The End Zone

This picture was taken by photographer Mel Thompson Tuesday night during Issaquah’s 5-1 victory over Bothell.

Michael Roberts received the ball off a corner kick near the top of the penalty box. It was headed up in the air and came to Roberts, who had his back to the goal. He popped the ball off his chest and facing away from goal, laid out into a scissor kick/side volley and sent the ball into the back of the net.

“The ball had tremendous spin on it and started about 2 yards high and 1 yard wide of the goal, but dipped and bent back into the top right corner,” head coach Jason Licthenberger said. “I don’t think my words do it justice. It was an amazing goal.”

Eastside Catholic midfielder Michael Rambaldini was named US Lacrosse Washington High School Division I Player of the Week for his exceptional play the week of April 11-17.

The senior scored 12 points, including 11 goals and one assist in the Crusaders’ Division I lacrosse wins over Lynnwood and Plateau neighbor Skyline. Rambaldini scored six goals in Eastside Catholic’s 21–4 defeat of Lynnwood, last year’s Division II state champion, and two days later, netted five goals as the Crusaders defeated Skyline 22–19. He also combined for 15 ground balls over the span.

Rambaldini has four years high school lacrosse experience and was elected captain of the Eastside Catholic squad as a junior and senior. He was named captain of the Crusaders’ basketball team as a senior, and as a junior and senior he received the school’s scholar athlete award for both lacrosse and basketball.

In the classroom, the three-year National Honor Society selectee maintains a 3.82 GPA through a schedule of advanced placement and honors course work.

He’s received the school’s Academic First Honors from 2008–2011, was named to the school’s Basketball Scholar Athlete Award as a junior and senior and received Student of the Month honors as a freshman and junior. His on-campus achievements include serving as DECA vice president as a junior, Eastside Catholic Mentor Representative as a sophomore and junior, Freshman Overnight Retreat leader and Destiny Retreat Leader, both as a senior. He is also a member of the school’s Crusader Life Club and Fishing Club.

In the community, Rambaldini has completed over 150 hours of community service including work with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation where he raised over $50,000. Following graduation, Rambaldini plans to study at either one of the Claremont Colleges in California or the University of Washington.

Rambaldini is the second Eastside Catholic student to earn US Lacrosse Washington High School Player of the Week honors in 2011. The Crusaders’ Alex Foreman was named Girls Division I player of the week for the week of March 28 – April 3.

Here’s a little tidbit on the Eastside Catholic baseball team that we included in this week’s print issue of the Issaquah and Sammamish Reporter. Thought I would put on the blog for everyone to see.

Last weekend, 35 members of the Eastside Catholic baseball team volunteered their time Washington State Special Olympics King County and Northwest regionals swim meet in Federal Way.

Eastside Catholic student athlete Megan Mills won four gold medals during the competition. Here’s a photo of her and some of the baseball team.

Back row, left to right, are Jeff Bohling, Taylor Hawes, Alex Foley, Megan Mills, Charlie Ory, Jeff Kepple and Braden Walgomott. Matt Wenzinger is in the front row.

The Washington state chapter of U.S. Lacrosse announced Wednesday it has reached an agreement with Comcast to air a total of four high school lacrosse games on its On Demand service.

Issaquah and Skyline will be featured in two of those games, starting with the Eagles’ matchup against Mercer Island tonight.

Skyline will also have its May 3 game against defending state champion Bellevue replayed on On Demand.

The four boys games are available exclusively to Comcast customers at no cost and will appear within 48 hours of the conclusion of each game.

April 15 – Issaquah vs. Mercer Island ( 8 p.m. / Mercer Island High School Stadium)

May 3 – Bellevue vs. Skyline (8 p.m. / Skyline High School)

May 7 – Bainbridge vs. Mercer Island (7 p.m. / Mercer Island High School Stadium)

May 28 – Washington Lacrosse State Championship Boys Division 1 Title Game (Memorial Stadium – Seattle)

Eastside Catholic’s varsity and junior varsity baseball teams will have all hands on deck at the Washington State Special Olympics King County and Northwest Regionals swim meet this Saturday at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

The 35 boys, who are currently undefeated in the Metro League and sport an 11-1 overall record, will volunteer in various roles, such as timers of events, runners, computer database inputting and marshals.

“This group of boys is incredibly skilled as a team on the field, as seen by their record,” said Rhonda Bunker, team coordinator and EC parent. “They have a desire to help and a chemistry like no other team I have seen. Doing community service is one of the touchstones of EC, and this event is especially near to their hearts, as some of EC’s own athletes will be competing.”

