Comet boys held to 22 points by Napavine

Courtesy of The Chinook Observer
2/21/2007
By PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondent

DAMIAN MULINIX photoNaselle’s Conor Smith has the ball wrestled away by a Napavine defender Wednesday night. The defense of the Tigers earned them a 54-22 win over the Comets to advance in the District 4 tournament.

NAPAVINE - The Naselle Comets boys hadn't run up against anything like it since they lost to Astoria while scoring only 30 points in the Christmas Tournament half a season ago. The "it" in this case was the defense of the Napavine Tigers who all but shut down the Comets' offense in Naselle's 54-22 loss to the Tigers in their opening game of the District 4 Boys 2B Basketball Tournament played on Wednesday, Feb. 14, in the Tigers gym. Happy Valentines Day, indeed.The Comets were not only held to their lowest point total in years, but they were only allowed to take 35 shots, making a miserly 20 percent of them, and were out-rebounded 40-22. Coach Brian Macy said, "Their defense just kind of took us out of everything we tried to do."It didn't start out that way. With Kyle Burkhalter leading the way, the Comets took a 10-9 first quarter lead. But that lead quickly evaporated as the Tiger "D" held the Comets scoreless in the second period while they were efficiently scoring 16 points. The Tigers led 25-10 at the half.It was to get no better in the second half as Kyle was Naselle's only consistent scorer with 15 game points. In fact, only two other players scored, led by Conor Smith with five points. Seven other Comets did not score a point - the Tiger defense was that tough. Naselle trailed 39-19 after three periods and they were only able to muster up three points in the final stanza while Napavine tallied 15 on the way to their 32-point win.Napavine was led by a group of four shooters, only one of them a senior. Casey Carns, a 6-foot 5-inch junior, led all scorers with 16, Kirk Vigre, a 6-foot 6-inch junior, added 15, Kellen Ashmore, a 6-foot 4-inch senior, had eight, and Blake Anthony, a 6-foot 1-inch sophomore, had seven points. The Tigers are only losing three seniors off their roster this year and they will return nine players next season who average nearly 55 points a game. Remember, this season the Tigers only finished fourth in the locally powerful Central League. But look out next year, if not this season!The teams which are playing in the semi-finals include three from the Central League and one from the Pacific League. The lone representative of the Pacific League, Valley, had to score nine points in the last minute and a half to tie Napavine and then beat them in overtime 60-56 to allow the Vikings to meet Toutle Lake in one of the semi-final games. Mossyrock vs. Cathlamet will meet in the other half of the semis.The losers' bracket has five Pacific teams and three Central teams. With Naselle vs. Northwest Christian in one of the games, a Pacific league team is sure to be eliminated. The other three games feature North Beach vs. White Pass, South Bend vs. Napavine and Ocosta vs. Morton, giving the Pacific League a chance to have four teams still alive in the losers bracket.The Comets jump from the frying pan into the fire with a Monday, Feb 19, losers-out game. The Comets will play Northwest Christian, which lost to Mossyrock in their first tournament game. The Comets and Navigators split in their two regular season league games. If the Comets win their Monday's game, they will play again on Thursday, Feb. 22, in Rochester. If the Comets lose the Monday game, their season is over.





NASELLE (22) - Kyle Burkhalter 15, Conor Smith 5. Austin Burkhalter 2;


FG - 7 of 35 for 20 percent,


3's - 1 of 6,


FT - 5 of 12;


Rebounds (22);


Turnovers (11)





NAPAVINE (54) - Casey Carns 16, Kirk Vigre 15, Kellen Ashmore 8, Blake Anthony 7, Ramirez 2, B. Keller 2, Hilley 2, Lantau 2;


Rebounds (40)

Comets stymied by Tiger defenses

Courtesy of The Chinook Observer
2/21/2007
By PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondent

DAMIAN MULINIX photoKellyn Pakenen, Erin Saari and Ashley Ahlstrom can do nothing but watch as the final minutes tick away on their district playoff game with Napavine Saturday night in Castle Rock. The rentless defense by the Tigers held Naselle to just four points in the last three quarters of the game.

2B District 4 Basketball PlayoffsComets stymied by Tiger defensesNapavine girls stay undefeated with 56-12 win in district playoff
CASTLE ROCK - Going into their opening District 4 Girls 2B Basketball Tournament game against the Naselle Comets, the Napavine Tigers had a 20-0 season record and a number one ranking in the state's class 2B girls basketball poll. Coming out of the game, the Tigers improved to 21-0 as they crushed the Comets 56-12 in the game played in the Castle Rock High School gym Friday, Feb. 16. The Comets season record dropped to 13-10.The Comets were within striking distance of the Tigers through one quarter as they only trailed 14-8 after one. However, the Comets were only able to get off 30 shots in the game, including 0 for 7 from three-point range, and they were only able to make 13 percent of their shots. That lack of offense spelled disaster for the Comets as they were outscored 12-2 in the second quarter, 18-0 in the third period and 12-2 in the fourth quarter.Only one of the Comets, Ashley Ahlstrom, shot well as she scored six points on 3-of-5 shooting. Three other Comets scored while the rest of the Naselle roster went scoreless. The Tigers were led by their 5-foot 5-inch guard Courtney May with 16 points and their 6-foot senior center Alicia Richardson with 15 points.This Tiger team is a "now" team as well as a team for the future. They only have three seniors on their roster, Alicia Richardson, one of their scoring leaders. The rest of the team roster includes three juniors, four sophomores and two freshmen. The only thing that the Tigers appear to be missing in future years is height as their nine returning players, with almost a 42 point scoring average, top out at 5-foot 7-inches in height.The Comets girls, now in the losers' bracket, where one more loss ends their season, took on the Wahkiakum Mules Monday. Feb. 19. The first time that these two teams met this season, in the fourth game of the year, the Comets beat the Mules 31-22. The Mules dropped into the tournament's losers' bracket with a 73-41 loss to the Valley Vikings in their tournament opener. If the Comets win their Monday game, they will play again at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 21, in Rochester against the winner of the Tacoma Baptist-Raymond game. If the Comets lose their Monday game, their season is over.

Naselle (12) - Ashley Ahlstrom 6, Cheryl Steppe 3, Colette Beaulaurier 2, Sandra Rodriguez 1; FG - 4 of 30 for 13 percent,
3's - 0 of 7,
FT - 4 of 10 for 40 percent;
Rebounds (23): Ahlstrom 4, Steppe 4, Saari 4;
Assists: Pakenen 2; Blocks: Ahlstrom 2;
Steals: Landis 2;
Turnovers (34)

Napavine (56) - Courtney May 16, Alicia Richardson 15, Hamre 5, Erven 5, Goettelmen 4, Potter 2, S. Hylton 2, G. Hylton 2, McNelly 2, Lantau 2;
Turnovers (19)

