South Kitsap’s boys basketball team struggled through its worst season in coach John Callaghan’s 13-season tenure as the Wolves finished with a 6-14 record. That was reflected as only one player, guard Nars Martinez, was selected to the all-Kitsap team’s bench.
The all-county team, made up of eligible players from schools in Kitsap County, was voted on by the sports editors and writers of the Kitsap News Group, including the Port Orchard Independent, Bremerton Patriot, Central Kitsap Reporter and North Kitsap Herald.
2011 All-Kitsap County Boys Basketball Team Starting Lineup
Guard — Chris Bell, Bainbridge, junior: Bell was a bright spot in an otherwise dismal season. He often finished as the top scorer for a majority of the games and led the team and the county in scoring with 19.9 points per game. He also averaged seven rebounds, two assists and one steal per game.
Guard — Andre Coleman, Bremerton, senior: Coleman followed in the footsteps of former teammate Jarell Flora and cousin Marvin Williams by leading the Knights, this time to the district playoffs. Coleman was one of the top Olympic League players this season, averaging 19.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, three assists and 2.8 steals per game for Bremerton. One of his more impressive efforts came Jan. 28 against Kingston High School when Coleman led Bremerton with 28 points, including seven 3-pointers, en route to a 70-68 upset of the then-undefeated Buccaneers.
Forward — Sam Byers, Kingston, junior: Byers collected 65 rebounds during the 2A Boys State Tournament, the most out of any player vying for a state title. He stayed consistant throughout the season with 12.5 points per game, 10.6 rebounds per game and 2 blocks per game. Byers was the only Olympic League player to average a double-double.
Guard — Derris Davis, Klahowya, senior: Davis was the bright spot in the Eagles’ season, leading the team with 17.3 points per game. He orchestrated Klahowya’s offense and kept his team competitive during the season.
Forward — Zane Ravenholt, Kingston, senior: Ravenholt led the team with 15.9 points per game. He also averaged nine rebounds per game, 2.1 blocks per game and 1.8 steals per game. He produced more points (110) than anyone else at the Class 2A state basketball tournament in Yakima.
Bench
Guard — Rico Failla, Bainbridge, junior: Failla was the second scoring option to Bell and he could just as easily take over a game like Bell with his touch behind the arc. He averaged 16.4 points and five rebounds per game.
Guard — Trent Gallagher, Olympic, junior: Gallagher played a vital role in leading Olympic to its first automatic berth into the West Central District tournament since 1999. He averaged 16.3 points per game for the Trojans, who relied on Gallagher’s quick feet and court vision for big wins this season.
Forward — Austin Hewett, Crosspoint Academy, senior: Hewett led the team with 15.2 points per game this season.
Guard — George Hill, Kingston, senior: Though his scoring numbers are not as high as some of his teammates, Hill’s assisting ability played its part from the first game to the third-place match against Burlington-Edison. With 10.4 points, 5.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game, the four-year varsity player became a force on the court during the state tournament as well. Hill accumulated 17 assists during those final state games, tying for the most assists in the tournament.
Guard — Nars Martinez, South Kitsap, junior: A natural shooting guard, Martinez volunteered to switch to point guard this season to fill a void in the Wolves’ starting lineup. Despite that, he still averaged a team-high 13.4 points per game and 3.9 assists, three rebounds and 1.3 steals per contest.
Guard — Quintin Phillips, Olympic, sophomore: He tallied 15.4 points and two steals per game this season, helping the Trojans beat top-ranked teams Bremerton and Port Angeles on the way to the postseason.
Guard — Andrew Shadle, Bremerton, sophomore: Shadle averaged 10.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game this season. He helped the Knights, who under first-year head coach Darren Bowden, earned a trip to the district tournament. Shadle developed a cohesive relationship with Coleman and Michael Lawrence, which led to big wins down the stretch.
Coach of the Year
Blake Conley, Kingston: Conley guided the Buccaneers to a 21-8 record and to the state tournament for the first time in program history, where they finished third.
Honorable mentions
Bainbridge: Michael Crowley, guard; Eric Raustein, guard; Bremerton: Michael Lawrence, sophomore; Central Kitsap: Steffan Collins, senior; Jacob Sontag, senior; Crosspoint Academy: Josh Kreifels, senior; Kingston: Tucker Bowman, guard; K.T. Deam, center; Richie Sander, guard; Klahowya: Clark Rose, junior; North Kitsap: Will Nguyen, forward; Tj Reitan, guard; Olympic: Chris Campbell, senior; Qui Jan Otis, senior; South Kitsap: Steven Ebner, guard.
