Pirate hoopsters head to Regional competetion, aim for State tournament

The Pirate Boys Basketball team finished off a 19-1 regular season as the Nisqually 1A League champions and went into the District 3 tournament as the #1 seed. Teams in the tournament included Vashon, Charles Wright Academy, Cascade Christian from the Nisqually league and Chimicum, Coupeville and Klahowya from the Olympic League.

February 24, 2015 11:51 pm
The team celebrates winning the District 3 title last Friday. The boys will play their first game of the State competition at 8 p.m. Friday in Puyallup.
The team celebrates winning the District 3 title last Friday. The boys will play their first game of the State competition at 8 p.m. Friday in Puyallup.

By JAMES NORTON
For The Beachcomber

The Pirate Boys Basketball team finished off a 19-1 regular season as the Nisqually 1A League champions and went into the District 3 tournament as the #1 seed. Teams in the tournament included Vashon, Charles Wright Academy, Cascade Christian from the Nisqually league and Chimicum, Coupeville and Klahowya from the Olympic League.

Vashon earned a first round bye and was slated to play the winner between Charles Wright and Klahowya. Charles Wright prevailed in that contest, so on Feb. 17, it was the Pirates against the Charles Wright Tarriers for the third time this season.

Vashon prevailed in each of the two league contests, but the games were tightening up, and Charles Wright was steadily improving. It is also common knowledge that beating any good opponent three times is extremely difficult. Both teams are familiar with everything about the other, so it came down to which team executed better and more critically, which team “wanted it.”

Charles Wright came out hot and took a 15-10 lead after the first quarter. The Tarriers were shooting the ball well, even with strong defense applied by the Pirates. The pace stayed pretty close to the same through the second quarter, and Charles Wright took a 29-21 lead going into halftime. Head Coach Andy Sears and his assistant, Sean Hoogen, have consistently made the winning adjustments at halftime all season, so this was not in any way an insurmountable task. The Pirates came out strong to start the third quarter, with a defensive will led by seniors Jessie Norton, Ian Stewart and Steen Jennings that put the Tarriers into a tailspin and won that quarter 15-7, which made this a tie ball game going into the fourth quarter at 36-36.

The fourth quarter was a battle back and forth with big baskets from both sides. Alex Symbol was a force for Vashon in the paint and hit key buckets. Jessie Norton hit clutch free throws as well to close the game, and it was all tied up 50-50. Then something happened on the Vashon side, which was palpable and definitive to anyone in the Sumner High School gym at that moment. The Pirates decided that this game was going to be theirs and went out and won the overtime period 6-0, which put the final score at Vashon 56, Charles Wright 50. This was one of those games that builds the inner strength and trust of a team. The Pirates beat a highly motivated and good team because they are the better, more complete unit, and it was an impressive and gutsy win. Jessie Norton lead the scoring with 14, Alex Symbol with 13.

The win over Charles Wright put the Pirates into the District Championship game on Feb. 19. Due to the strength of the Nisqually league, the Pirates played another member of the conference for the District 3 title, Cascade Christian High School. This was also the third meeting between this opponent and Vashon, and the Pirates prevailed in the previous contests, but, again, it is difficult to beat any worthy opponent three times in a season, and Cascade Christian never goes down easy.

The Pirates came out fast and hard with a defensive energy that filled the gym and completely overwhelmed the Cougars from Cascade Christian. Coach Sears adjusted the pressure package and Cascade Christian never had an answer. The first half ended with the Pirates up 30-17. Knowing that this opponent never quits, the Pirates showed complete focus and relentless pressure and opened up their lead to 24 points in the second half and cruised to a 55-35 victory. Again, this was a total team win with every boy making a contribution.

It must also be strongly noted that the loyal and loud Green Tide was a force for their team at both these games. These students traveled independently all the way to the Sumner gym and showed up loud and proud for the Pirates. The parents, coaches, and most of all the players appreciate this support, which has been there all year.

This victory puts the Pirates into the Regional round of the Washington State 1A championship. Vashon is the #1 seed from District 3 and will play Kalama High, the #4 seed from District 4, at 8 p.m. Friday at Rogers High School in Puyallup. The winner of that contest will draw into the final 8 and head to the Washington State 1A Hardwood Classic at the Sun Dome in Yakima on March 5, 6 and 7.

— James Norton is the father of a Pirate basketball player.