Comets Basketball Schedule

Naselle Boys’ Basketball
December 3 Wahkiakum Away Comets 36 Mules 60
December 6 Ilwaco Away
December 7 Montesano Here
December 10 South Bend L Here
December 16 Northwest Christian L Here
December 17 Ocosta L Away
December 21 Raymond L Away
December 22 Warrenton Here
December 28 Holiday Tournament Ilwaco
December 29 Holiday Tournament Ilwaco
January 4 Valley L Here
January 5 Knappa Here
January 7 North Beach L Away
January 13 Warrenton Away
January 15 South Bend L Away
January 18 Northwest Christian L Away
January 22 Ocosta L Here
January 27 Raymond L Here
January 29 Valley L Away
February 2 North Beach L Here
*JV games 5:45 p.m., varsity 7 p.m.; L = league game


Naselle Boys’Middle School
Basketball
January 12 North Beach Here
January 18 South Bend Here
January 19 Valley Here
January 26 Ocosta Here
January 27 Raymond Away
January 31 North Beach Away
February 2 South Bend Away
February 7 Valley Away
February 8 Raymond Here
February 14 Ocosta Away
Seventh grade begins 5:45 p.m., eighth grade follows


Naselle Girls’Middle School
Basketball
November 9 North Beach Away
November 10 South Bend Away
November 15 Valley Here
November 17 Raymond Away
November 22 Ocosta Here
November 23 North Beach Here
December 2 South Bend Here
December 6 Valley Away
December 8 Raymond Here
December 13 Ocosta Away
Seventh grade begins 5:45 p.m., eighth grade follows

Naselle Girls’ Basketball
December 1 Warrenton Here
December 6 Ilwaco Away
December 9 Wahkiakum Away
December 11 South Bend L Away
December 14 Northwest Christian L Away
December 17 Ocosta L Away
December 20 Raymond L Here
December 21 Montesano Here
December 28 Holiday Tournament Ilwaco
December 29 Holiday Tournament Ilwaco
January 6 Valley L Away
January 8 North Beach L Here
January 13 Warrenton Away
January 14 South Bend L Here
January 18 Northwest Christian L Here
January 22 Ocosta L Here
January 25 Raymond L Away
January 28 Valley L Here
February 3 North Beach L Away
*JV games 5:45 p.m., varsity 7 p.m.; L = league game

Boys Basketball: Mules win KM Mountain Trophy

The Daily News - Friday, December 3, 2010

Three Wahkiakum players scored in double figures as the Mules topped Naselle 60-36 in nonleague boys basketball in Cathlamet on Friday.

The Mules' victory also earned them the KM Mountain Trophy, the rivalry award contested between them and the Comets.

"We have some things we need to work on, but the kids hustled and played good defense," Wahkiakum assistant coach Todd Souvenir said. "We had a rough shooting second quarter but we played well."

Wahkiakum (1-0) doubled-up on the Comets 22-11 in the first quarter, and built a 46-32 lead going into the fourth quarter.

John Chambers led the Mules with 18 points and nine assists. Brett Chaput added 11 points and 14 rebounds, and Lars Blix chipped in 10 points.

Leonel Mendoza paced Naselle with 21 points.

Wahkiakum hosts Warrenton on Saturday night. Naselle entertains Montesano Tuesday.

Mules 60, Comets 36

NASELLE (36) — Ollie Baker 1, Chase Chapman 2, Leonel Mendoza 21, Dustin Eaton 3, Nicholas Strange 2, Nick Zimmerman 3, Trevin Leeland 0, Ryley Queener 0, Jesse Lopez 0, Chandler Chapman 0, Gonzalez 4, R. Baker 0.

WAHKIAKUM (60) — Zach Pierce 3, Brandon Fudge 3, Lars Blix 10, Eli McElroy 1, John Chambers 18, Wyatt Parker 7, Joel Nicolazzi 2, Ryan Helms 5, Brett Chaput 11, Peter Weiler 0, Tyler Russell 0.

Naselle 11 11 10 4 — 36

Wahkiakum 22 10 14 14 — 60

State basketball tourney sees an overdue update

11/23/2010

By KEVIN HEIMBIGNER
Observer staff writer

The Ilwaco Fishermen played in the Sun Dome at last year’s tournament. This year teams will have to make it past the first two rounds to make it to Yakima.

RENTON - The Naselle Comets could be playing in the state 2B basketball tournament in 2011, but not in Spokane in March. Instead should either the boys or girls teams be a second seed out of the District IV tournament they could be playing at state in Mount Vernon in February.

Ilwaco teams could be playing at state in February at Glacier Peak High School. Glacier Peak is a new high school in Snohomish named after the most isolated of five major stratovolcanoes in Washington.

In a move to save money, the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) has created a first round for the six boys and six girls state basketball tournaments and gone away from the 16-team, double-elimination format that was first introduced in 1923. WIAA data showed that in loser-bracket games the average attendance was fewer than 300 fans at the 12 tournaments. Washington was the last state to have the 16-team, double-elimination format for basketball.

