Some of the top players in northwest Washington joined up for the Northwest Conference Girls and Boys All-Star Games and just like during the regular season, the Whatcom stars shined on Wednesday, March 15, at Skagit Valley College.
A trio from Nooksack Valley’s state championship team — senior Hallie Kamphouse and juniors Devin Coppinger and Tana Hoekema — led the girls Red Team to an 80-71 victory over the White Team.
In the boys game, Blaine senior Matt Russ had 25 points to lead the Blue Team past the White Team, 76-74.
Girls
Coppinger had 20 points and three 3-pointers to lead the Red Team, which pulled away in the fourth quarter. Kamphouse had 16 points, hitting three of her four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, and Hoekema added 12 points.
Lynden junior Haylee Koetje and her freshman teammate, Payton Mills, added 10 and 9 points, respectively, for the Red Team. Squalicum juniors Mari Binning and Makayla Heaton and senior Callie McEachran combined for 10 points, and Ferndale senior Madisyn Butenschoen had 2 points.
For the White Team, Burlington-Edison sophomore Chesah Holmes had a team-high 16 points. Meridian seniors Avery Neal and Maris Baklund had 5 and 4 points, respectively, and Blaine junior Jordyn Vezzetti had 5 points.
Red Team 80, White Team 71
Red Team 14 22 21 26—80
White Team 15 20 20 16—71
Red Team: Devin Coppinger 20, Hallie Kamphouse 16, Tana Hoekema 12, Makayla Heaton 2, Mari Binning 5, Callie McEachran 3, Madisyn Butenschoen 2, Paige Bahr 4, Payton Mills 9, Haylee Koetje 10.
White Team: Chesah Holmes 16, Analise Slotemaker 9, Avery Neal 5, Maris Baklund 4, Malia Garcia 2, Tenaya Taylor 11, AJ White 2, Josie Harper 5, Ellie Marble 12, Jordyn Vezzetti 5.
Boys
Russ and Lynden Christian junior Jeremiah Wright had 6 points each in the fourth quarter as the Blue Team held on for the close win. Russ finished with 25 points, Wright and Mount Vernon’s Quinn Swanson had 12 each, and Russ’s Blaine teammate Lucas Smith had 10 points.
Meridian sophomore Jaeger Fyfe added 6 points and Lynden Christian senior Tyler Sipma had 3 points for the Blue Team.
The White Team was led by Sehome senior Grey Garrison, who had 20 points. Lynden junior Anthony Canales added 13 points, Sehome senior Grant Kepley had 11 points, and Burlington-Edison senior Blaine Granberg had 10.
Other Whatcom players on the White Team were Lynden senior Coston Parcher (6 points), Lynden sophomore Brant Heppner (4) and Squalicum senior Ashton Engelhart (0).
Blue Team 76, White Team 74
Blue Team 15 18 24 19—76
White Team 14 17 21 22—74
Blue Team: Tyler Sipma 3, Matt Russ 25, Quinn Swanson 12, Lucas Smith 10, Aliyis Giles 2, Devari Davis 6, Jaeger Fyfe 6, Jeremiah Wright 12.
White Team: Coston Parcher 6, Grant Kepley 11, Blaine Granberg 10, Grey Garrison 20, Anthony Canales 13, Mason Weller 2, Ashton Engelhart, Bennett Howe 8, Brant Heppner 4.
Other all-star honors
For those of you have are still basking in the glory of our Whatcom success at the Class 2A and 1A state tournaments in Yakima earlier this month, Eli Sports Network announced its all-tournament teams and “extra honors.”
Nooksack Valley’s Coppinger (1A girls), Lynden Christian’s Wright (1A boys), and Lynden’s Canales (2A boys) were named the MVPs of their respective tournaments after leading their teams to state titles.
Other Whatcom players honored were:
1A girls: First team—Grace Hintz, Lynden Christian; second team—Demi Dykstra, Lynden Christian; Hoekema, Nooksack Valley.
1A boys: First team— Sipma, Lynden Christian; second team— Russ, Blaine.
2A boys: Second team— Kobe Baar, Lynden.
Shane Wichers of Nooksack Valley and Brian Roper of Lynden were picked as their top coaches of their tournaments. In addition, two other groups were named as the “best”: the Nooksack Valley fans and the Lynden cheer staff.
