The Vashon High School (VHS) Pirate girls basketball team opened the season with a 51-32 victory over the Fife Trojans to begin their 2008 campaign on Wednesday, Nov. 28.

The Pirates used their new focus on ball movement to defeat the Trojans.

In the first quarter, Fife came out and played the Pirates in a zone, but as the Pirates quickly moved the ball around and drained jumpers, the Trojans found themselves down 16 to 4.

The Trojans answered with a one-on-one defense in the second quarter and pulled within nine at half.

In the third quarter, Vashon exploded for 18 points, utilizing their new one-on-one offensive schemes.

Both teams came out in the fourth quarter and played tough defense, but as the horn sounded, the Pirates came away with a 19-point victory in front of their hometown fans.

The Pirates traveled to Sultan to face the Turks on Saturday, Dec. 1, and lost, 54-39.

As the snow came down and covered the road and blew in through the gym doors, it might as well have covered the rim of the Pirates basket: although the Pirates repeatedly broke the Turks pressing defense to set up into their man offense, they couldn’t often drop the ball through the cylinder. Their shooting was cold.

The Turks, on the other hand, shot the ball at a high percentage in front of their hometown fans, and, although Vashon made several runs throughout the game, the Pirates couldn’t come away with a victory.

Before hosting next week’s Nisqually League opener against the Seattle Christian Warriors, the Pirates will travel Friday night to play a non- league game against the Lindberg Eagles in Renton.

—This article was edited by sports editor Eric Horsting with information supplied by coach Henry Porter.