It’s the opening game of the boys basketball season. The mood, and likely the success, of the rest of the season will be determined by this outcome.
It’s not looking good.
The Sumner gym is small, with a “monster band and student section,” said Head Coach Kevin Olson.
Nerves are high, and before the playing even starts, it seems like Sumner has claimed all the energy in the gym.
In a single moment, however, that changes.
The game starts, and Puyallup takes the win that had been theirs all along. The final score has the Vikings up by 10 points, a victory that would keep them going the rest of the season.
“The rivalry games are always huge. That’s probably one of the biggest things in high school sports, is rivalry games,” Olson said. “So, that was a huge game for us.”
The teams goal this year was clear: be among the twelve teams that would make it to the Tacoma Dome, where they could fight for the state championship title.
“We were very young last year, made it to regionals, one game away from the Tacoma Dome,” Olson said. “The guys have been working really hard over the summer, and then this fall, they were playing a lot and just working and getting ready. [We’re] very determined to make that happen.”
Olson is always working to be a better person and coach for his team.
“Adults, a lot of times, talk to kids about being a lifelong learner. I’m always trying to learn from everything,” Olson said. “Kids have changed a little bit and I’ve changed, always looking to do things better, looking for more efficient ways and [I’m] always looking to improve.”
The team’s familial dynamic contributes to their success streak. Most of the seniors have been playing with Olson for four years, while the juniors have been playing with him for three.
“This is a special group. Teams talk about the family atmosphere a lot, but I really feel like the guys play for each other. Alot of times teams have some selfishness, and people are thinking about themselves, [but] this group is more about the team and the team success,” Olson said.
Often, the high school sports scene is like a conveyer belt. Players go in, go out, and the change is almost routine; programmed.
“The most rewarding thing for me has been when people that kids into play for me, or assistant coaches that have worked with me, they’ve gone on to do other things on their own, and then they come back,” Olson said. “People come back and they just tell you how important you were to them, or the memories that they had, or the great things that we did.”
For Varsity Captain junior Lawson Looker, his responsibilities lie far beyond meeting with the referee before the game starts.
“Me and Drew, the other captain, we have to be the ones leading us into battle,” Looker said. “I’m the point guard, so I got to keep the team together, make sure we’re all doing what we need to do to win.”
Looker shares the same perspective on the team dynamic as Olson does.
“We’re all friends here. We all do youth group together, Bible studies together, my whole team is close and that’s what makes it fun,” Looker said. “Just the memories, and how close we are together.”
The team, however, doesn’t limit their travel to nearby 4A schools.
“California is our tournament that we went into this year. We stayed in an Airbnb, played really good teams,” Looker said. “The experience was fun. We got better as a team.”
If there is one thing Looker and Olson can easily agree on, it’s that their future is filled with possibility.
“It’s a special group with a lot of potential and great attitudes,” Olson said. “I’m happy with what we’ve done so far, and excited for what’s gonna happen.”
