JOHN STROEDER WAS supposed to be a Band-Aid.
He was a quick fix for a Port Townsend boys basketball program that lost its coach midway through what looked to be a lost season.
Instead, what the Redskins got was six years of some of the best basketball the Quimper Peninsula has seen; a run that included back-to-back trips to the state semifinals, two Olympic League championships and six straight postseason appearances.
That era came to an end Tuesday when Stroeder notified Redskins athletic director Patrick Kane that he would not be returning to coach next winter.
Unable to participate fully in his team’s offseason activities due to changes at his job with the Port Townsend Paper Mill, Stroeder called it quits after 13 years of coaching Port Townsend basketball (the first seven with the girls).
“I just can’t put 100 percent into it like I have in the past,” Stroeder said. “If I can’t be hands on 24-7, then I just don’t feel like doing my job.
“It’s pretty tough to leave, but I’m going to go along and do something else I guess.”
The 51-year-old’s life has included basketball in some form or another for 40 years, starting as a fifth-grader in Port Townsend.
After starring for Port Townsend High School as a player under long-time coach Jim Kerns, he earned a scholarship to play for the University of Montana.
The 6-foot-10 redhead eventually went on to have a long professional career that included stops in the NBA, CBA and Europe.
Stroeder then took over the Redskin girls program soon after his playing days were over, leading them to four state tournaments in seven seasons.
He stepped down from that position in 2004 only to be pressed into action the next winter after an in-game incident between ex-boys coach Russ Hickman and his players led to Hickman’s forced resignation in January 2005.
The Redskins were 0-10 at the time, but Stroeder righted the ship enough to close out the year on a 4-6 run and reach districts.
“That was the easiest season I ever had,” Stroeder said. “No pressure.”
Stroeder stayed on after that, riding a strong Class of 2009 group led by 6-foot-5 post Parker McClelland and tiny point guard Dakotah Pine to unprecedented heights.
The Redskins won Olympic League titles in 2008 and ’09 despite being its smallest school, reaching the state semifinals in both seasons.
The latter achievement was a first in school history, with the 2009 team’s third-place finish the Redskins’ best in 16 years.
“The last two years with that [2009] group I had . . . those were two memorable years,” said Stroeder, who also received big contributions for seniors Aaron Gifford and Ross Bringgold in 2008.
“They actually taught me 100 percent what it takes to get to the next level. They were always in the gym and they were always trying to get better.
“They were pretty special kids.”
After losing eight of the team’s nine rotation players from those state teams, this year’s edition went 8-13, falling just two wins short of another trip to Yakima.
“Every year was a good year whether we won or lost,” Stroeder said. “It just seemed that our teams always improved.”
Stroeder’s boys teams went 72-55 in his six years, reaching the postseason each season.
Those teams were consistently known for their strong man-to-man defensive principles and an efficient motion offense.
(Side note: Stroeder probably bellowed the word “Move!” at his players at least 10 to 12 times a game when they were on offense. This never stopped being hilarious.)
“He did a tremendous job with the kids and the program,” Port Townsend athletic director Patrick Kane said. “I enjoyed working with him.
“I learned a lot form him [as a soccer coach] . . . as far as how to handle a team and figure out strategies to win.
“We’ll obviously miss him because of his experience in the game and his history with the program.”
Kane said the job would be posted inside the district before administrators start looking for candidates outside the area.
Stroeder, for one, had a suggestion as to who should take over the position: assistant coach Tom Webster.
“I would like to see him do it,” Stroeder said. “He’s just a junky about sports.
“I think [he and McClelland] stuck around every night to shoot extra shots after practice”
Stroeder also left the door open for a return.
“I’m never saying I won’t come back,” he said. “You never say never.”
Playoff payoff
There’s a reason we’ve been a little hesitant to declare the Port Angeles baseball team’s playoff hopes dead.
Up until Tuesday, there was a slight possibility the Olympic and Western Cascade leagues would hold a Class 3A sub-district tournament involving its top three teams in baseball and softball.
That would’ve allowed for six teams to fight for the leagues’ four combined district spots (much like in soccer, basketball and volleyball).
Yet the powers that be in both leagues couldn’t come to an agreement on how one would work, with district seeding the sticking point. Thus, the idea was scrapped entirely.
It’s an unfortunate development for Roughrider baseball team.
The Riders have been out of the running for second among the Olympic League’s 3As since a 14-3 loss at Kingston on April 19. Yet they have the third position all locked up.
Without the sub-district game, which would have been against the WCC No. 2, the Riders were eliminated from the postseason.
“It is a shame,” Port Angeles coach Bob Withrow said. “Right now I think we’re dangerous, and now we don’t get to go and see what we can do.”
Port Angeles softball’s postseason chances are still looking good, however.
The Riders hold a 3 ½-game edge on Olympic for the league’s top 3A spot to districts with five league games to play.
Quick hits
• The boys basketball coaching job isn’t the only marquee position open at Port Townsend.
Brian O’Hara resigned from his position as Redskins head football coach earlier this year, and it has yet to be filled, according to Kane.
“We thought we had a candidate and that fell through because he wasn’t able to secure employment in Port Townsend,” Kane said.
“So we are reposting, which is unfortunate because it’s so late in the year.”
• Sequim running back Travis Decker will play in the Earl Barden All-State football game in Tacoma on June 26.
Decker was named the Nisqually/Olympic League offensive MVP last fall after leading the Wolves in rushing with 1,464 yards and 25 touchdowns on 181 carries.
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Matt Schubert is the outdoors and sports columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. His column regularly appears on Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at matt.schubert@peninsuladailynews.com.