Comets girls beat Huskies with huge fourth quarter in tourney opener

Courtesy of The Chinook Observer
2/21/2007
NASELLE - Things didn't look good. The Naselle Comets girls were trailing the Morton Huskies by eight points with 2:11 to go in the third quarter of their opening District 4 Girls Basketball Tournament game played in Naselle's Lyle Patterson Gym Tuesday, Feb. 13. The Comets had slowly but steadily fallen further behind as they trailed by one point at the end of one quarter, by two points at the half, and now they had been outscored 7-0 in the opening four minutes of the third period.Then, to further compound the Naselle problems, the Comets' Erin Saari (nine game points, 10 rebounds, four assists, four steals) went down with a twisted ankle in a scrum under the Naselle basket and she had to be helped off the court with 3:21 to play in the third period. To that point, Saari had only scored one point but her presence had been a big factor in the Comets' scheme of things.Ashley Ahlstrom (12 game points) responded with a hoop to get the Comets within five points but a Morton basket and a later free throw by 6-foot 1-inch Frannie Morrison gave the Huskies that eight point lead. Naselle's Brandi Keightley (11 game points) then took matters into her own hands, drained a three-ball from the corner, took an entry pass and scored from inside the paint and stole the ball but missed the shot when she was apparently fouled on a no-call. Keightley's five points brought the Comets within three points at 23-26 as the quarter ended with Ahlstrom stealing the ball but missing a quarter ending break-away.As the fourth quarter opened, fouls quickly became an issue. Kellyn Pakenen, the point guard of the Comets offense and defense, quickly drew her third and fourth fouls within seconds of each other, but she remained in the game. Pakenen was to play all but the final 1:06 when she finally drew her fifth foul on what looked to be good check on a Huskies break-away. The Huskies' Morrison drew her fourth foul between Pakenen's two fouls, and the tall Husky was benched with seven minute left to play.At that point, Assistant Coach Greg "Doc" Nelson must have performed some off-court magic on Saari's ankle and she was able to return to the court after missing only about five minutes of actual playing time. The first thing that Saari did was drain a long distance trey to tie the score at 26 with 6:23 left in the game. That was the first time the Comets had been in that close since a 16-16 tie with over two minutes left in the first half.Needless to say, the "Comet Crazies," the Naselle student body rooting section, went bonkers. Keightley followed with a steal and a lay-in for a Naselle lead only so see the Huskies' Whitney Self (13 game points) score for the Huskies. Ahlstrom came back with a hoop off a drive, which ignited a 9-0 Naselle run in less than three and a half minutes and an explosive response from the Naselle rooters.Included in that run were a hoop by Keightley from a Saari assist, a Pakenen break-away off a Keightley steal and another Saari three-ball. That last basket gave the Comets a 37-28 lead with 3:30 to play. Morrison, who had re-entered the game, countered with a score from in the paint, only to be matched by a Saari deuce to regain the Comets nine-point lead with 2:03 left.The Comets then took care of business with Ahlstrom's four points on two of two foul shots and a hoop from inside the paint more than matching the Huskies three free throws and the Comets had their 10-point win in their first tournament game of the season. The Comets season record climbed to 13-9 with the win.All of the Naselle points came from their five starters with Ahlstrom picking up 12, Keightley 11, Saari nine, Cheryl Steppe seven and Pakenen four. Steppe led the Comets' board patrol with 12 rebounds and she scored all six of Naselle's points in the second period when her play and the play of subs Colette Beaulaurier and Jenny Klinger helped to keep the Comets close to the Huskies. Saari added 10 rebounds to her nine points and she also led the Comets in assists (four) and steals (four).The Comets had done practically everything right, except their shooting, in earning the win. Their defense and rebounding were outstanding in forcing the Huskies into 20 turnovers and in grabbing 32 rebounds. However the Comets three-point shooting again was better than their two point tries and their free throw shooting was horrendous at only 25 percent (four of 16).The Comets will have to improve their shooting and maintain the other parts of their game if they hope to stay with the state's number one ranked 2B girls team, the Napavine Tigers, in their next game. The Tigers, 20-0 for the season, and the Comets, 13-9, played in the Castle Rock High School gym at 8 p.m., Friday, Feb 16. The winner of that game moves on to the semis on Wednesday, Feb. 21. The loser of that game, played on Monday, Feb, 19, has only one more loss standing between them and a season-ending ouster from the tournament.

Morton (33) - Whitney Self 13, Morrison 7, Nilson 7, Sumers 4, Gaut 2, Franz 0;
Turnovers (20)

Naselle (43) - Ashley Ahlstrom 12, Brandi Keightley 11, Erin Saari 9, Cheryl Steppe 7, Kellyn Pakenen 4;
FG (2's) 15 of 43 for 35 percent,
(3's) 3 of 8 for 38 percent,
FT - 4 of 16 for 25 percent;
Rebounds (32): Steppe 12, Saari 10, Ahlstrom 4;
Assists: Saari 4; Steals (12): Saari 4, Keightley 3, Ahlstrom 3, Pakenen 2;
Turnovers (16)

Erin Saari named to the Pacific 2B All-League girls basketball

Courtesy of The Daily News
Pacific League first team includes Naselle's SaariNaselle senior standout Erin Saari was named to the first team of the Pacific 2B All-League girls basketball squad in a vote of the league's coaches.Chelsi Friese of Willapa Valley was chosen the league's Most Valuable Player. Other first-team picks included Amanda Erickson of North Beach, McKnzy Miller of Raymond, Amber Finley of Tacoma Baptist, Kathleen Post and Lindsey Wagner of Northwest Christian, North Beach teammates Tashia DeLaCruz, Amanda Erickson and Kylie Williams, and Larissa Rohr of Willapa Valley.Honorable mention picks from Naselle included senior Cheryl Steppe, senior Kellyn Pakenen, junior Brandi Keightley and junior Ashley Ahlstrom.

Comets' Burkhalter named all-Pacific 2B first-teamer

Courtesy of The Daily News
Feb 19, 2007
Naselle junior guard Kyle Burkhalter earned a spot on the Pacific 2B League first team for boys basketball following a recent vote of the league's coaches.Rounding out the first-team selections are Matt Myers, Ryan Fox and Cameron Hamilton from Northwest Christian; Rick Bannish and Mike Anderson of Willapa Valley; South Bend's Randy Eang; Ryan Cariker of North Beach; and Ocosta's Jack Stein. Willapa Valley senior Brady Langer was named the league's Most Valuable Player, and Willapa Valley's John Peterson was named Coach of the Year. Naselle received the league's Sportsmanship Award.Honorable mention picks included Naselle freshman Austin Burkhalter.

Cold start derails Comets at district

Courtesy of The Daily News
Feb 19, 2007
MONTESANO ---- A first-quarter breakdown doomed Naselle to a season-ending 56-50 loss to Northwest Christian here Monday in the Southwest 2B District boys basketball tournament, although Kyle Burkhalter ended his Comets career in style.Naselle out-rebounded NWC 31-20, and Burkhalter turned in 22 points and 11 boards. But the Comets made just three of their first 17 shots and trailed 17-6 after a quarter. Naselle finished 19-for-53 from the field and 8-for-11 from the line."We just shot very poorly the first quarter," Naselle coach Brian Macy said. "We dug ourselves a hole we couldn't get out of."Conor Smith had eight points and eight rebounds, and Austin Burkhalter added 11 points for Naselle.


NASELLE (50) -- Nathan Sultemeier 5, Kyle Burkhalter 22, Austin Burkhalter 13, Conor Smith 8, Gabe See 2, Casey Heagy 0, Nick Hines 0, Spencer Griss 0.

NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN (56) -- Fox 12, Hamilton 6, Cummings 3, Dunn 4, Hobbs 2, Myers 27, Groeshell 2.

