A look at Valley high school lacrosse, a diamond cut, and a return to Wildcat Country for a former Mount Si coach….all getting you set for the weekend

Good Friday morning. We lead things off on this Friday with some lacrosse.

Cedarcrest High School’s boys’ lacrosse program set a new record for goals scored in a game last night, scoring 20 in a blowout of Kamiak, 20-4, at Kamiak High School in Mukilteo. Nilas Gudmondson scored six goals and added three assists as the Red Wolves moved to 4-4 on the season with the win. Mason Poletti added four goals and two assists while Jayden Prohn and Drew Swanson also added a pair of goals apiece to the tally. Goals were also scored by Lucas Bustamante, Clint Fiala, Karik Freheit, Henry Hammer, Erik Hepner and Chris Lasserre. Goalie Logan Malone didn’t have a lot of work to do, but work he did for the Red Wolves, stopping seven Kamiak shots in the contest.

CHS wraps up the season next Thursday at Archbishop Murphy High School in Mill Creek against ATM. Game time is 7:00 p.m. as the Red Wolves look to avenge a home loss earlier this season to the Wildcats.

Also from lacrosse:

Mount Si boys wrap up schedule this weekend with pair of games: Mount Si High School’s boys will finish out their season this weekend with a pair of home games. They host Skyline tonight and Redmond tomorrow night, with both games set to start at 6:00 p.m. up at Jeanne Hansen Park on Snoqualmie Ridge. The games this weekend serve as the final home games for Mount Si senior players.

The Wildcats come into tonight off a 12-4 win Tuesday at Issaquah that put them back into the win column following a loss to Mercer Island in their previous game. A four-goal third quarter broke open what was a tight 5-3 game at halftime and allowed Mount Si to cruise to the win. Eli Spence had five goals and three assists to lead the ‘Cats in that one, with Henry Ross adding a pair of tallies along with an assist. Additional goals in the game for Mount Si were scored by Garrett Kuhnhausen, Cade Kirwin, Jamison Markley, Baxter Rowland and Jack Wutherich. Goalies Kellen Markley and Ben Magnus split the duty, with Magnus getting the win in goal making three saves on four shots attempted against him.

The park is located at 34226 SE Jacobia St. on Snoqualmie Ridge. To get there, take Snoqualmie Parkway to the light at Jacobia on the south end of the Ridge, then turn west going up the hill. The park and parking lot will be on your right and admission is free although you will need to wear a mask while attending the contests.

Two more wins for Mount Si girls: The Wildcat girls are also having a strong season, and extended their win streak with two more wins this week. The latest of those took place last night at home down in Fall City, as Mount Si took care of Eastlake, 15-10.

Emme Rezoski scored six goals and added three assists for the Wildcats and she was helped also by Kendal Forrest, who herself had five tallies, as Mount Si held home turf at Chief Kanim Middle School with the win on Senior Night. Anna Simmons added three goals herself, while Hillary Curd also pocketed a tally for the Wildcats. Goalie Bailey Showalter made 10 saves on 20 shots attempted against her to get the win in goal for Mount Si.

It was the Forrest and Simmons show Tuesday as the pair combined for 10 goals in a 13-3 Wildcat blowout of Lake Sammamish. Simmons had six goals and an assist to pace Mount Si, while Forrest added four goals and a helper. Rezoski, Curd and Chelsea Harrison also had goals in the game for the Wildcats. Showalter made seven saves on 10 shots attempted for another win in goal for Mount Si.

The Wildcats, 6-1 on the season, wrap up their schedule on Tuesday taking on Mercer Island on the island at 8:00 p.m.

News: Former MSHS coach coming back to Mount Si – to help lead everyone
A former Mount Si High School sports head coach is returning to Mount Si – to help lead the entire school.

Former Wildcat gymnastics coach Jessica Easthope has been hired by the Snoqualmie Valley School District to become part of the high school’s administrative team. She will officially rejoin the district July 1 and is replacing outgoing associate principal Sana Tariq. In a statement released by the school, longtime principal John Belcher was thrilled to be welcoming back the former coach.

“We are very excited to welcome Jessica back to Mount Si High School. Jessica was a proven leader and well-respected staff member during her time at Mount Si, and the experience and knowledge she has gained during her time in the Everett School District will be a tremendous asset to our team, as well as our student body and community. We are lucky to get her back!” Belcher said.

Easthope has been serving on the administrative team at Cascade High School up in Everett for the past four years, following her stint at Mount Si and within the SVSD. She headed up the Wildcat gymnastics program for almost a decade, and during her time, led the program to six consecutive state 3A gymnastics meet appearances, with a pair of third-place finishes in both 2013 and 2014. She also was a popular guidance counselor at the school during that time also, helping students with their academics and college plans among other things. Easthope is also excited to be coming back. “It feels like I’m returning home,” she said. “Looking forward to being a part of a community known for its academic, athletics, and civic excellence.”

Following Easthope’s departure from the program, her then-assistant Kelly Loranger took over the Wildcats, and has been with them now for the past five or so seasons as noted. It is unclear if Easthope will take on any sort of role with the program with her return, but it can certainly be expected you will see her around the meets at least supporting the kids. Good stuff and we wish both Tariq good luck in her next endeavor and a big congratulations to Easthope on her appointment and return to the Mount Si family.

Baseball: Wildcat alum Gorrell on mound tonight for college summer team’s league opener
With the high school season wrapping up over the next week or so at Mount Si High School, the summer schedule is beginning to kick into gear, and a Mount Si alum will be headlining our summer coverage kickoff tonight.

Pitcher Gavin Gorrell, who graduated from Mount Si in 2017 and recently transferred to the University of Utah to finish up his college eligibility following the controversial shutdown of the baseball program at his former school, Boise State University, last spring amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, will be starting on the mound in the West Coast League season opener for the Wenatchee AppleSox tonight as they take on the Portland Pickles in Portland. First pitch tonight at Lents Park is 7:05 and you can catch the game on a live webstream through KCSY Radio out of Wenatchee. Google KCSY Radio for a link to their website and live stream.

Gorrell played with Wenatchee in 2019 and pitched in the team’s final game that season. He did not pitch there last year as the WCL shut down operations for the 2020 season due to the pandemic, but did find a place to play, back in Minnesota with the Willmar Stingers of the Northwoods League. There, he was 2-1 with a 4.13 earned run average in 11 appearances with that team, allowing only 11 earned runs on 22 hits in 24 innings, striking out 20. He did not play in the college season this spring and will have three years of eligibility available to him starting next year with Utah.

Gorrell is one of three MSHS grads who are slated to play in the league this summer. The other two, Spencer and Mason Marenco, are both expected to play for the Yakima Valley Pippins. Mason has officially signed with the team, and Spencer tells us he will be playing for them, too, but we have not seen official word on his joining that squad. Both will be playing for a coach they’re familiar with – Kyle Krustangel, Spencer’s college coach the past two seasons at Yakima Valley College, and who Mason played for with the Sox a couple seasons ago when Krustangel managed Wenatchee during the summer.

The WCL is fast becoming the premier league for college baseball players during the summer months on the West Coast, and is growing in stature to the levels seen by the perennial powerhouse Cape Cod League in Massachusetts. The WCL, whose commissioner is longtime baseball journalist, most notably with ESPN, Rob Neyer, this past fall announced a significant expansion in Canada, with franchises in Edmonton, AB, Kamloops and Nanaimo, BC, joining two existing Canadian clubs in Victoria and Kelowna, BC. The Canadian clubs are not in operation this season due to continuing issues regarding the pandemic-related U.S.-Canada border closure but are expected to return in 2022.