Nine-in-a-rowComets easily cruise past Ocosta, Valley

By PHIL RAISTAKKA

Observer corespondent

Photos by DAMIAN MULINIX/Chinook Observer

Kyle Burkhalter easily found spots around the court to get open looks Friday, despite at times being tripleteamed
by Valley defenders. Burkhalter had 15 points in the game.

Naselle’s Austin Burkhalter swoops to the basket for a break-away hoop in the first half of Friday’s 70-39 win over Valley. Burkhalter led the team in scoring with 17 points.

Willapa Valley’s Andrew Johnson leaps to try and block a pass by Naselle’s John Hines in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game. It seemed that no amount of defense by the Vikings could stop the Comets attack in the game.

Nine-in-a-rowComets easily cruise past Ocosta, Valley to extend streak, move into first place tie

NASELLE - The winning streak continues! Nine wins in succession and 10 wins in their last 11 games is the record the Naselle Comets boys will take into the next to last week of the regular basketball season. The Comets continued their mid-season winning streak by running over the Willapa Valley Vikings in a Pacific League game Friday night, in Naselle's Lyle Patterson Gym, 70-39.The direction of this game was established early when Naselle opened with a 17-0 run in the first six and a half minutes. Austin Burkhalter drained a 3-ball from the corner only a few seconds into the game and the pattern was set. Alan Erickson was inadvertently poked in the face a few seconds later and Gabe See was inserted as his replacement - Erickson was able to return later. See promptly dropped in his first shot off Nick Hines' second assist in the young game to give the Comets a 5-0 start.Kyle Burkhalter and Conor Smith each added five points, in addition to two free throws by See, and the Comets had 17 points before their defense had given the Vikings many good looks at the hoop. The Comets "D" was to be instrumental in holding the Vikings to only 35 percent shooting for the game. Valley's Andrew Johnson finally broke the Vikings dry spell with a bucket with 1:20 left in the period.The Comets cranked up the intensity another notch as the second period got underway. Their full-court pressure defense and impressive backboard work, especially by Smith, did not allow the Vikings many chances at the hoop while the Comets hot-shooting offense (51 percent for the game) continued where it had left off in the first quarter. The result was an 18-2 second period where the Vikings scored their only points of the quarter at the 2:30 mark. The Burkhalter brothers led the Naselle second period scoring with 13 combined points and the Comets went in at the half with a commanding 35-8 lead.Naselle had been subbing seven players in and out of the game through the early going then pulled back the full court pressure defense early in the third period. The result was that the Vikings were able to get drives to the hoop a little more easily than they had been able to against the press, and the Valley guards benefited. Freshman Matt Friese scored seven points in the third period and Johnson put in five points as the Vikings won the third quarter battle 15-12. Leading 47-23 going into the final eight minutes, the Naselle bench was able to expand on that lead. Eight different Comets scored in the quarter as nine of the 10 Comets scored in the game. Nick Hines, the only Comet who did not score, was among the Comets leaders in assists. With that balance, Naselle finished with a 23-16 fourth period for their 31 point win.Naselle's nine scorers were led by three double digit shooters, Austin Burkhalter with 17 (including two 3-balls), Kyle Burkhalter with 15 and Conor Smith with 14 points and also a monstrous 15 rebounds for a double-double. The three Comets reached that point plateau after playing in only about three-fourths of the game. Leonel Mendoza and Drew Macy also each connected on late game three point shots. Smith and John Hines each had an old-fashioned three point play on a basket plus a free throw.Naselle coach Brian Macy said, "It was a solid team effort all the way around. Defensively we played very well in the first half and offensively we got good looks at the hoop and knocked them down. This is an effort we can continue to build on."The win assured the Comets of a tie for the Pacific League title until, at least, this week's games. The Comets came out of the Valley game tied with Tacoma Baptist for the league lead and the Comets hope to build on that lead with two crucial league games this week, against South Bend at home this Thursday and at Tacoma Baptist on Saturday. Naselle is now 9-2 in league, and 11-5 overall. Valley dropped to 0-10 in league games. Tacoma Baptist is also at 9-2 in league, but owns the tie-breaker over the Comets. Thus, this Saturday's game in Tacoma could take on even more significance.In addition to trying to win the league title, finishing high in the league standings has the attention of the Comets. The top two teams in the league get a first round bye in the district tournament. The next two league places, 3rd and 4th, have their first round tournament game at home, in a loser out format. The fifth and sixth place teams in the league have to travel to the opposing league's third and fourth place teams for a single elimination game.

