FORKS — With no seniors returning to a core of juniors and sophomores, the Forks girls basketball team is a team made up of young veterans.
“The funny thing is we are young, with no seniors on the team, three juniors and the rest are sophomores and freshman, but at the same time we are experienced,” Spartans second-year head coach David Hurn said.
“It’s the third year starting for Jayden [Olson] and Rian [Peters].
“Chloe [Leverington] was second-team all-league with Rian last year, and Elli [Kilmer] is just learning the game, but she’s an athletic, tall big girl that should make a jump this year and definitely contribute on the glass and on defense.”
The six-foot Leverington had a monster debut, scoring 11.8 points per game with 14.6 rebounds, 2.7 blocks per game.
Peters added 11 points, nine boards and three assists despite suffering an ankle injury midseason.
In his second season as head coach, Hurn said the transition this season is moving to a mindset that expects to win each time they hit the court.
“It’s not about learning to win this year, but about expecting to win,” Hurn said.
“We have high expectations this year, I set high goals for them. And I’ve told them that each time they walk on the court and are wearing a jersey that says Spartans on the chest they should expect to win.”
Hurn said the team’s focus in early season practices has been on developing ball handlers and working on options at point guard.
“If we can find someone who can handle the ball and get Rian off the ball, that will be big for us,” Hurn said. “She’s a first-team all-league point guard, I think she can play point at the next level, but we need her size and skill down low.
“That’s where we struggled last season, Rian sprained her ankle and missed games and our turnovers went up as a result.”
Guard Kesia Rowley and Kilmer are expected to join Peters, Leverington and Olson in the starting lineup. Sophomore Iesha Johnson will serve as sixth man off the bench to start the year.
“We’re not facing any teams that are head and shoulders better than us,” Hurn said.
“We will still have tough matchups, but I want them to believe every time they are out on the court they can win that game.”
The Evergreen League should be as tough as ever with defending co-champs Elma bringing back league MVP Molly Johnston and first-team all-leaguers in juniors Jalyn Sackrider and Quin Mikel. Fellow co-champ Montesano returns first-team Junior Zoe Hutchings and sophomore Zoee Lisherness, and Hoquiam has a senior-laden squad, so forward progress will be tough. But the Spartans have enough pieces to challenge for a district playoff berth.
Forks Spartans
• Coach: David Hurn (2nd season, 10-10)
• Last season: 10-10, 4th in Evergreen League.
• Returners: Chloe Leverington (So., C, 6-0); Rian Peters (Jr., F, 5-8); Jayden Olson (Jr., G, 5-6); Kesia Rowley (So., G, 5-7); Iesha Johnson (So. G, 5-0); Elli Kilmer (Jr., C, 6-0);
• Varsity Newcomers: Kray Horton (So., F, 5-7); Rose Sandoval (Fr., G, 5-1); Rylee Bouchard (Fr., G, 5-7); Colbie Rancourt (So., F, 5-7)
• Key games/tournaments: Games against Hoquiam loom large in league play. The Spartans also play every North Olympic Peninsula team minus Port Angeles and Quilcene in nonleague action, and will head to Leavenworth to play in Cascade’s holiday tournament after Christmas.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News Forks’ Kesia Rowley, left, slides on the floor for a loose ball during a 2017 game against Chimacum.
Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News Forks’ Kesia Rowley, left, slides on the floor for a loose ball during a 2017 game against Chimacum.
