Sports
FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2014
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TACOMAWEEKLY.com
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LINCOLN’S DEFENSE HELPS ABES TOP FOSS Life Christian outlasts Seattle Christian
The Sideline is Tacoma Weekly’s new sports-only blog, providing you with quick game recaps as well as some content that won’t appear in print! Check in for regular updates, and we hope you enjoy!
SECTION A, PAGE 6
TOP UPCOMING MATCHUPS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Jan. 14 – Pacific Lutheran @ Puget Sound 6 p.m. (Women) – 8 p.m. (Men) Lutes, Loggers look for early supremacy in city rivalry.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Jan. 15 – Wilson @ Stadium – 7 p.m. Good crossover matchup between early league leaders.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Jan. 17 – Timberline @ Lincoln – 7 p.m. Abes look to fend off UW commit Donovan Dorsey and Blazers.
WRESTLING
Jan. 18 – Willie Stewart Invite 9 a.m. – Foss High School Some top local and out-of-city high school wrestlers on display.
ESPN2’S FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS BROADCASTS FROM THE EQC Get tickets now for Jan. 10 bout between Zahir Raheem and Bayan Jargal
RAHEEM
PHOTOS BY ROCKY ROSS
RIVALRY. (Top) Lincoln’s Shon Peterson (left) and Foss’ Olashawan Miller (right) try to get in position
for a rebound. (Left) The Falcons’ Ar’Mond Davis (left) tries to lift a one-handed shot over the Abes’ Justice Martion (10). (Right) Lincoln’s Josiah Barsh breaks free for a layup as teammate Isaiah Smalls (11) looks on.
T
he Foss Falcons weren’t able to keep up with the Lincoln Abes on Jan. 3, falling to their division rival 61-40 in an early Narrows 3A crosstown showdown. Lincoln was led by junior Josiah Barsh with 18 points and freshman Londrell Hamilton with 13 points, while Foss was led by senior Ar’Mond Davis with 17 points and senior Olashawan Miller with 13 points. “We wanted to play Lincoln defense. We’ve been doing a great job defensively as a team the last few weeks,” Abes head coach Aubrey Shelton said. The first quarter not only showcased Lincoln’s (8-0, 2-0 3A Narrows) defense, but the Falcons’ (7-2, 4-1 3A Narrows) as well. The Abes came out strong with a quick two points, but Foss was able to continuously answer back, at one point taking their only lead of the night at 6-4 near the middle of the quarter. But the buzzer rang, and Lincoln was on top 14-10 heading into
the second period. The Abes were able to take control early in the second, going on a fivepoint run after the Falcons opened the quarter with a basket that brought them within two. From there the back and forth continued, with the Falcons never able to catch the Abes. Near the end of the quarter, Lincoln’s Londrell Hamilton scored five straight points to give the Abes a nine-point lead at 26-17. From there, a back-and-forth shootout led to Foss trailing, but still in the game, at halftime, 36-27. “In the first half we were shooting one-on-one shots, trying to do it ourselves,” Lincoln guard Josiah Barsh said of the Abes’ inability to pull ahead in the first half. Lincoln locked up their victory in the second half, stepping up their defensive game by only allowing nine points from Foss in the third quarter. The Falcons, matching pace with Lincoln, only allowed 10 points in the third, ending the quarter still down,
46-36. Lincoln began to wear down Foss in the final quarter, keeping them scoreless for the first five minutes while pulling ahead with a seven-point run. The patented Lincoln defense finally won out, as the Abes only allowed four points in the fourth, while scoring 15 to secure the win, 61-40. Foss will go on to face off against Wilson on Jan. 10, while Lincoln will go on to face Shelton on the same night. By Derek Shuck
EAGLES HOLD OFF WARRIORS FOR KEY WIN
Life Christian used a balanced attack to build a 19-point halftime lead, and held off a late charge from Seattle Christian for a 50-46 win at home on Jan. 7. The Eagles trailed 6-4 midway through the first quarter before Jordan Bowles nailed a three-pointer that started a 28-7 run for Life Christian to take control before the half. X See BASKETBALL / page A9
ESPN will set up shop at the Emerald Queen Casino on Jan. 10 for Battle at the Boat 94 featuring Halquist Productions’ Zahir Raheem (34-3-0, 21 KOs) in a junior welterweight contest versus Bayan Jargal (17-4-3, 11 KOs). Headlining the action will be an explosive matchup between Arash Usmanee (20-1-1, 10 KOs) and Juan Antonio Rodriguez (25-4-0, 23 KOs). In the three fights since signing with Halquist Productions, Raheem has proved that he’s committed to pursuing a world title in his comeback to boxing. Since he’s returned, Raheem has gathered a large fan base in the Pacific Northwest with exciting victories over Santos Pakau (28-8-2, 11 KO), Justin Juuko (45-12-1, 30 KO), and Tim Coleman (19-4-1, 5 KO) while fighting out of the Emerald Queen Casino. None of those fights went past the fourth round, including his latest victory when Raheem defeated Coleman with a second-round TKO in November. Raheem is currently ranked No. 3 in the NABA, No. 4 in the NABO, No. 7 in the USBA and No. 17 in the NABF. A victory over Jargal in front of a live national audience will give Raheem his first big push back into talks about being a real contender in the junior welterweight division. Raheem, however, is no stranger to being in the spotlight, as many fans remember him shocking the world in 2005 with his victory over Erik Morales ultimately earning him Ring Magazine’s upset of the year award. “We are very excited to be working with Friday Night Fights once again,” said promoter Brian Halquist. “We have now been working with Zahir for over a year now and are absolutely ready for a national showcase. Being 3-0 with three knockouts, Zahir has done everything we have asked of him and more. After Zahir defeated Morales there were always questions surrounding a Raheem vs. (Manny) Pacquiao fight leaving behind some unfinished business. He belongs on the world stage and that’s where we’re going to take him.” Usmanee, who will be fighting in the main event, last appeared on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights when he challenged Argenis Mendez (21-2-1, 11 KOs) for the IBF super featherweight title. The outcome was left in the judges’ hands where they together ruled it a majority draw in a fight that many thought Usmanee had clearly won. Tickets for Battle at the Boat 94 can be purchased at the EQC box office and online through Ticketmaster. Prices start at $35. Doors open at 5 p.m. The televised portion of the event will start at 6 p.m. sharp followed by the undercard. For more information about Battle at the Boat 94 and all other Halquist Production events, visit the official Facebook and Twitter pages of Halquist Productions, Battle at the Boat, and CageSport MMA.