Naselle 6 14 14 14 -- 50
NW Christian 17 8 16 15 -- 56

Comets finish fifth in league, face Tigers Wednesday

Courtesy of The Chinook Observer
By PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondentLACEY - The Naselle Comets boys fell to fifth place in the Pacific League end of season placement after a by a loss against the league's second place team, the Northwest Christian Navigators, in Lacey Thursday, Feb. 8. The Comets "took one on the chin" from the Navigators, losing 67-40 to knock the Comets into fifth place in the Pacific League. Naselle's record dropped to 6-8 in league, and 8-12 overall. Northwest Christian is 16-3 overall, and 12-2 for second place in leagueThe first time that the Comets played NWC this season in Naselle, the Comets squeezed out a 58-53 win over the Navigators. That was only one of two league games that the Navigators lost. This time around, it was no contest after the first quarter. The Comets continued to play "bakery ball" with 26 turnovers hurting their chances to give the Navigators a run for the money as the Navigators were able to pour it on for the final 27-point margin.The Comets were able to stay with the Navigators through the first eight minutes as the teams battled to an 11-11 tie. However, the Navigators superior shooting, aided by Naselle turnovers, gave them three double-digit scorers for the game - Ryan Fox with 22, Matt Myers 15, and Kyle Cummings 10, and a fourth player Cameron Hamilton with eight points - as the Navigators more than doubled the second quarter score, 22-8, on the Comets. The Navigators led 33-19 at the half.It got worse in the third period. The Comets only had one double-digit scorer in the game, Austin Burkhalter with 14, while the Navigators big guns kept hitting bulls-eyes. The Navigators tacked on a 23-11 third period and then coasted home with an 11-10 fourth quarter for their huge 27 point win."This was probably - right next to the last Valley game - our poorest performance of the year," said Coach Brian Macy. "We have had several kids battling the flu bug this past week, Kyle (Burkhalter), Nathan (Sultemeier), Casey (Heagy) and Gabe (See). This is the first game this season that Kyle hasn't got double figures."The few assists, losing the rebound battle (25-30) and allowing three Navigators to score in double figures with a fourth just out of doubles, were indicators of how this game went for NHS.The Comets will open the District Tournament with a trip to the Central League's fourth place team, Napavine, Wednesday, Feb. 14. Napavine and White Pass tied for fourth place in the Central League and Napavine got the fourth place position on a coin flip. If Naselle wins their first tournament game. they will play Pacific 1 Willapa Valley at 6:30 p.m. in Montesano on Sat, Feb. 17. If they lose their first tournament game, they will play again on Monday, Feb. 19 at 3:30 p.m. in Montesano, against a team yet to be determined. Napavine has a 9-7 Central League record and is 12-8 overall.

Naselle 11 8 11 10 - 40
NWC 11 22 23 11 - 67

NASELLE (40) - Austin Burkhalter 14, K. Burkhalter 6, Smith 5, See 4, Heagy 3, Hines 3, Griss 2, Ray 2, Erickson 2, Sultemeier;

FG - 18 of 42 for 43 percent,
(3's) 1-3,
FT - 1 of 6:
Rebounds (25): Smith 5;
Turnovers (26)

NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN (67) - Ryan Fox 22, Matt Myers 15, Kyle Cummings 10, Cameron Hamilton 8, Chase 4, Hobbes 4, Owens 2, Goff 3, Groeschell;

FG - 27 of 51 for 53 percent,
FT - 6-17:
Rebounds (30)

JV: NWC won

Comets girls lose last regular season game

Courtesy of The Chinook Observer
TACOMA - A 48-39 loss to the Tacoma Baptist Crusaders in their last regular season game in the Crusaders gym on Feb. 8 dropped the Naselle Comets girls' team into a tie for fourth place in the Pacific League with the Crusaders. The loss meant that the same two teams had to meet in a playoff game on Saturday, Feb. 10. The loss dropped Naselle's season record to 8-6 in league, and 11-9 overall.The Comets fell behind in the opening period 11-5 but rallied in the second quarter for a 12-9 advantage to trail 20-17 at the half. Naselle gained a point with a 10-9 third period and trailed 29-27 going into the final eight minutes. The Crusaders then put together a 19-12 fourth quarter to earn their nine-point win.Naselle was led offensively by Brandi Keightley with 14 points, Erin Saari with 10 and Ashley Ahlstrom with eight. Ahlstrom pulled down five rebounds and Cheryl Steppe four to lead in that department.

Comets win playoff for 4th place finish in Pacific

Courtesy of The Chinook Observer
Comets win playoff for 4th place finish in Pacific Girls to play at Castle Rock or Rochester in district tournamentBy PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondentWESTPORT - The Naselle Comets girls did it the hard way, but they did it, and they will play another game in Lyle Patterson Gym this season. The Comets beat the Tacoma Baptist Crusaders in a playoff game for fourth place, 56-48, in the Ocosta High School gym Feb. 9. With the win, the Comets earned the Pacific League's fourth place spot and a home game in their first District 4 Tournament game.The Comets play their first tournament game against the Morton Huskies, the Central League's fifth place team on Tuesday, Feb. 13, in Naselle. A win in that game would put them up against undefeated Napavine, the Central League's first place team this Friday, Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. in the Castle Rock High School gym. A loss in their first tournament game would put them into a game at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19, in the Rochester High School gym against an opponent still to be determined.The three-point shooting of three players - Brandi Keightley, Erin Saari and Kellyn Pakenen - and taking care of the ball (only 13 turnovers) went a long way toward earning the playoff game win for the Comets. Between the three of the Comets outside shooters, they made six of eight treys to add 18 points to the Naselle total. Keightley led the "attack of the threes" by sinking three of four tries. In fact, the Comets 75 percent shooting on their three-ball tries far exceeded their two-point shooting which was 31 percent.Keightley led the Comets scoring with 13 points, Saari added 10 and four other players scored significant points. Ashley Ahlstrom had eight points, Cheryl Steppe and Colette Beaulaurier seven points each and Emily Green six points. Steppe pulled down 10 rebounds, six of them on the offensive board, and Ahlstrom added nine carom recoveries.Naselle jumped off to a 16-10 first quarter lead but saw the Crusaders come back with a 19-12 second period. The Crusaders had a one point, 29-28, lead at the half. Naselle then outscored the Crusaders 28-19 the rest of the way. The Comets won the third quarter battle 11-5 to lead 39-34 after three quarters. Naselle took care of business by adding three points to their lead with a 17-14 fourth quarter for their eight point win.The Comets overall record climbed to 12-9 for the season.

Naselle (56) - Brandi Keightley 13, Erin Saari 10, Ahlstrom 8, Steppe 7, Beaulaurier 7, Green 6, Pakenen 3, Klinger 2;

FG (2/s) - 13 of 42 for 31 percent,
(3's) - 6 of 6,
FT - 12 of 18 for 67 percent;
Rebounds (35): Steppe 10, Ahlstrom 9, Keightley 5, Beaulaurier 4;
Steals: Pakenen 4;
Turnovers (13)

Tacoma Baptist (48) - (Individual statistics not available)

Comets girls' loss throws league standings into a pickle

Courtesy of The Chinook Observer
By PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondent
LACEY - The Naselle Comets girls lost the game that they needed to win in order to have a chance to finish among the top two or three teams in the Pacific League girls' basketball final standings. If the Comets could have defeated the Northwest Christian Navigators, they would have had a chance for a third place finish and possibly a tie for second place in the league race. The Comets couldn't do it, as they lost 47-37 to the Navigators in their next-to-the-last league game of the season, played in the Navigators' gym Tuesday, Feb. 6.The Comets were on a winning streak, winning five of their previous six games and sitting in a position where wins in their last two games could have possibly put them into a three-way tie for second. The first time that the Comets played the Navigators this season, the Comets earned an easy 49-35 win. That wasn't true this time around as the streaking Navigators forged a 24 point turn-around and won their second game in a row, after beating Tacoma Baptist a day earlier. The Comets league record dropped to 8-5 and 11-8 overall. The Navigators improved to 6-8 in league and 11-8 overall.The loss meant that the Comets final re-scheduled game at Tacoma Baptist, on Feb. 9, took on even greater importance. A loss at TB would put the two teams into a tie for fourth place and necessitate a playoff game between Naselle and Tacoma Baptist. If the Comets can finish in fourth place, where they are after the Northwest Christian loss, they will host a home game in their first tournament game If they finish in fifth place, the Comets will be forced to travel for their first tournament game.Either way, the Comets will play their first tournament game in the double elimination district tournament format on Tuesday, Feb. 13. If they win their first game, their second tournament game will be Friday, Feb 16. If they lose their first game, they will play on Monday, Feb. 19. The locations of all these potential games depends upon where the Comets finish in the league race.The Comets were able to hold their own through the first half against Northwest Christian. They trailed 8-6 at the first quarter break, but Naselle was able to out-point the Navigators 12-9 in the second period to hold a slim 20-17 lead at the intermission. However, the second half was all Northwest as Kathleen Post (21 game points) and Elianna Isoz (14 game points) got the hot hand. The Navigators doubled the third quarter score on the Comets 14-7 and they then sealed the deal with a 16-12 fourth period to win going away.The Comets had two leading scorers with Brandi Keightley scoring 11 and Erin Saari nine. Colette Beaulaurier and Ashley Ahlstrom, each with five points, provided backup scoring in the Comets loss.The Comets first tournament game could be at one of five places. If they finish fourth, they will play the Central League's fifth place team at Naselle. If the Comets girls finish fifth, they will be playing the Central fourth place team either at Toutle Lake, Morton, Cathlamet, or possibly even Adna. The games won and lost on the last round of games in the Central League will determine that. All of the first round tournament games will be played on Tuesday, Feb. 13

Naselle 6 12 7 12 - 37
NWC 8 9 14 16 - 47

Naselle (37) - Brandi Keightley 11, Erin Saari 9, Beaulaurier 5, Ahlstrom 5, Steppe 3, Rodriguez 2, Klinger 2, Landis, Green, Fletcher, Laney;

FG - 11-34;
FT - 13-24.

