Top seeds eliminated from Post-Season Tourn.

by Mark Butcher

Sports Writer

O.R.N (5-1), the Park & Rec 2018 Fall Div. I League Champions, will not be playing for the Fall Gold Post-Season Tournament championship, because they forfeited their semi-final game. They were the first top seed to be eliminated from the Post-Season tournament, even though it was self-inflicted.

League rules state:

1. “5 minute Grace Period for the 6 pm game ONLY. Teams unable to start at the scheduled start time will forfeit.”
2. Team(s) will be allowed to start a game with (4) players. Less than 4 players, forfeit loss.

At 6 p.m. Wednesday (Nov. 23) O.R.N. had three players in the Sheridan Park gym ready to play. When four additional players stepped into the gym at 6:10, their opponent, Unguardable, were on their way to the Fall Post-Season Tournament championship game.

Unguardable (3-3) were seed fourth in the Post-Season Tournament. They opened the league with back-to-back wins over Suquamish (75-to-69) and Casey’s Under Dogs (69-to-46). Then dropped their next two games to close out October, 56-to-63 to Admirals Rec and 51-to-62 to O.R.N. They opened November (Nov. 7) with a surprise 75-to-65 win over Heavy Hitters, which ended up costing Heavy Hitters the league championship. The final week they lost a second time to Admirals Rec (71-to-62) to close out league play.

To advance to the Post-Season Tournament semi-final game against O.R.N., Unguardable had to eliminate Boat Shed, the Div. II League Champions.  With Trent Hunter scoring a game-high 24 points and Tyler Parker (14), Roderick Bright (12), and Steffan Collins (12) following with double-digit points each, they accomplished that feat Tuesday night with a 76-to-66 victory over Boat Shed.

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Admirals Rec will be Unguarable’s opponent in the Fall Gold Post-Season Tournament championship game next Thursday (Nov. 29) in the Bremerton Brick Palace. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Having played in all six Park & Rec Men’s Basketball championship games last year (2017-18), Admirals Rec (5-2), the tournament #3 seed, knew what they had to do to advance to the 2018 Fall Gold Post-Season Tournament championship. They had to make sure all of their top players were at the game. That they accomplished.

The scoring quintet of Luke Henne (19 points), Josh Mathews (18), Quinton Bright (16), and Kevin Van Hook (13) dropped 46 points in the first half for Admirals Rec to take a 15-point halftime lead (46-to-31).

On the other end of the court, Heavy Hitters (4-2) were playing handicapped. Adrian Harper, the team’s #2 scorer at 19.7 points per game (ppg), and Damarius Johnson, the team’s center who averages 9.7 ppg, were absent. And, it would prove to be their downfall Wednesday night.

Although Heavy Hitters team-leader Patrick Lewis would score a game-high 21 points, his third twenty-point game of the season, with John Gregory recording 17 and Dwayne Cotton adding a season-high 15 points, it was only good enough to match Admirals Rec's second-half points (36). Unable to make up the first half deficit, Heavy Hitters were eliminated from the tournament with a semi-final 82-to-70 loss.

After winning the Div. I League Championship game a week ago, Heavy Hitters were the second top seed Wednesday to be eliminated from the tournament.

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The surprise team of the Fall Div. II Post-Season Tournament has been the Honey Badgers. A team with potential that was never realized, Honey Badgers (2-4) finished 6^th of six teams in the Park & Rec Men’s Fall League (Div. II).

They advanced to the semi-finals with a 51-to-49 first-round win over #4 McClouds (2-4) Tuesday (Nov. 20).

Wednesday (Nov. 21), four of Honey Badgers’ five players scored in double-figures to knock #2 Suquamish (1-5), a Div. I team dropped down to play in the Silver Tournament, out with a 75-to-68 loss.

Behind the long-range shooting of Jacob Hill and Keoki Laguana, who each made four three-pointers in the initial period, Suquamish took a 42-to-38 lead into the mid-game break.

In the second half four Honey Badgers - Mykhael Hayes (4), Dez Johnson (2), Colton Wade (1), Kyler Jordan (1) – got hot from the outside to score nine trifecas and advance Honey Badgers to the Silver Tournament championship.

Johnson garnered game-high honors with 25 points, his fifth 20-point game of the season. Hayes complimenting Johnson’s contribution with his second big game of the season, 20 points. Jordan (15) and Wade (12) were the Badgers’ other double-digit scorers.

Hill led Suquamish with a team-high 22 points. Jimmy King added 17 and Laguana contributed 14, with all of his points scored in the first half.

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By all rights, the final game (9 p.m.) Thursday night should have been the Silver Tournament championship game. Instead, seeding put #2 Casey’s Bail Co. (4-2) and #3 All-State (4-3) in the same side of the bracket and they faced off in the semi-final game.

In an effort to lead his team to victory, All-State’s Ulysses Williams IV scored 32 points, his second 30-plus game off the tournament.

In the opening round Tuesday night (Nov. 20), Williams drop first 32 points on Sound Life Church to eliminate them from the tournament.

Unfortunately, Williams’ teammate were unable to support him offensively Thursday and All-State was knocked out of the tournament by Casey’s Bail Co. on a 83-to-65 loss. None of the other five All-State players were able to put double-digit points into the scorebook.

Maurice Modestin, Casey’s season-leading scorer at 23.5 ppg, who contributed 19 points in this contest, had strong bench support. Bremerton alumnus Jenson Bumanglag led the team with 21 points - nine field goals, one three-pointer, and two free throws. And, Olympic alumnus Antrel Madison showed he still had game in his aging body with his first 20-point game of the season.

In the end, the outcome of the game came down to two contrasting styles of play. All-State put their faith in three-point shots, making 12 for 36 points. Casey’s Bail Co. went old-school and converted 24 field goals for 48 points. Additionally, Casey's added 12 points from the free throw line to cruise to the 18-point victory.

Having battled Boat Shed to four overtimes in the Div. II League Championship game last week, All-State was the third top seed to go home early.

Casey's Bail Co. and Honey Badgers will step on the Bremerton Brick Palace hardwood at 6 p.m. next Thursday (Nov. 29) to decide the Park & Rec Men's Silver Post-Season Tournament champion.

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