Sports - High Schools

POSTED: Saturday, Mar. 14, 2009

PREP BOYS' BASKETBALL: Storm accomplishes goal: a state title

YAKIMA - Consider it mission accomplished for the Squalicum boys' basketball team.

The Class 2A state boys' basketball championship trophy is coming to Squalicum High School - as if there was ever really any doubt.

The Storm completed its dominating push through the state tournament on Saturday, March 14, by claiming it first state championship, overcoming an upset-minded Burlington-Edison team 60-49 at the SunDome in Yakima.

Squalicum (26-1) came into the tournament as the top-ranked team in the state and capped the season with a title that seemed as inevitable as it was entertaining to watch. It's the third state trophy for the Storm in the program's history and bettered its third place finish at the Class 3A state tournament last season.

"This is what we've all been working so hard for all year, " Squalicum's Keith Stackhouse said. "This is what we sweated all those buckets for. We all wanted this so much and to finally get it is just incredible."

The Tigers did all they could to spoil Squalicum's party, but it was clear from the start of the game that the night, and the tournament for that matter, belonged to the Storm. Squalicum opened the game with a 9-0 run and led 21-6 by the end of the first quarter. By the beginning of the fourth quarter, Burlington-Edison pulled to within 47-37, but two quick baskets and a 3-pointer by Patrick Voeut later and the rematch of the Northwest District championship game was well on its way to the same conclusion at last week.

"Maybe we got a little worried there in the second half, " Squalicum senior Kyle Hooper said. "They are a really good team, and they got hot and started to make a little run and we just had to contain them."

If it seems like this state title has been a long time coming for Squalicum, that's probably because most of the team and its fans have been waiting more than a year for the chance to hoist the trophy.

The Storm was anointed one of the top team's in the state after it knocked off Seattle Prep in the third place game at the Class 3A state tournament last season after challenging highly regarded Rainier Beach in the semifinal round. Once Squalicum dropped down to Class 2A as part of a statewide reclassification, the Storm were the clear favorite to win it all.

"These kids have been told they were supposed to win a state title since last March after we beat Seattle Prep at the Class 3A tournament, " Squalicum assistant coach Brian Davis said on Friday after the Storm's state semifinal game. "And for a 16-year-old to handle that all year long and do really well is an exceptional success story in itself."

If the team felt any of the pressure that comes with such lofty expectations, it hardly showed. Squalicum started the season ranked No. 1 in the state in the Associated Press boys' basketball poll and showed why night in and night out during the year. Squalicum completed a perfect season in Northwest Conference play and dominated at the state tournament.

"Anything less than this would have been a disappointment to a lot of people, " Squalicum coach Dave Dickson said. "But I have to say that win or lose tonight, I just enjoyed my team so much this year and its been a joy to coach competitors and teach them life lessons. That we've been able to win every game this year except for one is just a bonus."

The only blemish on the Storm's record came against Mater Dei High School of California, a team that boasted several NCAA Division I-caliber athletes and widely considered one of the best in the nation.

"For them to hear they are supposed to win a state title over and over and yet still continue to focus on improving on themselves is impressive, " David said. "If they can keep doing that, they are going to take this program to a very positive place. It's just a taking care of business kind of thing."

Saturday's title could mark the beginning of a run of championships for Squalicum. The Storm lose just one senior in Hooper next season and have a deep and talented bench waiting to help get the team back to the same place next season. For Hooper it couldn't have been a better ending.

"Our ultimate goal was to win a state championship and we accomplished that, " Hooper said. "It's really nice to do that in your senior season."

It was the third time this season Squalicum has downed the Tigers and the second time in the last week. The Storm pounded Burlington-Edison 86-50 in the Class 2A Northwest District championship game and also came out on top 66-44 in its regular season matchup to win the NWC crown.

Voeut finished with 16 points to lead all scorers. Hooper had 13, and Stackhouse and Derek Dickerson each had 11. Stackhouse was also named the tournament's most valuable player and Dickerson made joined him on the first team. Voeut was named to the second team.

After the game the team sang its school fight song with its fans, mugged for pictures, and Stackhouse even wrapped up a date for the prom thanks to a message he'd had ironed on to the back of a state tournament T-Shirt.

"I'm just excited for my players, " Dickson said. "I feel really good right now and I think in the morning I'll wake up and feel even better, but I'm just elated for my guys. They all worked so hard. For them to play so hard and go out on a note like this, you couldn't ask for more."

SQUALICUM 60, BURLINGTON-EDISON 49

FG FT

SQUALICUM Min M-A M-A PTS

Zach Hinton 0 0-0 0-0 0

Derek Dickerson 31 4-11 0-0 11

Keith Stackhouse 31 4-15 3-5 11

Nathan Vail 0 0-0 0-0 0

Travis Kurtz 0 0-0 0-0 0

Joshua Wolderich 1 0-1 0-0 0

Patrick Voeut 31 6-9 2-3 16

Jeremy King 0 0-0 0-0 0

Christopher Quails 0 0-0 0-0 0

Michael Greene 20 4-8 0-0 8

Caleb Thompson 15 0-2 1-2 1

Kyle Hooper 31 5-8 3-3 13

Totals 23-54 9-13 60

Percentages: FG .426, FT .692. 3-Point FG: 5-18, .278 (Dickerson 3-8, Voeut 2-3, Stackhouse 0-4, Quails 0-2, Thompson 0-1). Rebounds: 46 (Hooper 13, Greene 9, Stackhouse 7, Voeut 3, Thompson 2, Wolderich 1). Blocked Shots: 5 (Hopper 5). Assists: 12 (Stackhouse 5, Voeut 4, Hooper 2, Thompson 1). Steals: 0. Personal fouls: 17 (Greene 4, Stackhouse 3, Hooper 3, Thompson 2, Voeut 2, Dickerson 2, Wolderich 1). Turnovers: 8 (Stackhouse 2, Voeut 2, Dickerson 1, Kurtz 1, Thompson 1, Greene 1).

FG FT

BURLINGTON-EDISON Min M-A M-A PTS

Jordan Garcia 0 0-0 0-0 0

Craig Babington 29 0-3 3-4 3

Evan Coulter 31 2-16 5-7 9

Will Stewart 0 0-0 0-0 0

Colin Stewart 32 5-17 2-2 15

Dylan Boe 11 3-4 0-0 6

Jordan Reed 6 0-1 1-1 1

Ian Capron 25 2-9 2-2 6

Joel Conijn 14 1-3 4-4 6

Etienne Luiten 0 0-0 0-0 0

Jacob Schifferl 12 1-2 1-2 3

Eric Walser 0 0-0 0-0 0

Totals 14-56 18-22 49

Percentages: FG .250, FT .820. 3-Point FG: 3-16, .190 (C. Stewart 3-8, Capron 0-3, Coulter 0-2, Garcia 0-1, Babington 0-1, Reed 0-1). Rebounds: 35 (Capron 9, C. Stewart 5, Schifferl 5, Boe 4, Coulter 3, Conjin 2, Reed 1). Blocked Shots: 0. Assists: 4 (Coulter 3, Babington 1). Steals: 5 (Babington 3, Coulter 1, Boe 1). Personal fouls: 15 (Coulter 4, Schifferl 4, Capron 3, Conjin 3, Babington 1). Turnovers: 4 (Babington 1, Coulter 1, C. Stewart 1, Capron 1).

Squalicum 21 15 11 13 - 60

Burlington-Edison 6 14 17 12 - 49