Northwest Christian (47) - Kathleen Post 21, Elianna Isoz 14, Bodine 4, Edwards 4. Collins 2, Wagner 2, Crosley, Mailhot, McClanahan, Minton, Webb, Barr;

FG - 16-56;
FT - 13-27.

JV game: Northwest Christian 31, Naselle 26.

Naselle offense falters

Courtest of The Daily News
NAPAVINE ---- Kyle Burkhalter accounted for 15 of Naselle's points in the Comets' 54-22 loss to Napavine here Wednesday in the opening round of the Southwest 2B boys basketball tournament. "Their defense just kind of took us out of everything we tried to do," Naselle coach Brian Macy said.Napavine out-rebounded Naselle 40-22 and held it to 35 shots.Naselle's next game is at 8 p.m. on Monday at Montesano against an opponent to be determined.

NASELLE (22) -- Kyle Burkhalter 15, Austin Burkhalter 2, Conor Smith 5. Nathan Sultemeier 0, Spencer Griss 0, Casey Heagy 0, Jeremy Ray 0, Nick Hines 0, Gabe See 0, Alan Erickson 0.

NAPAVINE (54) -- Keller 2, Elly 2, Carns 16, Ashmore 8, Anthony 7, Ramirez 2, Vigre 15, Lantau 2.

Naselle 10 0 9 3 -- 22
Napavine 9 16 14 15 -- 54

Comets suffer road loss

Courtesy of The Daily News
LACEY ---- Naselle endured a 67-40 defeat at the hands of Northwest Christian in the Comets' final regular-season Pacific B League boys basketball game here Thursday.Austin Burkhalter led Naselle with 14 points, but generosity killed the Comets as 26 turnovers hurt their chances.Naselle (8-12, 6-8 league) opens district play on Feb. 14 against the Central 2B League's No. 4 seed.

NASELLE (40) -- Spencer Griss 2, Kyle Burkhalter 6, Austin Burkhalter 14, Conor Smith 5, Casey Heagy 3, Jeremy Ray 2, Nick Hines 3, Gabe See 4, Alan Erickson 2.

NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN (67) -- Fox 22, Chase 4, Hamilton 8, Owens 2, Cummings 10, Hobbes 4, Myers 15, Goff 2.

Naselle 11 8 11 8 -- 40
NWC 11 22 23 11 -- 67

Comets boys move into league's fifth place with win over Crusaders

Courtesy of The Chinook Observer

TACOMA - Putting together their best shooting game of the season, the Naselle Comets boys moved into fifth place in the Pacific League with a 65-54 win over the Tacoma Baptist Crusaders Saturday, Feb. 3, in the Crusaders gym. The Comets shot 56 percent and made 20 of 28 free throws in the win. The Comets league record improved to 6-7, 8-11 overall and gave Naselle sole possession of fifth place when South Bend lost 79-74 in double overtime to Northwest Christian.The Comets, with three players in double figures for the game, rolled to a 19-13 first quarter lead after trailing 7-13 and added an 18-7 second period, to lead 37-20 at the half. The Naselle scoring was led by Kyle Burkhalter with 24, Austin Burkhalter 13, Nathan Sultemeier 11, and Conor Smith with eight points."We had a chance to blow it open, but we kind of let them right back in it," said Naselle Coach Brian Macy about the big halftime lead. The Comets did just that as the Crusaders came back with a16-9 third period to trail 46-36 after three quarters. The Crusaders were able to narrow the lead to eight points in the closing minutes but the Comets made 13 free throws in the fourth period to help them to a 19-18 quarter. That advantage gave the Comets of their 11-point win.Macy summarized the game in this manner, "We were down 7-13 and went on a 23-2 run and ended up being ahead 37-20 at the half. We relaxed in the third and they came out with some intensity and got the lead down to 10 at the end of the third. I don't believe the game got any closer than eight points the rest of the way. We made our free throws down the stretch and ended up with the win. Except for a spot in the first quarter and relaxing too much in the third we played pretty good basketball."The Comets have one league game remaining, at second place Northwest Christian this Thursday, Feb. 8. South Bend, who is battling the Comets for fifth place, complete their season at league leading Willapa Valley, which is playing without its leading scorer Brady Langer, out with a broken hand. Ocosta, in fourth place in the league has its final two games with North Beach and Tacoma Baptist. The Wildcats would have to lose both of those games if Naselle was to be able to move into fourth place.Fifth place in the Pacific League appears to be where the Comets will complete the regular season, which means they will be at the Central League's fourth place team for their first district tournament game on Wed., Feb. 14. If they should finish sixth, they will play at the Central League's third place team on Wed., Feb. 14.

NASELLE (65) - Kyle Burkhalter 24, Austin Burkhalter 13, Nathan Sultemeier 11, Smith 8, Heagy 4, Griss 2, See 2, Ray 1, Hines, Erickson;

FG - 21 of 37 for 56 percent,
3's - 1 for 3,
FT - 20 of 28 for 72 percent;
Rebounds (24): K, Burkhalter 8, Smith 6;
Steals: K. Burkhalter 3;
Turnovers (16)

TACOMA BAPTIST (54) - Piwonski 17, B. Tuell 15, Yohann 10, Gillman 5, Palmquist 4, S. Tuell 3;

Rebounds (20)

Naselle 19 18 9 19 - 65
T. Baptist 13 7 16 18 - 54

Naselle boys basketballComets shore up playoff berth with win over S. Bend

Courtesy of The Chinook Observer
NASELLE - It wasn't always pretty, but the results were beautiful as far as the Naselle Comets boys' basketball team and their fans were concerned.

DAMIAN MULINIX photo

Fans in the Naselle student section jump to their feet to clap and cheer for the Comets as they score a bucket late in Thursday game.

The Comets 61-53 Pacific League win over South Bend Thursday, Feb. 1 in Lyle Patterson Gym assured the Comets of a spot in the District 4 Class 2B Boys' Basketball Tournament. The Comets' league record improved to 5-7 and 7-11 overall with the win.The Comets are now in a tie with South Bend for the fifth position in league. Naselle's final two games are on the road at Tacoma Baptist and at Northwest Christian.When these two teams met earlier in the season, the Comets gave up a third quarter lead to lose at South Bend by seven points. Randy Eang, South Bend's top scorer for the season, poured in 27 points in that game. This time around, Eang was held to just six points by the defensive efforts of Kyle Burkhalter and Spencer Griss. Naselle coach Brian Macy said, "That was probably his (Griss's) best performance of the year. "Eang and Brian Yi each got into foul trouble and had to sit for extended periods in the third quarter before they each fouled out in the closing minutes of the game.Foul problems were also a major concern to the Comets as their leading scorers, Kyle Burkhalter and Conor Smith, also got into early foul trouble. Kyle, who led the Comets with 25 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and three steals, picked up his second foul early in the second quarter and he sat for more than half of the second period. Smith, who also experienced foul troubles, came back with a vengeance in the fourth period to score nine of his 11 game points as well as grab six rebounds in the game.With Austin Burkhalter draining a three-ball from the corner, the Comets were off to a 11-0 lead in the first five and a half minutes of the game. South Bend finally got their scoring going when Chase Michell scored the first four of his 17 points on the night. The Comets led 14-6 after one quarter.Nathan Sultemeier hit on a three-ball and a deuce as the second quarter opened to stretch the Naselle lead to 10 points. But back came South Bend, especially with Michell, Shaun Rose (16 game points, 9 rebounds) and Yi (10 points) filling the hoop, South Bend went on a 10-0 run in four minutes. The South Bend run had given them the lead at 20-19, their only lead of the game as it turned out, before Naselle rallied back to a five point lead. South Bend wasn't to be denied, however, and they used three free throws to forge a 27-27 tie in the closing seconds of the first half.The third quarter opened with a well-rested Kyle who quickly scored the first five points of the half. "We switched things up and moved Kyle to the point, and he was able to create and get to the free-throw line," Macy said. Kyle was to score seven points in the quarter while Griss was to pop in five, including a three-point play to close the period to give Naselle a 41-36 leadWith Yi and Eang returning to the floor for the fourth period, South Bend narrowed the Comets' lead to three points before Smith took over. He scored seven of the Comets next nine points as the Naselle lead stretched to eight points. South Bend was able to peck away at that lead and get it down to four points twice. But each time, points from Kyle, Austin and Smith more than matched the output of South Bend and the Comets had their 61-53 win .The evening was also Senior Night for cheerleader Sandra Rodriguez and varsity players Casey Heagy, Jeremy Ray and Spencer Griss.

