Get the ball inside the paint to the Ravenholt brothers, and they’ll take care of the rest.
The Kingston High School Buccaneers’ boys basketball game plan on Tuesday evening against guests the Klahowya Eagles was just that, get it inside to senior Ry or sophomore Zane.
When Kingston followed through with the plan good things happened, as the Ravenholts scored 37 points combined for an impressive 69 percent of Kingston’s baskets.
However, passing to the brothers wasn’t enough to shutdown the Eagles who handily won the contest 75-54.
And even getting the ball inside to an open shooter was more easily said than done.
The Eagles wreaked havoc on the Bucs’ second-year boys basketball program, which is still cementing and building the fundamentals.
The Eagles hit the court hot from the tip off, jumping to a 38-15 lead at the half, and Klahoway’s’ Andre Moore scored some 15 points in the first quarter.
“We have to be ready to compete for 32 minutes. If we can’t match the intensity we’ll fall behind and we’re not a mature enough team to pull out of those ditches,” said head coach Tim Olson. “We’re going to have to get aggressive and match intensity with intensity.”
Klahowya plays a fast game and set a rapid pace, which left Kingston scrambling. Several times when the Bucs got a break away run an Eagle would get his hand in to shake up a pass or Kingston had trouble sinking a bucket. Often the Bucs would set the shot, which would bounce off the back of the basket, or circle the rim only to fall out. Kingston would nab the offensive rebound and then repeat the same scenario until the Eagles took the rebound and ran it back for a bucket. Kingston had 23 turnovers compared to its 10 steals.
“We’re not competitive until we stop beating ourselves. We make unforced errors we need to correct immediately,” Olson said. “Once we improve we have to get outstanding. It’s never going to stop.”
Although the Bucs had a tough time on the hardwood, the players never stopped moving and grooving to nail 23 points in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Eagles by 10.
In the final quarter Aaron Lawrence nailed a shot from downtown and Zane Ravenholt went 5 for 5 from the free throw line.
The Bucs have fallen in its first three games, and finished last year with a 0-18 record. It’s a tough bag, but the program, in its infancy, is growing and improving and Olson has high expectations for the team.
Last year Kingston only filled a JV and varsity roster with 26 players, this year 35 joined the ranks and Kingston boasts a C team.
“The guys are just excited about basketball and the kids want to be in the program and play competitively,” Olson said. “They’re all hard working guys. They’re accountable and show up on time ready to go.”
Olson knows fundamentals of the game and a young team are Kingston’s Achilles’ Heel, but any trouble spots will be transformed through the program’s, coach’s and athlete’s practice-makes-perfect mentality.
Last summer Kingston’s ballers participated in their first off-season preparations hitting the courts from June through mid-July and attending camps and summer league tournaments. In season the boys drill six days a week, Sunday is the only day off.
“We need to work harder in the offseason because that’s our chance to become better players,” Olson said. “The season is our chance to become a better team. I believe in this group. I have confidence in them.”
The Bucs hosted Port Angeles on Friday, results of the game weren’t available at presstime. On Tuesday the Bucs are off the North Mason.
Stats: Zane Ravenholt, 19 points and two assists; Ry Ravenholt, 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocks; Lou Hecker, eight points, five rebounds and three blocks; and Aaron Lawrence, four points, two rebounds, five assists and two steals.