Willapa Valley 6 2 15 16 - 39

Naselle 17 18 12 23 - 70

Willapa Valley (39) - Andrew Johnson 11, M. Friese 7, Freeman 6, Nissell 5, Bolden 5, Lundy 3, Colburn 2, Mayfield;

FG - 16-46 (35%),

FT - 5-10 (50%);

Rebounds: Freeman 9

Naselle (70) - Austin Burkhalter 17, Kyle Burkhalter 15, Conor Smith 14, See 6, Erickson 4, Sultemeier 4, Macy 4, J. Hines 3, Mendoza 3, N. Hines;

FG - 27-53 (51%).

FT -12-18 (67%);

Rebounds (27): Smith 15;

Assists: K. Burkhalter 4, N. Hines 3, Sultemeier 3;

Steals: A. Burkhalter 3;

Turnovers: (12)

JV: Naselle 76 Willapa Valley 55

Comet boys continue win streak with win over Ocosta

By PHIL RAISTAKKA
Observer corespondent

WESTPORT - Eight wins in a row was the record that the Naselle Comets boys were working on after beating the Ocosta Wildcats Tuesday, Jan 22, in the Wildcats gym, 60-42.In contrast to their first game with Ocosta two weeks ago, when the Comets won by 54 points, this win didn't come quite as easily. Naselle ran off to a 21-6 first quarter led, only to see some of that fast start disappear over the next two-plus quarters.The Comets were outscored by the Cats 14-10 in the second period, cutting the Naselle lead to 31-20 at the half. The Comets added to their lead with an 18-13 third quarter for a 13 point lead going into the final stanza. But just like the proverbial bad penny, the Cats clawed back within eight points, at 49-41 with over two minutes left, before the Comets were able to put it away with 11 quick points in a 13-8 fourth period. Naselle coach Brian Macy said, "It wasn't our best effort and we had to go on a little run to open it up. You are always happy with a win, but this one was ugly for us, we weren't sharp at all."Nathan (Sultemeier) was 5 for 9 from the 3-point line. They (Ocosta) sat in a 3-2 zone and were focusing on getting out on Austin (Burkhalter), and Nathan capitalized on that. It was a big boost in the arm offensively as we were struggling."With about 3 minutes to go we were ahead 49-41, and we went to a half court trap that caught them off guard. After a few quick buckets the game was over."Sultemeier had his best scoring game of the year with 16 points, a total which was matched by Austin Burkhalter, also with 16 points. Kyle Burkhalter dropped in 12 points to give Naselle three double digit scorers, and Conor Smith was only one hoop out of doubles with eight points. The Comets usual big three rebounders, Kyle and Conor with eight apiece, and Austin, with seven, led the Naselle board patrol.One of the reasons for the Cats better game this time around, was the return from injury of Kevin Spivey. who led all scorers with 20 points. Kaylan Forbis, whose 24 points had led the Cats in the first Ocosta game, with Spivey being absent, had nine points in this game.

Naselle 21 10 18 13 - 60
Ocosta 6 14 13 8 - 42

Naselle (60) - Nathan Sultemeier 16, Austin Burkhalter 16, Kyle Burkhalter 12, Smith 8, See 4, Erickson 3, N. Hines 1, J. Hines, Macy, Mendoza;

FG - 24-43 (56%).
FT - 6-10 (60%);
Rebounds: K. Burkhalter 8, Smith 8, A. Burkhalter 7;
Assists: K. Burkhalter 3

Ocosta (42) - Kevin Spivey 20, Kaylan Forbis 9, Deuber 6, Quinby 4, Mitchell 2, Kuni 1, Ogelsby;

FG - 15-46 (33%).
FT - 8-12 (67%);
Rebounds: Deuber 14

Game of the Season

SEASIDE 72, NASELLE 67 (OT)
Matt Richert Reporting (KAST 1370)

