Spartan boys perform ably on hardwood

Five players earn All-Metro, All-KNG nods.

Though they had a tougher time this season, the Bainbridge boys basketball team still made some noise for the 2007-08 season.

The Spartans started off poorly with a 3-6 record, including losses to North Kitsap, West Seattle, Seattle Prep and Renton.

But with the new year came a fresh start, as Bainbridge reeled off nine wins in their last 12 games to make the playoffs.

There, they defeated the Wildcats and Bishop Blanchet, but were eliminated by Skyline in the district tournament, suffering the same fate as their state championship opponents last season in O’Dea, who were eliminated by West Seattle.

For their efforts this season, five Spartans made the All-Metro League team.

Five Spartans also made the All-Kitsap News Group team, as voted on by the sports writers for the Bainbridge Island Review, the Bremerton Patriot, the Central Kitsap Reporter, the North Kitsap Herald and the Port Orchard Independent.

Candidates for the team are nominated by the writers for their respective areas. The nominees are then voted on by the writers, with the top vote-getters making the teams.

Two honorable mentions are selected from each school for each sport. The teams include the best players from area schools that not only performed well individually, but played a role in the success of their team as well.

The starters

G — Andre Moore, Klahowya, junior — Moore’s athleticism paid off big this winter for Klahowya, as the standout running back scored a team-leading 18.9 points per game in helping the Eagles get within a game of state.

He also pulled down five rebounds per game, dished out 2.7 assists and defensively logged 3.5 steals.

G — Kyle Erickson, North Kitsap, junior — As his team’s big offensive threat he scored 18 points and averaged four assists per game. Not only is Erickson one of the best guards in the Narrows League but he’s a “coach’s dream,” and a “basketball magnet.”

G — Nick Fling, Bainbridge, senior — The 6-4 guard was the most consistent player for the Spartans this season as he averaged 12 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.1 blocks per game.

His assist-to-turnover ratio was a sparkling 3-to-1 and he shot 63 percent from the field, upping it to 70 percent during Bainbridge’s winning streak that led them to the playoffs.

Fling was an All-Metro third team selection.

F — Brandon Durham, Central Kitsap, junior — The 6-foot-7-inch post loomed large over defenders this season as Durham led CK with 15.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per contest. Durham was a major part of CK’s defensive game plan as well, swiping 1.1 steals and swatting 1.4 shots per game.

F — Taylor Hoffer, North Kitsap, junior — Recognized by his coaches as NK’s most improved player, Hoffer is the cornerstone of NK’s offensive game, scoring 17 points and averaging 18 boards per game.

Hoffer’s season also includes 12 double-doubles.

The bench

Ben Eisenhardt, Bainbridge, junior, F — At 6-10, Eisenhardt was essential in Bainbridge’s march back to the playoffs as he led the team in scoring with 13.9 a game.

He also averaged 8.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 2.2 blocks per game.

Eisenhardt will be scrutinized by many Division I schools as he’ll be the leader for the Spartans next season as they look toward making a return to state.

Eisenhardt was an All-Metro second team selection.

Eli Olson, Bremerton, senior, G — Olson brought court awareness and explosive scoring to the Knights offense, averaging a team-best 18.6 points per game.

Nick Johnson, South Kitsap, senior, F — The 6-6 senior averaged a team-best 10.8 points per game and was one of the better shooters in the Narrows League. He converted 45.8 percent of his three-pointers, pacing the Wolves with 8.8 rebounds per game.

Caleb Leavitt, Klahowya, senior, G — One of the seniors responsible for helping turn Klahowya’s program around, Leavitt was a leader on the floor for the Eagles while also scoring 13.7 points per game. Leavitt also grabbed 3.8 boards and had 1.5 steals per game.

Jordan Coover, North Kitsap, senior, F — A solid all-around athlete, Coover’s numbers demonstrate what type of baller he truly is, posting 13 points and averaging seven rebounds per game.

Mike Walsh, Bainbridge, senior, F — The 6-4 Walsh played at twice his height this season, turning in a consistent effort as he did the dirty work in the paint, scoring 9.2 points and grabbing 7.4 rebounds a game.

Walsh was named an All-Metro honorable mention.

Tionne Curry, South Kitsap, junior, G — Curry averaged nine points per game and converted 13-of-30 (43.3 percent) three-pointers. He finished second on the team with 26 steals as a point guard and had a team-high 100 assists.

The coach

Tony Chisholm, North Kitsap — In his second season as a high school varsity coach, Tony Chisholm helped his team to a 14-11 record.

North Kitsap, under Chisholm’s impeccable guidance, finished its season one game shy a state berth.

Also stellar

Caleb Davis, Bainbridge, senior, G — The 6-0 guard was a threat behind the three-point arc every time he came off a screen, scoring 11.6 points a game for the Spartans.

Davis was an All-Metro honorable selection.

Jesse Powell, Bainbridge, senior, guard — The 6-0 Powell worked his butt off in defending some of the best guards in the state in the Metro League.

He also came up with three-pointers at key points in games, averaging 5.8 points per contest.

Powell was an All-Metro honorable mention.

Jack Clearman, Kingston, senior, G

Kyle McCown, North Kitsap, senior, G/F

Phillip Thomas, Central Kitsap, junior, G

Joey Johnston, Olympic, senior, G

Chris Zumdieck, Klahowya, senior, G/F

Drew McCullough, King’s West, junior, G

Johnny Olwell, Bremerton, senior, G

Leon La Deaux, South Kitsap, sophomore, G