By Gail Wood
Wes Reynold’s stunning, game-winning shot from the top of the key is the conclusion of this story.
To really appreciate North Thurston High School’s unlikely and dramatic win against Foss in boys basketball, first you have to go back to the beginning of this season. First, there was the losing. There was the 2-4 start, with blowout losses to Centralia, Lincoln and Wilson. And the most telling chapter to this story is the 43-point loss against this same Foss team that is in contention for the 3A Narrows League title.
The protagonists to this most unlikely turnaround season are Reynolds and Darren Sroor, North Thurston’s top two scorers. And there’s Jon Reid, the senior guard who continues to inspire with his gritty, no-quit effort off the bench and at practice. And then there’s the two most unlikely protagonists of them all, freshmen Clayton Christian and Aaron Stone.
It’s the first time Tim Brown has started two freshmen in his 21 years as North Thurston’s coach.
About four games ago, Brown, looking for a remedy, inserted Stone into the starting lineup at point guard.
“It’s really changed our team look,” Brown said. “It wasn’t that he just came in and saved us. That’s not it by any means.”
What it did was move Zach Sibley from point guard to shooting guard, allowing him to do what he does best – score.
“It freed Zach up and he’s really scoring,” Brown said. “He’s playing well right now. Aaron is doing a great job. The five starters have been really doing well since that change has been made.”
Before Stone’s first start, he was swinging from junior varsity to varsity, playing in both games. His role is simple – help his team win.
“I just do whatever I can to help my teammates score,” Stone said. “If I have an open shot, I’ll take it. I just try to contribute to the team.”
Christian has started all season. But he admits he had the jitters in his first start.
“It was very nerve wracking,” Christian said. “I was nervous. I’m a lot more confident now – more confident with the basketball, more confident with my teammates.”
To be a scorer, to have that shooter’s mentality he needed, Christian first had to forget one thing. Being a freshman didn’t mean he shouldn’t shoot.
“I just know that my teammates need me to score for us to be successful,” said Christian, who is averaging 8.7 points. “I just have to have that mindset.”
Points are points. It doesn’t matter if the scorer is a senior or a freshman.
“We all step up and do our job and work as a team,” Christian said. “It doesn’t matter what grade you’re in. It’s a team game.”
The Rams’ go-to guys are Reynolds and Sroor, two juniors who play forward. Reynolds, a two-year starter, is averaging 11.7 points. Sroor, a 6’5″ forward and a returning starter, is averaging 12 points.
Sroor isn’t worried about two freshmen being in the Rams’ starting lineup. To him, all that matters is getting the best five on the floor and winning.
“When Aaron became a full time starter, I feel that’s when our team finally evolved,” Sroor said. “Everyone knows what to do – how to play together.”
Sroor isn’t worried about what grade Stone and Christian are in. He’s just worried about performance.
“I’ve got to give them a lot of credit,” Sroor said. “They’re great players. I know they’re going to keep getting better.”
Helping them get better is Reid, now the backup guard who knows one speed – all out. And Reid’s work ethic isn’t just for basketball. He’s a 4.0 student, getting nothing but A’s from middle school through high school. Brown figured Reid will receive the team’s most inspirational award. Going from starter to backup when Stone got the start, hasn’t changed his hustle approach.
“He’s a great leader,” Brown said. “Works his butt off every day. The kids love him because he brings it.”
Reynolds, a steady go-to scorer all season, was the man with the answers in the closing seconds against Foss. With the score tied 66-66 and the clock ticking down, Foss turned the ball over with six seconds left. Reynolds grabbed the loose ball, raced down court, popped the shot and prayed. It rattled in with one second left on the clock.
“I really didn’t think it was going in,” Reynolds said. “I thought we were headed for overtime.”
That crazy win capsulizes the Rams’ crazy turnaround season that has them thinking playoffs.
“That’s probably the most exciting moment in high school for me so far,” Reynolds said. “It was crazy. Everyone was screaming and jumping up and down. It was fun.”