Under the new format all district tournaments will be moved up one week. The first round of "state tournaments" will be in a regional format. There will be four such regionals in all six boys and six girls tourneys from class 1B through 4A. The Feb. 25 games will have a pair of two seeds playing in a loser-out contest followed by a pair of one seeds playing with the winner qualifying for the next round. The Feb. 26 games will have the winner of the two-seed game playing the loser of the one-seed game and that winner will also go on to the eight-team, double-elimination state tournament.

The second round of state will be March 3 through 5 with the 1B and 2B teams playing in Spokane, the 1A and 2A teams playing in Yakima, and the 3A and 4A schools playing in Tacoma. Two boys and two girls tournaments will be at those locations and be played simultaneously.

For the first time ever eight teams in the 12 tourneys will play two state games to get to the final round venues and could possibly play five state tournament contests.

In the 2B classification, first round state games will be played at Mount Vernon or Mark Morris in Longview. The 1A first round games will be at Glacier Peak or the girls will play in Centralia and the boys in Chehalis. The WIAA is banking on the fact that more fans will pay to see the first round games Feb. 25 and 26.

With the proliferation of private schools dominating 1B, 2B, and 1A tournaments the crowds at Spokane and Yakima could still be on the slim side since the fan base for the private schools is significantly less than that of public school communities. That lack of fan base from private schools has had a negative impact on state tournament revenue. Rather than considering moving the private schools to separate divisions as some states do, the WIAA has decided to change the tournament format instead.

The eight-team second round will be double-elimination. There will be seven winner's bracket games in each of the 12 tournaments and four loser's bracket contests. Under the 16-team format there were 15 winner's bracket games and 11 loser's bracket contests in each tourney.

All 12 tournaments will be played March 3 through 5 instead of over three weekends. With two classifications of tournaments at each venue, schools with two teams would not have a possible conflict as has been the case in the past because the two classifications will alternate boys and girls games.

The new format may bring in more cash to the WIAA's coffers in Renton. The cost will be that 1,152 boys and girls will be denied the opportunity of the true state experience and to be able to play basketball in Spokane, Yakima or Tacoma in 2011. There will also be 96 cheerleading squads, 96 pep bands, and 96 hometown fan bases that will instead go to a one-and-done play-in game at places like Mount Vernon or Glacier Peak High and then return home.

After last season, Ilwaco basketball senior Justin Short said, "Going to Yakima for state basketball was the highlight of my high school career. Having a Miner's Burger, watching the Chelan-Vashon game, and making my first basket in the Sun Dome were all very special. Spending that time at state with my friends and coaches are things I won't ever forget."

Sadly, that experience is also something the WIAA can no longer afford to provide for half of those teams that qualify.

Comets' season ends

CENTRALIA - Naselle's trapping defense paid dividends until fatigue caught up to the Comets during the fourth quarter of a 65-54 loss to Napavine in a winner-to-state, loser-out game of the Southwest Washington 2B District boys basketball tournament Friday.Naselle led 32-21 after outscoring Napavine by 10 points during a fruitful second quarter."We went to a half-court trap in the second quarter and it worked for quite some time," Naselle coach Brian Macy said. "But I think we ran out of gas, and they started breaking it a little easier and pulled away in the fourth quarter."The Tigers stretched a 44-42 lead entering the final period to end the Comets' season.Naselle's only senior, Kyle Burkhalter, led the team with 15 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals."I'd like to thank him for all his hard work and effort," Macy said of Burkhalter. "He's been a pleasure to coach and has done a lot for our program. We're going to miss him."Also for Naselle, which closed out a 15-8 season, Hunter Smith and Nathan Sultemeier netted 12 points apiece, and Austin Burkhalter added nine.Arturo Ramirez led all scorers with 19 points for the Tigers.

Tigers 65, Comets 54

NASELLE (54) -Nick Hines 4, Nathan Sultemeier 12, Kyle Burkhalter 15, Austin Burkhalter 9, Hunter Smith 12, Gabe See 2, Alan Erickson 0.

NAPAVINE (65) -Keller 1, J. Brown 6, Carnes 12, M. Brown 2, Anthony 14, Arturo Ramirez 19, Bigre 11.Naselle 10 22 10 12-54Napavine 19 12 13 21-65

Naselle boys fade against Navigators

Friday, February 22, 2008
By Ben Zimmerman The Daily News

Naselles Nathan Sultemeier drives on Northwest Christian's Steven Dunn on Thursday.

Bill Wagner / The Daily News

CHEHALIS - Naselle dug itself too big of a hole in a Southwest Washington 2B District semifinal at W.F. West High School on Thursday against Northwest Christian.The Comets were "tighter than a drum," said head coach Brian Macy.They did too much standing and watching, "and not enough playing," he said."We came out like we were deer in headlights," Macy added.

