WP Awards Cap “Awesome” Fall Season

WAITSBURG - Crown­ing one of the best fall sports seasons in its history, the WP athletics combine handed out annual awards Monday to the individual athletes who made happen in cheerleading, volleyball, football and cross country.

The WP Tigers' soccer awards will be presented at Vista Hermosa at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.

"Before our cross-country season began, I was unsure of how it would play out, if this small boys team, half of whom were freshmen, would be able to make our third consecutive post-season appearance at state," cross country coach Joanna Lan­ning said. She was among half a dozen coaches who helped bestow myriad awards to student athletes in the four sports.

"Well, we played the hand we were dealt, and they all turned out to be aces - through commitment, hard work and lots of heart," she told the crowd of students, parents and fans who had turned out at the WHS audi­torium for the long-awaited ceremony which was re­scheduled from a week ear­lier because of the Cardinals' semi final game against Col­fax in Pullman. Lanning described how her group of 10 cross-country athletes, which also included two girls and two middle school competitors, devel­oped

into a tight-knit family, "encouraging each other ev­ery step of the way, develop­ing a chemistry no scientists have ever yet been able to bottle." The group's efforts helped place them seventh, two places above the polls' pre­dictions, led by Seth Deal's fourth-place finish, she said. "Both the team's finish and Seth's individual placing are the highest in our school's history." Erik Sandoval won Most Improved for the progress he made through "his dedica­tion and work ethic;" Deal won Most Valuable Athlete for, among other achieve­ments, winning four of the team's 10 meets; and Isabel Benito won Most Inspira­tional/

Coach's Award for her iron will and perseverance.

"Many times upon arriv­ing at a meet, we were a total unknown, but by the time we got back on the bus, WP had left behind a large footprint showing we could compete with the best," Lanning con­cluded. Football head coach Jeff Bartlow called his team's 12-1 season "a great ride." And though the "Colfax deal" was a disappointment (the Cardinal's heartbreak­ing

21-14 loss in the semi final) that took him three days to shake off, Bartlow applauded his 2010 Cardi­nals

as the most successful in recent history, drawing from three communities: Waits­burg, Prescott and Jubilee Christian. Among his highlights were the first game against Kamiah, which proved the Cardinals were tough; the second-half comeback win over Chiawana; the victories over DeSales and first three playoff games. "If you can do this once or twice as a coach, you have a lot to be thankful for," he said about his opportunity to manage a team of such caliber. "It was an awesome season." The players picked Nick Pearson as Freshman of the Year; Jubilee's Grant Germain as Most Improved (he averaged 4.8 tackles and caused two fumbles on defense); TJ Hofer as Most Inspirational (averaged 4.5 tackles, had five intercep­tions,

deflected five passes on defense; had 42 catches for 686 yards and scored 86 points on offense); Eshom Estes as Lineman of the Year (he averaged 4.9 tackles per game, had 7.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and 11 hurries); Dalton Estes as Special Teams Player of the Year (he had 22 carries for 91 yards, 23 catches for 398 yards, six touchdowns and 67 total points); Zach Bartlow as Offensive Player of the Year (he averaged 7.9 tackles per game, had six interceptions on defense; rushed for 920 yards, threw for 2,169 yards and had six touchdowns); Tre Brannock as Defensive Player of the Year (he averaged 11.1 tack­les per game, caused three fumbles and 10 hurries); and Kris Cady as Most Valuable Player of 2010 (he averaged 6.4 tackles, had six intercep­tions,

caused four fumbles and blocked one very critical punt on defense; he had 171 carries for 1,347 yards, 22 touchdowns, 37 catches for 523 yards and scored a total 132 points). The Coach's Award went to David Brock he averaged 3.9 tackles, had fivesacks, caused and recov­ered two fumbles, 14 hurries and deflected three passes). The volleyball awards were presented by Alyssa Hafen - the team's three coaches having been sus­pended shortly before the end of the regular season. In that sport, Ronnie Hulce won All League; Most Improved went to Di­onna Baker; Most Valuable Player to Kayla Huxoll and Most Inspirational to Hafen herself.

The 2010 cheerleaders, led by coach Vickie Ha­mann, were Ashley Wilson, Kazmira Grende, Rachel Reedy, Taylor Moon, Kris­ten Potter and Taylor Doep­ker.