North Mason
volleyball
starts season
page B-6
ili ......
/
Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014
- Mason
County Journal - Page B-1
SHS tennis
doubles
teams win
page B-3
By EMILY HANSON
emily@masoncoun com
Two county soccer squads were
evenly matched last week.
The Shelton and North Mason
girls teams played to a 3-3 draw
Sept. 10 at Highclimber Stadium. It
was the first game for both teams.
The head coaches attributed the
tie to different factors.
"It really points out to the la-
dies, no matter how well we play,
defensive errors can tie the game,"
Shelton head coach Dan Deacon
said.
North Mason head coach Mitchell
James said the Lady Bulldogs played
reservedly in the first half, but won
the second half.
Shelton came out strong and phys-
ical early in the contest, leading 2-1
at the half.
Sophomore midfielder Ariana
Dose scored the first goal of the game
17 minutes in, while junior forward
Loryn Ziegler hit the back of the net
in the 32nd minute.
Between the two goals, North Ma-
son junior Raven Wolfe scored in the
28th minute.
"I think they definitely played bet-
ter than last weekend," Deacon said,
referring to the Lady Highclimbers'
two games at the soccer jamboree
Sept. 6 in Tumwater.
James said he knew Shelton would
be a physica team and thought the
Lady Bulldogs responded to the
game's physicality well.
In the second half, James said
North Mason sped the game up when
Shelton tried to slow it down.
Shelton opened the second half
with a second Dose goal, this one in
the 57th minute.
In the 58th minute, North Mason
junior Tegan Daviscourt broke away
from Shelton defenders and found
the back of the net. Deacon said this
was one of the Lady Highclimbers'
errors.
"(Senior keeper Riley McDougall)
see SOCCER, page B-5
North Mason senior running back D'Andre
game against Elma at Phil Pugh Stadium.
Light, sprinkler malfunctions add
to home-opener's excitement
By EMILY HANSON
emily@masoncoun com
Malfunctioning lights, randomly
spouting sprinklers and feeling ill on
the sideline were not enough to stop
D'Andre Dixon on Friday night.
The North Mason senior running
back rushed for 93 yards on 12 carries
with three touchdowns -- including
the game-winning score with 17 sec-
Journal photo by Emily Hanson
Dixon heads for the goal line Friday night during the Bulldogs' home
m
onds remaining -- in the Bulldogs' 34- The lights were eventually fixed,
27 home-opener victory against Elma. but both teams resumed play in the
"It was a weird one for sure between third quarter with sprinklers continu-
the sprinklers, lights and puking on ing to soak the end zone.
the sidelines," said Dixon, who said he And then, with 5:48 remaining in
wasn't sure why he felt sick. the third quarter, the sprinklers on the
The excitement started at the end of home-team sideline sprang to life.
halffime, while the teams were in their As the Bulldogs scattered to avoid
three-minute warm-up period, the water, grabbing cheer boxes --
That's when the stadium lights onwooden crates that cheerleaders stand
the visiting team's sideline went out. on during games -- to cover the sprin-
While stadium staff spent the next 15 kler heads, the officials called a timeout.
nkinutes trying to turn the lights back
on, the sprinklers in the end zone near
the scoreboard started spraying the field, see BULLDOGS, page B-5
FLY ON THE SIDELINE
ame I
ever seen
Friday night was
the strangest
high school foot-
ball game I have ever
seen.
And it had nothing
to do with what hap-
pened dm g the game.
At the end of half-
time, while the teams
were warming up, the
50-yard line lights on
the away side at Phil
Pugh Stadium went out. I've
never seen an entire bunch of
lights go out du ng a game
before.
Because of safety concerns,
officials delayed the start of
By EMILY
HANSON
the third quarter un-
til North Mason staff
could get the lights
back on.
And that's when
something even strang-
er happened.
The sprinklers in
the end zone closest to
the scoreboard sprang
to life, shooting water
onto the field. Another
first for me.
I couldn't help but laugh,
enjoying the oddity of these two
events happening during the
same game.
With the third quarter well
under way, the end zone sprin-
klers shut off -- only for the
home-team sideline sprinklers
to shoot water at the Bulldogs,
who scattered like ants, and
myself.
The laughter continued. As
players and coaches rushed to
grab cheer boxes -- wooden
crates that cheerleaders stand
on during games -- from the
North Mason cheerleaders to
cover the sprinkler heads, I
could just stand on the track,
chuckling profusely as I clicked
photo at r photo.
rve been attending high
school football games since fall
2001, with a brief break while I
was in college from 2004 to 2007.
During that time, I have nev- throw a player into the air so
er attended a stranger game. he could block a field-goal at-
I've been at a game played tempt with his body.
on Halloween night when a I was at South Sound Stadi-
bat flew into the press box, um in 2003 when Timberline's
startling my older.sister who Jonathan Stewart -- who now
was taping Timberline's game plays for the Carolina Panthers
against Tumwater. -- was tackled by a Centralia
She responded by scream- lineman whose helmet popped
ing so loudly I heard her from off on impact. Stewart's knee
the first row of the stands. She kicked the other boy in the face,
also punched the bat, purely on knocking at least one tooth out.
instinct. I've seen probably a dozen
I've been to a game where a other strange things from
running back walked into the football sidelines, but Friday
end zone with four defenders night's game in Belfair takes
hanging onto him, trying to the weird cake.
bring him to the ground. And I loved every minute
I've seen a special teams line of it.