Those headlights belonged to Navigators senior Ryan Fox. They are locomotive headlights, and they've been on high-beam for the whole darn tourney."He has been astonishing," NWC coach Ed McClanahan said of Fox, who scored 29 points to lead the Navigators to a 65-57 victory that clinched the school's first state tournament berth in its 12-year existence. "He really knows how to score."Fox had 31 points in NWC's district opener and 30 in a quarterfinal victory over Adna. He'll lead the Navigators into the district title game against unbeaten Toutle Lake at 8 p.m. here Saturday. The win avenged a pair of regular-season losses to Naselle, which edged NWC on the final day of the regular season to win the Pacific 2B League title."This is incredible," said Fox, a 5-foot-11 point guard whose slight build belies his assassin's skill set. "I've dreamed of going to state all my life. They can have the league title. We'll take the trip to state."The Comets must regroup quickly for a winner-to-state, loser-out game against Napavine at 6:30 p.m. tonight in Centralia. Naselle's biggest priority will be a good start, or at least something better than the 10-0 mine shaft they stepped into against NWC."I'm not sure why we were so tight. A lot of it was about (Fox), but we were also just very tight," Macy said. "It seemed like we could never get over that hump."Nathan Sultemeier scored 18 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter for the Comets, and brothers Kyle and Austin Burkhalter chipped in 13 apiece. Conor Smith also had nine points for Naselle, which made several runs but could never tie or take the lead.The Comets went on a 10-2 run to answer NWC's 10-0 start, but trailed 16-12 after one quarter. A putback by Smith made it 24-22 in the second, one of four times in the game that Naselle would pull within two points.But Robbie Groeschell (13 points) hit a 3-pointer and Fox scored on one of his trademark floaters in the lane as the Navigators re-established a more comfortable lead.The Comets made a big push at the start of the fourth quarter, which they began trailing 48-41. Kyle Burkhalter swished a jump shot, and Austin Burkhalter had a steal and pull-up jumper in transition to make it a three-point game. After NWC split a pair of free throws, Sultemeier made two freebies and it was 49-47 with 6:27 left to play.But after an NWC miss, Naselle struggled through an agonizing possession that epitomized its night. The Comets missed five shots, scrapping for rebounds in between, before the Navigators finally corralled the ball - and set up a Fox jumper."We held him to 10 points the last time we played them," Macy said of Fox. "He just came out with an attitude."A free throw by Smith cut Naselle's deficit to six points with 1:31 remaining, but NWC tidied things up at the charity stripe, where they went 9-of-15 in the quarter."We've just gotta wipe this one away, come out (tonight) and get after it," Macy said.

Navigators 65, Comets 57

NASELLE (57) -Nathan Sultemeier 18, Nick Hines 2, Kyle Burkhalter 13, Austin Burkhalter 13, Conor Smith 9, Alan Erickson 2

NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN (65) -Ryan Fox 29, Cameron Hamilton 7, Dan Mailhot 2, Steven Dunn 8, Robbie Groeschell 13, Owens 2, Sowers 4

