Totems hope to take next step | Prep boys basketball
Published 10:51 am Thursday, December 15, 2011
The memory is still a bitter one for the Sammamish boys basketball team.
The Totems led Lake Washington by 17 points at the half in a loser-out, winner-to-districts game last season and seemed to have a playoff berth firmly within their grasp. Then it all slipped away as the Kangs stormed back in the second half to win by two points and take the final playoff spot from the conference.
But even in such a painful defeat, there was a lesson. One that coach Wes Newton’s squad won’t soon forget.
“We learned never to take a team lightly,” senior Jon Steinberg said. “If we’re up by 20, we have to get up by 40.”
Newton had t-shirts made with the final score of the Lake Washington game printed across the front for his players to sport during offseason workouts and more importantly, serve as a reminder of the kind of effort it will take for the senior-laden Totems to finish the playoff run they began last season.
“It just feels like one of those special things,” senior guard Jacob West said of the possibilities for this year. Much of that feeling comes from the urgency from a core group of determined seniors.
Steinberg (pictured at left), Sami Jarjour, George Valle, Riley Brooks and West have been playing together since elementary school and along with Steve Perkins, Kevin Monahan and Jamis Moy comprise a senior class that is ready to leave their mark on a resurgent program looking to get back to state for the first time since 2000.
“The whole school is behind us,” Steinberg said. “The best part is doing it with guys I grew up playing with, my best friends.”
Whether it’s the t-shirts, the offseason dedication or the cohesion among the team’s veterans, things are off to a fine start for the Totems, which sport an unbeaten record and are alone atop the conference with road wins over fellow contenders Mercer Island and the same Lake Washington squad that ended their season in 2010-11.
But after last season, Newton and Totems are focused on maintaining that success rather than resting on their laurels or putting too much stock in any single game.
“We can’t get caught up in all that other stuff outside the team,” Valle said. “If we take care of our business, the results will come.”
Newton has been pleased with what he’s seen early, saying he is especially fortunate to work with a group that is so familiar with one another’s style of play. Rather than spending time on basic offensive and defensive philosophies, the coach has been able to fine tune the details of his team’s approach due to their experience.
“They’ve been playing together basically their whole lives,” Newton said of his seniors. “It’s a group you only get once every few years.”
There is no doubt Sammamish is built to contend this year with dynamic scoring threats in Steinberg, West and Valle and a level of athleticism throughout the roster that should matchup favorably in conference play.
Sammamish Totems
Coach: Wes Newton, Sixth season
2010-11: 13-8; Lost to Lake Washington in 3A KingCo tournament
Players to watch: G, John Steinberg, SR; G, Jacob West, SR; F, George Valle, SR
Critical matchups: Tuesday, Jan. 17 VS Mercer Island; Tuesday, Jan. 24 VS Lake Washington
Key to success: 3A KingCo won’t be the strongest conference in the state this season and the Totems should handle many of their opponents in conference play. But keeping their edge and putting away overmatched foes will serve them well come playoff time while falling into old habits against lesser teams could hinder their growth and ultimate success.
