The summer high school basketball team has built a 6-3 record competing in tournaments.
The team opened up at the annual Tillamook tournament by beating Valley Catholic 50-28 then Astoria 52-44. The Huskies lost the next game to Regis 53-52. They beat Seaside 48-22.
Regis was a final four team in the state 2A playoffs, Coach Mark Risen said. Regis has a good ball team, and the Huskies were playing on tired legs.
“I thought that first weekend, that we played pretty well,” Coach Risen said. The Huskies got a little sloppy, but they built some good team concepts offensively and defensively. During the tournament, sophomore Cody Shipp averaged 15 points per game, and senior “Tim Matuszak did a great job leading us on both ends” averaging 13 points per game, Coach Risen said. Senior Anthony Mink played some of his best ball ever averaging 17 points per game. All three ended with double doubles.
“I was very pleased with the play of Tyler Emmert,” Coach Risen said. With three double doubles over the tournament, “he’s just so much more confident and composed, and he’s realized he can be an impact player.”
Around the floor, Garrett Kauffman was adjusting well to the varsity level scoring 12 points per game with 11 boards, Coach Risen said. “Ronak Patel is really beginning to shine as a role player for us.”
Sophomore Matt Morneault played solid defense, taking charge and scored eight points with seven boards in one game, Coach Risen said. Sophomore Ryan Elliott provided versatile defense, and sophomore Charlie Fitzsimons added tough rebounding on defense.
Seniors Mike Severns and Seth Graves were at the state track meet and did not play.
June 3, the team defeated Estacada 54-52 in double overtime at Hoops.
“We played a little bit tired again,” Coach Risen said. “I think I underestimated the fatigued factor and heat.”
Opening with a 13-7 lead, the Huskies let Estacada get ahead with an 18-2 run to close the half.
“Our bench came in and gave us a huge lift,” Coach Risen said. In addition to Graves and Severns, the Huskies had Alex Ritzman along with Morneault, Fitzsimons and Shipp.
At one point, the Huskies were down 33-19. The bench went on a 15-0 run to lead 34-33 with 5:13 left in the game.
The starters came back and built a three-point lead in the first overtime, but Estacada answered and went up by two.
With 13 seconds left in the first overtime, the Huskies were down two, Coach Risen said. Shipp went coast to coast at the buzzer to tie the game and send it to a second overtime.
The Huskies stole the tip and ran down the clock. Matuszak took fouls on a final shot to score two free throws and win the game.
“The kids did a great job staying composed,” Coach Risen said. “It was exciting to pull a game out.”
At the annual Snatiam Showdown held at home a week and a half ago, the Huskies fell to Tillamook 48-43.
“We struggled offensively but played hard defense,” Coach Risen said. “We didn’t execute things we’re supposed to. We got a little frustrated about their size.”
They lost next to Rainier after leading by eight at half-time, Coach Risen said. The Huskies got a little complacent and lost by five right at the end of the game.
Like Regis, “I felt we should have won,” Coach Risen said. If the team had played consistently, it would have.
The Huskies defeated Waldport 75-37 the second day of the tournament, Coach Risen said. “I really felt like the kids got some rest and focused. We had a really explosive game out of Emmert again and Mink.”
The Huskies faced Oakland, which took Tillamook to task and narrowly lost. The Huskies built a five-point lead but went down by one near the end.
With 1:28 left, Severns stole the ball and finished to take the lead by one.
Oakland came back and scored, but Mink made three big plays, including a critical steel and a three-point shot to take the lead. With 13 seconds left, the hit two free throws to seal the win.
The team travels to Seattle this week to Cedro Wooley High School for team camp. The Huskies will finish the summer schedule at the Oregon Episcopal Tournament in Portland from June 26-28.
A number of athletes are swinging up from the junior varsity. They include Rizman, Ravi Patel, Mornealt, Kauffman, Andy Worley and Aaron Forquer, Mark Lewis, Shipp, Fitzsimons, Elliott, Faulconer, Isaac Villareal, Ben Schmidt and Brandon Smith.