Naselle 12 14 15 16-57
NWC 16 13 19 17-65

Comets one win from state

2/20/2008
By PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondent

MONTESANO - A win Thursday puts Naselle boys in championship game on Saturday.
At the end of one quarter of action in Saturday's District IV second round game in Montesano, the score was: Sultemeier 13, Mossyrock 11. Say what? After the first 11 minutes in the game, Naselle's Nathan Sultemeier had scored all of the Comets points, 13 in the first period, helping lead the Naselle boys to a 61-42 victory. The Comets are now one win away from advancing to the District IV 2B championship game and earning a seed to the state tournament.In the early going it was a good thing for the Comets that Sultemeier was hitting his shots because the rest of the team was doing nothing but clanking their tries. Sultemeier scored off the opening tip, added three treys and another deuce on his way to his big first quarter. Part of the problem was due to the Vikings aggressive, slapping, grabbing, pressure defense that collapsed into the middle and wings, tending to leave the top of the key open for Sultemeier's tries.With Naselle's offensive output sputtering, the Vikings tied the score twice in the early going, first at six, and again at 13 early in the second quarter. Sixth man Alan Erickson was the first Comet other than Sultemeier to hit a shot, coming at three minutes into the second quarter. The Comets went on a 6-0 run that finally gave them a little breathing room going into halftime.Sultemeier led the Comets with 20 points. Kyle Burkhalter added a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds and Austin Burkhalter had 15 points. Conor Smith came alive offensively in the fourth period with seven points. The 5-foot-8 Sultemeier added six rebounds to his game while Austin and Smith also each had six boards. The Comets eventually ended the game shooting 37 percent on 19 of 51 field goals, 36 percent on 4 for 11 threes, and 76 percent on 19 of 25 free throws. The Comets were only called for 14 fouls while the Vikings were whistled for 24 infractions.The Vikings' two high scorers for the season, Cyle Coleman with 17 and Jeremy Harper with 13 points, did the bulk of the Mossyrock scoring.The Vikings' defense began to cost them with foul calls and Kyle drilled 2-of-2 free throws with a little over half of the second quarter gone as the Vikings' fouls began to add up. Deuces from Nick Hines and Austin and another 3-ball from Sultemeier completed an 11-7 quarter and the Comets led 24-18 at the break.After giving up an easy hoop on the opening possession of the third quarter, the Comets then went on a 10-2 run as three Vikings found themselves in foul trouble early in the second half. Kyle scored six points in a row and Sultemeier and Austin each added a deuce in the surge. The Comets closed out the period with 4-for-4 free throws with two each by Kyle and Austin and a hoop by Austin. Kyle's third foul allowed the Vikings a three- point play as the quarter ended with the Comets holding an 11 point lead after a 16-11 period.That's when the basketball game ended and the football scrimmage began. The referees' foul calls sent the Comets to the line for 14 free throws while the Vikings were at the line making four of five tries in the last eight minutes. One Viking player was penalized for his fifth foul while Austin spent the last two and a half minutes in the dressing room with a bloody nose.Before he left, Austin put in seven fourth period points, matching Smith's seven for the quarter. Those two Comets led the Naselle fourth quarter scoring as the Comets closed with a 21-13 fourth period for their 19-point win.Naselle coach Brian Macy said, "I thought we played very good team defense, but struggled offensively. Mossyrock's defense had something to do with it, I am sure, but we didn't hit shots we normally knock down. Nathan's offense carried us early until the rest of the crew got involved."We'll have to bring the same defensive effort on Thursday and up the offense a bit. I think not having an entire week off again will help."The Comets' next step on the road to the state tournament in Spokane will come Thursday night, 6:30 p.m., at Chehalis' WF West High School against Pacific League rivals Northwest Christian. The Navigators advanced into the semifinal round with first a 74-45 win over Morton on Thursday and then a 77-62 win over the Central League's second place team, Adna, on Saturday. The Comets have now played NWC twice in the last month, having to come from behind to win both games, once in overtime.The winner of Thursday's game will face the winner of the Toutle Lake-Wahkiakum game in the championship game Saturday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m. at WF West, with both teams advancing to state. The loser drops into a must-win game on Friday, Feb. 22, at 6:30 p.m. in the Centralia High School gym. The winner of that game will play for third and fourth at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23, at W.F. West, with both teams advancing to state.

NASELLE - Nathan Sultemeier 20, Austin Burkhalter 15, Kyle Burkhalter 14, Conor Smith 7, Nick Hines 2, Alan Erickson 2, John Hines 1

