ARLINGTON – In the past, they’ve been called the high-flying Eagles because of their school mascot.
This year they really are the high-flying Eagles.
With 6-foot-8 junior Will Abram and 6-4 senior leaper Josh Gutierrez playing above the rim, Arlington’s high school boys basketball team is soaring this season. Below the rim, 6-foot senior guard Anthony Whitis is doing his style of damage, casting off from the outside shooting 3’s and using his quickness to drive among the giants for layups. And with 6-3 senior Griffin Gardoski back after a football injury, he’s made the team even tougher with his passing from the high post and physical play inside.
Whitis and Gutierrez tallied 20 points each, Abram 16 and Gardoski 11 as the Eagles beat Issaquah 86-72 Thursday night.
The game really wasn’t that close as a dunk by Abram and another by Gutierrez on an alley-oop pass from Whitis put the Eagles up 47-32 at halftime.
The third period belonged to Abram as he scored inside after a 3 by Gutierrez, then after a drive by Whitis slamed down another dunk to put the Eagles ahed 58-38. The lead just mounted as he scored on yet another jam off the fastbreak. He then passed to Whitis for a score and then hit a short jumper. Whitis drove in for two to end the quarter with a 66-42 advantage.
The hometown team went up by as much as 26 points in the final stanza at 77-51 after another dunk by Gutierrez. Prior to that Michael Tsoukalas hit on a 3-point play and Whitis hit a jumper, drove in for a bucket and scored inside off an easy inbounds play. After Gardoski passed to Max Smith for two reserves finished the game and the visitors made it look close with a 30-20 advantage in the fourth quarter.
Caden Smith scored 9 and Ethan Martin tallied 5 for the Eagles.
Girls basketball
On Friday, the Arlington girls won easily 52-33 over Anacortes.
After leading just 10-6 after one quarter, the Eagle girls went on a 21-9 scoring spree in the second period to win going away.
Hailey Hiatt led the way with 11, followed by Keira Marsh with 10, Molly Janousek 7, and with 5 apiece Jackie Stupey, Jordan Bartlow and Sierra Sheppele.
Allison DeBerry added 3, scoring 2 each were Makenzie Gage and Josie Stupey, and Abby Schwark and Mackenzie Fischer scored 1 each.
Boys wrestling
Arlington placed 22nd in the team standings at the Pac Coast Championships at Mountain View High School Friday. South Kitsap won with 92; the Eagles scored 42.5 points.
Making the quarterfinals for the Eagles were at 103 pounds Daniel Heiss, at 113 pounds Dorian Tollenaar, at 170 pounds Kristian Fairbanks, and at 182 pounds Levi Wiseman.
Still alive in the consolation bracket was Sam Rush at 160 pounds.
