PORT TOWNSEND — The East Jefferson boys basketball team goes into this season with high — and tall — expectations.
The Rivals are coming off a 9-12 season that started building the blocks for bigger and better things to come. Sure enough, East Jefferson began this season with a bang, beating its longtime Nisqually League nemesis Klahowya in the season opener.
The Rivals are experienced with seven seniors. They’re also tall, perhaps one of the tallest 1A teams in the state. They’re led by 6-foot-8 post Stuart Dow and 6-foot-7 swingman Keidan Guzman. On top of those two, there is also 6-foot-3 Cash Holmes and 6-foot-2 Aiden Stepanski.
“There are times we could probably put a lineup on the floor where everyone is 6-foot-1 or taller. There’s also times we can go small. We have some options,” said coach Emmanuel Abbott.
Dow is a defensive force, perhaps the most dominant defensive presence in the Nisqually League. He is a threat for a triple-double virtually every night, only instead of assists, he racks up the blocks. He got eight in his first game of the year. Abbott said those block stats don’t even include all the shots that he changes with not only his height, but his long arms and instincts. Dow also showed an improvement in his scoring with 15 points in the Rivals’ opening win.
Guzman is a big scorer for the Rivals who led the team with 12 points per game last year. He has the benefit of being able to handle the ball and play both the point guard and the No. 2 guard positions with his impressive size.
Point guard Brody Moore, who averaged 11 points a game last year, showed his scoring prowess with a 25-point opening game. Even he is good-sized for the point position at 5-foot-10.
“He is the engine that drives us,” Abbott said.
Holmes is a guy who can do a bit of everything. He can play both inside and outside, as he led the team last year in 3-point percentage.
The team is rounded out by junior Traycen Brown and seniors Garret Fordham and Gary Zambor. Like Holmes, Zambor is a multi-sport athlete for the Rivals.
“He’s pretty darn good at everything,” Abbott said. Rene Martin got seven points against Klahowya, playing in his first varsity game as a freshman.
“He’s a tough little kid,” Abbott said of Martin. The team is rounded out by Silas Morgord, Ethan Riker and John Mercado.
The Nisqually League is always a tough one because it’s a league heavy with private schools. Abbott said Annie Wright, which went 25-3 last year, is considered the favorite in the league. Life Christian lost some of its good players from last year, but is always tough and Cascade Christian is another tough school in the league. Second-place Vashon was strong last year but has gotten off to an 0-2 start in the Nisqually this season.
The Rivals played Cascade Christian this week and get to see Life Christian next week. They will not play powerhouse Annie Wright until almost mid-January.
East Jefferson Rivals
• Head coach: Emmanuel Abbott, third year.
• Last season: 6-10 in Nisqually League, 9-12 overall.
• Returners: Stuart Dow (6-8), senior; Keidan Guzman (6-7), senior; Brody Moore (5-10), senior; Cash Holmes (6-3), senior; Aiden Stepanski (6-2), senior; Gary Zambor (6-1), senior; Traycen Brown (5-9), junior.
• Newcomers: Rene Martin (5-9), freshman; Silas Morford (6-0), freshman; Ethan Riker (5-10), sophomore.
• Outlook: The Rivals are exceptionally tall for a 1A team and could put an entire lineup on the floor over 6-foot-1 if they wish. They are also very experienced with seven seniors and two juniors. This is the year for them to make a move in the strong Nisqually League, which features Annie Wright, likely one of the top five teams in the state.
