Unguardable reverses skip,
return to championship contention

by Mark Butcher

Sports Writer

For the second time this Bremerton Park & Rec Men’s Fall (Div. II) season All-State has lost to a team they shouldn’t have. Oct. 16^th they fell 42-to-45 to Sound Life Church, who has not won a game since. Last night (Wed. – Nov 7^th), they handed Honey Badgers (1-3) their second win of the season, 63-to-58.

After climbing back to the top of the Div. II standings, All-State (3-2) must now wait for the outcomes of the Boat Shed (3-1) versus McClouds (2-2) and Casey’s Bail Co. (2-2) against Sound Life Church (1-3) contests tonight (Thurs. – Nov. 8) to learn if they will be one of the two teams in next week’s championship teams.

But credit must be given where credit it due. In the contest, Honey Badgers Dez Johnson nailed four three-pointers en route to a game-high 21 points, his fourth 20+ game his Fall. Teammate Colton Wade followed his 23-point performance last week to finish with a strong 17-point this week and Mykhael Hayes put an addition 13 points in the scorebook.

Three All-State players – Ulysses Williams IV (16), Nathan Perry (16), and Jeffrey Perry (12) – also had a double-digit game but the team had a difficult time scoring in the second half, managing a measly 24 points.  After trailing 31-to-34 at have, All-State's scoring wows gave Honey Badgers the opportunity it needed to grab the 63-to-58 win.

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The second game Wednesday night had no bearing on who would play in next weeks Div. II championship game. It was a honors game, between Suquamish (0-4) and Casey’s Under Dogs (0-4).

A.J. Herring’s 21-points was the catalyst Casey’s needed to get its first win of the Fall League, 66-to-55. It followed on the heels of a 23-point performance last week against Admirals Rec in an 11-point loss, 69-to-58. Teammate Anthony Allen added an additional 14 points Wednesday night and team captain Shedale Washington followed with 10. The majority of Casey’s scoring came for long-range, as they converted 11 shots from behind the arc cpmpared to just 10 in the paint.

Surprisingly, the league most prolific three-point scorer, Suquamish’s Keoki Laguana, did not convert a single trifecta in the game. Eight of his season-low nine points came inside the arc and his only other point came at the free throw line. Jimmy King (12) and We’ Chiquiti (10) were the only other Suquamish players able to record ten or more points in the contest.

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The second surprising win of the evening was Unguardable’s (2-2) 75-to-65 win over Heavy Hitters (3-1) in the late game. The loss drops Heavy Hitter down to fourth in the Div. I standings and may cost them a berth in next weeks Div. I championship game. That will be determined tonight (Thursday – Nov 8) in the late game between O.R.N. (4-0) and Admirals Rec (3-1).

Support players contribution was the key to Unguardable’s third win of the season. Here is how it broke down.

Unguardable’s Tyler Parker matched Heavy Hitters Pat Lewis’ game-high 22 points. Unguardable Steffan Collins’ 17 points countered Heavy Hitters Adrian Harper’s 17-point performance. And, ten points from Unguardable’s Jordan Samuel nullified Heavy Hitters Damarius Johnson’s ten-point contribution with his own double-digit outing.

So, that leaves Unguardable Denzel Samuel’s (8), Dan Bechon’s (7), and R.J. Neal’s (6) combined 21 points against Heavy Hitters Tanner Rabosky’s (6), DeAndre Warren’s (5), Dwayne Cotton’s (3), and John Gregory’s (2) 16-point contribution. Unguardable wins by 5.

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