Renton’s crowned champions: Boys and girls basketball squads sweep Sammamish

Renton High School boys and girls basketball teams swept the KingCo League Championship games over Sammamish on Thursday, Feb. 9 at Renton High School. The Renton boys repeat as KingCo champs and the girls exacted revenge over Sammamish who took them out last season.

On top of the Redhawk success, the Lindbergh girls team also advanced to the district tournament with a nail-biting victory over Highline High School.

Not only did both Renton teams finish at the top, but both coaches were also crowned 2A KingCo Coach of the Year.

“We’re basketball coaches, but to the kids, we are a lot more,” said Renton boys Head Coach Rashaad Powell.

The Renton boys played an extremely tightly contested game against the Redhawks of Sammamish. Going into halftime and beginning the third quarter the game was tied at each of those breaks.

Redhawk sophomore Dennis Johnson came led the Redhawks with 30 points on the night. “It means a lot… I want to keep going and try and get something big for the school,” Johnson said.

Coach Powell said he was very happy with how the sophomore played, only allowing the KingCo 2A MVP Zak Abdulkadir to score two points while Johnson defended him.

“He is traditionally not one of our best defensive players… Dennis was sound, he’s played some good basketball. That’s a testament to his coachability,” Powell said.

Renton closed the game out with clutch baskets from Ajayi Simmons and Johnson putting away Sammamish.

“I’ve been playing with him since I was a little kid,” Johnson said. “We have a great relationship on and off the court, it’s another player that can take pressure off me so he can get some buckets too.”

Renton is now 6-1 against Sammamish over their last seven games, a trend that the Redhawks want to keep up.

“We’re going to get everybody’s best shot every night … It’s about making them understand what kind of level of discipline you need to have to keep up that success,” Coach Powell said.

The Redhawk girls also played a competitive game against Sammamish, a tightly contested contest as well. But Renton came out on top, climbing the mountain of which they failed to achieve last year.

“It’s an incredible feeling, it’s big, it’s huge,” Coach Tim White said.

With the absence of senior Jesselle Victo who was serving her one-game suspension. Another Renton senior stepped up, it was Aahmani Washington who came up with clutch steals and baskets all night.

“She’s highly cerebral, she’s another coach on the floor … I call her a swiss army knife. She hits critical free throws, and takes on the opponent’s toughest offensive player on defense,” Coach White said.

Washington scored the 40 and 41 points from the free throw line for the Redhawks icing the game away and notched two steals in the fourth quarter.

“I’ll step up and do whatever we need. If we need intense defense I’ll do that. If we need free throws I’ll do that … I feel like I can be there for my teammates and help us win,” Washington said.

Both the boys and girls are waiting to find out their opponents during the opening round of the district tournament. But the games will be played at Renton High School, where the boys haven’t dropped a game in almost a year. The girls play their game on Feb. 14 and the boys play on Feb. 15.

The Lindbergh Eagles girls advanced to the district tournament as well, locking up fourth place in the KingCo conference tournament with a win over the Highline Pirates.

Lindbergh came into the match up dropping four of their last five games, but they were able to edge out the Pirates 35-33.

The Pirates got out to an 11-2 lead on Lindbergh, but the Eagles were able to get back in the game and finished the quarter up 13-11.

“It was kind of a wake-up call … I told them to fight and push through its win or go home,” said Head Coach Jessica Isabell.

It was a different starting lineup for the Eagles as three of their five season-long starters were on the bench in the biggest game of the season. It challenged the Eagles but they stepped up and came through for coach Isabell.

“It encouraged them to push through and fight through and know that they had to bring it and they did.”

The Lindbergh Eagle boys were eliminated from KingCo play but are still in the district tournament. For first-year Head Coach Tyreese Breshers the focus is now on where this team can improve. “I think I have their trust now, they are starting to pick up on what I am aiming for, next season is going to look completely different,” he said.

The Lindbergh Eagles girls are also in action Feb. 14.