All-Stars Swoop In On Gonzaga For Sehome, Tonight’s Game Perfect Way To Cap Off-Season

When Sehome was coasting to the State AAA boys basketball championship last March, Keith Chapman was pumping in a record nine 3-pointers.

When basketballs fly tonight at Gonzaga University for the 22nd Annual All-Star Games, Chapman won’t be playing, but three of his teammates who made state history will.

That defines perfectly the Mariners’ 30-0 season - the first perfect season in Washington high school history.

“We have a saying in our locker room,” Ryan Kettman said. “‘It’s amazing what can be accomplished if nobody cares who gets the credit.”’

Kettman, Jared Stevenson and Mark Spink would love to have Chapman and Keith Koskela play with them on the City team against the State team in the AA/AAA game at 6 p.m. but the Mariners got what they want a long time ago.

“I think about it a lot,” said Spink, a 6-foot-7 center who will attend GU. “The hard work and dedication paid off. Now that I look back, I wish it could have lasted longer, maybe 60-0.”

The AA/AAA City team will have a Mariners look, since Pat Fitterer of Sehome is the coach.

The AA/AAA State team has the East Side players, Paul Mencke, Scott Stocum and Damian Long of the Greater Spokane League, David Schillinger of West Valley, Trent Ady of Pasco and Neal Robertson of Richland. Washington’s Mr. Basketball, Quincy Wilder of Decatur, who is headed for the University of Washington, is also on the team, which is coached by Lyle McIntosh of Gig Harbor.

The A/B game is at 8 p.m. The players are mixed up more.

Jeremy Landram of Chewelah, Jason Ala of St. George’s and Aaron Murray of Almira/ Coulee-Hartline are on the City team coached by Mike Hull of Pateros. Hull has Garrett Zwar off his State B champion team.

On the State team are Rob Soliday of Reardan and Dan Huston of Medical Lake. The coach is Forbes Lapp of LaCenter.

The Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association sponsors the games. The teams play again Thursday at Seattle Pacific.

What made Sehome the juggernaut, the players believe, was a summer that included a 60-2 record in league and tournaments.

“Looking back at it, I didn’t see it as a sacrifice,” Stevenson said. “It’s what I love to do. Right now, there is nothing to do; it’s dull.”

Stevenson, a 6-1 guard, will attend Western Washington with Kettman, a 6-3 guard, and Chapman. Koskela’s future is in baseball after an all-state year as a pitcher.

“I think (the summer schedule) helped us tremendously. … There was no experience new to us; we all met the challenge before,” Kettman said. “It allowed us to become a team, building the teamwork we were known for.”

Spink pointed out that a 90-2 run made the Mariners better than the Chicago Bulls.

“I think the championship was a good way to thank our parents … just the way we busted our butts for them,” Spink said. “That’s what they hoped for, and we gave it to them.”

Fitterer said the team’s accomplishments were a double-edged sword.

“Coaches are not getting paid (for the summer work),” he said. “Now we’re at the point we almost have to do it, not to gain an advantage, just to stay even.”

He said the five seniors set a standard for future Mariners teams that really has nothing to do with winning, but more with mental attitude and playing hard.

“We had teams go to state before, but they made excuses, blamed each other, pointed fingers,” he said. “This team went to state as sophomores and learned. They placed their junior year. They turned into a dream team that was so fun to coach.”

To the kids, everything was worth it.

“When I talk to elementary schools, I tell the kids dreams come true,” Kettman said. “To have a pinnacle point couldn’t be better.”

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