Remo’s “Big Hoss” Performance of the Week (Week 7)

Already half way through January, lets recap some of the top performances from Week 7 before we get even closer to the final month of the regular season. It’s crunch time ladies and gentlemen, and with mounting pressure we can start to see who relishes the spotlight and who can come through clutch when it matters most. Here are some candidates for this week’s “Big Hoss.”

Jack Leblanc Jack Leblanc 6'3" | C Cedarcrest | 2024 WA | Cedarcrest – 30 points, 16/16 FT @ Cascade 1/10

LeBlanc was locked in from the stripe, sinking 16-of-16 free throws to account for more than half of his points in the game. He’s a big wing who has that quick first step to get around defenders and inside. With his big body he was able to absorb contact and draw fouls, putting Cascade defenders in tough spots all game long and help Cedarcrest pull away with the win.

Eli Williams Eli Williams 6'4" | PG North Central | 2024 State WA | North Central – 18 points, 13 assists, 9 rebounds @ Ridgeline 1/10

North Central has had some trouble finding its way against some of the better competition from the Greater Spokane League, but Williams has been a great example of what lies ahead for the Wolfpack. They’ve been close a couple of times, losing to University by eight, Mt. Spokane by seven, and Ferris by five, but Williams has started to show he can put up these numbers no matter who the other team is. As the season goes on, his ability to make plays for others continues to grow, and he continues to show his elite athleticism as a point man.

Sylas Williams Sylas Williams 6'6" | SF Jackson | 2023 State WA | Jackson – 39 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block @ Glacier Peak 1/11

Less than a week after tying his season high with 18 rebounds, Williams went out and set a new high mark for his scoring this season. On his way to 39 points, he tied another season high with five three-pointers showing he continues to put in the work to expand his range and become an even bigger threat from the wings. He’s has a fabulous season with 22.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, building on what was a breakout junior season last year.

Shay Brannon | Eatonville – 24 points, 19 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists, 1 steal @ Tenino 1/11

Brannon was looking bouncy against Tenino and took on one of the more promising sophomore’s in the state early in the game, Noah Schow Noah Schow 6'5" | SF Tenino | 2025 State WA . He sent two of Schow’s drives back and then blocked another Eatonville player to set the tone in the opening quarter. He was also big on the boards, grabbing 12 offensive rebounds on the night. Now, he wasn’t very efficient offensively going just 7-for-21 from the field, but his ability to stick with it and finish the play was evident. He’s a pretty dynamic athlete and has been a leader for Eatonville this season with 19.6 points and 11 rebounds per game.

Donavin Young Donavin Young 6'7" | SF Chiawana | 2023 State WA | Chiawana – 28 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks, 1 assist, 1 steal vs Hermiston 1/13

Young has quickly become one of the must see performers across the state. He looks to dunk at every opportunity and when you have the type of length, athleticism, and effort Young does, it can spell rim running all night long. While those kind of plays get the looks, Young is also a stout defensive presence and defends the rim just as well as he scores on it. He hits his defensive rotations and is rarely late to meet a player slashing to the rim. He was highly skilled in avoiding pressure in the post against Hermiston and showed a good awareness to dish it out when the double came.

Luke Holecek | East Valley – 36 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block vs West Valley 1/13

This guy isn’t just 6’4, he’s a thick 6’4 and he sure knew how to throw his weight around against West Valley. He was quick to establish position under the glass and took any inch the defense gave him to stick a hip or a shoulder in and force his way up and to the rim. With his aggression, quick feet, and strength, there was nothing the opposition could do against him inside. To top it all off, he also stroked home four shots from behind the arc on his way to his second highest output of the season.

Soren Dalan Soren Dalan 6'10" | C W.F. West | 2023 State WA | WF West – 22 points, 21 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks @ Rochester 1/13

Dalan finally got his first 20-20 game of the season after getting close on a few occasions. It’s a familiar sight for the big man who took advantage of a smaller Rochester team who simply had no answers for him. He’s another player that does well to sense doubles teams and either get rid of the rock or step through the defenders and keep the ball high to get to the rim. He knows his way around the paint and with his sticky mitts, this was his fifth time racking up at least 15 rebounds this year.