It’s official — Bellevue Christian will have a football team for the first time in school history for the 2011 season.

So, how will this impact the KingCo 4A, and more specifically Eastlake?

Apparently it won’t.

According to Wolves’ head coach Gene Dales, quarterback Keegan Kemp, currently in his third year at Bellevue Christian School, will be given a “grandfather clause” and be allowed to play his senior season at Eastlake High School — the closest school to where his family resides and the place he’s played the last two seasons.

The decision is not a problem at all for Bellevue Christian, which said it immediately contacted the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association in support of Kemp.

“The young man at Eastlake is a bit of an anomaly in that he is a senior, a captain quarterback,” BCS athletic director Mark DeJong told Bellevue Reporter sports writer, Josh Suman. “When we were going through the process we called the WIAA and we wanted Keegen to participate at Eastlake, and we didn’t want to take that opportunity away from him — that’s the last thing that we wanted.”

Kemp completed 77 of 127 passes (59.28 percent) for 1,258 yards, 13 touchdowns and only one interception in 2010. He also rushed 60 times for 356 yards and five TDs, helping the Wolves to an 8-3 season and a state tournament appearance.

Bellevue Christian, a 1A school, will participate in the 1A/2B Nisqually League. Other schools in that division include Cedar Park Christian, Cascade Christian, Life Christian Academy, Wright Academy, Orting, Chimacum, Vashon Island and Port Townsend.

Issaquah will take part in a baseball doubleheader at 4 p.m., Saturday at Safeco Field when they face defending 4A state champion Kentwood as part of the High School Baseball Classic.

Newport and Puyallup begin Saturday’s action at 12:30 p.m. There is no cost of admission and games will be played rain or shine.

This is the only chance any of these teams will have to play at Safeco this season as this year’s 3A and 4A state championships were moved to Cheney Stadium in Tacoma.

The Eagles (2-4) are scheduled to play Redmond (5-2) at 6 p.m., tonight on the road in a makeup game, then take on rival Skyline (3-4) at 3:45 p.m., tomorrow. Skyline’s home game against Newport was also rescheduled for 3:45 p.m., today after it was rained out yesterday.

Issaquah High School head baseball coach Rob Reese earned his 300th career victory Saturday afternoon when the Eagles defeated Sedro-Woolley 9-1 in the Skagit Valley.

Reese, who is in his 18th year as Issaquah’s manager, is now 300-127 overall. He has led the Eagles to three state championships (2000, 2004, 2007) and to state playoff appearances in 11 of his previous 17 years at the helm.

“(It) means I have been coaching a long time, have had great players and teams,” said a modest Reese, of reaching the milestone. “I also have a great coaching staff.”

Assistant coach Steve Sanelli made sure Reese received the game ball after the victory. The team was then made aware of the accomplishment.

“They were excited,” Reese said.

The Eagles improved to 2-4 overall with the win, marking their second consecutive victory.

According to the Washington Baseball Poll, the winningest coach in state history is Ephrata’s Dave Johnson, who tallied 663 wins over a 30-plus year career.

Reese said he hopes to lead Issaquah at least another nine years so he can coach his youngest son Tyler.

Twenty-one high school girls from Washington state have been selected by the Washington Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association to represent Washington state in the U.S. Lacrosse Women’s Division National Tournament, May 28 and 29 at Stony Brook University in New York.

Four of those underclassmen come from Sammamish.

Skyline sophomores Emily Mincin and Haley Mincin, along with Eastside Catholic juniors Malia Bachesta and Lauren Breynaert were selected to the team.

Established in 1933, the Women’s Division National Tournament is one of the oldest lacrosse tournaments in the U.S. The local standouts will compete among 60 teams from across the U.S. in the schoolgirl’s division for high school freshmen, sophomores and juniors.

The nationally-syndicated television show Sports Stars of Tomorrow will feature Issaquah area youth football standout defensive end Cody Baker this weekend in its program about the Eastbay Youth All-American Bowl from January at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Baker’s fumble return for a touchdown will be part of the featured segment on the 8th-Grade, unlimited weight limit game.

SSOT airs at 4 p.m., Saturday, March 26 on KIRO, Channel 7.

The show is hosted by legendary broadcaster Pat Summerall and features the brightest young stars in sports and is the only high-school sports program in national syndication.

Started in 2005, SSOT airs in over 90 percent of home in the United States and has featured such future stars as LeBron James, Sam Bradford and John Wall, as well as U.S. Army All-Americans Chris Wells, Tim Tebow and Matt Barkley. The show is partners with the website PrepTicket.com, which features clips of the show in its national section.