SOUTH BEND (53) - Chase Michell 17, Shaun Rose 16, Brian Yi 10, Eang 6, Huber 2, Dokter 2, Lazelle, Howard, Wetterauer;

FG - 18-63 (.286).
FT - 15-21;
Rebounds (30); Michell 9, Rose 9

NASELLE (61) - Kyle Burkhalter 25, Conor Smith 11, Sultemeier 8, Griss 7, Austin Burkhalter 5, Heagy 5, See, Hines, Ray, Erickson;

FG (2's) - 17 of 33 for 52 percent,
(3's) - 3 of 12 for 25 percent,
FT - 18 of 26 for 69 percent;
Rebounds (41): K. Burkhalter 12, Sultemeier 7, Griss 6, Smith 6;
Assists: K. Burkhalter 8, Heagy 3;
Steals: K. Burkhalter 3;
Team Turnovers (24)

South Bend 6 21 9 17 -- 53
Naselle 14 13 14 20 -- 61

South Bend won the JV game 53-41.

Naselle girls win to assure themselves of at least a .500 league season

Courtesy of The Chinook Observer

SOUTH BEND - The Naselle Comets girls got all of their points from only four of their players as they beat South Bend 38-31 in a Pacific League girls' basketball game played in Don Koplitz Field House in South Bend Tuesday, Jan. 30. The win gave the Comets a 7-4 league record, 10-7 overall and assured the Comets of at least a .500 league season's finishing average with three games left to play. South Bend fell to 2-10 in league and 2-16 overall.The Comets slowly but steadily pulled away from South Bend in this rematch between the neighboring teams. Naselle's triple threat of Ashley Ahlstrom, Cheryl Steppe and Erin Saari helped the Comets earn the win, by each scoring 10 points. Brandi Keightley was just out of double figures with eight points.Naselle led 10-7 after one quarter, 20-15 at the intermission as Saari's half-court shot at the buzzer gave the Comets a five point half-time lead. The Comets were able to maintain their advantage through the second half, even though being outscored 9-11 in the third period, as they finished the fourth quarter with a 9-5 advantage for their seven point win. South Bend closed to within a point or two on numerous occasions in the second half, but never drew even.By the time that this story is in print (Feb. 7). the fifth place Comets will have entertained third place Tacoma Baptist in their last Pacific League home game of the season. Their remaining two games are at Northwest Christian, the team trailing the Comets in sixth place on Feb. 6, and a return game at Tacoma Baptist on Feb. 9. The Comets have a slim chance of finishing fourth in the Pacific League, which would give them a district tournament home game on Feb. 13 against the Central League's fifth place team. A more likely scenario will have the Comets finishing either fifth or sixth in league, which would have them playing on a Central League opponent's home court on Feb. 13.

NASELLE (38) - Ashley Ahlstrom 10, Sheryl Steppe 10, Erin Saari 10, Brandi Keightly 8, Pakenen, Beaulaurier, Landis, Klinger;

FG - 16-39 (.410).
FT - 5-12.

SOUTH BEND (31) - Sam. Anderson 10, Heffernan 9, Smith 7, Nisbet 2, Coma 2, Nhotsoubanh 1, McCoy;
FG - 12-34 (.353).
FT - 5-18

Comets in fourth place with two left

Courtesy of The Chinook Observer
By PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondent

NASELLE - After starting out with a slow first quarter, the Naselle Comets gained momentum in each of the following three periods as they squeezed past the Tacoma Baptist Crusaders 53-48 in a Pacific League girls' basketball game played in Lyle Patterson Gym Friday, Feb. 2. The win gave the Comets an 8-4 league record, 11-7 overall, with two league games left to play.On a night when the seniors and their parents were given recognition, seniors Erin Saari, Kellyn Pakenen, Cheryl Steppe, Jenny Klinger, Colette Beaulaurier, Sandra Rodriquez, Kelsey Fletcher and cheerleader Kristina Chism were given special attention. Coach Bob Torppa said, "We were very emotional from senior night, and didn't get out on their shooters very good. We also were three of 11 from the floor in the first quarter."The Comets put together an exceptional team effort with seven players scoring and seven players contributing to their rebound total of 36 rebounds. Brandi Keightley, with 14 points and Saari with 12, were in double figures for Naselle. Steppe and Ashley Ahlstrom were also close to double digit scoring. Saari, who had an outstanding all around game with eight assists and four steals, led the Comets' rebounders with eight boards. Ahlstrom and Beaulaurier each added six rebounds. Keightley's all-around team-leading game also included three rebounds, two assists and four steals, with the added bonus of converting seven of eight free throw tries in the fourth quarter.However, things didn't start out that way as the first quarter had the feel of a Crusaders march to the sea. The Tacoma Baptist girls ran over the Comets to the tune of a 15-8 first quarter as the early game went in the Crusaders favor.The Comets balanced attack, led by Keightley and Saari, began to pay dividends in the second period as the Comets began to gain control of the boards and make their shots. The turn-around resulted in a 15-9 second period and Naselle had closed to within a point of the visitors at 24-23 at the intermission. The Comets still had trouble making their free throws in the rough game but an improvement had been made. The question was whether that change would carry over into the second half.Torppa said, "In the second quarter we were four of six from the floor and only seven of 18 from the line, but with better job of defending their shooters we were able to hold them to nine points, to put us with in one by halftime. We shot eight of 11 from the line in the fourth quarter. Brandi Keightley was seven of eight from the line in the fourth quarter to seal the deal."The Comets game second half did hold up, but it wasn't easy. The Comets were able to take the lead with a 16-12 third period as the rough and tumble game got a little more furious. The best was yet to come for the Comets.Keightley made seven of eight free throws in the fourth quarter as the Comets held their lead by making eight of 11 free throws in the quarter. The Comets two points scoring advantage, 14-12, in the period allowed them to add to their lead and hold on for their 53-48 win."Raymond plays North Beach at NB. If they lose they will be 10-4. Valley plays South Bend at SB. If they win they will be 10-4. We play Northwest Christian at NWC on the sixth. Then we play Tacoma Baptist at TB on the ninth. If we win both, there will be 10-4, there will be a three way tie for second, and second gets a first round bye. THAT'S BIG," an optimistic Torppa concluded.If the Comets finish in second place in league, they will play their first District Tournament game on Friday, Feb. 16, in Castle Rock against the winner of the Pacific 6-Central 3 game. If they finish third or fourth, they will play their first tournament game in Naselle's Lyle Patterson Gym against either Central 6 or Central 5 on Tuesday, Feb. 13. If they finish fifth or sixth, they will play at either Central 4 or Central 3 on Tuesday, Feb. 13. The tight Pacific League race will be decided this week, with the final league games played on Friday, Feb. 9.