Tait Spencer Tait Spencer 6'3" | SG Battle Ground | 2024 State WA | Battle Ground – 45 points, 10 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 assists @ Evergreen 1/13

I can always count on throwing Spencer’s name in the mix for “Big Hoss.” He’s averaging 36 points per game and just about nine rebounds every contest too. He’s improved his scoring from last season by nearly 10 points per game. He just seems to have the instincts to find creases in defenses, get one-step ahead of defenders, and then the touch to send it in from just about any angle. He’s leading Battle Ground into the discussion as a top-10 team in the 4A, and one of the biggest turnarounds from last season.

Michael Lorton Watkins Michael Lorton Watkins 5'11" | CG Hoquiam | 2023 State WA | Hoquiam – 42 points, 13 rebounds @ Eatonville 1/13

He’s here again after making the list last week with 29 points and 8 rebounds. This was another strong rebounding performance for the 5’11 guard but it goes more to showing his effort and motor rather than his rebounding ability. He’s got the instincts to sniff out a loose ball before other players, but he also has a nonstop motor that allows a player of his stature to score 40-plus points and pick up 10-plus boards. He’s an exciting player who seems to have hit his stride as we inch towards the final month of the season.

Josiah Pierre Josiah Pierre 6'5" | SF Kamiak | 2023 State WA | Kamiak – 40 points @ North Creek 1/13

Yet another moster game for Pierre as he continues to do it all for Kamiak this season. There aren’t a lot of guys who mean more to their team than Pierre. He gets involved in everything, tipping passes, rebounding, outlets, blocking shots, drawing out defenders, and of course scoring the rock. While his scoring was impressive, he also took on the responsibility of guarding North Creek’s Andrew Jensen Andrew Jensen 6'2" | SG North Creek | 2023 State WA . Jensen came out hot, hitting three of his first attempts from long-range and converted one for a four-point play. It got a little harder after that with Pierre using his length to stifle the sharpshooter and hold him to 8/19 from the field.

Ray Adams Ray Adams 6'7" | SF North Thurston | 2024 State WA | North Thurston – 22 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals @ Capital 1/13

Adams is still learning how to play with the ball in his hands more and more, expanding his game to make plays from the perimeter and beating guys off the dribble, but this matchup was a great test for him as he took on guarding Wesley Bjornsgard Wesley Bjornsgard 6'4" | SF Capital | 2023 State WA for much of the game. Bjornsgard is stronger and quicker than Adams and is a threat from the rim to the three-point line, but Adams was able to do some good things defensively and is becoming a big threat to jump passing lanes with his long reach. Offensively, this is the kind of game you want to see in his development as he continues to expand his game while retaining his ability to affect the game at the rim.

Jack Sievers Jack Sievers 6'5" | PF Archbishop Murphy | 2026 State WA | Archbishop Murphy – 14 points, 20 rebounds @ Cedarcrest 1/14

Sievers wasn’t really in contention for the performance of the week since he only shot 4/11 from the field, but I had to give him a nod for grabbing 20 rebounds, 14 of which came on the offensive end. He’s only a freshman, but Sievers has the size and athleticism to be a real factor in the early stages of his high school career and he showed it here.

Joel Kelly Joel Kelly 6'5" | PF Cle Elum | 2023 State WA | Cle Elum – 25 points, 15 rebounds, 7 blocks, 2 assists, 2 steals vs White Swan 1/14

It wasn’t much of a game against White Swan, with Kelly’s Cle Elum squad storming out to a 20-0 lead before White Swan sunk their first bucket. It was 51-19 at half and Kelly was a big factor in it. He was all over the opposition at the rim, sending shots back and bruising his way to rebounds. He only took nine shots but he made them all count, not missing a single attempt from the field. It was a dominating performance across the board, and quite the norm for Kelly this season as he’s averaging 18.4 points, 14.6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3.1 blocks, and 2.5 steals per game.

“Big Hoss” Performance of the Week

Aidan Bews Aidan Bews 6'6" | SF Quincy | 2024 State WA | Quincy – 50 points vs Royal 1/14

After watching Bews go to work against Royal, I had no choice but to give him the honor of “Big Hoss” in Week 7. He was on another level, physically getting his way inside and showing he’s been working on his outside game too, nailing a four-point play in the first half and working guys off the dribble with more regularity. He looked confident, in control, and on a mission to own the paint. He gets big and strong on his post ups, making himself an easy target for entry passes and a tough guy to move out away from the basket. The night was his and anything that went down inside had to go through Bews first. This guy is having a breakout season and is this week’s “Big Hoss.”