Photo Credit: Hannah Eugster
Senior Haniteli Lousi waiting to get into the game.
January 6, 2012
Ricky Lang
The Washington Boys Basketball team opened MVAL league play with an exciting 67-57 victory against American on Wednesday, Jan. 4. The game went into double overtime before a winner could be decided.
The lead changed hands countless times in the first three quarters with both teams playing extremely well. With 2.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Huskies led 50-46 and American had two free-throws. The Eagles made the first free-throw but intentionally missed the second and dished the ball to Connor Tse, who drained a clutch three-pointer to tie the game at 50-50 just as time expired. The American fans erupted and even ran out onto the floor to celebrate the unlikely comeback.
However, Washington did not let this change of momentum psych them out. With time running out in the first overtime period, Washington Senior Pierce Romero stole the ball and attempted to dunk. But, the play was called back because American had intentionally fouled. Senior Matt Songponnopachon then headed to the line and sank two free-throws to tie the game at 54 all and send the game into double overtime. Now it was the Washington crowd’s turn to cheer. The Huskies dominated the second overtime thanks to a technical foul on the hot-headed American head coach, the muscle of Haniteli Lousi, and the scoring machine Matt Songponnopachon, who was a perfect 10-10 from the free-throw line and ended the night with 22 points. The final score was 67-57 in favor of the Huskies.
“It felt great just to get the W. Thanks to everyone who came out to support us tonight,” senior Pierce Romero (18 points on the night) said after the game.
The chaotic overtime win makes Washington 1-0 in MVAL league play and 4-11 on the season. The Huskies have a bye on Friday, Jan. 6 but resume play at home on Wednesday, Jan. 11 against Newark Memorial.
The Miami Heat's Udonis Haslem talks with the media after workout at the American Airlines Arena on Thursday, December 1, 2011 in Miami, Florida. (Al Diaz/Miami Herald/MCT)
December 9, 2011
Shivanjali Sewak
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December 17, 2010
Ninon Becquart and Cheryl Lee
Washington’s varsity boys basketball team had a great time at the Chico tournament, which lasted from December 9th all the way to the 11th. They spent three days in Chico, where they stayed with local families and even went to classes on Friday with the basketball players from the host school, Pleasant Valley High School.
“We had a lot of the Chico teaching staff tell us that we were a great group of young men,” Coach Tripp of the boy’s basketball team said, “That was nice to hear.”
Washington played last Thursday against Downey High School from Modesto and claimed a victory, with a score of 59-42. On the second night of the tournament, the Huskies brought their best but lost by 15 points to host team, Pleasant Valley. On the third night, the Washington Huskies competed for third place but unfortunately lost to Bullard High from Fresno.
“The best thing that came out of this tournament was we became closer as a family and a team. Last night, in our first game since we have been back, we beat a very good Mt. Eden team 56-55. They were 6-0 before they played us, so I feel the Chico Tournament made us a stronger team,” added Coach Tripp.
It seems that the team members agree.
“Well, the Chico tournament was more then just playing basketball,” explains junior Matt Songponnopachon, “We bonded not just as a team, but as friends too. Being four hours away from home, it was fun just being around my teammates. And the student government at Pleasant Valley High, the host team, was awesome. They hosted us at their houses. Just playing teams from all around California was a great experience because we didnt know each other at all. Being on varsity last year as a sophomore, I can honestly say the Chico tournament is where we come together as a team.”
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March 2, 2010
Paige Castren and Christelle Xu
ASB held a lunchtime barbecue Feb. 23 to celebrate the advancement of both the boys and girls basketball teams to NCS.
“It’s been roughly 10 to 15 years since we’ve sent both boys and girls basketball to NCS together,” activities director Helen Paris said.
The funding came from ASB, athletics and the money initially meant for the “Up Yours” lunch. Leadership decorated eaves with paper replicas of team jerseys, each personalized with players’ last names and numbers.
“It was great for ASB to put on the barbecue for basketball and to show support for the team,” senior John Songponnopachon said.
ASB made the decision Feb. 22 to put on the barbecue; they set up posters and announcements around school by first period Feb. 23. Despite the unexpected rain, ASB fed over 300 students.
“The price and food was good but there was a really long wait to get the food. It took like 20 minutes,” junior Andrea Bonilla said.
ASB members began turning students away so they would have enough time to clean up, not because there was a lack of food.
“One lesson I learned was that I should do every barbecue in the rain; everybody stays on campus,” Paris said.
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March 2, 2010
Edin Cristofi
Senior Jack Veronin has been playing varsity basketball since his freshman year. This is his third MVP basketball award. He has led the Huskies to a 19-9 overall record. The highlight of Jack’s season was hitting the game-winning shot against San Lorenzo with 3.4 seconds left. The toughest obstacle Veronin has overcome this season were the back-to-back losses to Newark and Kennedy.
“It was a very tough stretch to go through and to get out of,” Veronin said.
The Huskies came out of losing streak with a 61-56 victory over the American Eagles.