Tacoma Baptist (48) - Brown 16, Shank 11, Tuell 10, Finley 9, Rea 2

Naselle (53) - Brandi Keightley 14, Erin Saari 12, Steppe 8, Ahlstrom 7, Landis 5, Pakenen 4, Beaulaurier 3;

FG - 46 percent,
FT - 51 percent;
Rebounds (36): Saari 8, Ahlstrom 6, Beaulaurier 6, Steppe 5, Pakenen 4, Landis 4, Keightley 3; Assists (12): Saari 8;
Steals (11): Keightley 4, Saari 4l
Turnovers (18)

TRUE To The GAME

Courtesy of the Chinook Observer
By Damian Mulinix, Observer photojournalist

“ With the band” — With ages ranging as far as the variety of music they play, the Naselle Community Band is a diverse one. Former Naselle High School music teacher, and now ordained Lutheran minister, Cliff Weimer, above, conducts his group through the school fight song during halftime of last Thursday night’s game. “I just gather together community folks and high school students,” he said. Weimer put together the group two years ago since there weren’t enough music students at the school to make up their own pep band for games. “We have several members of the community who have played instruments in various organizations and they really support the team each year.” One of these people is Liz Engelson who plays the French horn. “I played the French horn in high school — at Ilwaco. That was the last instrument I played.” No longer owning a horn of her own she asked around and found one through the school. Engelson said she likes coming to the games and playing because she likes “supporting the kids.” She also said, “The comaraderie within the group is really good. You can tell we have a really good time.” Weimer agrees, saying, “They really enjoy playing.”

Comets hit FT in fourth

Courtesy of The Daily News
NASELLE ---- After struggling with their free throws in the first half, the Naselle Comets were money at the line in the fourth quarter as they held off Tacoma Baptist 53-48 in a Pacific 2B League girls basketball game on Friday.Naselle (11-7, 8-4 league) made 8-of-11 freebies in the fourth quarter, including 7-8 from Brandi Keightley."We couldn't hit our free throws to save ourselves in the first half," Naselle coach Bob Torppa said. "We've struggled from the line in the past, but our strong free throw shooting at the end of the game enabled us to win."Keightley led the Comets with 14 points, four steals, three rebounds and two assists. Erin Saari had 12 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and four steals, Ashley Ahlstrom and Colette Beaulaurier grabbed six rebounds each, Cheryl Steppe added five and Haley Landis and Kellyn Pakenen chipped in four each.Naselle visits Northwest Christian on Tuesday.

TACOMA BAPTIST (48) -- Brown 16, Shank 11, Tuell 10, Finley 9, Rea 2.

NASELLE (53) -- Kellyn Pakenen 4, Erin Saari 12, Colette Beaulaurier 3, Cheryl Steppe 8, Ashley Ahlstrom 7, Haley Landis 5, Brandi Keightley 14.

Tac. Baptist 15 9 12 12 -- 48

Naselle 8 15 16 14 -- 53

Hot Comets top TBTACOMA ----

Courtesy of The Daily News
Naselle built a big first-half lead and shot a blistering 56 percent from the field as it downed Tacoma Baptist 65-54 in a Pacific B League boys basketball game Saturday night.Kyle Burkhalter poured in 24 points, grabbed eight rebounds and swiped three steals for the Comets (8-11, 6-7 league), who made 21-of-37 shots from the field and 20-of-28 at the free-throw line."We had a chance to blow it open, but we kind of let them right back in it," said Naselle coach Brian Macy, whose team led 37-20 at halftime.Naselle made 13 free throws in the final quarter to hold off the Crusaders.Austin Burkhalter added 13 points and Nathan Sultemeier scored 11 for the Comets. Conor Smith added six rebounds.

NASELLE (65) -- Nathan Sultemeier 11, Spencer Griss 2, Kyle Burkhalter 24, Austin Burkhalter 13, Conor Smith 8, Casey Heagy 4, Jeremy Ray 1, Nick Hines 2, Gabe See 0, Allan Erickson 0

TACOMA BAPTIST (54) -- B. Tuell 15, Palmquist 4, Piwonski 17, S. Tuell 3, Gillman 5, Yohann 10

Naselle 19 18 9 19 -- 65
T. Baptist 13 7 16 18 -- 54

Burkhalter leads Comets

Courtesy of The Daily News
NASELLE ---- Kyle Burkhalter nearly notched a triple-double as Naselle held off South Bend 61-53 in a Pacific 2B League boys basketball game on Thursday.Naselle (7-11, 5-7 league) locked up a berth in the District 4 Tournament with the victory.Burkhalter knocked down 6-of-7 shots and made 13-of-17 free throws for 25 points. He also grabbed 12 rebounds, handed out eight assists and made three steals."We switched things up and moved Kyle to the point, and he was able to create and get to the free-throw line," Naselle coach Brian Macy said. "Conor Smith was in foul trouble early, but he was able to come in the fourth quarter and score nine of his 11 points."Macy was also pleased with the defensive effort of Spencer Griss."That was probably his best performance of the year," he said. "He held Randy Eang, their leading scorer, to six points."Eang is averaging 18 points.Naselle visits Tacoma Baptist on Saturday.

SOUTH BEND (53) -- Dustin Howard 0, Brian Yi 10, Randy Eang 6, Eric Wetterauer 0, Shaun Rose 16, Derek Huber 2, Garrett Dokter 2, Tim Lazelle 0, Michell 17.

NASELLE (61) ---- Nathan Sultemeier 8, Spencer Griss 7, Kyle Burkhalter 25, Austin Burkhalter 5, Conor Smith 11, Casey Heagy 5, Jeremy Ray 0, Nick Hines 0, Gabe See 0, Alan

Erickson 0.So. Bend 6 21 9 17 -- 53
Naselle 14 13 14 20 -- 61

Comets stymie S. Bend

Courtesy of The Daily News
SOUTH BEND ---- Naselle's triple threat of Ashley Ahlstrom, Sheryl Stepp and Erin Saari helped the Comets earn a 38-31 win over South Bend here Tuesday in a Pacific 2B League girls basketball game.Ahlstrom, Stepp and Saari each scored 10 points for the Comets (11-6).

NASELLE (38) -- Ashley Ahlstrom 10, Sheryl Stepp 10, Erin Saari 10, Brandi Keightly 8.
SOUTH BEND (31) -- Anderson 10, Heffernan 9, Smith 7, Nisbet 2, Coma 2, Nhotsoubanh 1.

Naselle 10 10 9 9 -- 38
S. Bend 7 8 11 5 -- 31

NASELLE BOYS CLINCH DISTRICT PLAYOFF BERTH

Friday, February 02, 2007
Courtesy of SportsRadio 1230 ESPN

Kyle Burkhalter scored 16 of his game-high 25 points in the second half to lead the Naselle Comets to a 61-53 victory over the South Bend Indians at Patterson Gymnasium Thursday night.With the win, the Comets are now tied with the Indians for fifth place in the Pacific 2B League standings at 5-7. Both teams have clinched district tournament berths.Naselle grabbed an early 11-0 with Burkhalter scoring the first six points before the Indians fought back to take their only lead of the game in the second period. The Indians took advantage of the Naselle junior star's absence in the second period, after Burkhalter picked up his second foul just seconds into the period.Looking to avoid a repeat of the game at South Bend, when Burkalter missed much of the second half with foul trouble, Naselle head coach Brian Macy elected to keep his leading scorer and rebounder on the bench the entire second quarter. Naselle was able to weather the storm, playing South Bend evenly after a 13-2 quarter-opening run got the Indians back in the game.The Indians had their own issues with foul trouble in a tightly-called contest, as their dynamic backcourt duo of Brian Yi and Randy Eang battled second half foul trouble, both eventually disqualified. Eang, a 15-point-per game scorer who scored a season-high 27 in the first meeting of the two teams, was held to just six points."In all fairness to Randy, he rolled his ankle two or three games back," said Macy. "He just didn't look full speed to me."Meanwhile, Burkhalter, now averaging 20 points per game and well over 10 rebounds, opened the second half much the same way he began the game, giving the Comets five points in their first three possessions and a 32-27 lead.Naselle would never trail again, although with strong work on the offensive glass, the Indians kept it tight to the final two minutes, when Burkhalter hit 5-of-6 at the line and scored on a breakaway layup to close out another outstanding performance."He's a tough person to guard for any team we play," said Macy. "Maybe except for Astoria with their quickness. If you put a big guy on him he'll go by. He's got a knack for picking up fouls."Naselle plays its final two regular season games on the road: at Tacoma Bapist tomorrow and at Northwest Christian next Thursday night. The Comets beat both teams at home and if they can pull off road wins Naselle has an outside chance to move into fourth place heading into the district playoffs, which begin on Valentine's Day."We should be able to go to Northwest Christian and get a win if we play well," said Macy. "I have a feeling that's going to be a battle. That'll be just like a district tournament game for us."

