Go-For-It Guy John Mietus’ Aggressive Style Pays Off In Rebounds For Saxons

There were six extra uniforms. Meaning six extra spots.

A lucky break for John Mietus.

He probably wouldn’t be playing today if it weren’t for those junky jerseys.

Mietus got the last one. He was 21st man on the freshman team.

Now he’s sixth man for the sixth-ranked Saxons and leads the team in rebounding with 7.3 a game. He came off the bench to score a team-high 14 points to match his career high and also grabbed eight rebounds in a 49-27 Ferris win over rival Lewis and Clark in its final Greater Spokane League game of the season last Thursday.

He will try to help the Saxons reach Friday’s District 8 4A title game with a second-round win tonight over third-seeded Gonzaga Prep (16-5) at the Spokane Arena. Game time is 5:30. Prep defeated sixth-seeded Shadle Park 62-52 in Tuesday night’s loser-out first round.

“I never stopped believing in myself that I could do it,” said Mietus, who was cut in seventh grade and was No. 30 on his eighth-grade team. “But at the same time I was a long way away physically and skills wise.”

His freshman coach, Dave Jackson, remembers well.

“He had a weird-looking shot,” recalled Jackson, who now directs the freshman girls at LC. “He brought the ball way behind his head and flung it up. … He was extremely raw.”

Thirty-six Ferris freshmen turned out four years ago, and Jackson was told to keep 15. But rather than cutting so many, he persuaded head coach Wayne Gilman to hunt for more uniforms. He came up with six.

Jackson is glad he didn’t let Mietus go.

He just couldn’t cut him. Jackson said Mietus was tall with no hair on his legs, so he figured he had some growing to do.

He had big hands and was a decent ballhandler for his height. And Jackson knew there was a history of athleticism in the family.

Mietus’ father played college baseball at the University of California at Davis and also was a basketball player.

Mietus, 17, said it was worth wearing those tight shorts that crept up way too high. It was worth having to tape over the zero on his No. 40 uniform every game to make it No. 4 because No. 40 was already taken by a player higher in the lineup.

“They were hilarious,” he said of the uniforms. “They were ‘70s shorts.”

“These unis are straight out of the movie Hoosiers,” added Jackson, noting that the group identified itself as the Sorry Six and stayed true to form.

That season, Mietus played primarily fifth quarters, the 10-minute extra periods that follow the regular game. They are designed to give playing time to players who don’t get many minutes otherwise.

Mietus said he tried to make the most of those chances.

“John was a warrior,” Jackson said. “Every time he went in, his elbows were flying all over the place.

“His knees would go up into guys’ backs. He did everything within rules and a little bit outside them. He was so darn aggressive.”

He’s still that way. Besides leading the Saxons in rebounds, he’s also their top fouler.

“What really stands out is how relentless he is going after the ball,” Gilman said. “He’s quick in putting it back up.”

And he gives Ferris a boost when he enters a game, Gilman said. Mietus is the team’s fifth-leading scorer with a 7.5 points average.

He shoots 50 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free-throw line. He has 10 blocks and also averages 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

It was near the end of his sophomore season that Mietus showed big improvement.

He was the 14th player picked for junior varsity but worked his way up to sixth or seventh man by the end of the season.

“Things started to click,” Mietus said. “I was growing into my body a little more and gaining confidence. I kind of knew what it took to make improvements.”

And he continued to make strides the following summer, Gilman said.

And he led the Ferris summer league team in scoring coming into his senior year.

“Boy, I’m so happy for him,” Jackson said. “It looks like he’s going to have a shot at playing college.

“He’s so tough under the basket. I wouldn’t want to play against him.

“He’s one of the most physical players down low I’ve ever seen.”