Published
March 11, 2004
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Michael
Anderson
Yakima Herald-Republic |
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Workhorse Red Devils Find Semis While Staying
Out of Limelight
Dark horse? No.
Underdog? Unlikely.
Cinderella? Only if the slipper is a high-top and comes in a size 13.
Call the East Valley Red Devils what you want, but you better call them
state basketball semifinalists -- for the first time in the program’s
81-year history.
Playing more like baby-faced assassins than a teen-age team of destiny, the
Red Devils again wowed the SunDome crowd on Thursday night, whacking
Eatonville to advance to Friday’s 4 p.m. semifinal against Medical Lake.
After a much-talked about emotional weekend in which Isaiah Mata’s
grandfather was killed in a car accident and two other relatives injured,
the 15-10 Red Devils are getting their kicks by playing so well they cannot
be dismissed as a team riding an emotional wave.
They are making opposing teams play their game. Efficient offense (just 10
turnovers), solid inside position (EV won the battle of the boards 27-25)
and make the most of each possession (the Red Devils averaged 1.13 points
per possession) were the keys in beating the Cruisers.
East Valley has focused all year on working the into the post and practices
free throws extensively each day.
Thursday it worked to a T. The Red Devils had nine baskets from inside 10
feet in the first half.
“That shows you,” assistant coach Ron Livingston said while pointing at a
stat sheet, “3-point field goals won’t beat you if you go inside and make
free throws.”
The Red Devils did plenty of both in vanquishing the Cruisers.
Matt Rogstad had a torrid first half -- 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting from
the floor -- and Tyler Price stepped it up in the second half, scoring 13 of
his 15 points.
Rogstad was surprised to learn of his first-half numbers.
“Have a 17-point half,” he laughed. “I’ve barely had 17-point games.”
EVHS was 20 of 28 from the stripe, led by Price’s 10-of-12 performance.
Seven of those were in the fourth period.
Price, who made 17 of 20 freebies during an afternoon shootaround at the
high school, made four in a 24 second span down the stretch.
“If I was an opposing coach in their league, I would go to his graduation to
make sure he got his diploma,” East Valley coach Steve Elder said.
But it’s not as if Eatonville didn’t put Livingston’s theory to the test. He
hit eight of 15 from beyond the arc, including one unbelievable,
don’t-call-bank-but-use-the-backboard 28-footer with 37 seconds left.
East Valley also did the nearly impossible -- shot exactly 50 percent from
the field in the first half AND the second half.
That is only topped by the totally impossible feat that Tyler Price pulled
off -- getting WSU graduate Livingston to wear a purple and gold UW Husky
tie.
Price convinced the coaches when the team was struggling to don the UW
colors if the Red Devils got to state. They did, and now Elder -- who
scrambled to shed an outfit said to look like a giant concord grape for a TV
interview -- and Livingston are paying a price.
Happily.
“The fact is, we have great kids, and when you have great kids, you
sometimes get bounces that go your way,” Elder said. “Nobody can explain
it.”
And that’s fine with Elder. He’d just as soon keep his team off everyone’s
radar screen as if that is possible when the team is one of four still in
contention for the title.
“We have amazing kids, and that makes us look awful smart,” Elder said. “But
we keep it in perspective. We know a pat on the back is just 18 inches from
a kick in the butt.”
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