SOUTH BEND 6 21 9 17 -- 53
Yi 10, Eang 6, Rose 16, Dokter 2, Lazelle, Howard, Wetterauer, Huber 2, Michell 17.

NASELLE 14 13 14 20 -- 61Sultemeier 8, Griss 7, K. Burkhalter 25, A. Burkhlater 5, Smith 11, Heagy 5, Ray, Hines, See, Erickson.

Comets trounced by Vikings

Courtesy of The Chinook Observer
MENLO - The Naselle Comets will miss it like an unwelcome distant relative when they next meet the Willapa Valley Vikings in a Vikings home basketball game. The "it" being the 70-year-old Vikings under-sized home court, the Ed "Bull" Tenoski Gym, where the Comets suffered one of their worst losses of the year in a 78-45 loss to the Vikings Friday, Jan. 26. The Comets loss dropped their Pacific League record to 4-7 and 6-11 overall. The league leading Vikings improved to 9-1 in league and 9-7 overall.The Tenoski gym is scheduled to be torn down shortly after this season is over and replaced with a brand-new full-size gym as part of a new school replacement project. The Vikings will be "gym-less" next season, practicing in the old Lebam High School/Grade School cracker-box gym and playing some of their "home" games on the courts of neighboring schools like Raymond and South Bend. The new Willapa Valley gym and school will open for the 2008-09 school year with a normal sized court that will seat about 900 spectators.The Comets won't miss it, as over the 70-year history of the "Bull-Pen," the Comets have suffered at the hands of the home court Vikings more times than they have prospered, especially in recent years. This year was no exception as the Brady Langer-led Vikings nearly doubled the score on the Comets. Langer went off for 32 points and 13 rebounds and he was joined by three other Vikings in double figure scoring and a doubling of the rebound advantage over the Comets at 49-24 boards.Naselle was only able to respond with one player in double figures as Kyle Burkhalter had a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. While seven more Comets scored, none of them were near double figures. The Comets only shot 29 percent from the floor and experienced their third lowest scoring output of the season.The results were predictable as Valley raced out to a 29-10 first quarter lead, 50-23 at the half. The Vikings then coasted home with a 19-22 second half for their big win.The Naselle Comets and their fans could only think, "Thank you, Bull Pen, for all of the memories but it will be nice seeing you in the rearview mirror."The Comets boys' last regularly scheduled home game will be against South Bend Thursday, Feb. 1 in Lyle Patterson Gym. It should be a dandy!The Comets remaining two league games are at Tacoma Baptist on Feb. 3 and at Northwest Christian in Lacey on Feb. 8. The Comets boys have not yet wrapped up an appearance in the district tournament, but if they do qualify, their first game will be Wednesday, Feb. 14, at a site yet to be determined.

NASELLE (45) - Kyle Burkhalter 19, A. Burkhalter 6, Heagy 5, Smith 4, See 4, Sultemeier 3, Griss 2, Martin 2, Ray, Hines, Erickson;
FG - 16-55 for 29 percent.
FT - 11-18 for 61 percent;
Rebounds (24): K. Burkhalter 11

WILLAPA VALLEY (78) - Brady Langer 32, Mike Anderson 13, Rick Bannish 10, Josh Mayfield 10, Colburn 8, Barrett 2, Johnson 2, La Claire 1;
FG - 35-60 for 58 percent .
FT - 7-12 for 58 percent;
Rebounds (49): Anderson 17, Langer 13;
Assists: Langer 5;
Steals: Langer 3

Comets hard times continue, lose two more

Courtesy of The Chinook Observer
By PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondent
NASELLE - They needed this one - badly. But you can't make more turnovers than a Danish bakery and expect to win. In the end, 26 turnovers and fouls were too much to overcome and the Naselle Comets lost a Pacific League game to the Ocosta Wildcats 59-57 in Naselle's Lyle Patterson Gym Monday, Jan. 22.This loss may come back to haunt the Comets, who are locked in a battle for one of the last three league berths in the district tournament and Ocosta now has the inside track for fourth place, if not higher. Ocosta has defeated the Comets in both of their head-to-head meetings. South Bend is one of the other teams that has a head-to-head advantage over the Comets, making their return game this Thursday, Feb 1 of extreme importance. If the Comets should lose their next two games, either Tacoma Baptist, which will entertain Naselle on Feb. 3, or Raymond could move past the Comets for the final district slot.The Ocosta game was a battle between a team with two high scorers, Naselle, and a team with five scorers, Ocosta. The Burkhalter brothers, Austin with 23 points and Kyle with 21, scored 77 percent of the Comets points in leading all scorers. But the Wildcats had three players in double figures.The Comets opened the game with a 15-12 first quarter but then fell behind with a 11-4 second period to trail 19-23 at the break. The Wildcats maintained the pressure on the Comets with a 16-15 third quarter advantage and entered the final eight minutes leading 39-34. With the Comets losing Kyle to fouls in the closing minutes of the game, and turnovers continuing to bother them plus Ocosta cashing in at the foul line, the home team couldn't quite make up the difference. Naselle's 23-20 fourth quarter brought them close, but the Wildcats still went home with their two-point win.Three Wildcats players scored in double figures as they withstood a spectacular long-range shooting exhibition by Austin. He hit four three-point shots in the second half - three in the fourth quarter - to rally the Comets. But the Wildcats, who led by between five and eight points for much of the second half, hit 14 of 21 foul shots in the final period to maintain the edge. Kevin Spivey's free throw with 11 seconds left gave the Wildcats an insurmountable four-point lead.

OCOSTA (59) - Jack Stein 18, Kevin Spivey 14, Colby Rasselson 12, Quinby 9, Forbis 6, Colburn, Barnes; 2.
FG - 21-51 (.412),
FT - 16-28; Rebounds: Stein 12;
Assists: Colburn 7

NASELLE (57) - Austin Burkhalter 23, Kyle Burkhalter 21, Smith 6, Heagy 5, Griss 2, Sultemeier, See, Hines;
FG - 21-54 (.388),
FT - 8-9; Rebounds: K. Burkhalter 8, A. Burkhalter 6;
Turnovers (26)

Comets girls lose to Vikings

Courtesy of The Chinook Observer
NASELLE - The Naselle Comets girls could not duplicate their earlier win over the Willapa Valley Vikings, eared in the Ed "Bull" Tenoski Gym three weeks ago. This time, the Vikings returned the favor with a 56-42 win over the Comets in a Pacific League game played Saturday, Jan. 27, in Naselle's Lyle Patterson Gym. The loss dropped the Comets' league record to 6-4 and 9-7 overall. The Vikings league record improved to 7-4 and 10-7 overall. The Comets are now either in fifth or sixth place in the league, depending upon the results of some of the other teams' games.The middle two quarters of this game spelled doom for the Comets. Naselle started out well with an 18-15 first quarter and finished well with a 14-9 fourth period. However, the second quarter was especially tough on the Comets as they were outscored 15-3 in the period to go in at the half trailing 30-21. Things didn't improve much in the third quarter as a 17-7 period forced them into a 47-28 deficit entering the final eight minutes.Naselle was led by Ashley Ahlstrom with an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double. Cheryl Steppe was close to a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds. Erin Saari had a good all around game with seven points, seven rebounds and four assists while Kellyn Pakenen added nine rebounds.The Vikings were led by three players in double figures, but Chelsi Friese, who scored 42 points in the Vikings last game against Northwest Christian, was held to 15 points. However, Larissa Rohr with 21 points and Teylor Dickey with 12, provide much of the Valley firepower, along with Friese.The Comets finish their home league season this Friday, Feb. 2, against Tacoma Baptist. They then are on the road for their final two league games, at Northwest Christian on Feb. 6, and for a return game at Tacoma Baptist on Feb. 9. The Comets appear to have secured a spot in the district tournament, with their first district game on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at a site yet to be determined.

