Seaside signal., December 13, 2019, Page 12, Image 12

BOYS BASKETBALL
WHO WILL SEASIDE PLAY IN TITLE GAME?
By GARY HENLEY
Seaside Signal
PREDICTION: A fifth
straight appearance in the
state championship game
for the Gulls.
F
or the last four years, the only ques-
tion in Oregon 4A boys basketball has
been: Who will Seaside play in the
state championship?
The Gulls have appeared in four straight
title games, winning two and losing two.
And even though they lost some key seniors,
they’ll be in Forest Grove again, March 14,
playing for another state championship. You
can bank on it, so to speak.
After all, it’s not the players, it’s the
program.
Seaside’s starting lineup in the 2016
championship game: Austin Eagon, Jack-
son Januik, Zach Marston, Jaxson Smith and
Hunter Thompson.
The starting lineup for last season’s 4A
title: Ryan Hague, Chase Januik, Beau
Johnson, Duncan Thompson and Payton
Westerholm.
The names may change, but the program
remains the same. To quote the Raiders,
“they just win baby.”
Seaside recently picked up four first-
place votes in the first coaches poll of 2019-
20, and if all goes as expected, the Gulls will
be playing in their fifth straight champion-
ship game.
The current Gulls just have some unfin-
ished business. Last year’s loss to Banks in the
state championship was unexpected by many,
and spoiled Seaside’s bid for a three-peat.
“The kids who are seniors this year,
they’ve got a goal for themselves,” said Sea-
side coach Bill Westerholm, entering his
22nd year. “The way we finished last year
left a bitter taste in their mouth. Their goal
is to get right back where we were last year.”
The Cowapa
For the last three years, the top two
teams in the Cowapa League have finished
as the top two teams in the state. Nothing’s
changed. It will be the same in 2019-20.
For the fifth time in thesix years, the state
champion will likely come from the Cow-
apa, a.k.a., the “Conference of Champions.”
Banks holds the title for now, but the
Braves lost more to graduation than the
Gulls. Of their five all-league players, four
were seniors, including Player of the Year
Blake Gobel.
Still, “Banks will be just fine,” Wester-
holm said. “They’ve got Jacob Slifka com-
ing back. They lost some key seniors just
like we did, but they’ve got some kids who
4 • Seagull Pride • Winter 2019-20
Coach: Bill Westerholm, 22nd year
2018-19: 24-4 (7-1 Cowapa)
State Tournament: Lost state champion-
ship to Banks (56-62)
All-League losses: Chase Januik
(co-Player of the Year), Duncan Thomp-
son (co-Defensive Player of the Year),
Payton Westerholm.
All-League returners: Ryan Hague, Sr.,
Beau Johnson, Sr.
Hailey Hoffman
Seaside boys practice their skills during a scrimmage.
didn’t get as much playing time, and they
will step in.
“Valley Catholic has a new coach, but
they’ve got the point guard (Trey Eberhart)
who’s been playing since his freshman year.
They might not have very much depth, but
they’ll be fine.”
Elsewhere, “Tillamook will be better,
Astoria has most of their kids back, and
(Ryan) Stenblom will be healthy. It’s proba-
bly Banks and ourselves fighting for the top
spot, but you can’t take anybody lightly.”
The Gulls
Out goes Januik, Thompson, Wester-
holm, etc., back comes Hague, Johnson
and& Johnson, and Snyder, among others.
The names may change, but the results are
always the same: They win.
“We’ll be a team that looks a lot like the
teams we’ve had the last four years,” coach
Westerholm said. “We’ll press you and score
a lot of points, push the tempo of the game,
and we have a lot of kids who can score
quickly.
“Last summer, we looked like one of the
better teams that’s played at Seaside. Then
other times we looked like we had a lot of
room for improvement.
“Once we get that consistency and every-
body knows their role, we’re going to be
right back where we were.”
Specifically, it’s Ryan Hague’s team now.
Hague is one of Seaside’s leading scor-
ers the last two seasons, and now it’s his
turn to take another Seaside team to a state
championship.
Hague will be Seaside’s leading scorer
and one of the leading MVP candidates
in the state, and will be among the many
senior leaders for the Gulls, along with Ste-
phen Snyder, Beau Johnson and Brayden
Johnson.
“It’s a senior-dominated team, and Ryan
is one of the leaders,” Westerholm said.
“He’s taking charge of getting kids going in
the right direction, and he will be in the run-
ning as one of the better 4A players in the
state.”
In addition to Hague, the player running
the show will be Snyder, the 6-foot-1 senior
point guard.
“Even though he would play four quar-
ters of JV and swing to varsity last year, he’s
going to be our point guard, and he will be
one of our leaders on the court this year,”
Westerholm said of Snyder.
Also back for their senior years are Der-
rick Bennett, Ledger Pugh and Gavin Rich.
Also, “Beau Johnson has been impressive
so far,” Westerholm said. “He’s in mid-sea-
son form right now. Ledger is stronger than
he was last year. We’re just trying to fig-
ure out where to put him. He can play wing
player because he shoots the ball well, or as
an undersized post.”
Bennett “has improved his athleticism
and conditioning since last year, so he will
see some time at the post.”
The Gulls are even more stocked at the
sophomore level, with players such as Kaleb
Bartel, Cash Corder, Carson Kawasoe, Con-
ner Langmo, Everest Sibony and Jarred
White — all will likely see varsity minutes.
“The sophomore group has more height,”
Westerholm said. “Kaleb Bartel, 6-1, may
see time at post. Cash Corder is 6-5, 6-6,
shoots really well from the outside.; Ever-
est Sibony has been putting in a lot of time
on his game. By his senior year he will be
one of the better point guards we’ve had.
He’s going to fit right in and continue that
tradition.”
Kawasoe “handles ball well and is proba-
bly one of the better pure shooters in the pro-
gram. He’s not afraid to shoot.
“We’re just trying to get those sopho-
mores to the point where they will be ready
to be that group that fills in next year,”
Westerholm said, insuring more champion-
ship game appearances for the Gulls.