MOSSYROCK - Cyle Coleman 17, Jeremy Harper 13, Jacob Bradley 4, Jonah Bradley 4, Scot Wedam 4

Comets are league champs

2/13/2008
By PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondent
NASELLE - In an emotional game Saturday, the Naselle Comets put together a huge fourth quarter to wrap up the outright championship of the Pacific League and the top seed in the District IV boys basketball tournament. The Comets doubled up the Northwest Christian (NWC) Navigators 22-11 in the final frame to record a 60-46 win. The win avoided a three-way tie for the top spot in the league and district.The Comets finished the regular season with a 12-2 league record, 14-6 overall. NWC dropped to third place in league with a 10-4 record. Tacoma Baptist finished in second place with a 11-3 mark. The Comets next action will come in the District IV Tournament at Montesano on Saturday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m., against the survivor of Thursday's South Bend at Mossyrock single elimination game. If the Comets win their first game they will advance to play on Thursday, Feb. 21, at 6:30 p.m., at WF West High School in Chehalis. If the Comets should lose their opener, they would fall into the losers bracket and their second game would be at Montesano on Monday, Feb. 18, at 5:30 p.m.Three weeks ago, the Comets boys had to come from nine points down in the fourth quarter to force a tie and then beat NWC 68-65 in overtime. It didn't come easily for the Comets in the rematch Saturday either. There were 11 ties and five lead changes in the first three quarters of play. In fact, Naselle didn't take the lead for good until Austin Burkhalter drained a 3-ball from the deep corner as the third quarter horn sounded. Up until that point the two scrappy, quick teams took turns knocking each other down. Kyle Burkhalter opened the scoring with an offensive rebound put-back for his only field goal of the game, Nick Hines added a hoop and the Comets had a four-point lead. NWC came back with six straight points, two by Dan Mailhot to forge a tie and then a lead change. By now, it had become evident that defense was going to play a major role in this game as both teams struggled to put points on the board. Conor Smith's six first quarter points had countered the NWC balanced scoring in 12-10 first quarter.The Comets were to finish with four double digit scorers, Austin Burkhalter with 20, Conor Smith and Nathan Sultemeier, both with 11, and Nick Hines with 10. Smith earned a double-double with 10 rebounds, Kyle added nine boards and Austin eight. The Comets shot 39 percent, but they were 4-of-9 from behind the arc. NWC shot just 31 percent. The Comets only made 62 percent of their free throws, on 24-of-39 shooting.The Comets went on a 10-4 run to open the second period. Austin was to nail has first 3-ball and put in seven points in the quarter. However, just as quickly as that lead was opened, the cat-quick Navigators came back with their own 6-0 run for a 12-10 quarter. The teams went in at the break tied at 22.The fast, sometimes frenzied action continued through the third stanza as neither side could gain much of an advantage. After two ties and three lead changes, the Comets suddenly found themselves in a pickle when Kyle was called for his third and fourth fouls in rapid-fire order. Kyle was forced to the bench with 4:04 left in the quarter and the Comets found themselves down by four points. The Comets did not panic, instead whittling away at the lead with a 10-3 run. A hoop by Austin and two freebies by Erickson tied the score yet again and Austin's three pointer put the Comets back in front just before the horn. The Comets 16-13 third period gave them the lead at 38-35 going into the final quarter.The Comets opened the fourth quarter without the services of Kyle, who was still on the bench with his four fouls. However, the remaining nucleus sucked it up and played some of their best ball of the year. Smith opened with a foul line jumper, Austin slammed in another three from the deep corner followed by a free throw and See and Sultemeier each went 2-for-2 from the charity stripe. The result was a 9-3 Naselle run in the first four and a half minutes of the quarter, good enough for a 10-point Comets lead with 5:28 left to play. Sultemeier continued his hot foul shooting with two more in two tries and Austin added another freebie. Kyle reentered the game at mid-quarter to add some assistance to the Comet attack. Two Naselle steals led to two more Sultemeier free throws and Hines was to score seven points in the last three minutes on a drive to the hoop and four more free throws after being fouled on trips to the rim. The Hines-led late scoring surge saw the Comets outscore NWC 9-6 in the final three minutes for their 60-46 win and their long-awaited Pacific League championship.Coach Brian Macy said, "I really don't know the last time Naselle won a league title. At the start of the year I thought we could win it, but we got off to a slow start and we played a tough non-league schedule. But we really picked it up in the second half of the season."Prior to the game, senior night Senior Night festivities honored four-year starter Kyle Burkhalter and cheerleader Whitney Cooper and their parents.

NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN (46) - Cameron Hamilton 12, Ryan Fox 10, Steven Dunn 10, Robbie Groeschell 6, McRae Armstrong 2, Dan Mailhot 2, Peter Morgan 2, David Sowers 2, Cameron Vanlierop 2, Skyler Cook, Airick Owens, Cole Stormans;
FG - 20-65 (31%),
FT - 5-12 (42%)

NASELLE (60) - Austin Burkhalter 20, Conor Smith 11, Nathan Sultemeier 11, Nick Hines 10, Kyle Burkhalter 3, Alan Erickson 2, Gabe See 2, John Hines 1, Drew Macy, Leonel Mendoza;
FG - 16-41(39%),
3's - 4-9 (44%),
FT 24-39 (62%);
Rebounds: Smith 10, K. Burkhalter 9,
A. Burkhalter 8; Assists: K. Burkhalter 2, Sultemeier 2, N, Hines 2, See 2;
Steals: K. Burkhalter 3, Smith 3, A. Burkhalter 3, N. Hines 2

Comets break TBS tie Naselle boys can clinch Pacific League title at home Saturday night

By PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondent

TACOMA - The Tacoma Baptist (TBS) Crusaders boys, the 10th-ranked team in the state class 2B basketball poll, had been practically unbeatable on their home court, going 11-1 this season, prior to Saturday's showdown with the Naselle Comets. The two teams were tied for the Pacific League lead with 10-2 records coming into this game, but TBS had the tie-breaker because of a 59-51 win over the Comets at Naselle in the fifth game of the season on Dec. 15. That loss, incidentally, was the last time that the Comets lost a game to a similarly sized class 2B school.This game, for the outright league lead, saw the Comets run away with the win by a 68-55 margin Saturday, Feb. 2, in the Crusaders gym. The Comets league record climbed to 11-2, 13-6 overall, with one league game left in the regular season. The Crusaders fell to 10-3 in league, 15-4 overall, and also have one game remaining. The win assured the Comets of at least a tie for the league championship as Tacoma Baptist and Northwest Christian each have three losses.Naselle, just as in the first game against the Crusaders and in most of their games since then, had three players score in double digits. Austin Burkhalter led the Naselle scorers with 21 points, Nathan Sultemeier was right on his heels with 20 points and was 9-for-10 on his free throws, and Conor Smith had a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds, and he added 5 assists. The other four members of the Comets seven player rotation, Kyle Burkhalter with 6, Gabe See 5, Alan Erickson 4, Nick Hines 2, all added points to the Naselle total.The Crusaders were also led by three double digit scorers: Barclay Tuell with 22 points, freshman point guard Isaiah Hamlin with 16, and Adam Mears with 10, who kept the Crusaders within hailing distance of the Comets. The other seven TB players provided seven points to the Crusaders total.In contrast to their game early this season, where the Comets were playing catch-up throughout the game, Naselle took the lead early and led at all of the quarter stops in this one. Naselle had their best shooting game of the year at 63 percent on 22 fof 35 shooting, and they shot 65 percent from the charity stripe to help account for their wire-to-wire win.The Comets led 18-11 after one quarter, 32-23 at the half, after a 14-12 second period. The Comets didn't ease off the throttle after the break, adding an 18-13 third period, to lead by as much as 20 points, and earn a 14 point lead, 50-36, after three periods. With the issue decided, the Crusaders outscored the Comets 19-18 in the fourth quarter as the Comets went home with their 13 point win.Coach Brian Macy said, "We came out with good intensity and maintained it throughout the game. We played well as a team, it really didn't seem to matter what combination of players were on the floor; they stepped up and played well. We had a few players who were not 100 percent. After a stop on the way up two players got sick after eating, and another who's back has been bothering him, but they sucked it up and played very well."(We have) Another big game this Saturday which may change with tie-breaking scenarios (I don't know for sure). A win not only gives us the league title outright, but gives us the number one seed into the district tourney."A win in the Comets one remaining league game, against Northwest Christian in Naselle's Lyle Patterson Gym tentatively scheduled for this Saturday, Feb. 9, after the girls game, will clinch the Pacific League title for the Comets. The boys game will conclude a day with four games as the girls and boys JVs and varsity teams will all see action against the Navigators.A first place league finish would place the Comets in the Pacific League #1 position in the District IV 2B Tournament, giving them their first district game on Saturday, Feb. 16, at 8:00 p.m. in Montesano. The Comets opponent would be the winner of an earlier game, possibly played between South Bend and Mossyrock, depending on the final places in the Pacific and Central Leagues. A loss to NWC could put the Comets into a tie, possibly a three-way tie, for the league championship and the seeding in the district tournament. A loss in their final game will also bring all sorts of issues such as tie-breakers and a schedule to complete those activities.

