A Decade of Champions: two powerhouse squads

SANDPOINT — The cream rose to the top in 2008, as two of the most storied programs in the state flexed their respective muscles and took home yet another banner to add to the ever-growing collection.

The Bulldogs volleyball team claimed its 14th state championship, the most in Idaho history, and the boys soccer team claimed its sixth state title of the decade, also the most ever.

And both teams did so in typical dominating fashion.

n 2008 Sandpoint volleyball

ROSTER: Piper Wahlin, Koko James, Linnia Hawkins, Abby Helander, Kaiti Lunde, Christina Johnson, Adrianna Bucholtz, Allison Halliday, Emilie Kuster, Blake Plaster, Sam Buratto, Ariel Moe, Ashley Shepard and head coach Karen Alsager.

In 2007, the Bulldogs were upset in the first round of the state tournament by Rigby, which led to a much longer road to the finals, where they ran out of gas and lost to 4A arch rival Bonneville in the finals.

The team learned from that lesson, and took a much shorter road to the title the following year, downing Bonneville 25-16, 20-25, 25-17 and 25-9 in the championship match to put a bow on a stellar 29-2 season.

Prior to the final, head coach Karen Alsager said of the Bulldogs matchup with Bonneville “it’s going to be a blood war between these two teams.”

In the semis and finals, Piper Wahlin slammed 26 kills, Koko James added 20 kills and Abby Helander dug up 59 balls.

Helander was named the Inland Empire League’s Defensive Player of the Year in a unanimous vote. Bucholtz went on to play in college at Oregon Tech, and James will play at the Univerity of Montana in 2010.

Quote of the year: “This is the perfect team,” said Helander after state. “We have the most chemistry. We might not be the biggest team, obviously, but we all play with heart and passion and that’s what gets us through.”

n 2008 boys soccer

ROSTER: Adam Crossingham, Ben Murray, Tanner Williams, Matt Miller, Daniel Anderson, Shaunn Carlson, Spencer Swerin, Tanner French, Garth Weme, Zac Linscott, Corey Hoffman, Clayton Weme, Mikka Nostdahl, Anders Nostdahl, Jansen Rinck and head coach Randy Thoreson.

Here’s a stat that tells the tale of the season for this soccer powerhouse: the Bulldogs outscored their opponents 75-7 en route to the title.

After losing 1-0 to Moscow and missing out on state the previous year, the Bulldogs were a determined bunch, managing to dominate while playing loose and having fun on the way to an 18-1 season.

“After last year, we don’t take anything lightly anymore,” said head coach Randy Thoreson before districts.

Tanner French, who now plays at Oregon State, scored twice and Zac Linscott, Spencer Swerin and Corey Hoffman each added goals in a 5-1 win over Nampa in the championship.

Quote of the year: “Hopefully, we’ll have a great time — win, lose or draw,” said Thoreson prior to state. “But we’re not going down there to lose or draw.”

See tomorrow’s Daily Bee for the final installment of A Decade of Champions, reviewing the recent boys and girls 2009 state soccer titles.