Port Townsend School District adds two new assistant coaches

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The East Jefferson Rivals girls basketball and Blue Heron Middle School boys basketball programs are set to receive extra help following the approval of two new assistant coaches to aid the teams.

The Port Townsend School District unanimously approved the pair’s hiring during the school board’s Oct. 20 meeting. Samantha Harper will be the assistant coach of Blue Heron’s boys basketball team and Samantha Miller will take over as the Rivals’ girls assistant basketball coach.

Rivals Athletic Director Shelby Box recommended both Harper and Miller to take on the assistant coach roles, noting in a letter of recommendation to the school board: “Samantha [Harper] also understands that ‘student’ comes first in ‘student athlete’ for a reason and is devoted to help these kids keep their focus on academics as well as athletics.”

“Samantha [Miller] believes that athletics are a valuable part of the high school experience because they help students build relationships and learn valuable skills that are applicable for a lifetime,” Box added.

The basketball season is set to start in late November, with the Rivals boys varsity team’s first game coming up Nov. 29 at home against North Mason High School.