By Ed Friedrich

Sun Sports Writer

Graduation has rendered Olympic League girls basketball virtually star-less. New ones will doubtless emerge, but in the meantime the conference may experience a down cycle after providing some of the state’s finest action of the 1980s.

That recent history featured nearly annual representation at the state tournament, including North Kitsap’s Class AA championship in 1985 and Port Angeles’ runnerup AAA team the following year.

It featured a mini North Kitsap dynasty erected upon such stars as Pam Clark, Michele Hackett and Rhonda Thomas; the Leigh Morgan-led Roughrider teams; Olympic’s heyday when Robin Steele was roaming the paint and Sequim’s back-to-back state teams for which Lisa Little starred.  And North, of course, made still another appearance last season, finishing sixth.

An decline this year is expected in part because the 1988 all-league team featured only seniors on the first team. Only one second-teamer – 6-foot-1 Bremerton center Missy Beard – and two honorable mentions – Bremerton’s Monica Blye and Port Angeles’ Paula Hornberger – return.

The top five and 14 of the top 17 players in the league have graduated.

Every team has been hit, but Bremerton, with Beard and Blye, and Port Angeles, with six girls who started at least part-time last season, appear to have emerged the strongest.

North Kitsap, with a future star in 6-1 sophomore Dawn Vahcic, is counting on height overcoming youth.

The Olympic League, as it did last year, will sent two AA and one AAA teams to district. New this year are coach Murray Webb at Central Kitsap and a triple round-robin league schedule.

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BREMERTON KNIGHTS

Head coach – Doug Wagner (4th year)

1987-88 record – 7-3 league, 2nd; 17-6 overall

Returning lettermen – 4

Centers – Missy Beard, 6-1 sr.

Forwards – Monica Blye, 5-9 jr.; Stephanie Watson, 5-9 sr.; Marsh Blye, 5-8 jr.; Jackie Borja, 5-7 sr., Janel Gallegos, 5-8 sr.; Nancy Harris, 5-9 jr.; Shellie VanDePutte, 5-9 jr.; Laura VanHellenbeke, 5-9 sr.; Amy Keller, 5-9 jr.

Guards – Mikki Haugen, 5-6 sr.; Krista Clark, 5-7, sr.; Jennifer McCauley, 5-5 sr.

Outlook – The Knights return only two players to a team that came within one game of playing in the state tournament. According to last year’s all-league voting, however, the two, Missy Beard and Monice Blye, are among the top three returnees in the league.

Beard, a second-team all-OL selection showed in her triple-double debut Tuesday – 18 points, 18 rebounds, 11 blocks – that she’ll be a force. She scored 8.1 points a game and Blye 6.3 last year. Both were starters. The other lettermen, Haugen and Watson, scored little but benefitted from the experience and now have stepped into starting roles. Keller, who would have been Central Kitsap’s top returning player had she not transferred, holds down the final spot.

The Knights may find it hard to replace the scoring of OL MVP Janet Soderberg, not to mention the savvy and confidence. Because the big girls run well, Wagner expects his team to not only have a strong inside game but to score off the transition game, which he hopes to fuel with full-court defense.

Much of the burden of running the club will fall on Haugen, a quick but inexperienced point guard. But a stronger Beard and Blye, who has developed some fine moves, are expected to do the bulk of the scoring.

“I might have to do a little bit of coaching this year, instead of giving the ball to people and telling them to go out and win the game for us,” joked Wagner.

Basketball

Bremerton 60, Port Angeles 48 - Mark Gallegos and Paul Wittig scored 13 points each for the winners while Jeramy Lindel added 12 and Phil Washington eights as Bremerton won at PA for the first time in Dick Danubio's coaching tenure. It was the Bremerton freshman team's first game. Next action is set for Monday at BHS against Fairview.

Marcus Whitman 41, Sedgwick 29 - Mike Boyd scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to pace Marcus Whitman's ninth graders to victory. Mark Hatfield added seven points for the winners in their first game of the season. Marcus Whitman's next scheduled action is Tuesday at home against Cedar Heights.