The recipe is the same: take relentless defense and add solid rebounding.
The Renton boys basketball team is hoping the product will also be the same as it has been more often than not: a trip to the state tournament.
Last year the Indians swept through the Seamount undefeated but missed the state playoffs for the first time since 2002. That abrupt halt to the season after such a successful regular season left Renton hungry.
“It eats at me every day,” said senior guard Joseph Powell. “Every day in practice I push the people who weren’t here last year harder because they just don’t understand how it feels to be used to going to state every year then not make it. It was a big letdown.”
Achoki Moikobu and Powell, along with Hanley Shum, will give Renton one of the league’s top backcourts. All three are quick on the floor and good defenders. Moikobu is leading the team so far with 18 points per game.
Thomas Merritt and Laudon Thomas give the Indians size up front. Both seniors, Merritt is 6-foot-4 and Thomas is 6-foot-5.
As for Renton’s trademark defense, it’s all about pressure, pressure, pressure.
“We try to harass them, take them out of their style,” Moikobu said. “It’s hard for other teams to simulate it in practice. We take away passes, take away lanes.”
The defense should work even better this season as Washington has implemented a 35-second shot clock. That means teams will have to rush their offense many times as it will take longer to get up the court through pressure.
“We’re trying to pick plays apart,” Powell said. “We want to find someone who thinks they’re better than they are and have them dribble too much. Then we can create turnovers.”
On offense, the Indians’ mentality sets them apart. Instead of worrying about pumping up scoring averages, Renton takes a balanced approach and doesn’t force the ball.
Like most things with Renton, the offense starts with defense.
“We have shooters, we have slashers. When we play hard defense, the points will come,” Powell said. “The points will come when they come.”
The Indians lost a big contributor from last year in Joseph Holifield. Holifield, who is now playing at Shoreline Community College, led Renton in scoring, rebounds and steals last year. Comer said the best thing about Holifield was his versatility. He could play every position on the court.
Holifield’s graduation just means more players need to step in.
“A lot of guys work hard and they know it’s important to step up,” said Renton coach Rick Comer. “I think that’s a challenging tradition. Right now, they’re just trying to fill those shoes. I feel pretty good about the guys we have.”
Junior wing Nathan Guy is also gone since he transfered to Hazen.
Comer said the Seamount should be very balanced this season as teams league-wide have improved.
“It’s amazing how balanced the talent is leading into the season,” Comer said. “The competition has really stepped up.”
