Transition time? That was months ago.
New Sequim High boys head coach Craig Brooks said he and the Wolves are ready to hit the hardwood after a busy summer and fall schedule, as they prepare to open the 2022-23 season that kicks off this week.
”I feel like we used this summer to make the transition,” said Brooks, the former Gig Harbor hoops coach who was an assistant and junior varsity coach last season in Sequim.
“This fall … we’ve been able to hit the ground running.”
Sequim lost more than several key figures from the 2021-22 campaign in graduating seniors Tyler Mooney, Jayden Possin and Pryce Glasser. The Wolves are also moving on from coach Greg Glasser, who with 15 seasons under his belt had the longest tenure of any head coach in Sequim High boys basketball history.
Glasser led the Wolves to 10 postseason tournaments and two state tourneys (2009, 2013), finishing with 175 victories in 353 contests. His win total is second only to the state Hall of Fame coach Rick Kaps, who tallied 201 wins in 14 seasons.
“Greg did a great job teaching his players to play basketball,” Brooks said. “[It’s a] good foundation.
“We’re able to build on what we did last year and previous years [with] players who have been developed through the program.”
Last year’s Wolves went 4-10 in Olympic League play with wins over Kingston, Olympic and North Mason (twice). They added non-league wins over Forks and Klahowya, finishing 6-14 overall, dropping a postseason tiebreaker to Olympic.
Returning for Sequim are a couple of key senior post players in 6-3 Isaiah Moore and 6-5 Cole Smithson, while 6-3 junior forwards Charlie Grider and Lars Wiker provide some help in the paint.
Junior guards Keenan Green and Garrett Little give the Wolves key shooting on the perimeter, along with senior guards Zach Thompson and Vincent Carrizosa.
Brooks, who also works as the school’s athletic director, said the Wolves may need to buckle down on defense a bit early on.
“I like to think of myself as a very defensive minded coach [but] this summer, our offense was way ahead of our defense,” he said.
The Olympic League has a pair of heavyweights in North Kitsap and Port Angeles; NK placed third at the state 2A tournament and Port Angeles was sixth.
Brooks said the field is fairly even past those two teams.
“Everybody’s kind of graduated a bunch,” he said. “I feel like we’ve had a lot of growth with our guys.”
The Wolves, so far, have been open to the system Brooks looks to implement this season.
”It’s been fun because they’re picking up any tweaks or changes,” he said. They really bought in to having a good year.
“They’re easy to coach [and they] do everything we ask them and continue to learn.”
Sequim was slated to open the season Nov. 29 at 4A Sumner. The Wolves are at Fife for another non-league game on Dec. 3 before opening the Olympic League season with a home date against Bainbridge on Dec. 6.
“We all know what the plan and the goal is,” Brooks said. “Now it’s just matter of putting work to do it.”
Winter sports preview: SHS boys basketball
Head coach: Craig Brooks (1st season)
2021-2022 results: 4-10 in Olympic League
Key returning players: Isaiah Moore (sr.), Cole Smithson (sr.), Keenan Green (jr.), Charlie Grider (so.), Zach Thompson (sr.), Lars Wiker (jr.)
Sequim High boys basketball 2021-2022 schedule
Date Opponent Varsity JV
Nov. 29 at Sumner 7 p.m. 5:30 p.m.
Dec. 3 at Fife 7 p.m.
Dec. 6 Bainbridge 7 p.m. 5:15 p.m.
Dec. 8 at Bremerton 7 p.m. 5:15 p.m.
Dec. 10 at Vashon 6 p.m. 4:30 p.m.
Dec. 13 North Kitsap 7 p.m. 5:15 p.m.
Dec. 15 at North Mason 7 p.m. 5:15 p.m.
Dec. 27 WF West 7 p.m.
Dec. 29 Granite Falls 5 p.m. 3:30 p.m.
Jan. 3 Kingston 7 p.m. 5:15 p.m.
Jan. 5 at Olympic 7 p.m. 5:15 p.m.
Jan. 7 Bellingham 3 p.m. 1:15 p.m.
Jan. 10 Port Angeles 7 p.m. 5:15 p.m.
Jan. 12 at Bainbridge 7 p.m. 5:15 p.m.
Jan. 17 Bremerton 7 p.m. 5:15 p.m.
Jan. 20 at North Kitsap 7 p.m. 5:15 p.m.
Jan. 24 North Mason 7 p.m. 5:15 p.m.
Jan. 27 at Kingston 7 p.m. 5:15 p.m.
Jan. 31 Olympic 7 p.m. 5:15 p.m.
Feb. 2 at Port Angeles 7 p.m. 5:15 p.m.
