Blaine winter sports is in full swing, and both basketball teams christened the new season with a home double-header against La Conner on December 2, splitting the matchup.
In fall sports news, Blaine swimmer Hailey Farrell won yet another 1A state title at the state championships on November 15. The win was Ferrell’s second consecutive state title in the 500-yard freestyle competition. Ferrell won with a time of 5:20.08, more than eight seconds faster than the second place swimmer.
In other Blaine honors, junior forward Kate Koreski earned an honorable mention for the All-Northwest Conference girls soccer team, voted on by NWC soccer coaches. Koreski led the team in goals scored, leading the Borderites to a 1A state playoff appearance, the first for the team in over 20 years.
Boys Basketball
After dropping the season opener to Bear Creek 66-43 on November 29, the Borderites bounced back, beating La Conner by a whopping score of 77-23 on December 2.
Senior guard/forward Landon Melton picked up a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, and junior guard Dawson Dohner led the team with 13 points and had a great night on defense with seven steals.
Blaine’s guards played well against an outmatched nonconference La Conner squad, with senior guards Kai Kerwin tallying five assists, and Daniel Banks collecting 10 points and eight rebounds.
By the halftime buzzer, the Borderites pulled out to a 36-point advantage, and didn’t look back. The Borderites allowed La Conner to score just two points in two different quarters, keeping the team below 23 points in what will likely be the Borderites best on-paper defensive performance of the season.
The Borderites (1-1, 0-0 NWC) seem ready for conference play, which begins Wednesday, December 10 with a matchup on the road against 2A Bellingham. Before “the real season” begins, the Borderites hopped on the state ferry to play nonconference opponent Friday Harbor on December 3, after press time.
Blaine’s next home game is scheduled for Saturday, December 13 against 2A Sehome, tipoff at 7:15 p.m.
Stats provided by WhatcomPreps.com
Girls Basketball
The Blaine girls basketball team hasn’t burst out of the gates to open the season the way it would presumably want to, dropping a pair of losses to Bear Creek and La Conner at home. But a few solid individual performances reveal this team’s potential.
In the November 29 game against Bear Creek, Blaine opened up the scoring with a pair of convincing 3-pointers from junior Marcella Bring and senior Brietta Sandell, jumping out to a 6-2 lead to start the season.
After that, Bear Creek went on a 25-1 swing, not allowing Blaine to score a single field goal for the rest of the half. Blaine bounced back in the second half, outscoring its opponents 32-31, but the Borderites couldn’t crawl out of the hole it dug in that fateful second quarter. The final score: Bear Creek 58, Blaine 39.
Despite the loss, junior guard Kate Koreski, coming off an honorable mention for the All-NWC team in soccer, tallied 12 points, four assists and four steals to lead the Borderites in each category.
Senior forward Aaliyah Bowman earned a tough double-double, scrapping for 11 points and 13 rebounds, and Sandell finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
In the next game against La Conner on December 2, the Borderites just couldn’t get its offense going, losing 51-24. La Conner shot exceptionally well from beyond the 3-point line, and the Borderites couldn’t seem to buy a long-range bucket.
Bowman again put in a scrappy performance from the forward position, working for 12 points and eight rebounds. Koreski also performed well near the basket, collecting a team-high 10 rebounds along with six points.
The Borderites will look to get in the win column for the first time in this young season with a game against Friday Harbor on December 3, after press time.
The Borderites then host Bellingham on Wednesdsay, December 10 for the first NWC matchup of the year for both teams.
Stats provided by WhatcomPreps.com
