I thought I would do a few team previews of teams that might make some noise this year. There are your usual favorites in the GSHL 2A, in R.A. Long and Mark Morris. That won’t change this year. Another less…
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SubscribeI thought I would do a few team previews of teams that might make some noise this year. There are your usual favorites in the GSHL 2A, in R.A. Long and Mark Morris. That won’t change this year. Another less talked about team, the Woodland Beavers have all but one player back from last year’s team. They will win a lot of games in the GSHL. They will be a team that nobody will want to draw in the early rounds of the district 4-2A tournament. They gave Tumwater a close game, (59-49) opening round loss as the 8th seed in the tournament a year ago. They were eventually eliminated by Black Hills in a nine point defeat. They will be looking to make that next jump this year.
Woodland – 13-9 (2022)
Key returners-
Beau Swett Beau Swett 6'2" | CG Woodland | 2023 State WA – 17. 8 PPG
Dane Huddleston Dane Huddleston 6'0" | PG Woodland | 2023 WA – 14.1 PPG
Drew Burns – 9.3 PPG
Justin Philpot Justin Philpot 6'3" | SF Woodland | 2023 WA – 7.9 PPG
Gus Heidgerken – 5. 2 PPG
He is no doubt the go to guy and leader of this team. He was their leading scorer last season at over 17PPG, while running the point. He scores a good majority of his points getting downhill and finishing shots with floaters, pull-up jumpers, and getting all the way to the rim. He is best going to his left, and he’s a good enough athlete to get past the first line of defense. He put up 26 points in the loss to Tumwater in the district tournament. Take away the turnovers forced by Tumwater’s full court pressure and this was anybody’s game. He is a theif on defense with quick hands and good anticipation. I’m sure he led his team in steals and when he gets them, he is off to the races. He’s a capable three point shooter and if he improves that part of his game, look out. He’s a legit talent in 2A district 4 and the GSHL.
A great shooter who has some serious range. He is one you can’t leave open. He pairs up well with Swett to make for a good guard combo. A good majority of his 14 points per game came from behind the arc. He’s not as athletic or the ball handler that Swett is, but provides points and can knock down open looks at a high percentage. This combo will help Woodland to be a threat to win games they aren’t supposed to. Come district time, they will be a tough out.
He gives this team an active rebounder and good athlete from the small forward position. He’s good at what he does, which is get his points in the lane or with a strong finish at the rim. He does take the occasional three also, but is best suited going strong to the basket. He is a good enough athlete to get offensive rebounds and second shots for his team. A lefty who likes to go to his left and his strong frame can finish through contact. He will likely be atop the charts in the rebounding category most nights. Woodland doesn’t have much size, so he is counted on to do those things in the paint. He provided around 8PPPG last season and is crucial to their success as one of the tallest and more athletic guys in the lineup.
This is a team stocked full of seniors who got valuable experience last season, playing some good teams closely as juniors. That includes a two point loss to Mark Morris and the district loss I already referred to vs Tumwater. This kid is another threat from three on a good three point shooting team. He can get hot and provides yet another weapon with that experience that should give them a lot of confidence going into their senior season. Nobody wants to draw Woodland come district tournament time. They are a dangerous team with experience.
