FORKS — After seeing five scheduled contests postponed or canceled during what turned into a 23-day break between games, the Forks girls basketball team was ready from the opening tip in Wednesday’s 59-38 win over Ilwaco.
“It’s been a frustrating few weeks for these girls with just practice with no games to focus on,” Spartans coach David Hurn said. “We show up and get ready to play or get on the bus and we hear the game is off. You could tell last week it was really starting to grind on the girls. But they’ve been working hard and keeping a good attitude.”
Hurn had no idea what to expect from his squad, or the Fishermen, who were coming off their own 22-day layoff.
“We kind of scrambled to put this one together when our original opponent had some COVID issues, but both teams needed to play,” Hurn said.
“You don’t know what you are going to get when they actually play after that long a break, but they responded well, head down, kept grinding, kept working, and it paid off with great start.”
Forks went up 22-5 after one quarter and held a 37-15 lead at halftime.
Keira Johnson connected on 5 of 7 3-point attempts on her way to 32 points for the Spartans.
“It was great to see her shoot so well for us,” Hurn said.
“Kadie Wood also had a really big game for us with 15 points, 11 rebounds, eight steals and four assists. She almost had a triple double.”
Forks also was without starting post Kyra Neel.
“We were without Kyra for this one too, so we were pretty happy with how they responded to the adversity of the last few weeks,” Hurn said.
The Spartans (3-1, 4-3) are scheduled to host North Beach tonight.
Forks 59, Ilwaco 38
Ilwaco 5 8 12 13 — 38
Forks 22 15 12 10 — 59
Forks (59): Johnson 32, Wood 15, Ramos 6, Bouchard 3, Daniels 2, Wharton 1.
Wrestling PA splits dual
SEQUIM — Port Angeles earned a dual-meet split with a 56-12 win over rival Sequim and a close 42-39 loss to Olympic League-leader Bremerton in a match in which the Roughriders won more contested matches but were forced to give up 12 points in forfeits.
The Knights also beat Sequim 59-18.
“We had a few kids in (COVID) protocols and out with injuries, and Bremerton is on a tear. They beat the tar out of Forks last weekend (at Port Angeles’ Battle For the Axe),” Port Angeles coach Rob Gale said.
“We were ahead the whole match and won more of the matches that were wrestled, but we had three forfeits for 12 points, and it came down to the last two weights. They had Thor Michaelson (who wrestles internationally in his age group for Team USA) at 170, and we are thin at 160.”
The Riders rallied to take down Sequim 56-12.
“The match of the day was Kennedy Bruch and Petra Bernsten of Sequim,” Gale said. “Kennedy finally beat her 5-4 and knocked Petra from being unbeaten this season. She was inspired, and it took weeks of wanting to beat her. That was Kennedy’s focus.”
Bernsten is the reigning Olympic League girls wrestling MVP.
“Kennedy took her down with a good single-leg takedown,” Gale said. “And a couple of locked hands from Petra, so it was a good, hard-fought match between two great competitors.”
Sophomore Ethan Abrams at 138, freshman Phoenix Flores at 132 and Jack Harrelson at 145 all earned two wins for the Riders.
Port Angeles is scheduled to wrestle at Bainbridge’s tournament Saturday.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-406-0674 or mcarman@peninsuladaily news.com.
