From the Athletic Director 2.9.26

Cheer

Cheer seniors honored, Comp team hits the mat at State

We are so proud of Ava Pierce and Sloane Ruotsala, our senior cheerleaders! It was a great halftime event as Coach Emilie celebrated their hard work and commitment over the last 4 years. Joined by family members and teammates, Sloane and Ava were celebrated at halftime of the boys game. We are blessed by their leadership in the program and they will both be missed!

It was a quick turnaround for the Cheer squad, from celebrating senior night to preparing for State in less than 24 hours. The Knights took the mat at Noon in Battleground, WA on Saturday and came away with 4th place in the Gameday Small division. They scored 5/5 on their stunts and made their school proud as they nailed their routine. Congratulations to our Cheer team for a great performance and strong State finish to comp season! Cheer will now prepare for their Nationals competition in Anaheim Feb. 18-23. Pray for safe travels and a great competition for our Knights!

Next Up: February 18-23 Nationals Competition on Anaheim, CA

Girls Basketball

Senior Knight celebration of our Fab 4 does not disappoint

It’s hard to sum up what this group of 4 seniors has meant to not only King’s Girls Basketball, but their school, community, and families. The way they love each other, their coaches, and teammates and have poured into the program will be remembered long after their last game at Mike Martin Gym. We are so proud of our seniors Adeline Cox, Maddie Schilperoort, Kaleo Anderson, and Kaitlin Cramer. The girls knew the postgame ceremony would be a time of celebration, but had put that aside as they prepared to take on a strong 4A opponent Jackson. It was a defensive battle from start to finish. The slow start for both teams had the Knights lead just 10-6 after 1. The 2nd quarter provided a little more offense as the Knights headed into the break up 21-19 on 6-28 FG shooting. The 2nd half was still a scoring struggle as the Knights went just 3/20 from behind the arc in the game. Up 38-34 with just over 3 minutes to go, full court pressure lead to a Kaitlin Cramer steal and score that extended the lead to 6. The Knights would hold on to win 47-38. A sign of a great team is getting stops even when scoring is a struggle. And that’s exactly what the Knights did, holding Jackson to under 40 points. Kaleo Anderson lead the Knights with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Kaitlin Cramer had 15 points and 6 rebounds, while Seniors Adeline Cox and Maddie Schilperoort had 2 and 3 points, respectively.

The Knights finish their regular season slate at 17-4 and now head to the Emerald Sound Conference playoffs, kicking off with a Thursday night tilt at Mike Martin Gym at 6:30pm versus the winner of Tyee and University Prep. The Knights will be heavy favorites to win the Emerald Sound Conference Championship and currently sit at #2 in State rankings, just a fraction behind Zillah. As the Knights set their sights on another trip to Yakima in March, they take time to celebrate the accomplishments of their star-studded senior class with more milestones to come.

Next Up: Feb 12 game at 6:30pm, Mike Martin Gym | Emerald Sound Conference Quarterfinals

Playoffs Continue Feb 14 at 5:00pm, Championship Feb 20 at 5:30pm, all at Mike Martin Gym

League Playoffs Bracket

Boys Basketball

Senior Knight provides surprise return, redemptive dunk, and dominant victory

The question arose several weeks ago at a practice, that with enough practices and clearance from a doctor, would Colton Adams be able to hit the floor in a a limited capacity on Senior Night? Before that answer was given, it was Adams and the rest of his senior class of 2026 to be celebrated at Mike Martin Gym on Friday night. Greyson Armbruster, Blake Needham, Dozie Asinobi, Colton Adams, Andrew Gerbig, and Warren Bartram would be honored alongside their families, as Coach Stack provided a keepsake jersey poster before the honorary ceremony along with kind words on each senior.

As the lineups were announced, the 5 seniors in attendance would get their name called, including Adams, as his return to the court would be the first for him this season, and first since playing at the SunDome the previous season. The assignment was set, pre-determined from Coach Stack that Colton would get the first shot of the game and immediately be subbed out, providing the Knights star with one moment of triumph in a year turned away by injury. As the tip went to the Knights, Adams found himself with a clean look on the left side, only to find the back of the rim. That would have been the only play allowed for Adams if not for a big time rebound by teammate and fellow senior Andrew Gerbig, who quickly reversed the ball back to Adams, who would get a 2nd chance. And this time, with a swirl around the hoop for added drama, the shot went down and for a moment Adams was back in his element on the court playing the game he loves with the teammates that love him. It was a storybook start to a celebratory night in a packed Mike Martin Gym. Andrew Gerbig would get his own 2nd chance later in the game. On a clean breakaway dunk attempt halfway through the 2nd quarter, Gerbig would not be able to finish the attempt as the ball slipped out of his hands on the way up. But once again a teammate was there, as Senior Dozie Asinobi was right there to clean up the miss and put it right back in. Just a minute later in the game a quick outlet from Needham lead this time to a successful dunk from Gerbig, as he left no doubt securing the Knights first dunk of the season.

As for the game, the special night had the Knights firing on all cylinders, leading Northwest School 28-12 after 1 thanks to 10/17 shooting from the field. The 16 point lead would only extend throughout the game as the Knights came away with a 87-38 win. The Knights shot an impressive 11/23 for 3, lead by 3/5 from sharpshooter Drew Evans. The seniors contributed in a well balanced attack as Andrew Gerbig scored 15, Blake Needham had 13, and Dozie Asinobi with 11. John Bjella also poured in 15 as the Knights were far too much for the outmatched Northwest team. Senior Warren Bartram had his best game of the season, going 2/4 for 3 for 6 points.

The Knights finish the regular season at 15-5 and head into the Emerald Sound Conference Playoffs as the #1 overall seed. They take on South Whidbey on Wednesday, February 11 at 6:30pm at Mike Martin Gym.

At the State seeding level, the Knights currently sit at #4 in the RPI. Their hopes of a return to Yakima go through the Emerald Sound Playoffs starting Wednesday night.

Next Up: Feb 11 at 6:30pm vs South Whidbey, Mike Martin Gym

League Playoffs Bracket

State Playoff Information

Following all Statewide playoffs on Feb 22, the State seeding committee comprised of representatives from across the State, seed the 16 team tournament based on allocations per district. The schedule follows below:

Feb 27-28 Opening Round | Top 4 seeds get close-to-home game | Top 8 seeds guaranteed to move on to Yakima

March 4-7 State Tournament at Yakima Valley SunDome | Bracket released Feb 22

BOYS BRACKET | GIRLS BRACKET

Photos by Ben McGeever

Article by King’s Athletic Director Dave Gerig

GO KNIGHTS!