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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

GSL basketball: Despite challenges players, coaches happy to get shortened hoops season started

This time of year most high school kids are looking forward to the end of school, boat days and summer vacations. Others are finalizing college plans or have summer jobs lined up.

Seems like the perfect time to start basketball season.

No one involved with basketball – or wrestling, gymnastics and slowpitch softball – is complaining, really. Most are just happy that conditions in the region have stabilized regarding COVID-19 protocols and these sports, the “high-risk” indoor contact sports, are being allowed to move forward at all.

The Greater Spokane League kicks off Tuesday with 14 games in gyms across the area. The marquee matchups will be at Gonzaga Prep, where the Bullpups girls and boys teams host Mt. Spokane.

Final run

The GSL reigning boys MVP Tyson Degenhart is back for his senior season, truncated as it is, before he heads to Boise State. He’ll barely get a chance to finish his high school season, though, before he has to report. The GSL culminating event is June 15-16, he graduates June 18 and heads to Boise on June 19.

But he’s fired up for one last run with his teammates, regardless of the situation.

“I’m really excited,” Degenhart said on Monday. “How we ended last year (a State 3A first-round loss to Seattle Prep) kind of left a salty taste in my mouth. It’s nice to get out and finish my high school career with the guys I started it with.”

Unfortunately, that run will be without fellow senior point guard JoJo Anderson, a second-team all-league selection, who will miss the season with an injured shoulder.

“It’s a huge disappointment,” Degenhart said. “We have guys that will step up, but it’s a big hole to fill on our team.”

Degenhart has hit the weights hard over the last year and has looked for gym time and games anywhere, including the blacktop at his local elementary school.

“It’s the longest break between seasons I’ll ever have, for the rest of my life probably,” he said.

Degenhart is thankful most of the potential top talent is expected to return for the season and mentioned Central Valley and Gonzaga Prep, along with Ferris, as teams the Wildcats will have to go through at the top of the league.

“Both great coaches, both will have something up their sleeves,” he said. “We have to go out and compete with them because anything can happen on the basketball court, and you like to be on the winning side of things.”

CV, which lost to Mt. Si 58-47 in the 2020 State 4A title game, will be led by returning all-league 6-foot-10 post Gavin Gilstrap, while G-Prep’s fast-paced offense is paced by all-league point guard Hodges Flemming and post Jayden Stevens. Ferris has a young nucleus, led by junior wing Kobe Smith.

“I like being in a competitive league where you can’t take off nights,” Degenhart said. “I think that’s what all of us want is to go out and compete with the guys on our team and finish the season strong.”

As much as he’s looking forward to the season, he’s also disappointed the Wildcats won’t have a chance to redeem at state.

“I think about it a lot,” he admitted. “This was our year to make a state run like we did my sophomore year. Knowing that’s out of the picture, the GSL championship is like the state championship, it’s what we have to focus on.”

Moving forward

Gonzaga Prep got its season started on Saturday, with a nonleague game against Lewis and Clark. The Bullpups won 72-59 as Jayden Stevens scored 24 points and Aidan Von Buchwaldt added 17.

“It was good to be back playing, watching the kids competing,” G-Prep coach Matty McIntyre said. “There were moments that looked really good, and then moments that looked like we haven’t played basketball in 15 months.

“We have eight returners, so maybe we’re in a more stable place than some others.”

On top of all the challenges high school athletes have had the past year-plus, gearing up for basketball season with a week of practice is up there.

“The anxiousness, to even have the season happen. Two weeks ago we were even questioning if we would even go,” McIntyre said. “Maybe the learning coming out of this is just to take it for what it is. If you’re competing, having fun with their friends, sometimes we overthink or sweat the small stuff.

“We’ll just enjoy every moment and every opportunity.”

With the short practice schedule and in many places the turnout numbers being down, it might take until later in the season – if at all – before the level of play approaches the level many expect from the GSL.

“It’s an interesting question,” McIntyre said. “I think that at the varsity level it’ll probably be somewhat similar, but I am concerned with what’s happening at the lower levels. Not just the number of teams, but just the number of kids playing.”

The late season presents other challenges that basketball coaches haven’t had to face previously.

“Your seniors are already going to be graduated the last two weeks of the season, so that’s going to throw off the body rhythms maybe,” McIntyre said. “But it is what it is. You just don’t want to spend time worrying about things out of our control.”

Low numbers

Unfortunately, the late timing of the season – along with the inherent problems caused by the pandemic – is taking its toll on some programs in the area.

The East Valley girls team has been as strong as any at the 2A level the past few years, going 78-19 overall and 41-7 in league the past four seasons, with three trips to state – including a state runner-up trophy in 2019 and third-place finish in 2018.

Despite having a strong stable of returners, including two college-bound players, coach Rob Collins said on Monday the program will only be able to field one team this season due to a myriad of problems.

“It’s a big problem,” Collins said. “We had some kids not turn out who had been varsity players, maybe not starters, but they understand the system, understand what you’re trying to do.

“There are some kids that are really struggling mentally trying to get through all this. Then there a few kids that have gotten jobs. Then there’s some apathy of not wanting to do anything. It’s just a compilation of all of it.”

It’s not just East Valley where the numbers are low. Rogers athletic director Aaron Brecek said the problem is universal in the region.

“We estimate the numbers are down most places in girls sports 25-40% , and 10-20% for boys.”

Defending champs

The last time the Central Valley girls took the court was in the State 4A title game last March, when the third-seeded Bears knocked off No. 1 Woodinville 59-55 at the Tacoma Dome.

Obviously, a lot has changed since. But one thing that hasn’t is that CV is expected to contend for a GSL title.

The Bears graduated leader Peyton Howard, who saw good playing time with Seattle University this season, averaging 4.2 points and 2.7 rebounds as a freshman.

But several key players return for GSL coach of the year Felice Orrell, in her second campaign at the helm. That starts with MJ Bruno, the heart of the Bears. Bruno was the sole junior on last season’s all-league first team. Bruno averaged 11.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.7 steals last season and was named to the Seattle Times all-state first team.

Joining Bruno from the state title team will be forward Chloe Williams and Grace Geldien.

At the 2A level, two-time all-state and three-time Great Northern League MVP Ashlyn Wallace returns for her senior season for Clarkston before heading to Idaho to play for the Vandals next season.