Scooter Chapman
Pirate hoops still a top ticket
Published on Wed, Jan 27, 2010 by Scooter ChapmanRead More Chapman
The Peninsula College Pirate basketball teams are coming off a brutal week of Pirate Week eating contests and other events, not to mention three tough games: two on the road (at Edmonds and Shoreline) and a home contest against Everett.
After the week was over, the Pirate men had a record of 5-3 and were in second place in the North Division of the NWAACC, while the Pirate women have a record of 1-7 and are in next-to-last place in the division.
The Pirate men lost at Edmonds, took a 99-93 overtime win over Everett at home, then lost a tough one to division-leading Shoreline, 87-84, while the Pirate women suffered losses at Edmonds and against Everett at home, then beat Shoreline last Saturday, 68-55 for their first conference win and also snapped a seven-game slide.
P.C. men
Pirate head coach Peter Stewart prowls the sideline in front of the Pirate bench like a big grizzly bear. In his eighth year at the helm, he's the winningest coach in
Pirate history, having more than 120 victories and a 90-percent winning percentage in the Pirate gym.
Under his careful coaching, the Pirates have won three North titles and have placed as high as third in the tough state tournament. Twice he has been named coach of the year.
How does Stewart do it?
He is one of the top recruiters in the division. With a nice pipeline to Utah, he is able to entice some older players to buy into Pirate basketball, which is run, run, run and play defense like there is no tomorrow.
Sequim's Ryan Rutherford is a key cog in the 11-man rotation. The 22-year-old has matured as a person and a player. He's only 6 feet tall but the sophomore has more moves around the hoop than a snake.
Long range? He can nail the big three-point bomb, he can shoot 13-foot jumpers in the lane and he can drive to
the hoop with a variety of scoop shots and finger rolls.
He gets a lot of help from 5-foot 10-inch guard Trevant Musgrow from Granger High in Utah, a freshman, along with 24-year-old Jason Gamblin, a burly post player from Jordan High in Utah.
With 6-foot 4-inch jammer Christian Manzanza, a forward from Belgium, and Colton Worley, a 6-foot 4-inch swing man from Chimacum, the Pirates have size, speed and shooting ability.
Freshman Jeremiah Johnson is another 6-foot 4-incher from Weber High in Utah who starts, but it's not the starters who make the difference: it's Stewart's ability to blend in the entire roster on offense and defense. Russell Jackson, a guard from Utah, Jordan Rawls, a guard from Decatur High, Bryce Jacobson, a forward from Alaska, Kyle Patten, a frosh from Utah and Jordan Collins from Nevada round out the team.
P.C. women
The Pirate women open up each North Division doubleheader and it's been a tough season for first-year head coach Alison Crumb and her first-year assistant Brooke Helpenstell.
Alison played for the Pirates, leading them to the only team divisional title in 2005. The former P.A. Roughrider was assistant to coach Julie Stewart last season and was awarded the job after Stewart stepped aside at the end of the past school year.
Crumb did not have the luxury of a big recruiting class and was left with one sophomore, Dena Houser, a guard from Nevada.
It's all frosh for the rest of the roster and they've had to learn under serious pressure from other teams in the division.
Scrappiest of the freshmen is 5-foot 2-inch guard Jimesha Collins out of Long Beach High in California. She is a whirling dervish on the court and worth the $6 price of admission an adult pays to see two college games in one night.
Blair Musgrove is a 5-11
forward out the same high school as Collins. Emily Garner is a frosh guard out of Alaska, and Brianna DeSantis is a 6-foot-tall post out of Las Vegas who became eligible in January and is working her way into playing shape.
Neomi Carter of Las Vegas, Jasmine Jackson of Las Vegas, Jamie Wycoff of California and Abby Schmid of Port Angeles round out the roster.
The Pirates landed former P.A. Roughrider Danika Goodwin. She had to leave Pacific Lutheran when her mother became ill from cancer and had only played three games. She gives the Pirates a big boost on offense and on defense.
The Pirate ladies have taken their lumps, but give Crumb a chance to recruit some players - she is looking hard at several Olympic Peninsula athletes - and she will be a fine coach as she has good rapport with the team.
Still plenty of chances to see the Pirates in action, with home games against Bellevue on Feb 3, then key games on Feb. 13, 17 and 24 against Whatcom, Edmonds and Shoreline.
