PORT ANGELES — Practices have been intensely competitive in the first two weeks and Port Angeles boys’ basketball coach Kasey Ulin said he has told his charges “I can’t wait until you get to play somebody in a different colored jersey,” on more than one occasion.
“They are going to be excited to box out somebody else,” Ulin said.
The competitive practices have yet to turn chippy, and Ulin believes the 40-plus games the team played during the summer played a role in keeping players together.
“[Assistant coach] Danny [Linde] and I were talking about that, it’s not anywhere like that. These guys spend so much time together in the summer this group has embodied being unified, and building a team-first spirit.
“They might be getting after it in practice but as soon as it’s over, they are the best of friends again,” Ulin said.
Port Angeles boasts three returning second team All-Olympic League selections in seniors Kyle Benedict, Garrett Edwards and Liam Clark.
Clark put up 10.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.6 blocks and 1.2 steals last season to earn the Peninsula Daily News’ All-Peninsula Boys Basketball MVP.
Edwards plays bigger than his 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame and Benedict is a scorer and transition defender with a knack for coming up clutch in big moments.
Add in the sharp-shooting Payton Schmidt, another physical inside presence in Anton Kathol (when Kathol is cleared from a concussion sustained during football season), plus the lanky Gabriel Long, guards Gary Johnson and Chase Cobb, junior posts Lucas Jarnagin and Henry Irwin and committed role players like Brady Nickerson and Stuart Methner, and the Riders are looking stout.
Stout enough to compete for the program’s first state tournament trip since a regional round appearance in 2011?
“Everybody has very high goals, players and coaches,” Ulin said. “As a coaching staff, we are not trying to focus on the destination, whether it’s league, district or state champ, that doesn’t help you day to day.
“We are trying not to put a ceiling on this team, if they can be their best every day, they are going to enjoy competing and if we can do that it will be a lot of fun.
“A lot of questions are answered in terms of role and chemistry, now its about getting back in rhythm.”
•Key games/tournaments: North Kitsap and Olympic will be in the mix with Port Angeles for the Olympic League 2A crown — with Port Angeles boasting more experienced returners.
A tough schedule of nonleague games has been put together.
“[Port Angeles athletic director] Dwayne [Johnson] has been really good about crafting the schedule to find games that challenge us, games that will test us.”
And those are the games that entertain fans — the best example is defending 1A state champion Lynden Christian visiting Port Angeles on Jan. 5, part of a packed winter break for the Riders.
“Getting Lynden Christian here, that will be one of the best basketball games on the Peninsula in the last 20 years,” Ulin said.
Port Angeles and Lynden Christian met up in three tournament championships this summer with the Riders going 1-2.
“They have a kid [6-7 guard Cole Bajema] that’s a top 60 player in the nation and is committed to play at Michigan, a shooting guard that will get D1 offers, so to get a team of that caliber to come out here is special.”
Port Angeles also will host Forks, Rochester and Auburn Mountainview in its own Holiday Tournament on Dec. 21-22.
A trip to Yakima for the SunDome Shootout comes just after Christmas, and includes games against Class 4A Davis and West Valley.
“That two weeks during break is an important part of our journey, playing back-to-backs, the recovery time is shorter. And it’s all in preparation for posteason.”
The Riders also will travel to Clover Park in mid-January to face a potential playoff opponent.
Port Angeles Roughriders
Coach: Kasey Ulin (5th season, 42-46 record)
• Last season: 15-9, 3rd in Olympic League, 2-2 in district tournament.
•Returners: Liam Clark (Sr., C, 6-7); Kyle Benedict (Sr., G, 6-1); Garrett Edwards (Sr., F, 6-3); Payton Schmidt (Sr., G/F 6-5); Gabe Long (Sr., G, 6-0); Gary Johnson III (Jr., G, 5-9); Anton Kathol (Jr., F, 6-2).
•Varsity Newcomers: Henry Irwin (Jr., C, 6-7); Chase Cobb (So., G, 6-0); Lucas Jarnagin (Jr., C, 6-4); Brady Nickerson (Jr., G, 5-8); Stuart Methner (Jr., G, 5-8).
Outlook: Ulin loves this group — the bulk of which will start for the third straight season — and can’t wait to get things rolling.
Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News Port Angeles guard Kyle Benedict was a second-team All-Olympic League selection as a junior.
