PORT ANGELES — The journey tips off this week for most of the 18 boys and girls prep basketball teams on the North Olympic Peninsula when the high school hoops season gets underway.
There’s plenty to get excited about — two of the three girls teams that made it to their respective state tournaments last season, Neah Bay and Clallam Bay, return the same core of players virtually intact.
Port Angeles, the other team to reach state, is youthful, but may be more packed with potential than recent Roughriders’ squads.
Sequim’s a team that looks to be on the rise in the Olympic League girls playoff chase.
Here is the first of the Peninsula Daily News’ prep basketball previews, beginning with the Port Angeles Roughriders girls squad.
Girls Basketball Port Angeles
• Coach: Michael Poindexter (Eighth season, 117-57 record).
• Last season: 20-6, Olympic League 2A champions, advanced to Class 2A State Tournament.
• Returners: Millie Long (So., G, 5-8, 11.8 points per game, 4 steals, 2.7 assists); Madison Cooke (So., F, 5-10, 6.5 ppg/6.3 rebounds); Aeverie Politika (Sr., C, 5-11); Mikkiah Brady (Jr., G, 5-8); Jaida Wood (So., F, 5-10, 6.1 ppg/); Summer Olsen (Sr., G, 5-7).
• Varsity Newcomers: Bailee Larson (Fr., G, 5-7); Myra Walker (So., F, 5-8); Eve Burke (Fr., F, 5-7); Kia Noel (Jr., C, 5-9).
• Outlook: Port Angeles returns four of its top five leading scorers from last season’s 20-win state-tournament squad, including the reigning Olympic League MVP in Long, but lost five experienced seniors to graduation and must figure out which newcomers will fill crucial, but less glamorous roles.
“We lost five graduates, pretty good defenders, all of them bright with good basketball IQs,” Poindexter said. “Not quite the experience [as last season], but we have kids who can play. It’s been a very positive group in practice, great attitudes and work ethic.”
Poindexter said the early emphasis in the first two weeks of practice has been on the offensive end as the team switches to a motion-based philosophy that will attempt to take advantage of the team’s physical attributes.
“We are putting in a new offensive look, so that’s been occupying our time more so in practice than anything. It’s a bit of an early season shift from focusing on the defense to the offense.”
Poindexter described what the Roughriders will run offensively as more “read-and-react” than schemes that run teams through sets or continuity-based offenses.
But to become comfortable playing that style?
“That will take some time,” Poindexter said.
“I think we will need to take until January. But it fits our athleticism, it fits who we are as athletes. I think we will be able to use our combination of quickness and strength really well this year.”
Basic tenents of read-and-react offenses see plenty of passing and cutting to the rim, so expect higher-percentage looks to increase if the Riders catch opposition defenses’ napping.
Fellow sophomores Madison Cooke and Jaida Wood proved they can score and rebound at the varsity level, Mikkiah Brady has good range from outside, senior Aeverie Politika provides height inside and a consistently improving jump shot from close range and outside.
Senior guard Summer Olsen is in her second varsity season and Poindexter described her “as solid a defender as we have had,” and someone who “knows what we are about at every position.”
“She brings a lot of what Maddie [Boe], and Gracie [Long] brought — a steadiness and understanding of the game.”
Freshman Bailee Larson and Eve Burke made the varsity, along with sophomore Myra Walker and junior Kia Noel.
“Bailee causes problems out in front of the zone [defensively],” Poindexter said. “She reads passes pretty well, not a lot of wasted movement, not a lot of wasted effort.
Eve and Myra aren’t real tall, but they play taller than they are and both are very strong kids who will rebound well and are players the other team will know about the next day [physically].”
Noel is part of the 4×100 relay team in track.
“She gets up and down the floor for her height really well, kind of fills a little of that role that Devin Edwards had for us last year,” Poindexter said. “She’s tough and she enjoys competition.”
Defensively, Port Angeles expects to utilize 2-3 and 1-3-1 zone defenses along with man-to-man looks.
“The 1-3-1 has been really good for us over the last three years, but the backbone of that [has graduated.]
“We have to re-teach roles, so we will still use the 1-3-1 but not as frequently.
“That strength and athleticiscm will show [defensively] as well. We are looking pretty good defensively but we are only playing against ourselves so far.”
Poindexter said the Riders will again compete with North Kitsap for the Olympic League title. The two teams are familiar with each other, having played four times last season, with three wins for Port Angeles — including a tiebreaker to decide the league championship and a district playoff victory.
“A rivalry, but a lot of mutual respect on the court,” Poindexter said of the Vikings. “When we were in Yakima [at state] their parents were really supportive of our kids. It’s one of those rivalries that is ultra positive.”
And Poindexter said he thinks Sequim is primed to make a leap up the standings this season.
“They have a lot of returners and some of those young kids they have are getting smarter with the game and more comfortable,” Poindexter said.
• Questions to Answer: “Trying to find both the offensive and defensive approaches that fit this group, especially with the younger kids,” Poindexter said. “And working on using the confidence in their athleticism to carry them over until their basketball experience catches up.
“We want to win as much as we can given the RPI structure, every win matters, but it will be a slow process, they will have to be patient with themselves.”
• Key games/tournaments: Port Angeles has some early-season tests looming, opening at Class 3A Bainbridge on Wednesday, and at 2A power Lynden on Saturday. Games against 4A Hazen and Tahoma also will occur during winter break.
The Riders second league game, at home against North Kitsap on Dec. 11, also will be a crucial early test.
Class 3A Bellevue visits in January as the Riders look to boost their RPI for postseason play.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News Port Angeles’ Mikkiah Brady shoots a layup against Olympic last season.
