ARLINGTON — The Arlington baseball team returns six varsity players, two of which will pitch.
“Tanner Bradford and Garrett Wiseman will be two of our starting pitchers,” coach Scott Striegel said. “Both got considerable varsity pitching experience last year.”
ARLINGTON – The boys soccer and golf teams at Arlington High School have large turnouts, but the girls golf team is small.
But that doesn’t mean the girls aren’t going to be good.
The Lady Eagles return two-time state 4A qualifier junior Emmi Modahl. Coach Greg Dailer expects her to return to state, and for junior Natalie Mackey and sophomore Marina Vu to join her.
Sophomore Karli Fisco will probably play at No. 4, but the coach said he doesn’t know because of the team’s youth who will fill out the other two varsity spots. The rest of the squad consists of a couple of sophomores and freshmen.
“We’ll be competitive,” Dailer said.
The boys golf coach, Kevin Coghill, said two of his top returnees from last year have improved a lot.
“They got hooked on the game,” Coghill said of Austin Foe and Conner Stephens.
His other top returnee is senior captain Bishop Kiner. The coach expects sophomore Brian Pettis at No. 4 with three seniors battling out for the final two varsity spots: Blake Smith and former baseball players Blake Hathaway and Jerred Huff.
Coghill said he doesn’t know which teams are the ones to beat, since Arlington is going from a 4A to a 3A school.
Coach Mike Gudgeon said the same thing about the soccer team, but with 13 returnees and 34 turning out, he expects the Eagles to be strong.
Top returnees include: Seigo Hall, a senior midfielder who was all-league as a sophomore, but injured last year; junior goalkeeper Nick McDonald; and sophomore forward Stephen Caponey.
The coach said team defense is its strength, with all of its starters returning. Gudgeon said he is excited about the new turf at Arlington that the Eagles will play their home games on.
“Everything’s being done differently this year because of the faster surface,” he said.
In the past, Arlington played a slower-style game because of its grass field. Since so many of the players are on select teams, most of them have more experience playing on turf fields.
Gudgeon expects rivals Stanwood and Marysville-Pilchuck to be their toughest competitors for the Wesco North title.
LAKEWOOD — The Lakewood girls golf team returns two varsity players from last season.
Senior Kendal Hurd enters her second year of playing, and so does sophomore Brooke Forsell. They both qualified for the district playoffs last year, coach Chris Walster said.
Lakewood also has freshman potential, Bailey Dixon, who “has had a very exciting start to the season,” Walster said. “And should start the year on varsity and may surprise some people in the Cascade Conference.”
Rival Kings won the state 1A championship last year and are also returning a number of players, Walster said.
MARYSVILLE — The Marysville Getchell softball team returns senior captain Kymber Devlin, senior Kaitlyn Bombach, junior Ashlyn Sievers, junior Della Willem and sophomore Katie King.
“We do not know that much about newcomer Arlington but Marysville-Pilchuck, Stanwood and Everett all return strong teams,” coach Mike Moran said.
MARYSVILLE — The Marysville Getchell Chargers enter its fourth year as a baseball program with the goal of winning its first division championship, coach Gerry Klep said.
It will be “counting on” senior outfielder John Clark, sophomore infielder and pitcher Collin Montez, sophomore outfielder and pitcher Zac Townsend, senior shortstop and pitcher Austin Richburg, junior shortstop and pitcher Cameron Burns and senior outfielder and pitcher Collin Mahony.
“We look forward to big things this year and the future is bright as we are carrying six sophomores and four juniors on the varsity roster,” Klep said. “With many of them getting time last year.”
MARYSVILLE — The Marysville-Pilchuck track and field team are predicting four returning members to do well this season.
“Both our boys and girls squads are looking at a ‘reload’ scenario this year as we lost so many key seniors from 2014,” coach Randy Davis said.
M-P returns senior and defending long jump champion Austin Joyner and was favorited to win the 100 meter dash but suffered an injured hamstring.
“Our goal with Austin is just to keep him healthy and relaxed,” Davis said. “We want him to have some fun as he gets ready to join the NCAA football grind at UW.”
Other tracksters are Bianca Acuario who will run the sprints and football star and wrestling state champion Killian Page.
“We also have a good crew of new-comers from freshmen to first-year seniors that the coaches are excited about,” Davis said. “One of which is Page who everyone knows as a great athlete from football and a state champion wrestler. It says a lot about a students being willing to try something new as a senior.
For throws, M-P returns Corbin Ferry who is “one of the best returning discus throwers around.”
“We hope he has a great year,” Davis said.
MARYSVILLE — The Marysville Getchell girls tennis team returns nine varsity players, the highest the four-year program has returned, coach Anderew Christopher said.
“I’m optimistic we should be competing for one of the top spots in our league,” Christopher said. “Marina Ciferri just missed going to state last year as a sophomore and she has come back ready to go this year, as a junior.”
MARYSVILLE — The Marysville-Pilchuck softball team returns veteran senior Kayla Tocco and senior team captain Kayla Tocco.
M-P wants to stay competitive in every game but also be win the 3A Wesco North title and a berth into state, coach Aaron Zachry said.
Though their goal is set, M-P is still mindful about some formidable teams in the league.
“Everett will be a solid squad this year, only graduating one senior last season,” Zachry said. “Both MG and Stanwoods programs are on an up swing so should make for some good ball this spring.”
