Bellevue basketball was quite the ride for Aaron Bright

Before Aaron Bright even made it to the floor for his last game against Glacier Peak, it hit him.

This was it. The last hurrah. The last time the Stanford-bound senior would play a high school basketball game.

It hit the Bellevue star hard.

"I was a wreck in the locker room," Bright said from behind the Tacoma Dome bleachers. "I was actually just chilling out over here so no one saw me weeping."

It was in his eyes during warmups and it was with him during the game - and game in which he ended his prep career by scoring a game-high 28 points on 11 of 22 shooting.

"I was actually really quiet out there, just trying to enjoy it," he said. "It was really hard to play that game, even though it was my last."

Bright transferred to Bellevue after spending his freshman season at Issaquah. In three seasons with the Wolverines he scored 1,512 points. Including his freshman year with Issaquah, Bright scored 1,757 total points in his prep career.

More importantly, perhaps, were his contributions to Bellevue's postseason success. In his three seasons, Bellevue reached the district tournament three times and placed twice in state, including last season's third place finish.

"Aaron is definitely a special player," said Bellevue coach Chris O'Connor after the Glacier Peak game. "He's done a lot for the program. He should go on to have a great college career."

Bright signed a letter of intent with Stanford last July. His thoughts Saturday reflected on his past, his love for the game and his next step in college.

"Now it's time for a new chapter," Bright said. "It was a fun ride."

Contact Bellevue Reporter Sports Writer Joel Willits at jwillits@bellevuereporter.com or 425-453-5045.

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