Chris Senick knocked in a jumper from the top of the key with two seconds remaining in regulation and Ed Kauffunger scored four of his 16 points in overtime as the Seaside Seagulls knocked off Naselle 72-67 at Lyle Patterson Gymnasium Monday night.The Comets saw their nine game winning streak come to and end, but not without a fight as they came back from an 18-point second half deficit and were in a position to win the game in regulation.Held to just four points in the first half, Naselle senior leader Kyle Burkhalter did what a senior leader does--put the team on his occasionally balky shoulders. Burkhalter tallied 17 of his game-high 21 points after halftime, but it was sophomore younger brother Austin's driving layup with 13 seconds left that put the Comets up 65-63. Fouled on the play, Burkhalter came out of the huddle with a chance to ensure overtime."We called time out and had a play called for whether he made it or missed it," said Seaside head coach Bill Westerholm. "He missed and we pushed the ball and ran the play for Senick to come off the double pick. They covered the three and he hit a 2-pointer just inside the top of the circle with about two seconds left."Senick, who was shut out on 0-for-4 shooting in a 49-38 loss at Astoria Thursday, finished with 15 points in the contest."[Astoria] did do a good job defending him," said Westerholm, "but we didn’t do anything to get him open either. This game we felt was a chance to get back on track and get some confidence."Missing starting junior post Justin Laird, who is still bothered by a sore back, the Seagulls posts Ed Kauffunger and Austin Schneider rarely left the floor. Kauffunger had a big night with team highs of 16 points and 21 rebounds, believed to be a single-game high during the Westerholm era."He’s been really consistent for us," said Westerholm of the 6-5 lefty Kauffunger, like Burkhalter a 4th-year varsity senior. "All year he’s been scoring over 15 points per game."The slim rotation took it's toll when Damian Olivar fouled out early in the fourth quarter. Naselle, keyed by the all-around play of the Burkhalters and the pestering perimeter defense of Nick Hines, went on a run in the final period to take the lead in the final seconds before Senick's heroics."They ran some 1-2-2 trapping in the full court," Westerholm said. "We finally figured that out, then they went to man and Hines gave [Seagulls point guard] Dom [Walker] a little bit of trouble. We didn’t get into our offenses and had some silly turnovers. They capitalized and hit some shots. "We really didn’t have an answer to stop Kyle Burkhalter. He really took the team on his shoulders when they were down 18."Seaside sealed the game with 3-for-4 shooting at the foul line in the final minute of OT, holding Naselle to a single field goal in the extra session.After being held under 40 points at Astoria, the Gulls were able to light up the scoreboard and shoot over 50% against another formidable man-to-man defensive team"Our game plan going in was to push the basketball and get back on track," said Westerholm, whose Gulls begin the second half of Cowapa League play at Tillamook a week from Wednesday with a 9-8 overall record. "We felt like against Astoria we laid back and didn’t play our game. It was nice to see how Chris Senick got off."Senick finished 8-for-13 from the field and Kauffunger converted 7-of-14 field goal attempts. Nathan Farmer (2-for-4 on 3-pointers) and Jeremy Carow each added eight points off the bench. Naselle (11-6 overall), still tied with Tacoma Baptist atop the Pacific 2B League standings at 9-2, hosts South Bend on Thursday before closing the regular season with a pair of huge games at Tacoma Baptist and home against Northwest Christian on back-to-back Saturdays.

SEASIDE 17-19-17-12 7—72
Carow 8, Senick 15, Walker 7, Olivar 6, Kauffunger 16, Schneider 6, Farmer 8, Cooper.
FG: 29-56-
3-pt: 3-8
FT: 11-19-
Reb: 43
TO: 15

NASELLE 9-19-13-24 2—67
Sultemeier 8, N. Hines 8, See 2, K. Burkhalter 21, A. Burkhalter 14, Erickson 5, Smith 9.

team stats not reported

Naselle teams continue winning ways

1/23/2008
By PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondent
LACEY - The Naselle Comets boys continued their winning ways with a hard-earned 68-65 overtime win over the Northwest Christian Navigators in a Pacific League basketball game played in Lacey on Saturday, Jan. 19. For the moment at least, the Comets broke the four-team first place log-jam at the top of the league. Naselle won its seventh game in succession, its eighth win out of the last nine games, to give them a league record of 7-2 and 9-5 overall. Northwest Christian fell to 6-3 in the Pacific League, 9-4 overall.The Comets are currently tied for first with the North Beach Hyaks, and are even in games played against each other. Northwest Christian and Tacoma Baptist each dropped to one-half game off the pace for first place.The fact that this win didn't come easily is attested to by the need for overtime. But the win was even harder than that as the Comets had to come from behind after trailing through the middle two quarters and well into the fourth period. The teams battled to a 13-13 tie after one period as the battle lines were drawn with the Burkhalter brothers, Austin with 28 game points and Kyle with 21, leading the Comets while the Navigators rallied behind the scoring of their ace Ryan Fox with 23 game points, and support from Daniel Mailhot (18 points) and Robbie Groeschell (10). The Comets got solid scoring support from Conor Smith and Nathan Sultemeier, each with seven points and Smith also pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.NWC took control with a 16-8 second period and the Comets went in at the half trailing 29-21. The situation improved in the third stanza as the Comets cut into the Nav's lead with a 15-10 third period to only trail by three points going into the fourth quarter. Naselle was able to outscore the Navs 18-15 in the fourth quarter as the teams deadlocked at 54 to force a Comets game into overtime for the first time this season. After trailing by as much as nine points in the fourth period, the Comets got a driving basket from Kyle with six seconds left in regulation. That tied the score, and when NWC missed a potential winning shot at the buzzer, the game went into OT.The overtime turned into a scoring battle with the Comets Burkhalter boys playing major scoring roles. Austin hit several free throws and Kyle converted on a put-back to put the Comets up by three points with 40 seconds left. Kyle scored seven of his 21 points in the OT. Naselle converted 21 of 31 free throws in the game with Austin making 11 of his 13 tries while the Navs were 15 of 23 on their freebies. Those overtime points enabled the Comets to out-last NWC with a 14-11 overtime advantage for their three point win.Prior to the game,the Navigators were one of the teams listed among the "others receiving votes" in the Washington AP Basketball Poll for 2B teams. And that was prior to NWC beating the Tacoma Baptist team which was eighth place in that same newspaper poll. The Comets also got a mention as a team of "others receiving votes" in that poll.The Comets continue their quest for the league title with two league games and a make-up non-league game against a much larger school this week. The Comets were scheduled to play Ocosta at Westport Jan. 22 and they entertain Willapa Valley this Friday and Seaside, Ore., Monday, Jan 28, in the non-league encounter.

