:: Home
|
|
 |
Goldendale's Keegan Cook is a major reason
the Timberwolves made it to this year's state tournament in the Yakima
Valley SunDome.
SANDY SUMMERS/Yakima Herald-Republic |
Cook Impressive in Tourney Run
By
SCOTT SPRUILL
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC
Just as Keegan Cook feared, he couldn’t sustain his torrid shooting during
the first day of the Class 1A boys tournament.
After scorching Orcas Island with a net-snapping 10-for-11 performance,
Goldendale’s multitalented senior cooled off considerably on Thursday
against Winlock.
10-for-16.
Awful, just awful.
“After that first day, with the way we shot so well, I was worried we’d be
flat because that’s happened before,” Cook said during a recent break in
action at the SunDome. “We’d shoot well one night and then not hit anything
the next. That’s tough to handle when you want to do well every game.”
The thing is, even throughout Goldendale’s up-and-down season, Cook has done
well every game. He’s the strong-willed force that got the Timberwolves
here, and he’s been the spectacular scorer and playmaker that helped the
surprise of the tournament reach the semifinals and earn a sixth-place
trophy when nobody expected it.
Not even Cook.
“To be honest I was thinking we’d come in here and win a game, maybe two,”
said the lean, 6-foot-3 Cook, whose team tied for second in the SCAC West
and earned the district’s fourth and final state berth. “But to make the
semifinals, I don’t think anybody saw us doing that. To get that far, we’re
extremely happy. I felt like we came together at just the right time, the
perfect time.”
That Cook has seized this opportunity to shine on a big stage isn’t that
surprising. He’s a McDonald’s All-America nominee who owns the single-game
school record at 41 points and has over 1,300 for his career. He can
obviously score. For instance,
Against Orcas Island, 25 points.
Winlock, 28 points.
Seattle Christian, 18 points.
Napavine, 21 points.
More impressive than the points was the way he scored them, shooting better
than 50 percent while not flinging up every open shot he saw. In fact, he
was also among the tournament leaders in assists.
The kid shot like the SunDome was his home gym. And in some ways it may have
felt like it.
Cook was the only freshman on Goldendale’s 2000 team that qualified for the
2A state tourney in the SunDome, a team that was led by his older brother,
Justin. And he was the No. 3 scorer the next year when Goldendale placed
sixth at state.
“Everybody says the rims are stiff here and it’s tough to get in a rhythm,
and I’ve seen it bother guys,” Cook said. “But I’ve always liked these rims
and the wide-open court. One thing that helps me is I take a lot of
different shots, not just 3-pointers or post-up shots. I get a look at the
rims from all over.”
As far and away the top scorer for the Timberwolves, who have only two
players averaging better than nine points, Cook must deliver and he bares
that pressure exceptionally well. Not bent solely on piling up points, the
SCAC West MVP also averages 10 rebounds and looks for his teammates -- he
had eight assists to go with his 28 points against Winlock.
How valuable is Cook? Goldendale found out in the second game of the season
when he sat out with an ankle sprain and the Timberwolves lost to River View
62-25. In his first game back, Cook turned in a triple double with 25
points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in a 25-point win over Warden.
“When we got here I tried to make sure I took good shots and didn’t get
carried away. I also wanted to help get the other guys going,” he said. “I
can balance those things, looking for my game and getting my teammates
involved. That’s what you have to do to win.”
The sharp-shooting of sophomore Callan Wilkins this week has given opponents
two threats to cover and has helped Cook work his magic, like the twisting,
falling-out-of-bounds 3-pointer he nailed from the corner at the end of the
third quarter against Seattle Christian.
“The great thing about all this is there’s been no pressure on us and we’re
having fun,” Cook said. “Our first game, against Orcas, that was our best
game of the year by far and it was so cool. I thought we’d have those
first-game jitters but we didn’t. These are my last games in high school and
I got to play them here. It couldn’t be any better.”
©
2003 All photos, content and design are
properties of the Yakima Herald-Republic.
For questions or additional information about this site,
e-mail us at:
|
|
Tourney Bracket
::
Boys tournament
Other Games
Saturday
::
Bellevue
Christian 61, Kettle Falls 48
:: King's 71,
Freeman 42
:: Napavine
59, Goldendale 54
:: Brewster
69, Seattle Christian 44
Friday
::
Bellevue
Christian 47, Charles Wright 36
:: Kettle
Falls 67, Orcas Island 39
:: King's 69,
Zillah 50
:: Freeman 57,
Winlock 52
:: Brewster
74, Napavine 39
:: Seattle
Christian 66, Goldendale 54
Thursday
:: Bellevue
Christian 73, North Beach 40
:: Charles
Wright 33, River View 27
:: Orcas
Island 57, White Swan 54
:: Kettle
Falls 53, La Conner 50
:: Brewster
53, Zillah 26
:: Napavine
53, King's 46
:: Goldendale
58, Winlock 48
:: Seattle
Christian 56, Freeman 41
Wednesday
::
Brewster 83,
North Beach 54
:: Zillah 42,
Bellevue Christian 41
:: King's 51,
River View 35
:: Napavine 48,
Charles Wright 33
:: Goldendale
62, Orcas Island 31
:: Winlock 54,
White Swan 51
:: Seattle
Christian 63, Kettle Falls 48
:: Freeman 51,
La Conner 43
Latest Statistics
::
Boys tournament
Team Capsules
::
Boys tournament
Record Books
::
Boys records
:: Boys champions
:: Boys
all-time scoring leaders
District Results
::
Boys tournament |
T O U
R N E Y T O W N ARCHIVES