New-look Trojans hope to repeat successes

Oly has new coach, new players, new system.

By AARON MANAGHAN

Sports editor

Devin Huff is excited for his first year at Olympic, even if the new boys basketball coach got the position in a roundabout way.

Huff, a boys and girls coach as Ridgetop Junior High School for seven seasons and a former Bremerton boys assistant, was originally hired to be the head coach of the Trojans’ girls program after Al Gleich retired. But when former boys coach Tyson Whitfield had to unexpectedly leave, Huff opted to make the switch.

“Definitely. I kind of felt like it was a now-or-never situation,” he said. “Head coaching jobs don’t come around very often. I’m very excited. I’m trying to get things established here.”

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That shouldn’t be as difficult a task as most new coaches face though, as Huff pointed out from Wednesday’s season-opening 65-42 loss to Central Kitsap.

“We lost pretty much everyone from last year,” Huff said. “On Wednesday night, I think of the nine guys playing, for six it was their first time playing in a high school varsity basketball game.”

While most of that was last spring’s graduation of a senior-heavy team, some of that has been adversity, from academics to personal home situations. As a result, Huff said the team had already lost three players it planned on having for the season.

But that just makes them hungrier to prove that Oly can still be competitive following the near-complete makeover.

“We’ve already overcome a little adversity,” Huff said. “The character they showed Wednesday night, I’m really proud of them.”

With CK led by 6-foot, 7-inch Brandon Durham, Huff knew his team’s best chance was to contain him inside.

“Clearly, our strategy was to make them beat us from 20 feet,” Huff said. “It was clearly what we had planned. They got hot. But if you’re gonna beat us, beat us from 20 feet.”

While the Trojans contained Durham better than any of CK’s other first opponents (Durham had 13 points and 11 boards), CK did get hot from the outside, with Cody Thurmond leading the team with 16 points. Matt Wain added 12 as the Cougars drilled eight three-pointers.

Trailing by 14 at the half, Huff said his guys could have let down, but didn’t.

“No matter what happens, we want to play hard all the time,” Huff said. “I’m really proud of the kids Wednesday night for doing that.”

Larry Dixon, Oly’s sophomore running back sensation, made his hoops debut, leading the Trojans with 16 points and 13 rebounds, with much of that coming in the second half.

Joey Johnston was solid shooting-wise, finishing with 10 points for Oly.

But Huff said it’s going to take a team effort for the Trojans to stay competitive this season.

“Our goals as a team, I think the guys really want to go to districts,” Huff said. “That’s what they’ve talked about from the get-go. In the Olympic League, we’ll be competitive.”

Even without players Oly thought it’d have.

“I think we’ll stack up pretty well,” Huff said. “Obviously, we start off a little shorthanded, but what we have is still competitive. Obviously, we’re not very big, but our athleticism will help us a lot.”

Back for Oly this year are seniors Rashad Greene, Daniel Johnson and Johnston.

Another senior, Justin Sena, should be eligible to play soon. Huff said that small core will be where the team turns for leadership.

“Definitely. Rashad especially,” he said. “And Joey is working harder and harder and being able to fulfill that role. They know what it’s like. They’re doing a good job.”

Junior Vaughn Jones, Deanzalo Thomas and Elliott Thorsen also will play key roles this season. Huff said he was particularly impressed with Jones’ opener.

“That was a big breakthrough for Vaughn as a person and a player,” he said.

That leaves sophomores Dixon, Kyle Featherstone and Andre Henderson. Both Dixon and Henderson started.

With that young core available, Huff said the team will likely not only be competitive this season, but can build for the future as well.

“For the Olympic League, this is a good situation,” he said. “Looking at this sophomore class, we’re really gonna build around this class.”

Many of Oly’s players were Huff’s players at Ridgetop. That’s helped ease the transition into his system for the most part.

“I think so,” Huff said. “A lot of those guys, particularly that sophomore class, played for me at Ridgetop. So in some cases it’s been a smooth transition. In some cases no. We’re kind of having to start really honestly from ground zero.”

The Trojans will travel to Yelm for a 7 p.m. non-leaguer on Monday before taking on Klahowya at 7 p.m. Tuesday on the road.