Naselle (68) - Austin Burkhalter 28, Kyle Burkhalter 21, Smith 7, Sultemeier 7, See 3, N. Hines 2, Erickson; Rebounds: Smith 10;
Steals: Smith 2

NWC (65) - Ryan Fox 23, Daniel Mailhot 18, Robbie Groeschell 10, Dunn 6, Armstrong 3, Owens 2, Morgan 2, Cook 1, Sowers, Hamilton

Comets clip Seagulls for sixth straight win

RAYMOND - Red hot describes the Naselle Comets boys basketball team as the Comets raced to their sixth successive win with a 65-47 Pacific League win over the Raymond Seagulls Thursday, Jan. 17, in the Raymond gym. The win gave the Comets an 8-5 season record, 6-2 in league. The win moved the Comets into a first-place tie with Tacoma Baptist, North Beach and Northwest Christian in the boys Pacific League.The Comets had three double digit scorers and a fourth just out of doubles, led by sophomore Austin Burkhalter who has been on a scoring tear in the last four games. Austin scored 20 points in this game, following his high-scoring games of 17 against North Beach, 17 against Ocosta and 33 against South Bend.Austin wasn't alone in his scoring efforts as Conor Smith had a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, Kyle Burkhalter chipped in with 11 points, 4 assists, and 4 steals, and Nick Hines was one point out of double digits with 9 points. The Comets got excellent floor support from Nathan Sultemeier who dished out seven assists and from Alan Erickson with seven rebounds.The Comets took control of this game early-on, leading 17-10 after one period, 39-17 at the half as they poured it on with a 22-7 second period run. Naselle then finished out the game with a 14-11 third period and they were out-scored 19-12 in the final stanza for their 18-point win.Coach Brian Macy complimented his team, especially for their defensive efforts, by saying, "We've been playing well, especially defensively. I was real proud of the team defense our first crew played."

Naselle (65) - Austin Burkhalter 20, Conor Smith 13, Kyle Burkhalter 11, N. Hines 9, See 6, Mendoza 4, J. Hines 2, Erickson, Sultemeier, Macy; FG - 25-56 (45%),
FT - 12-21(57%);
Rebounds: Smith 12, Erickson 7;
Assists: Sultemeier 7, K. Burkhalter 4;
Steals: K, Burkhalter 4

Raymond (47) - Ethan Gusdal 12, Adam Montgomery 12, Snider 7, El 5, Guthrie 3, Xaysy 2, Topping 2, Newman 2, Lundy 2;
FG - 19-66 (29%).
FT - 8-13 (62%);
Rebounds: Snider 6, El 6;
Assists: Xaysy 5

JV - Naselle 57, Raymond 33.

Naselle boys stay red hot

1/16/2008
Comets win fifth game in a row
By PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondent

