Winter Sports Preview: Sequim High Boys Basketball
Head coach: Greg Glasser (ninth season)
2014-2015 record: 9-3 in Olympic League, 16-8 overall; 2-2 at districts
Returning players: Jackson Oliver (sr.), Payton Glasser (so.)
Newcomers: Arnold Black (sr.), Riley Cowan (fr.), Brendon Despain (sr.), Nate Despain (fr.), Nick Faunce (sr.), Justin Hermosada (jr.), Alex Holland (sr.), Konnor Parrish (jr.), Jack Shea (sr.), Kyler Rollness (fr.), Keeshawn Whitney (fr.)
Sequim Gazette staff
With the Olympic League MVP on the opposing side, Sequim foes knew they had to guard Alex Barry from baseline to baseline.
This winter, with Barry graduated, those opponents will be left wondering who will take the reins for the purple and gold.
That thought had occurred to Sequim head coach Greg Glasser as well.
“This is the first time in a long time we will go into most games as the underdog,” the ninth-year coach says as he watches a preseason practice at Sequim’s Rick Kaps Gymnasium last week.
“I love that,” Glasser says. “There’s nothing more rewarding than to take a group of guys and exceed expectations.”
Last season, Sequim — behind Barry, Vance Willis and a host of experienced role players — went 9-3 in league play and won two games at districts before being ousted by league foe Olympic just two games short of a state berth.
But nine of their 11 regulars for last season’s initial roster are gone after either graduating or moving from the district.
Back is all-league honorable mention Jackson Oliver, who tallied 7.9 points per game and was third on the team in blocks and steals.
Also back is guard Payton Glasser, who as a freshman last season averaged four rebounds and two assists and shot 43 percent from the field.
“I’m going to rely on them for leadership,” Greg Glasser says. “They might be thinking, ‘I have to be the guy to take over that scoring responsibility’ (but) it’s important not to have one guy try to do too much.”
Making the move from the junior varsity squad is 6-foot 3-inch post Jack Shea, 6-foot 1-inch forwards Nick Faunce and Alec Holland, and 5-foot 6-inch forward Arnold Black.
A trio of freshmen are among players vying for varsity time.
By the end of the 2014-2015 season, teams were hardly surprised by the effectiveness of Barry, who led the Wolves in scoring (20.3 per game), rebounds (12.5), assists (3.3), blocks total) and steals (89).
In addition to losing Barry, Sequim looks to the all-around contributions of Willis, Dusty Bates, Alex Rutherford and Josh McConnaughey.
But Glasser, the co-Coach of the Year in the league last winer, says he is hopeful for this year’s Wolves.
“We’ll surprise some teams,” Greg Glasser says. “It’s a nice group of kids. I’m always fortunate for the quality of kids I get to coach year in and year out.”
He said the overall goal is to get into the top five for one of the Olympic League’s district playoff berths.
Olympic, which looks to return all-league players Jumier Johnson and North Mason transfer Matt Becker, seeks a return to the top of the league, as do Cole Rabedeaux and league power North Kitsap. Olympic and NK were 10-2 last season, with Sequim third and Bremerton fourth.
