Submitted by Orcas Christian School.
Orcas Christian School is starting this basketball season with a hint of youth. The Saints are in their fourth season as a part of the WIAA, and they will again be playing in the NW1B league.
The Lady Saints have the only senior that OCS has played basketball this year. Alaena Comrie will represent the Lady Saints as their most experienced player and will return this year as team captain. She is joined by juniors Katie Kemmerer, Chela Scheckel-Mohler and Alexis Sprague, freshman Sofia Garcia and Emma Oneal as well as eighth graders Victoria Plunkett and Satine Tyree. The Saints are a fairly young team with many newcomers, as they are returning only two starters from last year.
“The girls don’t see this as a challenge but as an opportunity to come together as a team and see where their hard work can take them,” said Ryan Davis.
The Saints will be coached this year by Dave Blissard, who takes his new position after being the assistant coach last year. Blissard has mountains of coaching experience from his time in Pennsylvania before he joined the OCS community. Blissard will be joined by Assistant Coach Troy Oneal who has been a great help for both men’s and women’s teams the past several years.
The men’s team at OCS will again be coached by Ryan Davis, who in his third year as head coach of the men. The Saints will be one of the youngest teams in the league this year. The guys will be led by two sophomores: Corey Aragon and Lucien Anderson. They are joined by junior David Juarez, freshmen: David Klein, Owen Lucas, Gabe Sturk, Taylor Wesolek, Caleb Wood, Michael Mullen and Ryan Schneider as well as 8th graders Andrew Kemmerer, Cadence Kraayeveld and Michael Barnwell.
“I don’t think I have ever had a team this young before,” said Davis. “The guys are working incredibly hard and I think we will surprise a lot of teams this year.”
Davis is joined by Jay Sack.
“Jay coached with me two years ago and we work very well together. The guys are responding incredibly well to Jay and are working harder than I have ever seen them work,” said Davis. “It is good to have him back working with me.”