OYEHUT - The first time that these two teams met almost a month ago in their opening Pacific League game of the season, the Naselle Comets suffered through a poor third quarter falling to the North Beach Hyaks by 12 points. The Comets were also handicapped by injuries and illness to two key players at that time. Since then, the Comets have regrouped and reeled off five straight wins.The Comets broke open a tight game in the fourth period Friday night with a "shut-the-door" defensive effort in the final eight minutes for a 59-46 win over the Hyaks. With the win, the Comets league record climbed to 5-2 and 7-5 overall.An elated coach Brian Macy said, "We held them (the Hyaks) without a field goal for longer than six minutes in the fourth quarter. (Sam) Johnson hit two three's with under a minute left, and one of their two fourth quarter free throws occurred in that last minute, so they had one point in the fourth until then. "At half we talked about stepping up and playing with confidence. We played real tentative in the first half and didn't look sharp. The boys took the challenge and stepped up. We have been playing good defense lately, but in the fourth quarter we took it to another level. It was a great way to finish the game."In contrast to the two teams first game where the Hyaks had four double digit scorers, including Russell Alfaro with 16 points and 11 rebounds, Alfaro did not score in this game as the Naselle "D" took charge in the late going. The Comets held a slight lead at 12-10 after the first quarter. They lost that lead as the Hyaks won the second period battle 16-13 to go in at the break with a 26-25 lead. The teams then battled through an even 12-12 third quarter to set up the decisive final eight minutes where the Comets ripped off a 22-8 advantage.The Comets now enter a critical portion of their schedule with three successive league games played away from their home court. Those games include a game with one of the current league leaders, Northwest Christian on Saturday, the 19th. The Comets follow that up with four of their last five games to be played at home, including a re-scheduled non-league make-up game with Seaside on Monday, January 28. The Comets final two regular season games are with two of the league's top teams, Tacoma Baptist away and the final regular season game with Northwest Christian at home.

Naselle 12 13 12 22 - 59
N. Beach 10 16 12 8 - 46

Naselle (59) -- Austin Burkhalter 17, Kyle Burkhalter 13, Conor Smith 12, Erickson 6, N. Hines 5, See 2, Sultemeier 2, Mendoza 2, Macy;

FG - 23-57 (40%),
FT - 9-13 (69%);
Rebounds: A. Burkhalter 7, K. Burkhalter 7, Erickson 6;
Assists: Smith 3

North Beach (46) -- Sam Johnson 18, Jordan Fry 11, Jamal Lind 10, Rae 5, Hope 2, Capoeman, Alfaro

Comet boys run over Ocosta

NASELLE - It was no contest from practically the opening tip as the Naselle Comets boys ran over and around the Ocosta Wildcats in a Pacific League basketball game played Tuesday, Jan. 8, in Naselle's Lyle Patterson Gym. The Comets won their fourth successive game, and fifth out of their last six games, in beating the Cats 89-35. Naselle is now 4-2 in league games and 6-5 overall.The Comets scored the highest number of points that they have scored in a game this year, 89, and they probably could have topped the century mark if coach Brian Macy had elected to play his top guns longer than the abbreviated minutes that the main scoring starters did play. As it was, five Comets scored in double figures with a sixth only one shot away from double digits.Two of the Comets top reserves who have not been among the scoring leaders this year, Gabe See with 17 points and Alan Erickson with 10 points (and 13 rebounds), were among the Naselle leaders. Austin Burkhalter with 17 points, Kyle Burkhalter 16, Nathan Sultemeier 14, and Conor Smith 8 also led the balanced Naselle scoring. The Comets were successful on 52 percent of their shots for some of their best shooting of the season.Coach Macy elected to start Erickson at one of the front court positions and the move to the burly sophomore immediately paid dividends as he racked up a double-double and led the Naselle board patrol against the smaller, out-manned Cats who were playing with only seven players. They were without their leading scorer Kevin Spivey, who has averaged 25 points a game, but was injured in a game last week. Erickson pulled down an offensive rebound only a few seconds into the game, one of 13 that he nabbed - especially in the opening period - and he was fouled. His two free throws started the Comets scoring parade.When the first period surge was over, the Comets had earned a 32-5 lead, getting points from five players, led by the brothers Burkhalter, Kyle with 11 and Austin with 10, and Erickson with six points. Nick Hines added three and See two points as the Comets went on an early 17-1 run and then on a 9-0 burst inside the last two minutes of the quarter. While the offensive fireworks were going off, the Naselle defense and rebounding shut the Cats down offensively.Nathan Sultemeier opened the second quarter with a 3-ball, one of two treys that he was to make in the game, and two free throws to extend the Comets scoring streak to 14 straight. Austin Burkhalter, who had canned two treys in the first quarter, added a third triple in the second stanza for his only points of the period in limited playing time. Kyle Burkhalter picked up five points in equally limited playing time in the period and See added a deuce for an 18-9 second period advantage. The Comets went in at the half leading 50-14.The Comets continued right where they left off, starting the third period on an 8-0 run. Conor Smith popped in eight points in the quarter while Austin added four and See five points. The Cats had their best scoring period of the game with Kaylan Forbis leading the way, but Naselle's 17-11 scoring advantage gave the Comets a 67-25 lead going into the final eight minutes.By this juncture, coach Macy had his bench players working full time. Sultemeier responded with seven more points including a 3-ball, See added eight, Erickson four and Drew Macy two. Freshman Leonel Mendoza was the only Comet not to put points on the board and three of has shots just did rim out. The lineup of mainly Naselle reserves kept the pressure on the Cats with a 22-10 final quarter and the Comets had their decisive win. Forbis was the only Wildcat that the Comets defense didn't corral and he led all scorers with 24 points.

