Kent native Rodney Stuckey suffered a big scare last Friday night.
Stuckey, who now plays in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons, was wheeled off the court on a stretcher during the third quarter against Cleveland after he collapsed into a trainer’s arms on the bench. Stuckey walked off the floor for a timeout and showed no signs up illness. After a few minutes in the chair, Stuckey slumped over. He remained conscious and breathing on his own as he was taken to a nearby hospital.
Doctors ran several tests on Stuckey during the weekend, but found nothing. Stuckey’s return this season remains in doubt. Stuckey, a guard, is averaging just more than 17 points per game for the Pistons.

Kentlake High senior Tyler Wright recently signed a letter-of-intent to play football next fall at Central Washington University in Ellensburg. This past fall Wright, who also is one of the school’s top basketball players, was named the South Puget Sound League North Division’s All-Purpose Player of the Year, was a first-team All-League defensive back and a second-team All-League wide receiver. He also was Kentlake’s kicker and one of the team’s running backs.
“I had a few offers to choose from but ultimately found that CWU had a great deal of the things that I was looking for in a school,”  Wright said. “Smaller class sizes, a small-town community, a very strong program that includes coaches and players that I have a great deal of respect for, but being close enough to home to have extended family in the stands was a major attribute.”

Josh Smith of Kentwood High School joined the ranks of basketball’s elite today with his selection to the prestigious 2010 McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Boys Team. Smith’s participation in the Games will help raise funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Central Ohio, which supports local children and families in need.
Smith was named to the West squad, and will play with the 23 other top male high school basketball players in the country. He averages 13.4 points-per-game, 11 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. His coach is Michael Angelidis.
The boys game will tip off at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31 at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio and will air live on ESPN.
Since 1977, over 750 male players have competed in the McDonald’s All American Games, forming an elite list that reads like a “Who’s Who” in basketball history.  McDonald’s All American athletes include basketball greats Alonzo Mourning, Magic Johnson, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant.

SPSL NORTH ALL-LEAGUE BASKETBALL
BOYS
MVP – Cole Dickerson, Federal Way

FIRST TEAM
Gary Bell, Kentridge
Ryan Rogers, Auburn Riverside
Kevin Henderson, Auburn
Isiah Umipig, Federal Way
Josh Smith, Kentwood

SECOND TEAM
Christian Behrens, Tahoma
Iszia Johnson, Auburn
Daniel Landram, Kentlake
Robert Christopher, Federal Way
Eric Radford, Jefferson
Tre Tyler, Kentwood

COACH OF THE YEAR
Michael Angelidis, Kentwood

HONORABLE MENTION
Jerry Duckworth, Federal Way
Tyrell Lewis, Federal Way
George Williams, Federal Way
Justin Lanier, Jefferson
Spencer Hicks, Jefferson
Jeff Brigham, Jefferson
Jaron Heck, Kentlake
Mike Salazar, Kentlake
Barento Ahmed, Kent-Meridian
Jordan Thompson Walker, Kent-Meridian
Craig Rasmussen, Kentridge
Brenden Westendorf, Kentridge
Dylan Zylstra, Kentridge
Jason Boyce, Kentwood
Mikell Everette, Kentwood
Alec Wilson, Kentwood
Roman Tymchuk, Auburn Riverside
Dustin Hegge, Auburn Riverside
Taylor Summerhays, Tahoma

GIRLS
CO-MVP – Mercedes Wetmore, Auburn Riverside
CO-MVP – Kyle Huerta, Kentwood

FIRST TEAM
Hannah Kiyohara, Jefferson
Morgan Comstock, Kentwood
Talia Walton, Federal Way
Darah Huertas-Vining, Federal Way
Kat Cooper, Auburn Riverside

SECOND TEAM
Liz Mills, Kentwood
Sanda Milovic, Kentwood
Erin McCaslin, Tahoma
Heather Restrepo, Auburn
Briana Shannon, Kent-Meridian

COACH OF THE YEAR
Terry Johnson, Auburn Riverside

HONORABLE MENTION
Cashe Jones, Federal Way
Molly Campbell, Federal Way
Megan Merrill, Kentridge
Courtney Johnson, Kentwood
Katie Buskey, Tahoma
Lauren Hamberg, Tahoma
Savanna Haverfield, Tahoma
Desiree Guitian, Kent-Meridian
Miriame Akpatou, Kent-Meridian
Alexandria Witherspoon, Kent-Meridian
Unique Taufa’Asau, Jefferson
Riley Butler, Kentlake
Chantel Dixon, Federal Way
Brittany Barrington, Federal Way
Isia Johnson, Auburn
Kara Jenkins, Auburn Riverside
Brook Hinkens, Auburn Riverside
Taylor Wofford, Auburn Riverside
Cody Sisco, Kentlake
Katie Bubsey, Kentake
Jada Piper, Jefferson
Nicole Barger, Kentridge
Aubreyana Anderson, Kent-Meridian

It is not yet official, but it appears Mount Rainier High located in Des Moines will be moving in to the South Puget Sound League North Division 4A next fall.
The re-alignment isn’t official and the powers that be still need to decide which school between Federal Way and Thomas Jefferson will shift to the SPSL South.  As of the moment, however, it appears almost a done deal that Mount Rainier, currently of the Class 3A Seamount League, will be joining the North.