WILLAPA VALLEY (56) - Larissa Rohr 21, Chelsi Friese 15, Teylor Dickey 12, Eastham 3, Mullican 3, Crose 1, Stamper 1.

NASELLE (42) - Ashley Ahlstrom 11. Cheryl Steppe 10, Saari 7, Keightley 6, Pakenen 4, Green 4:
Rebounds: Ahlstrom 10, Pakenen 9, Steppe 8, Saari 7;
Assists: Saari 4

Willapa Valley 15 15 17 9 - 56
Naselle 18 3 7 14 - 42

Comets repeat win over Ocosta

Courtesy of The Chinook Observer
WESTPORT - It was almost an exact duplicate of their previous win over the Ocosta Wildcats. Three days ago, the Naselle Comets girls beat Ocosta by 29 points. In this game, three days later, the Comets beat the Wildcats by 29 points again, this time by a 51-22 margin. The Pacific League game, played in the Wildcats home gym Thursday, Jan. 25, saw the Comets improve their league record to 6-3 and 9-6 overall. The Wildcats, who have yet to win a game, dropped to 0-10 and 0-16.Naselle romped to an early lead and held the Wildcats to single digit scoring in all four quarters. The Comets led 16-5 after one, 26-10 at the half and 39-18 after three quarters. Brandi Keightley led the balanced Naselle scoring with 10 points as nine Comets scored.The Comets 6-3 league record currently has them in fourth place in the Pacific League, one game ahead of fifth place Willapa Valley, who is coming to town for Naselle's next game.

Naselle (51) - Brandi Keightley 10, Ahlstrom 8, Saari 8, Beaulaurier 6, Landis 6, Pakenen 4, Fletcher 3, Rodriguez 4, Steppe 2, Klinger;
FG - 20-54 (.371).
FT - 10-18.

Ocosta (22) - Marci Connally 8, Seagra Carkonen 6, Roiko 4, Hines 2, Brunow 2, Dueber, Sechler;
FG - 7-43 (.162).
FT - 7-19.

Naselle 16 10 13 12 - 51
Ocosta 5 5 6 6 - 22

JV - Ocosta 33, Naselle 30, OT.

Comets beat Cats back-to-back

Courtesy of The Chinook Observer
By PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondent
NASELLE - The Naselle Comets girls took another step toward finishing the Pacific League season with a berth in the district tournament with a convincing 53-24 league win over the Ocosta Wildcats Monday, Jan 22, in Naselle's Lyle Patterson Gym. The Comets' league record climbed to 5-3 and 8-6 overall. Ocosta has yet to win a league game.The Comets only have two of their remaining six games at home and they play games against teams that are well above them in the league standings in three of their remaining games. Therefore, their last home game against second place Tacoma Baptist on Feb. 2, and two away games at Northwest Christian on Feb. 6 and at Tacoma Baptist on Feb. 9 should go a long way in determining the Comets' post season plans.In this game against the out-manned Wildcats, the Comets took control early and rolled to an easy win. Erin Saari led the Comets with 14 points and Ashley Ahlstrom added 10 points and six rebounds. Haley Landis was just out of a double-double with eight points and she led the Comets with 10 rebounds.The Comets roared to a 22-3 first quarter lead and added a 14-5 second period for a 36-8 halftime lead. With nine of the Comets scoring in the game, the Comets coasted home with a 17-16 second half for their big win.If the Comets can win half of their remaining games, they would finish the league season with a winning percentage and could finish as high as fourth place in the Pacific League. If the Comets should finish as the league's fourth place team, they will earn the right to play their first tournament game at home. Their final regular home game of the season will be this Friday, Feb. 2, against Tacoma Baptist in Lyle Patterson Gym.

OCOSTA (24) - Seagra Carkonen 16, Connally 6, Roiko 2, Hines, Brunow, Sechler, Dueber;
FG - 8-46 (.174).
FT - 8-15l
Rebounds: Carkonen 7;
Steals: Carkonen 3

NASELLE (53) - Erin Saari 14, Ashley Ahlstrom 10, Landis 8, Steppe 6, Beaulaurier 6, Keightley 4, Klinger 3, Pakenen 2, Rodriguez 2, Fletcher;
FG - n/a.
FT - 2-8;
Rebounds: Landis 10, Ahlstrom 6;
Steals: Saari 3

Ocosta 3 5 6 10 - 24
Naselle 22 14 9 8 - 53

Comets fall to the Vikings

Courtesy of The Daily News
MENLO ---- Naselle trailed by 19 points after one quarter and things got even tougher as the Comets were unable to contain Brady Langer, who scored a game-high 32 points in leading Willapa Valley to a 78-45 Pacific 2B League boys basketball victory on Friday.The Vikings led 50-23 at halftime and outscored the Comets (6-11, 4-7 league) in every quarter. Willapa Valley also doubled-up Naselle 49-24 in rebounding.Kyle Burkhalter led the Comets with a 19-point, 11-rebound effort.

NASELLE (45) -- Nathan Sultemeier 3, Spencer Griss 2, Kyle Burkhalter 19, Austin Burkhalter 6, Conor Smith 4, Casey Heagy 5, Jeremy Ray 0, Nick Hines 0, Gabe See 4, Josh Martin 2, Allen Erickson 0.
WILLAPA VALLEY (78) -- Brady Langer 32, Mayfield 10, Barrett 2, Bannish 10, La Claire 1, Johnson 2, Anderson 13, Colburn 8.

Naselle 10 13 12 10 -- 45
Willapa Valley 29 21 13 16 -- 78

Comets stymie S. Bend

Courtesy of The Daily News
SOUTH BEND ---- Naselle's triple threat of Ashley Ahlstrom, Sheryl Stepp and Erin Saari helped the Comets earn a 38-31 win over South Bend here Tuesday in a Pacific 2B League girls basketball game.Ahlstrom, Stepp and Saari each scored 10 points for the Comets (11-6).

NASELLE (38) -- Ashley Ahlstrom 10, Sheryl Stepp 10, Erin Saari 10, Brandi Keightly 8.
SOUTH BEND (31) -- Anderson 10, Heffernan 9, Smith 7, Nisbet 2, Coma 2, Nhotsoubanh 1.

Naselle 10 10 9 9 -- 38
S. Bend 7 8 11 5 -- 31

Vikings drop Comets

NASELLE ---- Ashley Ahlstrom had an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double for Naselle, but the Comets fell to Pacific 2B League foe Willapa Valley 56-42 here Saturday.Other standouts for Naselle were Cheryl Steppe (10 points and eight rebounds), Erin Saari (seven points, seven rebounds and four assists) and Kellyn Pakenen (nine rebounds).

WILLAPA VALLEY (56) -- Rohr 21, Friese 15, Mullican 3, Crose 1, Dickey 12, Eastham 3, Stamper 1.NASELLE (42) -- Kellyn Pakenen 4, Erin Saari 7, Brandi Keightley 6, Emily Green 4, Cheryl Steppe 10, Ashley Ahlstrom 11.

Willapa Valley 15 15 17 9 -- 56
Naselle 18 3 7 14 -- 42