Sports - High Schools

POSTED: Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008

PREP NOTEBOOK: Ferndale band won't make trip to Vancouver

The Ferndale Band and Guard will not get to accompany the school's football team to Vancouver for the Saturday, Nov. 22, Class 3A state quarterfinal against Camas Union.

"We hate to do this, because the band supports (the football team) very well," Ferndale athletic director Vic Randall said in a phone interview. "They are a very good band, and we appreciate all they do to represent our school. But the finances of the situation made it so that we couldn't send them to this game."

The band performs at all home games, including the games that Ferndale was forced to play at Civic Stadium and Blaine High School this year because of rot damage to the grandstands at Ferndale Memorial Stadium. The band has also traveled to a number of Golden Eagles playoff games in the past, but Randall said he didn't believe the band had traveled to games that were long distances away, such as Saturday's.

Randall said the decision on this week's game was made because the athletic department will have to pay approximately $5,000 for two buses to take the team to Vancouver. An additional two buses would be needed to take the 75 band and guard members plus chaperones and staff.

"We would love to take them with us, but it is just too expensive on this trip," Randall said.

The athletic department pays for the band to attend football games, according to an e-mail from Ferndale Band Booster Club secretary Kathy Green, but the booster club raises money so that the band can travel to its competitions.

This year the Ferndale band travelled to competitions at Tumwater, Everett and to the state marching competition in Auburn. The band also got to perform at a football game at Edmonds-Woodway High School on its way to the competition in Tumwater.

The band and guard won the Auburn Veterans' Day Marching Competition for the fourth year in a row earlier this fall.

The band's halftime show is "Queen" and includes the songs "We Will Rock You," "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "We Are the Champions."

Green, who along with her husband tows a 26-foot equipment trailer with the band's pit equipment when the band hits the road, wrote that band members are hopeful that they will get to travel, support the football team and perform at the Tacoma Dome for the state semifinals and finals should Ferndale advance.

ALL-NWC GIRLS' SWIM TEAM

Squalicum's Jessica Vlasic, the Class 2A 500 freestyle champion at last weekend's state meet, was a three-time first-team selection to the All-Northwest Conference Girls' Swim Team released Thursday, Nov. 20.

Vlasic was the first-team selection in the 500 freestyle as well as the 200 freestyle, an event she finished second in at state. She also was a member of the Storm's first-team 200 medley relay team, along with Rylie Martin, Camorah King and Madi Tiller.

Sehome's Ali Fisher, who was the state champion in the 2A 100 freestyle, was a two-time first-team selection in the 100 free and as a member of the Mariners' 400 freestyle relay along with Michelle Lam, Bryn Smith and Megan McGuire.

Lam also was a first-team member in the 100 backstroke.

Anacortes' Katie Kaestner was a first-team selection in the 50 freestyle and 100 breaststroke, while teammates Jenna Whitney and Mallory Estenson were first-teamers in the 200 individual medley and diving, respectively. Mount Vernon's Danielle Piper was first team in the 100 butterfly, and Anacortes' 200 freestyle relay rounded out the first team.