Senior leadership
One is a name you probably know if you’re a follower of high school basketball in this area. The other is less well known.
But what co-captains Josh Landsverk and Mark Sherwood have in common is the unquestioning admiration of Shadle Park boys basketball coach Tim Gaebe, who sees both as indispensable.
True, Landsverk at 6 feet 7 inches and 250 pounds puts up big offensive numbers and is a tremendous defensive presence as well, but in Gaebe’s words, “From a coach’s point of view, Mark Sherwood is just as valuable, the epitome of a true program player.”
The two seniors, along with a talented cast of younger players, have helped Shadle to a 6-2 Greater Spokane League start, only one game out of first place. And while their assets are markedly different, Gaebe says he couldn’t do without either player.
“Josh came up to the varsity late in his freshman season,” said Gaebe. “He’s always been a big kid, but he has continued to get better and better. He’s got soft hands and is very good around the basket. If you’re an opponent looking to beat us, you have to find a way to stop Josh. If he gets the ball inside, he scores.”
Landsverk is a three-sport athlete, participating in football and track as well as basketball. But basketball is his favorite, and leadership responsibilities don’t come easily to this soft-spoken young man.
“I’ve had to establish the fact with Josh that he is a leader,” Gaebe said. “He’s been there before as a young player in our program, and it’s important for him to share what he’s gone through with our younger guys.
“Josh is not a boisterous guy by nature, but he has accepted his role as a leader, and he’s definitely a force to contend with.”
It’s easier for Landsverk to show the way to Shadle’s younger players when he remembers what it was like for him as a freshman on the varsity.
“I didn’t really know anybody when I got called up,” he said, “but lots of the older guys helped me out. I’m comfortable enough with all our guys that I can talk openly.”
While Landsverk has frequently been a Highlander headliner, Sherwood has traveled a different path at Shadle, although he’s a starter as a senior and is enjoying a solid season.
“Being a program guy for me means being unselfish and patient,” he said. Patience was required in particular during his junior year, when he swung between varsity and JV before moving up permanently at midseason.
“It was tough at first, playing JV as a junior,” he said, “but it was good for me and I improved a lot. Later in the season, I was able to make some big contributions. I was confident that if I kept working hard, I’d get my chance.”
“Mark just does what he has to do,” said Gaebe, “and he does it without ever complaining. I’ve never heard him say a negative thing about anyone. Whenever a coach talks with him, he listens and absorbs.
“Last year when he was swinging, never once did he come and say he needed more playing time. Mark’s a guy who sees the big picture, even if sometimes it might exclude him. He’s the kind of kid who if someone else is playing better, he’ll sit for the good of the team. But when his time comes, he’s always there. A kid like that is a blessing in this day and age.”
Neither Landsverk nor Sherwood is a rah-rah guy, but they agree that with the excellent team chemistry Shadle has this year, the Highlanders don’t really need much of that, although, says Landswerk, “People listen when we talk.”
While Landsverk gets the headlines, Sherwood doesn’t miss them. And their common goal is a top-two spot in the GSL and the playoff advantages that come with that success.