The Eastside Catholic boys basketball team won their first ever Washington 3A State basketball Championship with a hard-fought 65-57 win over perennial state contender Rainier Beach.
Rainier Beach, conversely to Eastside, has earned a spot in state championship games throughout the tournaments history. This was Beach’s 14th championship appearance, and they were playing for a 10th title. The Crusaders were playing in the state championship for just the 2nd time ever, claiming their first ever victory.
The game was tight throughout, and the 4th quarter started with the game tied at 44-44. Ultimately, dual-sport athlete Kayden Greene hit a three-pointer to give Eastside a 9-point lead with 2:25 left in the 4th quarter. He had a strong game throughout, knocking home 5/8 three-point attempts. He made more threes than all other players in the game combined.
Along with Greene’s perimeter dominance, the Crusaders had their way in the paint. Both Yabi Aklog and Jacob Cofie were dominant for Eastside. Aklog, a sophomore, had 28 points and 9 rebounds, and Cofie, a Virginia-bound senior, had 17 points and 13 rebounds, with the two combining for 24 of EC’s 27 first half points.
The No. 10 seeded Rainier Beach hung with No. 2 seed Crusaders throughout the game, with Kaden Powers, Dominick Robinson, and Maceo Rivers each pouring in double-digit points. Powers, the No. 3 ranked junior in Washington, put together the strongest performance of the team with a 15 point and 10 rebound double-double. Dominick Robinson, son of former NBA Player and amateur boxer Nate Robinson, also was a strong contributor offensively but struggled to deal with Aklog and Cofie in the paint defensively. In spite of their best efforts, the No. 10 seed Vikings were unable to sustain strong enough play to keep up with Eastside.
When asked about Aklog and Cofie’s performance in the championship game, Eastside Catholic head coach Brent Merritt told the Seattle Times, “We rode their coattails the whole season. They delivered when we needed them. I couldn’t be happier, man. Couldn’t be happier.”
Merritt has been Eastside Catholic’s head coach since being hired away from his assistant coaching job at Garfield in 2015. Since Merritt’s hiring, the expectation has been simple: Bring the title home.
Merritt was hired after Eastside Catholic lost their first state championship appearance ever to Rainier Beach 47-45. At the time, the teams were at very different points in contention, as Beach completed a triumphant three-peat led by head coach Mike Bethea. Bethea has become a prominent figure not only in state basketball coaching but also in the broader Seattle community. Meanwhile, Eastside was fighting for their first ever state title, falling just two points short.
At this time, the Crusaders sought to carry this newfound momentum forward but lost star players Matisse Thybulle and Mandrell Worthy to Washington and Montana State following a 3rd-place finish the following year.
Thybulle is currently in his fifth year in the NBA after being drafted out of UW and has been voted NBA All-Defense Team twice. He also won a bronze medal in the COVID postponed 2021 Summer Olympics.
Worthy redshirted three seasons in college due to the standard freshmen redshirt and two medical redshirts, before finishing his college career as Azusa Pacific University. In his final season, he led the Cougars in rebounds and minutes per game and has since gone on to play in the BAL (Basketball Africa League), the NBA-sponsored African basketball league.
Despite having the two most talented players in Eastside Catholic basketball history at the time, EC fell short time and time again. This led to EC deciding to part ways with head coach Bill Liley. The program has been built from the ground up by Merritt ever since, and seasons of work led back to a matchup with Mike Bethea yet again. Merritt wasn’t kidding when he said this was a long time coming. It has been a decade in the making for a program seeking revenge.
This time, Eastside Catholic triumphantly reached the basketball mountaintop, with hope of continued success moving forward. Washington MaxPreps high school basketball player of the year Jacob Cofie and fellow senior starters Nate Krohn and Kayden Greene will all be graduating and taking their talents elsewhere this year.
Despite these key losses, the Crusaders are well-positioned for another playoff run with a capable roster yet again. Starters Yabi Aklog and Dash Lambull-Ingram are both just sophomores and played pivotal roles in the championship victory. Aklog is one of two statewide highly touted EC underclassmen currently, with the other being Achilles Reyna, the No. 1 freshman in the state. They, along with other players, have been waiting in the wings and working hard behind the scenes for the opportunities headed their way next year. Merritt will have to put an emphasis on embracing newfound responsibility and challenges he’s presenting his players with, but a coach of his experience will already know this.
As Eastside cut down the nets following Nate Krohn chucking the ball into the air at the buzzer, the Crusader student section erupted. On the Monday following the team’s big win, students at Eastside Catholic created a cheer tunnel for their team and coach to walk through with the state championship trophy. The whole school recognized and applauded them for their tremendous effort throughout the year. We’ll have to see if they can climb the mountaintop again, but for now they’re solidified as the best team in 3A State basketball. Coach Merritt said it best, “It’s been a long time coming.”
Featured Image Credit: Tacoma News Tribune