Columns by KONP 1450 AM sports announcer Scooter Chapman appear weekly in the Sequim Gazette. He can be reached via e-mail at scooter@olypen.com.
After the week was over, the Pirate men had a record of 5-3 and were in second place in the North Division of the NWAACC, while the Pirate women have a record of 1-7 and are in next-to-last place in the division.
The Pirate men lost at Edmonds, took a 99-93 overtime win over Everett at home, then lost a tough one to division-leading Shoreline, 87-84, while the Pirate women suffered losses at Edmonds and against Everett at home, then beat Shoreline last Saturday, 68-55 for their first conference win and also snapped a seven-game slide.
P.C. men
Pirate head coach Peter Stewart prowls the sideline in front of the Pirate bench like a big grizzly bear. In his eighth year at the helm, he's the winningest coach in
Pirate history, having more than 120 victories and a 90-percent winning percentage in the Pirate gym.
Under his careful coaching, the Pirates have won three North titles and have placed as high as third in the tough state tournament. Twice he has been named coach of the year.
How does Stewart do it?
He is one of the top recruiters in the division. With a nice pipeline to Utah, he is able to entice some older players to buy into Pirate basketball, which is run, run, run and play defense like there is no tomorrow.
Sequim's Ryan Rutherford is a key cog in the 11-man rotation. The 22-year-old has matured as a person and a player. He's only 6 feet tall but the sophomore has more moves around the hoop than a snake.
Long range? He can nail the big three-point bomb, he can shoot 13-foot jumpers in the lane and he can drive to
the hoop with a variety of scoop shots and finger rolls.
He gets a lot of help from 5-foot 10-inch guard Trevant Musgrow from Granger High in Utah, a freshman, along with 24-year-old Jason Gamblin, a burly post player from Jordan High in Utah.
With 6-foot 4-inch jammer Christian Manzanza, a forward from Belgium, and Colton Worley, a 6-foot 4-inch swing man from Chimacum, the Pirates have size, speed and shooting ability.
Freshman Jeremiah Johnson is another 6-foot 4-incher from Weber High in Utah who starts, but it's not the starters who make the difference: it's Stewart's ability to blend in the entire roster on offense and defense. Russell Jackson, a guard from Utah, Jordan Rawls, a guard from Decatur High, Bryce Jacobson, a forward from Alaska, Kyle Patten, a frosh from Utah and Jordan Collins from Nevada round out the team.
P.C. women
The Pirate women open up each North Division doubleheader and it's been a tough season for first-year head coach Alison Crumb and her first-year assistant Brooke Helpenstell.
Alison played for the Pirates, leading them to the only team divisional title in 2005. The former P.A. Roughrider was assistant to coach Julie Stewart last season and was awarded the job after Stewart stepped aside at the end of the past school year.
Crumb did not have the luxury of a big recruiting class and was left with one sophomore, Dena Houser, a guard from Nevada.
It's all frosh for the rest of the roster and they've had to learn under serious pressure from other teams in the division.
Scrappiest of the freshmen is 5-foot 2-inch guard Jimesha Collins out of Long Beach High in California. She is a whirling dervish on the court and worth the $6 price of admission an adult pays to see two college games in one night.
Blair Musgrove is a 5-11
forward out the same high school as Collins. Emily Garner is a frosh guard out of Alaska, and Brianna DeSantis is a 6-foot-tall post out of Las Vegas who became eligible in January and is working her way into playing shape.
Neomi Carter of Las Vegas, Jasmine Jackson of Las Vegas, Jamie Wycoff of California and Abby Schmid of Port Angeles round out the roster.
The Pirates landed former P.A. Roughrider Danika Goodwin. She had to leave Pacific Lutheran when her mother became ill from cancer and had only played three games. She gives the Pirates a big boost on offense and on defense.
The Pirate ladies have taken their lumps, but give Crumb a chance to recruit some players - she is looking hard at several Olympic Peninsula athletes - and she will be a fine coach as she has good rapport with the team.
Still plenty of chances to see the Pirates in action, with home games against Bellevue on Feb 3, then key games on Feb. 13, 17 and 24 against Whatcom, Edmonds and Shoreline.
Columns by KONP 1450 AM sports announcer Scooter Chapman appear weekly in the Sequim Gazette. He can be reached via e-mail at scooter@olypen.com.
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