Naselle 18 14 18 18 - 68
Tacoma Baptist 11 12 13 19 - 55

Naselle (68) - Austin Burkhalter 21, Nathan Sultemeier 20, Conor Smith 10, K. Burkhalter 6, See 5, Erickson 4, N. Hines 2, J. Hines, Macy, Mendoza;

FG - 22-of-35 (63%),
FT - 20-of-31 (65%);
Rebounds: Smith 14;
Assists: Smith 5

Tacoma Baptist (55) - Barclay Tuell 22, Isaiah Hamlin 16, Adam Mears 10, Piwonski 4, Gillman 2, Aaron Mears 1, Yohann, Sims, Finley, Nrayan

Pacific League Boys (Top 6 teams qualify for tournament)Team League

Overall Games W L W L
Behind1. Naselle 11 2 13 6 --2.
Tacoma Baptist 10 3 15 4 13.
NW Christian 9 3 13 4 1.54.
North Beach 7 5 12 6 34.
South Bend 7 5 10 8 36.
Ocosta 4 8 9 9 6.5
Raymond 1 11 4 14 9
Willapa Valley 0 12 3 15 10

Comets boys win tenth league game

By PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondent

NASELLE - The first time that these two teams met in a Pacific League game four weeks ago, the Naselle Comets boys came home with a 21 point win over the South Bend Indians, largely earned on the 33 points scored by Austin Burkhalter and the 13 added by brother Kyle Burkhalter. This time when the two teams met Thursday, Jan 31, in Lyle Patterson Gym, Indians coach Jon Pearson had inserted a diamond-and-one defense that would hopefully limit the scoring of Austin with a defense devised to deny him the ball and preventing him having any clear looks at the rim.It worked, for awhile, but someone forgot about Conor Smith. All that Smith did was score the first seven Naselle points and earn a double-double with a game-high 20 points and 11 rebounds in leading the Comets to a 70-50 win over the Indians. The Comets improved their league-leading record to 10-2, and 12-6 overall. South Bend dropped to 7-5 in league, and 10-8 overall.Naselle coach Brian Macy said, "South Bend played very well, we had a difficult time with their diamond and one on Austin, but eventually figured it out. Nathan Sultemeier and Gabe See being able to knock down some three's helped the cause. I think we played well at times, but still haven't put it all together yet. Hopefully this tough end to our season (Seaside, South Bend, Tacoma Baptist and Northwest Christian) will prepare us for the district tourney."Smith's 20 points led Naselle which had three double digit scorers. Austin Burkhalter added 17 points, with all but 13 of them coming in the second half, plus eight rebounds, and Kyle Burkhalter added 11 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in his usual top all around game. The other four players in the Comets seven man rotation provided solid support in scoring, rebounding, and defense.Randy Eang and Chase Michell led the Indians attack with 15 points each. Their other top scorer, freshman David Lorton, in a starting line-up along with four seniors, only scored seven points before fouling out with 1:23 left in the third quarter. The combined defensive efforts of first Kyle and then Austin Burkhalter were instrumental in holding Lorton's scoring down.With Smith scoring on his first three shots from close in, following assists by Kyle Burkhalter on two of the hoops, and on a Smith free throw, the Comets rolled to a 7-0 lead in the first three minutes of play. The Indians Michell finally got South Bend on the scoreboard with half of the quarter played. Kyle added a three point play and Alan Erickson scored on an offensive rebound and the Comets led 12-7 after one period with Austin not having taken a shot. However, Smith had picked up his second foul and was doing some pine time with over two minutes left in the period.The Indians opened the second period with a David Lorton 3-ball before Austin finally got in the scorebook by connecting on two of two free throws 30 seconds into the period. The Indians were to get points from four of their shooters in the quarter, while the Comets were also getting points from four of their players, including a 3-ball from Gabe See. The Indians were able to cut the Naselle lead to one point twice at mid-quarter, but Naselle points from Kyle, Smith, See, and Austin were enough to keep the Comets lead after an Indian 19-15 quarter sent the teams in at the half with the Comets holding a 27-24 lead.To this point, coach Pearson had to be pleased with his strategy. The Indians had held Austin to only four points and Kyle to six and the Indians were within three points of the league leaders. However, fouls and the subsequent free throws and timely shooting by the Comets were to prove to be hazardous to the Indians game plan.Smith opened the third quarter with another hoop, just as he had opened the game. Austin followed with a deuce plus a free throw and another two pointer. When Nathan Sultemeier drilled his first 3-ball of the game, the Comets lead had suddenly jumped to ten points. Eang responded with five straight points, including another 3-ball. Nick Hines retaliated with a hoop and Sultemeier canned his second trey of the period. Kyle added a three point play on a deuce plus one and Austin connected on 2 of 2 freebies when he drew Lorton's fourth foul of the game. Seconds later, Kyle connected on another freebie off Lorton's fifth foul and Austin closed out the quarter with a hoop from Kyle's assist. The Naselle lead had suddenly jumped to 12 points earned on a 23-14 third period that included four three points plays. Austin's nine third quarter points had led five Naselle scorers to their biggest lead of the game at that point.Even without the shooting of Sultemeier and Kyle, who were each benched by four fouls, the Comets continued to add to their lead in the fourth period. All five Comets on the floor at any one time joined in the scoring, The Naselle lead grew to 20 points at 63-43 on See's second trey of the game and the Comets coasted home with a 20-12 fourth quarter for their 70-50 win.In contrast to their previous game, the Comets shot much better, making 43 percent of their shots from the floor and 71 percent at the foul line. The Indians made 42 percent of their field goal tries and 62 percent of their free throws.The Comets boys now will play their two most crucial games of the season. They traveled to take on the state-ranked Tacoma Baptist Crusaders on Saturday, Feb. 2. The Crusaders were tied with the Comets for first place in the league with a 10-2 record coming into that game, but the Crusaders have the tie-breaker due to an earlier win over the Comets. The Comets will close out their regular season Saturday, Feb. 9, when they entertain Northwest Christian, a team which is in third place only one game behind the two leaders.

South Bend 5 19 14 12 - 50
Naselle 12 15 23 20 - 70

South Bend (50) - Randy Eang 15, Chase Michell 15, Howard 8, Lorton 7, Lazelle 2, Huber 2, Spoor 1;

FG - 19-45 (42%). FT 8-13 (62%)

Naselle (70) - Conor Smith 20, Austin Burkhalter 17, Kyle Burkhalter 11, N. Hines 6, Sultemeier 6 See 6, Erickson 4, J. Hines, Macy, Mendoza;

FG - 27-for-63 (43%),
FT - 15-for-21 (71%);
Rebounds: Smith 11, A. Burkhalter 8. K. Burkhalter 7;
Assists: K. Burkhalter 3

The Naselle JVs avenged an earlier loss to the Indian JVs with a come from behind 46-44 win. The Comets trailed by as many as 13 points in the second half before they made their come-back. Manny Lopez led the Naselle scorers with 16 points. Coach Scott Smith said, "South Bend got a little tired and we were able to substitude and keep fresh legs on the floor. This was a great win for these guys. We avenged a 6 point lose at South Bend 48-42. We have won 11 games and lost 5. This group has had a great year. We beat Valley twice and now South Bend. We lost by two to Tacoma Baptist but it does not look like we will play them again."