Ocosta 5 9 11 10 - 35

Naselle 32 18 17 22 - 89

Ocosta (35) - Kaylan Forbis 24, Joey Mitchell 7, Duber 2, Cooney 2, Quimby, Oglesby

Naselle (89) - Austin Burkhalter 17, Gabe See 17, Kyle Burkhalter 16, Nathan Sultemeier 14, Alan Erickson 10, Smith 8, N. Hines 5, Macy 2, Mendoza;

Rebounds: Erickson 13, A. Burkhalter 7;

Assists: Hines 5

The Comets JVs set the tone for the night's action as they walloped the Ocosta JVs 69-26.

Burkhalter drops 33 points in South Bend road win

1/9/2008 12:01:00 AM

Photos by DAMIAN MULINIX/Chinook ObserverNaselle’s Conor Smith drives to the basket on a breakaway off a steal for two of his team-high 16 points in the Comets’ 55-34 win over Willapa Valley Thursday night at Raymond High.

Austin Burkhalter is triple-teamed by Viking defenders while trying to score in the paint in the second half of Thursday’s game. Burkhalter scored 14 points in the win.

Three's the lucky number for CometsAustin Burkhalter drops 33 points in South Bend road win

By PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondent

SOUTH BEND - Austin Burkhalter dropped in 33 points to lead the Naselle Comets to their third win a row in a Pacific League basketball game played in South Bend Saturday, Jan. 5. The Comets used the two middle quarters to pull away from South Bend for a 67-46 win. The victory raised the Comets' league record to 3-2 and 5-5 overall. South Bend dropped to 3-2 in league, 5-4 overall.Austin came within one rebound of a double-double as he also had nine rebounds. He drained six 3-pointers, including four in the third quarter when the Comets outscored South Bend 20-6, with 16 of the Naselle points coming from Austin's hot hands. South Bend had opened the game with a 12-11 first quarter advantage only to see the Comets gain control with a 19-10 second period. That rally had given Naselle a 30-22 halftime lead."Austin was six for nine from 3-point land - one of those was a 35-footer to end the first half," said coach Brian Macy. "Offensively, I hope this is a sign of things to come. We have been struggling all season with our shooting. Our free throw shooting definitely needs to improve as we are shooting below 50 percent for the season."Kyle Burkhalter gave the Comets two players in double figures with 13 points and he also added seven assists. Six other Comets put points on the scoreboard led by Conor Smith with six and Gabe See with five.Macy summed up the Comets current status in this manner, "Defensively we put together a very good effort. We want to get where we consistently play 32 minutes of high intensity basketball. Since the (Astoria) tournament we seem to be putting things together."The Comets hope to continue with that positive progress when they play North Beach at Oyehut this Friday. In their first game with North Beach about a month ago, the Comets came up on the short end of a 74-62 score.

Naselle (67) - Austin Burkhalter 33, Kyle Burkhalter 13, Smith 6, See 5, Sultemeier 3, J. Hines 3, N. Hines 2, Mendoza 2, Macy, Erickson;

FG - 27-56,

FT - 3-8; Rebounds: A. Burkhalter 9;

Assists: K. Burkhalter 7

South Bend (46) - Randy Eang 11, Chase Michell 11, Lorton 10, Rogers 3, Howard 2, Lazelle 2, Graves 2, Davis 2, Cox 2, Vongmixay 1, Spoor, Huber, Boyes ;

FG - 18-58, FT- 8-13.

Comets boys run over Valley

1/9/2008 12:01:00 AM

RAYMOND - The Naselle Comets boys used balanced scoring, backboard control, good ball handling, and pressure defense to run the Willapa Valley Vikings into the ground in a Pacific League basketball game played in the Raymond High School gym Thursday, Jan. 3. The Comets opened the New Year with a 55-34 win over the Vikings to run their league record to 2-2, 4-5 overall. Valley dropped to 0-4 in league, 1-7 overall.The Comets had three players in double figures and a fourth only one hoop away from double digits. Conor Smith's 16 points and nine rebounds led the Comets and he had lots of help from Austin Burkhalter with 14 points and eight rebounds, Nathan Sultemeier with 12 points, and Kyle Burkhalter with eight points, 10 rebounds and three assists.The Comets came out of the dressing room hitting on all cylinders in both the first and third periods. Naselle led 16-6 after the first quarter, and let up a little in the second stanza as the Vikings tied the Comets point production at 10-all. That sent the Comets into the dressing room with a 26-16 half-time lead. Naselle turned up the defensive pressure when they came out for the third quarter and the pressure paid off with a 16-4 Naselle advantage for a 22 point lead going into the final period. The Comets then coasted home with their 21 point win.Naselle was able to take nearly twice the amount of shots that Valley took, 75 to 42, largely due to their aggressive rebounding on the offensive boards. However, the Comets shooting percentage of only 31 percent did not allow them to take full advantage of their board work."We didn't play our best game, but looked very good in spurts," said Naselle coach Brian Macy. "I thought we lacked the focus we had during the Astoria Tourney. We still are struggling to find our shooting eye, from the field and free throw line."

