Out of Write Field

Football practice begins at most high schools across the state Wednesday. South Kitsap is no different as coach D.J. Sigurdson said his team will begin workouts at 8 a.m. tomorrow.

In addition to some significant roster changes following the graduation of quarterback Gordy Anderson, running back/linebacker Robert Issa and wide receiver/defensive back Leon La Deaux, among others, Sigurdson’s coaching staff has undergone an overhaul. He said that Jim Fairweather, Marcus Logue, Jay Powers and Derek Sparks will not return this season.

Both Logue and Powers left the area. Sigurdson said Logue is looking for a full-time teaching position in the Seattle area, while Powers left for another high school in Nebraska. Fairweather (baseball) and Sparks (counselor) both said earlier this year that they wanted to focus on other roles at South.

Sigurdson said he has hired three coaches to replace them and still is looking for another one. Cory Dame, the son of veteran assistant, Joey, and 2007 South graduate, will guide the running backs and safeties. He attended Spokane Falls Community College.

Kyle Pease, who started at quarterback for the Wolves in 2004-05, returns to his alma mater to coach running backs and cornerbacks. He attended Washington State University, and Sigurdson said Pease wants to become a firefighter.

Cory Vartanian, who kicked from 2002-05 at North Dakota State, also joined Sigurdson’s staff and will coach special teams. Vartanian previously coached at Rochester in Thurston County.

Eastern Washington University junior defensive end Renard Williams was named a second-team Football Championship Subdivision preseason All-American by The Sports Network.

Williams, a 2007 South Kitsap graduate, was joined by two teammates — junior running back Taiwan Jones and senior linebacker J.C. Sherritt — both of whom were selected to the first team. Eastern was picked to finish second in the Big Sky to perennial national power Montana.

South Kitsap graduate Aaron Cunningham has hit well since coming up from Triple-A Portland last week. Including his stint earlier this season with San Diego, Cunningham has a .304 batting average in 46 at-bats. But will the Padres, who are in first place in the National League West with a 50-35 record, look to acquire a veteran outfielder and send Cunningham back to the minors? That question was posed to Fox Sports’ John Morosi via Twitter.

While many local fans are waiting to see where standout Mariners starter Cliff Lee ends up, 1996 South Kitsap graduate Willie Bloomquist also is drawing interest among contenders.

Bloomquist, 32, is batting just .247, but has hits in 14 of his last 37 at-bats. This Kansas City Star story links Bloomquist, a utility player who will be a free agent after this season, to contenders such as Boston and Philadelphia. The non-waiver trade deadline in baseball is July 31.

The Royals begin a three-game series Monday at Seattle, where Bloomquist played from 2002-08.

Aaron Cunningham, a 2004 South Kitsap graduate, was recalled to the major leagues for a second time this season Friday by San Diego. He doubled in his only plate appearance Saturday and scored the winning run in the Padres 1-0 victory against Houston. Cunningham now has a .313 batting average in 32 at-bats this year.

Cunningham returned to San Diego after outfielder Will Venable was placed on the disabled list. After being traded by Oakland during the offseason, Cunningham spent most of the season at Triple-A Portland, where he hit .247.

Port Orchard resident Kristy Houk placed third in Saturday’s 38th Sound to Narrows race. Houk, a native of the Tri-Cities, won the 12-kilometer race last year. The Independent ran a profile on Houk and her husband, Jon, last year. Both ran cross country at Whitworth University in Spokane.

The Wolves won their game Tuesday morning against Kentwood at the West Central District Tournament at Spanaway’s Sprinker Recreation Area, but were eliminated with a 13-2 loss later in the day by Emerald Ridge. We will post our story later today.

A 5-3 loss against Rogers on Monday afternoon in the West Central District quarterfinals means South Kitsap must win twice on Tuesday to advance to state for the first time since 2003.

The Wolves play at 11:45 a.m. against Kentwood, which defeated Bellarmine Prep 7-1 in a loser-out game Monday. If South, which should be favored considering the Conquerors have an 11-14 record, wins that contest it will face the winner of the Emerald Ridge vs. Tahoma game at 3:15. That likely will be the Bears, who have a 21-5 record. The winner of that game earns the WCD’s No. 4 seed entering Friday’s state tournament at Tacoma’s South End Recreation Area.

South Kitsap won’t know if its fastpitch team will advance to state until early next week as West Central District again postponed today’s game. The tournament now will run on Monday and Tuesday. Updates can be found here.

The West Central District has revised the fastpitch schedule after today’s cancellations. The updated schedule can be found here.

South Kitsap plays twice Saturday, beginning at noon against Todd Beamer. If the Wolves win, they play again at 3:30 p.m. against either Rogers or Spanaway Lake. They play at 5:15 p.m. if they lose.

Unless South loses twice Saturday, it will play at least once on Monday to either qualify for state or determine seeding at the tournament.