Battle Royale Recap
In this article:
Saturday afternoon I stopped by the Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club to watch some of the top teams across the state face off. It was a great opportunity not just to see many of the top players in the…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingSaturday afternoon I stopped by the Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club to watch some of the top teams across the state face off. It was a great opportunity not just to see many of the top players in the state, but also to get acquainted with one of the newest prep schools in the area and see some talent from Spokane in person. Here’s a rundown of all the action I witnessed on a busy Saturday.
Teams in Attendance: Mt Si, Garfield, Eastside Catholic, Bellevue, North Central, Annie Wright, Roosevelt (OR), Great Futures Prep
Bellevue vs Annie Wright, 65-64 (OT)
This was a back-and-forth game for all four quarters. Two complete teams that gave each other their best shot. Even at the end, it came down to the ball bouncing one team’s way. Annie Wright’s Jeremiah Harshman Jeremiah Harshman 6'1" | PG Annie Wright | 2025 State WA blocked a shot attempt right in front of the rim but the ball fell into the hands of Marco Varani Marco Varani 6'7" | SG Bellevue | 2026 State #328 Nation WA standing nearby. Varani put the ball up and in uncontested, leaving just two seconds left for the Gators to respond.
Standouts
Bellevue – Jimmie Haywood III Jimmie Haywood III 6'3" | CG Bellevue | 2027 State WA , Bryce Smith Bryce Smith 6'1" | PG Bellevue | 2025 State WA , Taylor Mwale Taylor Mwale 6'4" | SF Bellevue | 2025 State WA , Marco Varani Marco Varani 6'7" | SG Bellevue | 2026 State #328 Nation WA , Nick Norrah Nick Norrah 6'2" | SG Bellevue | 2026 State WA
Annie Wright – Martin Kaupanger Martin Kaupanger 6'5" | SG Annie Wright | 2025 State WA , Jeremiah Harshman Jeremiah Harshman 6'1" | PG Annie Wright | 2025 State WA , TJ Marshall, Gabriel Walsh Gabriel Walsh 5'8" | SG Annie Wright Schools | 2025 WA
Garfield vs Mt Si, 68-64
This was a matchup I was really excited for. Possibly two title favorites, one in the 4A, and one in the 3A, squaring up in a matchup you probably won’t see again. Both teams lived up to the hype and it was a battle to the final buzzer. Garfield was able to stretch the floor from 3-point land and came up with some timely defensive plays to swing the game their way.
Standouts
Garfield – Legend Smiley Legend Smiley 6'5" | SG Garfield | 2025 State #98 Nation WA , Ishe Kanhukamwe Ishe Kanhukamwe 5'9" | PG Garfield | 2024 State WA , Jamari Harris Jamari Harris 6'5" | SG Garfield | 2024 State WA , Isaiah Davis Isaiah Davis 6'2" | SG Garfield | 2027 State WA
Mt Si – Trevor Hennig Trevor Hennig 6'4" | SG Mt Si | 2024 State WA , Blake Forrest Blake Forrest 6'0" | PG Mt Si | 2024 State WA , Lattimore Ford Lattimore Ford 6'6" | SF Mt Si | 2026 State WA , Brady Hennig Brady Hennig 6'4" | SG Mt Si | 2026 State WA
Great Futures Prep vs Bellevue, 82-59
This game started out pretty even but GFP’s length and size up front helped the Blue Sharks steadily build the lead over the first half and end up running away with the game in the second half. Their bigs deterred a lot of paint shots and did a great job rim-running in transition. Meanwhile, their guards were pestering Bellevue’s ballhandlers and making most trips down the floor a grind.
Standouts
Great Futures Prep – Tait Spencer Tait Spencer 6'3" | SG Great Futures Prep | 2025 State WA , Lucius Fox Lucius Fox 6'8" | PF Great Futures Prep | 2025 State WA , Mo Diao Mo Diao 6'9" | PF Great Futures Prep | 2025 State WA , Xavier Santana Xavier Santana 6'3" | PG Great Futures Prep | 2025 State WA , Myles Moore Myles Moore 6'3" | CG Great Futures Prep | 2026 State WA
Bellevue – Kenyan Jackman-Thomas Kenyan Jackman-Thomas 6'5" | SF Bellevue | 2024 State WA , Taylor Mwale Taylor Mwale 6'4" | SF Bellevue | 2025 State WA , Marco Varani Marco Varani 6'7" | SG Bellevue | 2026 State #328 Nation WA
Eastside Catholic vs North Central, 70-60
This was a matchup I did not want to miss. Both teams came in with prominent frontcourt players and brought size you don’t always see line up face-to-face at the high school level. When it was all said and done though, it was the Jacob Cofie Jacob Cofie 6'10" | PF Eastside Catholic | 2024 State #97 Nation WA show. At 6-foot-9, he had the skill to bring the ball up the floor, break down his man off the bounce, hit tough shots from various spots, and was a load at the rim. It was a really impressive showing on his end and any time North Central made a big play it seemed Cofie answered with one of his own. North Central’s bigs fought hard and had a handful of their own highlight plays but the Crusaders were too much.
Standouts
Eastside Catholic – Jacob Cofie Jacob Cofie 6'10" | PF Eastside Catholic | 2024 State #97 Nation WA , Yeabsera Aklog Yeabsera Aklog 6'10" | PF Eastside Catholic | 2026 State WA , Luke Johnson Luke Johnson 6'2" | CG Eastside Catholic | 2025 State WA , Steven Sun
North Central – Gelonni “JuJu” Ervin Gelonni “JuJu” Ervin 6'8" | SF North Central | 2025 State #274 Nation WA , Jacori Ervin Jacori Ervin 6'11" | PF North Central | 2025 AZ , Eli Williams Eli Williams 6'4" | PG North Central | 2024 State WA , Trevelle Jones Trevelle Jones 6'2" | PG North Central | 2026 State WA