Comets boys lose in OT to Seaside

By PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondent

NASELLE - It finally happened. But it took a team from a school with about four times the enrollment of Naselle High an overtime period to do it, on a night when the home town boys weren't shooting their best. The Naselle Comets boys lost their first game in their last ten starts, in a winning streak that began a month ago in the Astoria Holiday Tournament. They lost a make-up non-league game to the veteran team from class 4A Seaside, 72-67, in an overtime game played Monday, Jan. 28, in Naselle's Lyle Patterson Gym. The loss saw the Comets season record drop to 11-6.This was the kind of test that the Comets needed at this stage of their season - a game against a tough, fast-moving, good shooting ball club in a non-counting game as far as the league and post-season play is concerned. To be sure, the Comets, their coach Brian Macy, and fans would liked to have won this game. They came close.Macy agreed in stating, "This was just the type of game we needed heading towards the tournament. If we can learn from this then it will obviously make us that much better, and more prepared for the district tournament."Naselle was led by the double-double of Kyle Burkhalter with 18 points and 10 rebounds and Austin Burkhalter with 17 points and 8 boards, Conor Smith had 9 points (and 4 steals) and Nathan Sultemeier and Nick Hines each chipped in with 8 points, and Hines also had 4 steals. All seven Comets who played put points on the scoreboard.The Seagulls were led by the double-double of their 6-5 senior center Ed Kauffunger with 17 points and 21 rebounds. Senior Chris Senick, one of the Gulls speed merchant guards, chipped in with 14 points and several timely steals and assists. One of the other equally pesky Gull guards, junior Jeremy Carow, finished with 12 points, plus several steals and assists.This game didn't look good, or even appear as if the Comets would come within a country mile of the high-flying Gulls for the first two and a half quarters. With over five minutes already gone in the third quarter, the Comets trailed the veteran Gulls, who start four seniors, by 18 points. The Gulls were clearing the Comets misses off the glass, or forcing turnovers, and scoring on break-aways. The Gulls had five run outs in the third period alone with three of them coming in quick succession to help the Gulls go from a 36-28 half-time lead to that 18 point margin.At that point, the Comets shots were like the Naselle rain, kind of falling all over the place. Twos, threes, jumps shots, put-backs, free throws - you name it - they weren't going where they were supposed to go for the Comets. The Comets shot 37 percent (25 of 68) on their two point tries, an abysmal 14 percent (3 of 21) on their threes, and a chilly 47 percent (14 of 30) on their free throws. That is the way it went, especially for the first 21 minutes of action. Unfortunately for the Comets, those missed free throws were going to haunt them at game's end, as well. The Comets were 3-for-9 in the last period while the Gulls were only 2-for-7 in their fourth period free throws so that shooting was about a standoff. The Comets trailed 17-9 after one quarter. After each team scored 19 points in the second period, the Comets still trailed by eight at intermission. The third period opened as if the Gulls were going to run away and hide. The Kauffunger-led Gulls controlled their defensive board and their speed-burner guards were off and running, first with an 8-2 run and then on a 8-5 run an the Comets looked to be in a world of hurt. But the Comets tightened up and a rally led by Sultemeier and Kyle Burkhalter and with points from other players pushed the Comets on a run of their own that closed the gap to twelve points, at 53-41, as the third period ended.The Comets after-burners were suddenly ignited as they took control of the fourth quarter. Kyle Burkhalter was to score ten points in the period, and Austin Burkhalter, who had a quiet scoring game up to that point, popped in seven points in the quarter, including his only three-ball of the night which tied the score at 60-all with 1:30 left in regulation time. Three other Comets were to contribute points to the Naselle barrage as the Comets out-scored the Gulls 24-12 in the quarter.The score was tied four times, and the Comets grabbed the lead on three different possessions, in the last minute and a half of regulation time as both teams had their chances to put it away. However, the Naselle shooting, especially free throw shooting, cost them. The Comets were 1 for 5 on their freebies inside the last minute and a half of regulation time plus the four minutes of overtime, while the Gulls were 3 for 5 during that same period of time.The action in the last 1:30 of the fourth quarter came down to Naselle gaining a one point lead on Kyle's free throw. The Gulls then tied it on 1 of 2 free throws. Kyle put the Comets on top again with a drive to the rack. The Gulls came back for a tie at 63 from a Naselle turnover. The Comets regained the lead on a drive by Austin with 13 seconds left, but a missed free throw denied Naselle a three point lead. The Gulls answered with a hoop from inside the paint with less than three seconds left and the game went into OT tied at 65. This was the second overtime game that Naselle has played this season - in fact, in the last ten days - and the Comets are 1-1 in those OT games.Overtime turned into a Seagull flurry. Naselle again won the tip on the opening jump ball, but missed the shot that would have given them the lead. The Gulls came back and scored on a steal by Senick, but a drive by Austin tied the score at 67, for the last time, with 2:30 left to play. The Gulls worked their way to a three point lead on a put-back by Kauffunger and one of two free throws a few seconds later. When the Comets couldn't respond, as they missed two more free throws and two more threes, the Gulls added two more Kauffunger free throws for their five point win.

Seaside 17 19 17 12 7 - 72
Naselle 9 19 13 24 2 - 67

Seaside (72) - Ed Kauffunger 17, Chris Senick 14, Jeremy Carow 12, Oliver 9, Farmer 8, Walker 7, Schneider 6; Rebounds: Kauffunger 21

Naselle (67) - Kyle Burkhalter 18, Austin Burkhalter 17, Smith 9, N. Hines 8, Sultemeier 8, Erickson 5, See 2 ;

FG - 25-68 (37%)
3's - 3-21 (14%),
FT - 14-30 (47%);
Rebounds: K. Burkhalter 10, A. Burkhalter 8;
Steals: N. Hines 4, Smith

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.