Naselle (55) - Conor Smith 16, Austin Burkhalter 14, Nathan Sultemeier 12, Kyle Burkhalter 8, N.Hines 2, Gabe See 2, Erickson 1;
FG - 23-75,
FT - 5-11;
Rebounds (47): K. Burkhalter 10, Smith 9, A. Burkhalter 8;
Assists: K. Burkhalter 3;
Team Turnovers (11)

Valley (34) - Blade Bolden 8, Tom Colburn 8, Nissell 6, Friese 4, Mayfield 2, J. Lundy 2, T. Lundy 2, Freeman 2;

FG - 13-42, FT - 8-12 ; Rebounds (30)Team Turnovers (24)

Comets get consolation wins in Astoria holiday tourney

1/3/2008 12:01:00 AM
By PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondent

ASTORIA - The Naselle Comets boys played a good defensive game for the second game in a row, and this time it paid off as the Comets defeated Banks 41-33 in the consolation game of the Vince Dulcich Tournament played in Astoria Saturday afternoon, Dec. 29. In their opening game of the tournament, the Comets had played Astoria in a tight defensive battle only to lose at the final buzzer. This game was different as the Comets took, and held, a small lead and improved their season record to 3-5 in the process.The Comets got double digit scoring from their three front-line players with Conor Smith scoring 14, Kyle Burkhalter 13 and Austin Burkhalter 11 points. Kyle added 13 rebounds for a "lucky-13" double-double. Smith pulled down nine boards to just miss a double-double. Austin contributed three steals to the Naselle defensive effort.Naselle earned an 8-4 first quarter lead and still led by two points at 16-14 at the intermission. The Comets didn't set the court on fire offensively in the second half but they did have their best scoring periods of the game as they worked their way to a 13-11 third quarter advantage to lead by four points going into the final stanza. They then outscored the Braves by four points to earn their eight-point win."That's two good defensive games in a row for us, but we still need to get our offense clicking," Naselle coach Brian Macy said. "But it's nice to know that when our offense is struggling, we're capable of playing good enough defense to keep us in ball games."The Comets now jump into their full schedule of Pacific League games with three league games in the next six days, beginning with a game against Willapa Valley, to be played in the Raymond High School gym, Thursday, Jan. 3.

Naselle (41) - Conor Smith 14, Kyle Burkhalter 13, Austin Burkhalter 11, N. Hines 2, See 1, Sultemeier, Erickson; Rebounds: K. Burkhalter 13, Smith 9; Steals: A. Burkhalter 3

Banks (33) - Rue 13, Bowden 7, Marsh 4, Moore 4, Linehan 4, Criswell 1.

Comets get downed by Astoria in tourney opener

1/3/2008 12:01:00 AM
By PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondent

ASTORIA - The Naselle Comets boys made a strong comeback in the second half, but it was not quite enough as the Comets lost on a buzzer-beater to the Astoria Fishermen in their first game of the Vince Dulcich Tournament played in Astoria. Max Johnson made a running 8-foot shot just before the final buzzer to give Astoria a 37-35 victory over Naselle on Thursday, Dec. 27, in the opening round of the Astoria Tournament. The Comets season record dropped to 2-5.The Comets came back from a 24-17 halftime deficit to earn a 28-28 tie going into the fourth quarter. With neither team able to mount a significant offensive charge in the last eight minutes, the outcome was decided on Johnson's short runner just before the final horn.The Fishermen had taken an early 11 point lead and led 15-9 after one quarter. The Fish maintained that lead through the half and into the third period before the Comets rallied. The Comets went on a 9-0 run that was triggered by Austin Burkhalter's 3-ball and was finished by a three point play by brother Kyle which tied the score at 26 with a little over two minutes left in the third period. However, the Comets could not take the lead.Going into the final eight minutes, the Comets again had to come back from a deficit. Gabe See scored on a lay-in, Kyle Burkhalter scored inside, with half a minute left, to tie the score at 34. The two teams then traded free throws inside the last half minute before Johnson's short shot sealed the deal for the Fishermen.The Comets had the only players in double figures as Kyle Burkhalter scored 13 points and Austin Burkhalter added 10. Conor Smith led the board patrol with eight rebounds and Nick Hines had three steals.The Comets played the loser of the Banks-Knappa game on Saturday afternoon (due to an earlt holiday deadline this game took place after this week's sports section was printed).

