Owls and Grizzlies are hitting the hardwood

Redmond squads are a committed, hard-working group.

By Andy Nystrom • December 12, 2019 9:30 am

Basketballs are thumping up and down the court as the prep season is underway. Here’s a rundown of the Overlake and Bear Creek boys and girls squads as they jump into the action.

OVERLAKE

Girls:

First-year head coach Teron Sutherlin returns all of the Owls players from last season’s squad, which finished 18-5 overall and competed in the state tournament after winning the Emerald City League with a 14-0 record.

“Biggest key for success is building on the chemistry of last year and trying to take the season a step further than the last,” said Sutherlin, adding that his coaching philosophy is to work hard and have fun.

Top returners are senior Eliza Friend (a 6-foot-5 forward), junior Kaku Cosmos (a 5-foot-9 guard who is currently rehabbing her ACL), sophomore Meri Cosmos (a 5-foot-7 guard) and sophomore Rachel Sapirstein (a 6-foot forward).

Overlake was 2-2 overall at press time.

Boys:

Coach David Bigelow’s squad also returns to the court after a trip to state last season and notching a 15-7 overall record.

“Like most teams that made the state tournament last year, we’ll need to replace a few key pieces. We are a bit younger, but will build on the culture of our program and look to reload rather than rebuild,” he said.

With a “next-play” philosophy on tap, the Owls return junior Alan Ngouenet (a 6-4 forward), junior Roman Peterson (a 5-9 guard) and senior Rohan Narasayya (a 6-3 forward). Top newcomers are freshmen guards Alec Odell and Jake Shuey.

Overlake was 3-2 overall at press time.

BEAR CREEK

Girls:

Bear Creek notched its first win in 20 games with a 38-33 result against Charles Wright on Dec. 6. The Grizzlies were off to a 4-1 overall start at press time.

Freshman guard Macey Huard (6-1) led the way with 22 points, 11 rebounds and eight steals, and freshman post Izzy Jones (5-11) added 16 rebounds and five points against Charles Wright. Bear Creek has one returner in senior guard Katie Krantz (5-6).

“We have a young team composed of seven freshmen that are stepping into the program and making a huge impact,” said coach Ebany Herd.

Boys:

Commitment and hard work are two of the hallmarks to Tyler Mendezona’s coaching philosophy for his squad that finished 15-7 last season.

“Win or lose, we emphasize playing together, trusting each other and playing with toughness,” the coach said.

Top returner Jace Blankenbeckler, a 6-2 senior, will lead the way at point guard. Stepping onto the court as the Grizzlies’ top newcomers are sophomore guards Josh Linnenkohl (5-9) and Nathan Shields (6-1).

“We have a tough league (Emerald City), but I think our boys are capable of being pretty competitive. We have a lot of young guys and our ability to play tough defense will be important,” Mendezona said.

Bear Creek was 2-2 overall at press time.