Let the Games Begin!

Days of practices, including ones moved inside due to unhealthy air conditions, are finally turning into game days.

Wednesday was the start of varsity competition with games in Girls’ Volleyball and Girls’ Soccer.

With the first home game on the schedule, volleyball had good fan support to cheer on our young team. New coach Justice Magraw has been assessing winning combinations on the court, and, early on, it appeared to be working. Against Charles Wright Academy, the team won the first game. Unfortunately, the Owls weren’t able to finish the job, and lost the next games. “We have some really young but good talent,” says Magraw. “I expect to see a lot of them do things that they’re not comfortable with but still go out and have a bunch of energy. I’m excited to see them get better.” The team will try and get into the win column today when they go on the road to play Northwest at 6:30 p.m.

Girls’ soccer is letting the rest of the league know that, although their team is made up of many new faces, they’re ready to defend last year’s state title. They made that clear Wednesday at Starfire in Tukwila when they defeated Northwest 3-1. Led by Junior Grace F’s two goals, the team dominated play. You’ll get a chance to see our Owls this week as they open home play with a Saturday afternoon game at 3:30. Click here for interviews with our co-captains about this season and a preview of this weekend's game. 

On the boys’ side, tennis and ultimate had their first competitions on Thursday. Tennis had home court advantage when they played Seattle Academy. Coach Jeff Loranger's squad lost 4-1 with the lone victory coming from the double's team of Ananth I. '21 and Charlie H. '19.

Joey Pauley is not stranger to Overlake as Project Week Director, and, now, he’s added Varsity Ultimate Coach to is resume. Thursday, the team traveled to Delridge Playfield to take on Seattle Academy. Although they lost 10-5, he's happy with the team's improvement. “There are many competitive teams in the league," says Pauley. "Our young men have the grit and resilience to beat any one of them, and we just need to put all the pieces together. ” Your first chance to see the team at home comes on September 19 when they take on Eastside Prep at 4:00 p.m.

Micah Orr’s Cross Country team has a couple weeks to get their running legs in shape. With several runners participating at state last year, he hopes to grow on that success. Their first meet is on September 12 at Lincoln Park in Seattle. Next week, we'll bring you a feature on this year's team.

Boys’ Golf is the last of our fall teams to begin competitive play. Their season tees off on Wednesday, September 13 with the ECL Tee Off Classic at Redmond Ridge. Two of our three golfers who went to state last year return in hopes of leading the Owls to the top of league standings.

We've included a slideshow with many of our athletes in action, and you can always follow the latest in Owls sports by following us on twitter.

Go Owls!