High School Sports Feature: Emerald Ridge is golden

The Emerald Ridge High School softball team is good. Don't believe me? Just ask the team from Todd Beamer High School.

Yesterday the Emerald Ridge Jaguars pounced all over the home team Titans 13-1. Finishing up the game in five innings. During those five innings, the Jaguars put up 13 hits and allowed the team to improve to 8-0 overall and 7-0 in league play. The win also put a firmer grip on the 4A South Puget Sound League South Division lead.

The visiting Jags put up five runs to start the game. Alexa Derrick had an RBI double and Taylor Buie had an RBI single and scored two of the runs.

Catcher Kyndell Andrews went 3 for 4 with an RBI herself.

Senior pitcher Alisha McKnight earned the win as she struck out four batters during the five innings of play.

So far this season the Jaguars have outscored their opponents 70-5 this season. Yeah, they're good.

High School Sports Feature: Todd Beamer's 1st trip to State

On Thursday Federal Way High School boys basketball was featured on Just South of North. And today we're going to shine the spotlight on another Federal Way school. Only this time it's one of the newer schools in the state, and one without a storied background.

Todd Beamer High School.

Todd Beamer High School, named after Todd Morgon Beamer (a passenger aboard United Airlines Flight 93 during the September 11, 2001 attacks) opened it's doors in the fall of 2003.

And last night the stars seemed to align as the Beamer boys basketball team beat the highly talented and dominate Bellarmine Prep High School 78-68.

The Beamer Titans beat the Lions in a must win game of the West Central District 4A Tournament. Going into the game both teams knew that the winner would go to state and the loser's season would be over.

Bellarmine's Abdul Gaddy, a senior, is easily one of the best players in the state. He has been invited to the McDonald's All-American game and also the Nike Hoops Summit in Portland, Ore. He also has commited to play for the University of Washington next season.

But on Friday night Gaddy and his Lions met Napa Mefi. Mefi, a 5 foot 9 inch sophomore guard, came to play. He lit up the scoreboard with 28 points, including draining five 3-pointers.

At one point during the first half the Titans trailed by as much as nine points. But during the start of the fourth quarter Beamer went on a 12-0 run and put the game almost out of reach, 64-49.

Bellermine tried to rally back, but had dug themselves in too deep of a hole. In the end they watched as Todd Beamer celebrated their first trip to the 4A state tournament. They will be the Districts Number 5 seed into state.

Kevin Davis also added 25 points for the Titans.