Inside the Huddle

Back in the huddle here after a four-day jaunt to Colorado, where I pulled my weight, and them some, in celebration of my younger sister’s college graduation.
Missed quite a bit, though, with prep playoffs in full swing. Here’s a quick rundown of what awaits Bremerton and Central Kitsap area teams as the postseason continues in baseball, fastpitch and boys soccer.
Check back later for information on tennis and track and field. A lot to keep straight, so hang with me.

Fastpitch:
Central Kitsap High School will face Wilson High School in the Narrows League Tournament on May 14 to determine the league’s No. 3 and 4 seeds to districts. The winner gets No. 3, the loser No. 4.
The Lady Cougars (14-5 overall, 10-4 league) lost to Wilson 5-1 early this season, but coach Bruce Welling has said more than once over the past few weeks that the team is right where it needs to be and on course for another successful postseason. Central Kitsap has advanced to the Class 4A state tournament three consecutive seasons.
The Wilson game will be at a time-still-to-be announced at the South End Recreation Area in Tacoma. More info here.

Baseball:
Central Kitsap and Olympic are still alive and both teams are in action this week at districts, looking to advance to state.
The road might be a little easier for the Cougars (15-7), who will have two chances to move beyond districts by virtue of their No. 3 seed. They face Puyallup High School of the South Puget Sound League at 11 a.m. Saturday at Kent Memorial Park, with the winner earning a No. 1 seed to state and the loser dropping to a loser-out, winner-to-state game at 5 p.m. the same day.

Here’s an image from Central Kitsap’s 7-6 win over rival South Kitsap High School in a game that was played Saturday. Photo credit goes to Editor Jeff Rhodes of the Port Orchard Independent.

Olympic, on the other hand, must win two consecutive games to advance to state for the second time in three seasons. The senior-laden Trojans face Auburn Mountainview High School in a loser-out game at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Kent Memorial. A win would put Olympic in a loser-out, winner-to-state contest against either Union High School or Mount Rainier High School at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Coach Nate Andrews has said over the past few weeks that his team in playing better now than it has all season. We’ll see if that’s enough for the squad to advance.
Brackets here.

Soccer:
The team to watch here is Bremerton High School. The Knights defeated previously unbeaten North Kitsap High School 2-0 last week to earn the Olympic League regular-season championship and an opportunity to become a No. 1 seed to districts. Led by senior captains Matt Olson and Eli Chastain, the Knights face the state’s fourth-ranked 3A team, Capital High School, at 7 p.m. Monday. A win would give them a No. 1 seed to districts, which begin Saturday, while a loss would drop them to a No. 2 seed.
In any event Bremerton will be in districts, looking to get to state for the first time since 1990. Thanks to my sister’s apparently great study habits, I was Mile High the night the Knights won the league. But here are a few images I took during a rainy game last week against Olympic, a 1-0 Bremerton win that set up the showdown with North Kitsap:

In 4A action Central Kitsap faces Wilson at 6:30 p.m. Monday in a loser-out, winner-to-districts match. The game is at Mount Tahoma High School, and the winner gets a No. 5 seed to districts. Brackets here.