As of spring of 2009, Mount Rainier had an enrollment of 1,572 students, which puts it ahead of Kent-Meridian (1,450) and Kentlake (1,474). Class 4A schools need to have enrollments of 1,3o4 students or more, so it’s clear to see why Mount Rainier will be moving up.

CLASS 4A BOYS
1. Federal Way (19-1)
2. Gonzaga Prep (17-1)
3. Curtis (19-1)
4. Richland (16-3)
5. Jackson (16-2)
6. Walla Walla (16-3)
7. Kamiakin (15-4)
8. Skyline (15-3)
9. Garfield (14-4)
10. Lake Stevens
Others receiving votes: Davis (15-4), Eastlake (13-5), Decatur (14-6), Bellarmine Prep (14-6)

CLASS 4A GIRLS
1. Auburn Riverside (20-0)
2. Woodinville (17-1)
3. Issaquah (15-3)
4. Kentwood (17-5)
5. Chiawana (16-2)
6. Edmonds-Woodway (18-1)
7. Newport (16-2)
8. Jackson (16-3)
9. Bellarmine Prep (14-6)
10. Federal Way (17-4)

Others receiving votes: Richland (15-4), Bethel (16-4), Marysville-Pilchuck (15-5), Mount Tahoma (17-3)

With one game in the regular season remaining on the schedule, plenty has yet to have been decided.
On the boys’ side, Auburn, Auburn Riverside, Thomas Jefferson and Kentlake are still fighting it out for the final playoff berths.
I trade e-mails with SPSL commissioner Doug Auburn earlier today for some clarifications.
Here’s what Dave informed me:

“All ties first go to a head to head advantage.  If one team has beaten another both times during the year they own the tie-breaker and would have the higher seed or advance.  If the teams split during the year they play off on Tuesday.  Sites TBD.  If all holds true to form we will have two tie-breaker games in the North, both girls, KW vs FW and Aub vs KL.  It looks as if these will be held at Tahoma on Tuesday 2/9.”

My initial question to Dave was this: If Kentlake upsets Kentwood tomorrow night, TJ falls to Federal Way (as expected) and Auburn knocks off Auburn Riverside, who advances? This would put AR and KL in a tie for the fifth and final slot.

Dave answered as follows:

“With the boys teams as you describe … one team holds the tie-breaker over another;  AR over TJ, TJ over Aub, Aub over KL, KL over AR.  Currently, AR has better record than Auburn but if Auburn wins they’ll tie and Auburn will hold the tie-breaker over AR.”

But what if TJ pulls off the mother of all upsets Friday night and knocks off FW?

“Then we would have a mini-tournament on Tuesday,” Dave noted.

The bottom line? Things could get really, really interesting tomorrow night around 9:30 p.m.

BOYS
1. Federal Way (13-1)
2. Gonzaga Prep (13-1)
3. Curtis (15-1)
4. Jackson (13-1)
5. Walla Walla (13-2)
6. Richland (13-2)
7. Skyline (12-2)
8. Kamiakin (12-3)
9. Lake Stevens (11-4)
10. Decatur (11-5)
Others receiving votes: Kentridge (11-5), Garfield (10-4), Foss (11-4), Lake Washington (11-3)

GIRLS
1. Auburn Riverside (16-0)
2. Issaquah (13-1)
3. Newport (13-1)
4. Woodinville (13-1)
5. Edmonds-Woodway (13-1)
6. Federal Way (12-3)
7. Chiawana (12-1)
8. Jackson (12-2)
9. Marysville-Pilchuck (12-3)
10. Kentwood (11-4)
Others receiving votes: Bellarmine Prep (11-5), Mount Tahoma (13-3), Lewis and Clark (9-5)

Jake Wilcox, a 2008 Kentwood High graduate and an SPSL honorable mention selection on the basketball court his senior season, has continued to have success at Green River Community College. Wilcox entered the week leading the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges in steals (53) assists (114, 7.13 per game).

Former Kentwood High football coach Tom Ingles is moving on once again.
Ingles stepped down last week as head coach of the Puyallup High program, where he went after coaching Kentwood from 1990-2003. Ingles is one of the state’s all-time winningest coaches and, quite frankly, a great guy who always was easy to work with.

While at Kentwood, he won a pair of state titles (2001 and 2002). He also won a state title at Liberty in 1988. A member of the Washington State Football Hall of Fame, Ingles has an overall record of 248-103. In 14 seasons at Kentwood, Ingles collected a record of 114-40.

I’d suspect Ingles will catch on somewhere. His wife, Zena, is a school administrator in California, so there’s a chance his next coaching gig may not be in these parts.