Everett senior is school scoring king, unflappable leader of Seagulls

EVERETT — Isaiah White never envisioned himself breaking scoring records in an Everett uniform.

The bouncy, 6-foot-5 combo guard has typically been more of a multi-faceted impact player than a pure scorer over his four seasons playing for the Seagulls, but he finds himself at the top of the list anyway.

White broke the program’s career record in a win over Shorecrest on Jan. 11 just weeks removed from joining the 1,000-point club.

“I didn’t really realize how close I was to 1,000 points or the school record,” White said. “When I found out how close I was, I thought it was really cool because I don’t deem myself as a true scorer or someone who looks to score every time I touch the ball.”

When White set the new mark, previous record holder Jessen Schilaty, now a counselor at Everett High School and former teammate of head coach Bobby Thompson, was in attendance.

“It’s neat,” Thompson said. “Because Jessen was such a team guy as well. Someone who played the right way, cared deeply about his teammates and was the same kind of leader on campus that Isaiah is.”

The wiry White is in the midst of a breakout senior campaign, holding averages of 22.3 points, 10 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.4 steals per game while shooting 53% from the field. He currently sits at 1,221 career points, 115 points ahead of Schilaty, who had held the honor since 1995.

Thompson, who took over as Seagulls head coach in 2019, previously ran the Everett Hoop Club AAU program that White started attending in sixth grade. Thompson called White an ultimate culture-setting type of player, and one who’s helped the Seagulls reach new heights as a program during his tenure.

“When you have someone who’s your most talented player and your best athlete embody everything you want the program to be about, the trickle down to everyone else happens pretty rapidly,” Thompson said.

White has upped his game in each of his seasons at Everett, but the consistent year-to-year growth in maturity and added responsibilities as a leader didn’t come easily.

White used to struggle with his confidence on the floor at times early in his basketball journey. Now, it’s not an issue he thinks about, as the senior captain and focal point never seems to ride too high or too low.

“Honestly, it’s pretty crazy,” White said. “Looking back, it’s almost like I was finding reasons to be upset. I took everything super seriously and I always wanted to get better, but I always felt like I had the wrong approach to it.”

So, what was the turning point for White? After a rough performance in middle school, he had a heart-to-heart conversation with his future high school coach.

Thompson pulled White aside after the game and reminded him that nobody else was being as critical of his performance as White was.

“From that point forward he really never again showed any type of emotion on the court,” Thompson said. “He’s maybe the most cerebral player I’ve ever coached. … When the chips are down, he just stays constant. And, when things are going really well, he’s a stabilizer.”

Isaiah’s older brother Jayden White, a 2020 Everett graduate and first-team All-American hammer thrower at the University of Washington, has witnessed the same type of mental growth.

“He’s become almost stoic about his game,” Jayden said. “He’s able to take things with a grain of salt and keep it pushing and look forward to the next game. It took me forever to figure out my sports career, and it’s been great watching him figure things out way younger than I did.”

Jayden, who participated in basketball in addition to track during his high school days, said there’s no replacement for the legacy Isaiah will leave behind.

“If you watch him at games, you’ll see little kids come up to him and ask for autographs,” Jayden said. “I remember when he used to be that kid, now he’s able to inspire the next generation. When I played for that program, we had no one around who was like him.”

After helping lead Everett to its first state regional berth since 2000 last season as a junior, White and the Seagulls are right back into the thick of postseason play with an opportunity to reach regionals for a second consecutive year.

Everett (12-9 overall, 10-5 league) is set to square off against Stanwood (7-10 overall, 7-8 league) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Everett High School in a Class 3A District 1 loser-out contest.

“We’re considering it like a second season,” he said. “All the stuff that happened during our regular season… all of our big wins and tough losses, they kind of go down the drain. Obviously, we can learn from them, but it’s a fresh start. I’m really excited about what comes next for us.”