With state hardware in their trophy case, extensive experience and a multitude of scoring options at their disposal, Hoquiam’s boys enter their basketball season with expectations soaring.
The Grizzlies return their top-three scorers, plus a fourth starter, from the club that went 21-6, shared the Evergreen 2A/1A League title with 2A Aberdeen and placed sixth in the state 1A tournament last March.
Small wonder that HHS coach Curtis Eccles does little to hide his optimism.
“Barring injuries or any academic probation, I’m pretty happy with how things are going so far,” Eccles said.
Hoquiam opens its season Nov. 29 at Chehalis.
If nothing else, the Grizzlies should pose plenty of headaches for opposing defenses. Incredibly, two of the top-four career scorers in school history will be on the court this winter.
Senior wing Jack Adams III enters the campaign second on the career list with 1,110 points (Joey Wayman is the all-time leader with 1,423), while senior point guard Jerod Steen is fourth with 933.
Dangerous on both drives and 3-point shots, Adams averaged 18 points per game last season in earning league Most Valuable Player honors. With, according to Eccles, improved ball-handling skills, the 6-foot-1 senior will also see some time at point guard this season.
Entering his fourth season as a starter, Steen will continue to handle most of the ball-handling duties. Only 5-8 but an excellent all-around athlete, he is also expected to play occasionally at forward.
Six-three senior forward Jace Varner, another all-leaguer from a season ago, will provide much of Hoquiam’s inside presence.
Senior guard Zach Spradlin, perhaps Hoquiam’s strongest defender, is another returning starter. Six-one senior Anthony Nash, the team’s sixth man last season and a state-class sprinter in track, will likely fill the fifth starting job.
Hoquiam’s attack could be bolstered by the addition of Victor James, a 6-foot junior who was the leading scorer on Aberdeen’s junior varsity last season prior to transferring. James, who possesses exceptional shooting range, is awaiting clearance on his eligibility.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a team that has so many players who can score,” noted Eccles, who became the winningest boys hoop coach in school history last season.
For all their assets, however, the Grizzlies face a couple of clearly-defined concerns.
The most visible is size. They graduated Brett Pelan, one of their top rebounders. Six-five Gregory Dick, the starting post as a junior last year, is involved in another activity and is not turning out this season.
That seemingly puts most of the rebounding burden on Varner, but Eccles doesn’t appear overly concerned.
“We’ll make that up with our speed and our shooting,” the HHS coach said, “and the other guys are going to have to pick up the slack in our rebounding.”
Eccles hopes to further exploit his team’s speed by ratcheting up the pressure on its full-court defense.
Consistency was also an issue with the Grizzlies last season. They frequently dug themselves deep first-half holes which they sometimes — but not always — overcame with second-half rallies.
Eccles said the rotation off the bench has yet to be determined. Senior letterman Ryan Espedal provides backcourt experience while sophomore Bryson Eccles, the son of the coach, should see extensive action up front.
Backcourt reserves include juniors Naz Mazariegos (a returning letterman) and Marques Rivera, sophomore Jackson Folkers and 6-4 freshman Reyyon Dayton.
Hoquiam’s rugged non-league schedule this season includes contests against Class 2A Tumwater, Black Hills and Chehalis, the traditional two-game rivalry with Aberdeen and a home-and-home series against traditional Trico League power Castle Rock (Eccles’ alma mater). The Grizzlies will also compete in the Yakima SunDome Invitational Dec. 29-30, facing Kennewick and Bellevue Christian.
Eccles expects Montesano and Forks to be his club’s prime challengers within the Evergreen 1A League.
Keith Reynvaan, Ed Dawson, Neal Fisher and Tracy Pelan return as HHS assistants.