Athletes usually have some type of good luck charm or superstition. For Veronin, every time he’s called for the starting lineup, he hits the floor three times before getting up. While his quirks seem odd, it has worked for him this season, with a an average 17.2 points and 16.7 rebounds per game. The motivation and adrenaline behind Veronin’s success comes from his pre-game dances in the locker room. Currently towering at 6’6″, Veronin started playing basketball at a young age in the Fremont recreational league at Irvington. Jack intends plans on continuing his basketball career in college, possibly at San Francisco State University.
This article originally appeared in print on March 2, 2010. It has been modified to correct style and grammatical errors.
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March 2, 2010
Rico Donelson Jones
Senior Sabrina Swayzer, unlike most high school players, excels in all aspects of basketball, from shooting and dribbling to passing and steals. Starting point guard, Swayzer has played varsity basketball for three years and has maintained a 3.0+ GPA throughout high school. Swayzer has played basketball since she was five years old, and her hard work has paid off as she led the Huskies to take the 2009-2010 MVAL league title with 9.2 points and 1.2 steals per game. Swayzer has also been named First team all-league this season.
Jersey numbers are typically based on a “first come first serve basis,” but to Swayzer, her number means more.
“I wear the number five because it was the number my dad wore in high school for both basketball and football,” Swayzer said.
Swayzer looks up to Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks because of her aggressive attitude on the court and passion for the game. She plans on playing basketball in college.
This article originally appeared in print on March 2, 2010. It has been modified to correct spelling and grammatical errors.
Photo Credit: Jimmy Young
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January 15, 2010
Photo Credit: Jimmy Young
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January 15, 2010
Edin Cristofi
Husky Nation packed the house to watch the boys basketball game against Newark Memorial, Jan. 14. Both teams were undefeated heading into the game. The team gave a valiant effort, but the Cougars continued their reign in the MVALs, with WHS losing 50-54. The Huskies held the lead at the ends of the first, second and third quarters, but failed to carry through to the final quarter. Mikhael McKinney (pictured) led both teams with the most scored points at 17 points. The Huskies missed free throws in the first three quarters came back to haunt him. The Huskies had one last chance to tie the game when McKinney brought the ball up the court to send it to overtime and shot a three-pointer to tie the game. The shot was heavily-contested, and there is speculation among the audience that he was fouled on the last play. The referees didn’t agree apparently. The boys fouled the Cougars to stall the clock, but Newark made free throws to put the game away.
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January 4, 2010
Rico Jones Donelson
The basketball team faced Granada High in a home game Dec. 17. The huskies started the game slow, ending the first quarter 8-14. They picked up the pace during second quarter, ending the half 15-22. Both teams focused on defense during second quarter as Granada only scored eight points and Washington scored seven. The huskies came back into play in the third quarter, outscoring Granada 12-5. With a strong defense came a fast offense. The huskies’ steals and turnovers led to multiple fast breaks, scoring easy lay-ups. Washington and Granada entered fourth quarter tied at 27-27, but the Matadors took the lead, scoring off of offensive rebounds. Down the stretch of fourth quarter, Washington lost focus as they could not even sink their free throws. They ultimately let the game slip away in a 38-33 loss to the Matadors.
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November 10, 2009
Edin Cristofi
With fantasy football coming to an end, there have been many shockers and busts. Some surprises have been the emergence of Kyle Orton and Denver Nuggets, Mario Manningham from New York Giants and DeSean Jackson’s from the Philadelphia Eagles. Their consistency with points have impressed fantasy owners. Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears and Clinton Portis from the Washington Redskins may have been some players who have been disappointing. But you can guarantee that those players won’t be able to redeem themselves as the season finishes.
One season is ending, another is beginning. And yes, I am referring to basketball.
Some sleepers that may bolster your fantasy team are:
Roy Hibbert, center for the Indiana Pacers. This is Hibbert’s second year in the NBA and he looks polished, just through the first couple of weeks of the season. Hibbert is making a big impact coming off the bench, and if he continues to play this way, you can guarantee that he will start before mid-season.
Jason Thompson, power forward for the Sacramento Kings is another second-year player that you might consider drafting. Unlike Hibbert, Thompson has been a starting power forward ever since last season, so you can expect a more reliable performances on a night-to-night basis. Thompson probably was not someone you would have picked up last year because of the lack of consistency. However, with last season under his belt, you can bet stability will be there this season.
People you shouldn’t expect much from this year are:
Caron Butler, a small forward for the Washington Wizards. With “Agent Zero” a.k.a. Gilbert Arenas back and with the new additions of Mike Miller and Randy Foye in the off season, I don’t expect Caron to get as much playing time.
Keyon Martin, a power forward for the Denver Nuggets. Don’t anticipate Kenyon to be in the spotlight with the emergence of “Birdman,” otherwise known as Chris Andersen. In the 2008-2009 playoffs, Andersen did all the dirty work in the paint, creating havoc for opposing offenses. Both players are playing split minutes even though Kenyon starts every game.
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