The high school boys basketball team from Pope John Paul II (PJPII) in Lacey hosted Evergreen Lutheran from Tacoma in a SeaTac WIAA 1B boys basketball match on Saturday, January 27, 2024, at Saint Martin’s University’s Marcus Pavilion in Lacey. The battle saw the Eagles from Tacoma overwhelm the Eagles from Lacey with Evergreen Lutheran taking the win at 66-38.
For JPII, the focus for the year has been on building fundamentals, enjoying the games and learning lessons for the future off the court. Pope John Paull II High School led 14-11 after the first quarter but could not stay consistent on both sides of the court for the rest of the game as Evergreen took the lead for good at 26-18 going into the half.
Pope John Paul II head coach Tom Frey explained that the game played out similar to other games over the season. “We can run with a team for a quarter or two, then it all just breaks down somewhere,” said Frey. “We have four seniors and a few juniors and are a young team but they are dedicated and work hard and are building for something new. My four-year seniors, Noah Frey and Logan Johnson, have mentored and led and that is what our program is about. We try to teach sportsmanship, lifting each other up and growing in courage, compassion and spiritual strength.”
Pope John Paul II is a private high school located in Lacey. One of the team’s challenges is they do not have a home court to have regular practices or games. “We have used The Armory but will not have that for our future so we would love to partner with someone in the community that could allow us a court to have more options to build our program,” Frey stated.
Evergreen Lutheran was happy with the outcome of the game. Coach Aaron Carr felt the team adjusted well after a slow first quarter. “We caught our legs a bit after the first quarter and it was a pretty good game,” Carr declared after the win. “We were a little tired after our game last night and after we got our legs, we did what we normally do in that we pushed the ball better in transition and that was enough for us.”
Pope John Paul II will host their final home game on January 30 against Crosspoint Academy and Evergreen Lutheran hosts Northwest Yeshiva High School on Monday, January 29. League standings are found at the SeaTac League website.
