It’s all about team for Bruins

Published 11:31 pm Monday, January 18, 2010

The Cascade High School boys basketball team has one overriding goal this season — to make the district playoffs for the first time since 2006.

With a solid start to the season (6-3 in league play, 8-5 overall), the Bruins currently sit in third place in the Wesco North and are feeling modestly confident in their chances to advance beyond the regular season.

“You never know what could happen, but I would never underestimate these guys’ commitment and resolve,” third-year head coach Jamar Williams said. “If we continue to get better, (making districts) could be a reasonable goal.”

With seven seniors on the roster, including four-year varsity starter Chris McGrath, this season marks the last shot at the postseason for a majority of the Bruins.

“It would be a total one-eighty from last season and it would mean the world to us,” senior and three-year varsity forward Jamieson “Moose” McDaniels said.

After a disappointing eighth-place finish in last year’s Wesco North standings, the players knew they needed to work harder during the offseason. The talent was there, Williams said, but the squad needed to improve its teamwork. So he organized several team-building exercises. The most important, Williams said, took place following the final cuts. The team met at the Cascade gym for a sleepover, complete with ice-breaker activities to encourage the players to communicate better and get to know one another, a viewing of the classic basketball movie “Hoosiers” and breakfast at the nearby Burgermaster.

In addition to improving their team chemistry, the Bruins also focused on sharpening their defensive skills. After being ranked near the bottom of the league in team defense last year, Cascade has vastly improved.

“Last year we were out-rebounded a lot,” McGrath said. “But this year we’re playing a lot better defense, which helps us on our offense because we get a lot more steals and fastbreaks.”

Cascade’s offense ranks second in the Wesco, trailing only powerhouse Jackson. McGrath leads the Bruins with an average of 17.6 points per game and junior Johnnie Hilliard adds 10.4 points per contest.

“I think (McGrath) is evolving into not just a scorer, but a complete player as far as distribution of the basketball,” Williams said. “Being a four-year varsity player really helps. He’s been in the close games. He’s seen it all since his freshman year so that gives us some stability.”

Strong leadership by team captain McDaniels and senior Anthony Barton also help the Bruins stay focused.

“McDaniels is a vocal leader. He encourages the guys,” Williams said. “Barton is another guy who although he doesn’t speak a whole lot, when he does, the guys perk their ears up and listen.”

Despite hitting a rough patch to begin the new year — Cascade’s record since Jan. 5 is 2-3, including losses to Lake Stevens, Arlington and Stanwood — the Bruins recovered to win games last week against Monroe and Marysville-Pilchuck. Williams said those victories were “positive steps towards meeting our goals.”

“We (have the) kind of energy — mental toughness, physical toughness and commitment to team — it takes every night when you go from being the hunter to being the hunted,” Williams said. “It’s a position that our guys haven’t been in (before), but it’s a lesson we have learned now and can carry with us through the second half of our league schedule.”