & Specialties Premier Player: Scott Gunther
Scott Gunther – Olympia High School – Football
131-14. The Olympia Bears have steamrolled their opponents over the first three weeks of the season. And after a lost sophomore season, Oly running back Scott Gunther has exploded back onto the scene and has earned the first OlySports.com and Tags Awards & Specialties Premier Player award.
Gunther played in just one game in 2014 after a pair of injuries, including a broken collarbone in a week three game at South Kitsap. But fully healthy for 2015, Gunther has been outstanding, rushing for 521 yards and nine touchdowns in three games.
“It’s the O-line and the receivers,” says Gunther, quick to credit his teammates for his early success. “I get past the first level and the receivers are making key blocks all over. I’m the lucky running back right now.”
With resounding wins over Ferris at Husky Stadium, Capital in the annual Spaghetti Bowl and South Kitsap in the 4A Narrows opener, Olympia has moved into the #10 spot in the Associated Press poll and looks poised to challenge Gig Harbor and Bellarmine for the top spot in the league.
“Our motto as a team is ‘ready for all, yield to none’. We treat every team the same each week in practice.”
This week, the Bears face Timberline in Lacey and look to improve to 2-0 in the Narrows.
“They have some great athletes, it should be a really good game.”
*** About the OlySports.com and Tags Awards & Specialties Premier Player award: The Premier Player award will be handed out every two weeks to an high school athlete from Thurston County high schools. Brandon Sparks of OlySports.com will choose each award and all inquires can be directed to him at olysportsblog@gmail.com. Coaches can also email Brandon with nominations. The award will be picked every other Monday and awarded on Wednesday or Thursday throughout the school year.
OlySports.com and Tags Awards & Specialties Premier Player: Maddy Midstokke
Maddy Midstokke with her award and her team
Maddy Midstokke – Capital High School – Girls Soccer
Three goals against your rival gets you a pitch invasion from your fans. Three goals against your rival plus leading your team to a 5-0 record to begin the season? Well that gets Capital High School’s Maddy Midstokke the first OlySports.com and Tags Awards & Specialties Premier Player award.
Midstokke scored early against Olympia but the Cougars drew even a few minutes later and the two teams took the tie late into the game. With less than two minutes left to play, the senior forward broke free and floated a ball up and over the head of a quickly retreating Bears goalkeeper to give Capital a 2-1 lead. She added an insurance goal a minute later and Capital walked away with a long awaited 3-1 rivalry win.
“We wanted to win so bad,” said Midstokke. “It was the first time (beating Olympia) in my four years.”
Midstokke (#17) gets a lift from Capital supporters – “We have the best fans.”
Including that season opening win, the Cougars have outscored their opponents 31-6 and are coming off of a 13-1 drubbing of Mount Tahoma on Tuesday.
“Our offense has been really good.”
Capital features two 3A Narrows League first team selections in Midstokke and Rachel Wofford up front with another first teamer, Chloe Lamenzo, in midfield and hope to improve on their 10-4-2 record last year and early exit from the district tournament.
“We want to win league really bad and our biggest goal is to make it to state.”
The biggest hurdles lie ahead with games against the two top teams in 3A Narrows league looming next week. The Cougars travel to North Thurston on Tuesday and face Central Kitsap at home next Thursday.
Meanwhile, Midstokke also made a very big decision since the beginning of the season. She committed to play her college soccer for NCAA Division II Northwest Nazarene last week.
*** About the OlySports.com and Tags Awards & Specialties Premier Player award: The Premier Player award will be handed out every two weeks to an high school athlete from Thurston County high schools. Brandon Sparks of OlySports.com will choose each award and all inquires can be directed to him at olysportsblog@gmail.com. Coaches can also email Brandon with nominations. The award will be picked every other Monday and awarded on Wednesday or Thursday throughout the school year.
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