Naselle (35) - Kyle Burkhalter 13, Austin Burkhalter 10, See 4, Smith 4, Hines 2, Erickson 2, Macy

Astoria (37) - Chris Meyer 9, H. Lund 8, Poyer 6, Dalton 6, Johnson 5, Conklin 3, Eterno, D. Lund, Graham, Hatcher

Comets top Gulls in league opener

12/27/2007 12:01:00 AM
By PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondent

NASELLE - The Naselle Comets boys basketball team gave their fans a perfect Christmas gift Tuesday, Dec. 18 - a win in a Pacific League basketball game after losing four games in succession, including two league contests. The Comets' 62-45 win was earned in Lyle Patterson Gymnasium at the expense of the Raymond Seagulls. NHS's league record climbed to 1-2 and 2-4 overall. The Gulls dropped to 1-2 in league and 1-3 overall. Kyle Burkhalter led Naselle with 12 points and three steals. Nathan Sultemeier added 11 points, Austin Burkhalter had 10 points, 10 rebounds and three steals, Conor Smith had 10 points and seven rebounds, and Nick Hines scored 10 points. Naselle's defense held Raymond to single-digit scoring in each of the first three quarters as the Comets led 48-24 entering the final period. The results of this contest appeared to be never in doubt as the Comets got balanced scoring with five players in double figures. Conor Smith scored on a lay-up, plus a free throw, off the opening tip and the Comets were off and running against the out-manned Gulls. With Naselle employing a five-man-motion half-court offense and a pressure defense leading to fast break opportunities, the Comets front court players were able to get free for high percentage shots and, what shots they missed their backboard domination of the offensive boards allowed the Comets plenty of scoring opportunities. NHS pulled down 33 rebounds, with 15 of them off the offensive board with Austin Burkhalter yanking down 10 and Smith 7 boards. The Comets' strong board work enabled them to put up 11 more shots (55 to 44) than the Gulls where they made 44 percent of their attemptsThe biggest contributor of NHS's early scoring was Smith who tallied eight points in the first quarter. Nick Hines chipped in with four points as four of the Comets starters shot Naselle out to a 16-8 first quarter lead. Kyle Burkhalter, who was to lead the balanced Naselle scoring with 12 points, didn't take or make a shot until only 1:35 was left in the first period when he put back in a rebound on a fast break. The motion offense was giving all of the Comets good looks at the hoop and Kyle played the early game roll of point guard. On the defensive end, the Comets' half-court pressing defense was not giving the Gulls many open looks at the hoop as Naselle held Raymond to only eight points in each of the first three quarters. Several "games within the game" kept the Gulls on the perimeter for much of the night. NHS opened the second period on an 8-0 run to earn a 24-8 lead only three minutes into the second quarter. Kyle Burkhalter picked up six points in the quarter and four of his teammates chipped in with eight points as the Comets nearly duplicated the first quarter scoring with a 14-8 advantage and a 30-16 lead at the intermission. Most questions about the outcome of this contest were answered early in the third period when NHS opened with a 7-0 run to earn a 21-point lead. Two successive steals by Sultemeier led to five of those points. Sultemeier also added Naselle's only three-point shot of the game as the Comets simply did not take many shots of over 15 feet in length. Sultemeier and Austin Burkhalter each scored six points in the period in the Comets best scoring period of the game. Their 18-8 burst gave the Comets a 48-24 lead entering the final eight minutes. The one negative for the Comets was the number of fouls being called in the second half. The short Comets bench, which only went about two deep beyond the starters, was being tested as the Comets quickly picked up six second half fouls. The Naselle bench, in the persons of Gabe See and Alan Erickson, responded with some excellent relief work in giving the foul- plagued home team some respite. The Gulls were not able to respond to their foul shooting bonus as they were only able to make 6-of-13 free throw tries in the fourth quarter and the Gulls out-scored the Comets 21-14 in the final eight minutes. NHS, with eight different players providing points in the final period, was able to maintain a comfortable lead. The Comets next play on Dec. 27, the first game of the Astoria Christmas Tournament.

Naselle (62) - Kyle Burkhalter 12, Nathan Sultemeier 11, Conor Smith 10, Austin Burkhalter 10, Nick Hines 10, Erickson 4, See 4

Raymond (45) - Ethan Gusdal 12 Danny Xaysy 10, Schneider 6, El 6, Newman 5, Guthrie 4, Montgomery 2