Cascade Christian
On a quiet Tuesday night, the Vashon High School boys’ basketball team met the Cascade Christian
Cougars in a Nisqually league game. Neither team had yet lost a league contest in the young season.
Both teams lost a number of seniors to graduation, and the Cougars also lost their coach of 19 years,
Jerry Williams. Their new coach is Cody Shackett, a former all-state Cascade Christian player, who took
his Cougars to two straight state titles in 2010 and 2011. He has spent a lot of time playing against the
teams of Vashon coach Andy Sears. When he was on the court, he usually won. But on this night, from
the sidelines, he saw the Pirates begin a little nervously, but steady the ship, to get a 64-58 win.
The game began with the Cougars senior Nathan Larsen and junior Parker Johnson getting down to
business immediately. They knew that if they were to beat the Pirates, it would be up to them to score
early and often. Larsen tore into the middle and scored two buckets, and Johnson hit a ten foot jumper,
as Cascade went up 6-0.
The Pirates needed more time to get in a shooting groove. In the meantime, Edgar Hernandez-Torres
and Isaac Patchen pounded Johnson under the basket to put some points on the board. Both got fouled
repeatedly, and made the Cougars pay as they were almost flawless at the free throw line.
After one quarter, Cascade led 17-10.
The second period belonged to the Pirates. Jeremiah Bogaard got Vashon rolling by cutting inside,
taking a perfect pass from Kalen Cunningham, and laying the ball softly on the glass for two. He was
fouled, and then made his first of eight straight free throws during the course of the game. Vashon took
the lead at halftime 30-28, on a basket from downtown by Bogaard, and running floater by Tommy
Delargy. The VHS offense was now clicking, but Cascade was clearly playing a very aggressive defense,
and they had a plan. That plan was to shut down sharp shooters Jacob Chavez and Delargy. And that
plan would be understandable because they each are shooting over 40% from beyond the three point
line.
Colin Pottinger started the third period with an alley-oop pass from Hernandez-Torres that he converted
for two beautiful points. Nathan Larsen answered with an eight foot bucket. Bogaard buried a three,
and Cascade’s point guard Ben Vendouris answered with a three as well. Pottinger got another bucket
down low by stepping by the defense and going strong to the hoop.
It was still fairly early in the third period, but the game felt like a heavy weight fight after 15 rounds. The
Cougars Larsen was called for sliding across the out of bounds line. Next, while bringing the ball up the
court, Larsen used his long arms to steal the ball from Delargy , and went to the hoop for a showy dunk.
Impressive maybe, but it is still only worth two points. Larsen looked like he wanted to gloat, but he was
out of luck, as Delargy only had eyes for the next Pirate basket.
Delargy got most of them on his way to 20 points on 60% shooting. And for Cascade Christian, Johnson
scored 18 and Larsen got 17 in their losing cause.
The game was tied at 41 points each at the end of three quarters.
The final period saw Pottinger slash inside for a short jumper and a two point Pirate basket. Then
Hernandez-Torres hit two free throws, to put Vashon in the lead. Pottinger hit another two foot shot to
give VHS a four point lead. With less than three minutes in the game, Pottinger buried a three to for a
seven point advantage.
The Cougars kept scoring to answer the Pirates, and in the last minute they fouled repeatedly to try to
get the ball back. On this night the charity shots were converted by VHS, and the victory was preserved.
In addition to Delargys’ 20 points, Bogaard had 18, Pottinger 9, Hernandez-Torres 9, and Patchen 8.
Charles Wright
Vashon played its fourth Nisqually league game Friday night against the only team the Pirates had not yet faced in league play — the Tarriers from Charles Wright Academy.
Vashon took an early first quarter lead and maintained it for a 49-44 win, giving them a 4-0 league record.
The first quarter began with a CWA basket, followed by seven straight points by Jeremiah Bogaard.
Colin Pottinger drove inside for a contested bucket, and Jacob Chavez hit from downtown, putting the
Pirates in the driver’s seat. CWA stayed close with buckets by 6’5” junior Jayson Floyd and the quarter
ended with Vashon leading 14-12.
Vashon raced out to an early second quarter lead on baskets by Pottinger cutting inside, and Sol
Dehnert battling under the hoop for two scores. Then Isaac Patchen cut to the basket, Pottinger
rewarded the move with a quick pass, and Patchen put two points on the board for a 23-14 lead.
CWA missed many shots in the paint, and with their frustration mounting, Tommy Delargy intercepted a pass and sped home for a basket to end the half with a 26-16 Pirate lead.
Despite a fairly dominating performance, the Pirates allowed CWA to get back into the game after the
Tarriers only scored four points in the second period, and then had another lengthy drought in the third
period. Vashon outshot the Tarriers but lost the battle of the boards, and that has been rare this year.
In the latter part of the third quarter, Delargy broke inside for a layup and converted on the free throw
that was awarded. Then after a Tarrier turnover, Pottinger hit for two more, and a Vashon ten point
lead. The third quarter ended with a slashing layup by Kalen Cunningham, and a 33-26 Pirate advantage.
The Pirates got a little tight in the last period, and allowed CWA to narrow the score to a two point lead.
But with less than six minutes to play, Bogaard buried a three from deep, to give VHS a little breathing
room. A steal by Delargy, and a very long three by Chavez added to the Pirates margin. Vashon was
gaining more control of the game, but could not put the pesky Tarriers away for good. Then with three
minutes remaining in the contest, Chavez hit another three , and this would end any serious threat from
CWA.
Pottinger hit two free throws for a thirteen point lead, and then Vashon held on for the victory. Those
scoring for Vashon were the following: Bogaard 12, Chavez 11, Pottinger 10, Delargy 6, Dehnert 4,
Patchen 4, and Cunningham 2. The high scorer for Charles Wright was junior Dane Jacobsen with 17
points.
— Daniel Brigss is the father of a former VHS basketball player.