SILVERDALE — East Jefferson girls basketball post player Penina Vailolo made the Nisqually League first team while teammate, point guard Kay Botkin made the second team.
Vailolo and Botkin helped lead the Rivals to one of their best seasons in years, finishing with a 13-12 record and two postseason wins. The Rivals came within one win of qualifying for state, but unfortunately for East Jefferson, only two 1A teams were taken out of District 3 and those were Bellevue Christian, ranked No. 1 in the state in Ratings Percentage Index and Annie Wright, ranked No. 4 in the state.
Vailolo was dominant in the post, averaging 11.2 points a game and 11.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. Botkin averaged 9.3 points a game, 4.9 assists and 3.7 steals.
Also making the honorable mention team were East Jefferson’s Dylin Shockley and Teri Wiley. Shockley was the team’s 3-point specialist. She made 56 3-pointers during the season and averaged 11.2 points a game. Wiley was a defensive specialist who averaged seven rebounds and 4.6 steals a game. All of these players are back next year for the Rivals except for senior Botkin.
For the East Jefferson boys, freshman Luke O’Hara made the Nisqually League honorable mention team. He averaged 14 points, 6.7 rebounds and three assists a game.
The league most valuable player for the girls was Olivia Reynolds of Bellevue Christian and coach of the year was Mark DeJonge of Bellevue Christian. The most valuable player for the boys was Jeremiah Harshman of Annie Wright and the coach of the year was Cody Shackett of Cascade Christian.
Full Nisqually League awards:
Girls
Team Sportsmanship Award — Charles Wright Academy
Coach of the Year — Mark DeJonge, BC.
League MVP — Olivia Reynolds, BC.
First team — Penina Vailolo, EJ; Jasmine Andrisek, AW; Aaliyeh Martin. AW; Grace Mattson, LC; Kiana Skogstad, BC; Addi Taylor, BC; Brooklyn Whittington, CC.
Second team — Kay Botkin,EJ; Camille Bates, AW; J’Lyn Doodigian, AW; Evelyn Koontz, SC; Bailey O’Brien, Klah.; Rocklyn Osborn, BC; Abby Shelton, CC.
Honorable Mention — Dylin Shockley, EJ; Teri Wiley, EJ; Katie Baltz, LC; Cecelia Guenther, VI; Emily Harrington, VI; Lexi Hoover, SC; Caroline Horan, Klah.; Shyanne Kilmer, Klah.; Lili Meissner, BC; Brooklynn Murray, LC; Liesl Nordling, CC; Lucia Roso, LC; Belle Russell, CW.
Boys
Team Sportsmanship Award — Charles Wright Academy.
Coach of the Year — Cody Shackett, CC.
League MVP — Jeremiah Harshman, AW.
First team — Sam Althoff, SC; Jabez Boyd, LC; Josiah Gopaul, CC; Cole Johnson, LC; Martin Kaupanger, AW; Drake Penberthy, BC; Noah Schow, AW.
Second team — Luke Evenson, BC; Grant Johnson, CC; Kai Kilborn, CC; Caden Lee, CW; Reggie Lester, AW; Dakota O’Hare, SC; Brandy Tonkin, BC.
Honorable Mention — Luke O’Hara, EJ; Cole Allen, SC; Conner Banach, BC; Brent Calhoun, VI; Owen Coley, VI; Ethan Collier, SC; Grant Collier, SC; Noah Grady, Klah.; Brock Huber, BC; Carson Langguth, Klah.; Marcus McNicol, CC; Tofy Ogunbinu-Peters, CW; Will Reger, AW; Kyler Skogstad, BC; Gabe Walsh, AW.
Penina Vailolo of East Jefferson was voted to the Nisqually League’s first team. She averaged 11.2 points and 11.7 rebounds a game this year for the Rivals.
