This season, the boys basketball team flew all the way to the state championship – continuing their legacy from past years. Together, the boys improved their mentalities and formed a family for themselves both on and off the court. Despite losses against Lynden Christian, Arlington, O’Dea, and Mt. Spokane high school, the Hawks came out on top with their final game against Garfield High for 4th and 6th place in the WIAA state championship. Following the season, Hawks were ranked 2nd in the 3A division for their RPI with a win-loss record of 24-4. The Hawks shined as a whole team for their defense this year, but many were also recognized individually for their skill.

Seniors Gabe Towne, Zaveon Jones and junior Svayjeet Singh were listed in the ‘Prep Hoops’ article for 3A standout forwards. Along with this, WesCo awarded Co-League MVPs to senior Jaxon Dubiel and Leyton Martin from AHS (Arlington), 1st Team All-League to Dubiel and Jones, and two Honorable Mention All-League awards to junior Rayshaun Connor and senior Logan Tews.
As the postseason games progressed, the Hawks’ wins against the Shorewood Stormrays and Shorecrest Scots ensured the teams advancement to state. Along with these wins, the team helped each other out whether they won or lost a game. Now, being able to make it to the state championship isn’t something a lot of schools do, and having an audience is something that the team deserves because of their hard work. But being able to go to the Dome year after year helped the team help themselves improve even times of worry during games.
“We know we’ve been here before, so we just needed to do what we’ve done for the last couple years,” Dubiel said. “It’s fun to have family here and be able to come and [for us to] be on this big state and have them watch us.”
Even with a few losses harder than others, the Hawks always came back to the court with a clear mind and therefore improved themselves to come out on top. Assistant coach and academic advisor, Michole Mattix, further explained the boys’ mindset.
“The energy that you put out on the court, the result, you can’t always control. But the energy, you can.” she said. “To see how they’ve grown and improved and matured and come together even more, has really been amazing.”
The state championship games came to a close, and the realization that it’d be the seniors’ last time playing for their high school settled in. Even though the team is losing some of the strongest players, Singh is prepared to take advantage of his future opportunities next year. “We are losing our seniors and there’s no doubt that they played a major role, but with them leaving there’s a lot of opportunities for everyone to step up and I’m planning to make the most of them,” he said.