The team had been carefully planned out. The Varsity Rejects all played together last year on the Garfield JV basketball team.  After not making varsity their junior year, they all decided their senior year would be better spent getting jobs and working. But they didn’t want to go out without a bang and so the Varsity Rejects were born.

“We put it together and we came around and won just as we had prophesized,” Molland recounted.

They did have some luck in their impressive sweep of the tournament.  With a number one seed, their first game was against the Swim Team.  While no one can question the swim team’s athletic capability, basketball didn’t prove to be their strong suit, and not even obscenely short shorts could protect them from a blow out of about 20 points.

Then by the time they were scheduled to face Tone and the Scrawny Boys, Tone seemed to have vanished from the March Madness scene and the Scrawny boys were faced with a beat down.  The sophomores were fighters and refused to give up, but still got smacked despite their best efforts by a score of about 34 to 5.

The Varsity Rejects were then supposed to play I.Y.S.Y., but the team never showed up.

L.O.E. was by far their most formidable opponent with senior varsity player Des’juan Newton leading freshmen Giovonnie Williams and Rajan Stelly and sophomore Jamala Myers.  The majority of the game was close, and even though L.O.E. only played with two players on at a time, the Varsity Rejects fell behind a few times and could only maintain small leads. However as soon as Newton started talking smack, the Rejects began sinking their three’s and it was game over.

Moreira led the team with 8 three-point shots, closely followed by Molland with 6.

“He was stroking,” said Molland. “Eight threes in a row—I guess that has to be a record.”

Kang sunk the longest shot of the game, which his teammates roughly estimated to be 45 to 50 feet long.

Even on such a talented team Moreira stood out, not only because of his shooting abilities, but especially because of his intensity and leadership on the team.

“He showed up when we needed him to,” said Kang.

Before the semi-finals, even when it was clear that they wouldn’t have to face Tony Wroten, Moreira refused to let the possibility of a championship distract him.   “We’ve got to win today first,” was all he would say.

Moreira started playing basketball when he was seven for the Miller Community Center rec team and moved on to play for the AAU teamYES when he was twelve. Euyen especially demonstrated his potential in seventh grade when his team came just short of making the championship game in a tournament in Las Vegas. He started hitting shots like he did in March Madness, and after double overtime, in which Moreira scored six points, they only lost by two.

Moreira wasn’t new to the March Madness scene this year.  His freshman year, Moreira didn’t get past the second round, but as part of the Gucci Skrillas last year, he made it to the semifinals only to lose to the staff team who went on to win the tournament.

It seemed only fair that he got the chance to taste victory this year.  Nothing could wipe the smile off of Moreira’s face after the final game. It was probably because, according to Molland, “[Victory] tastes like strawberries and whipped cream.”

After their coach Joe Lucia stepped down last year they all hoped Chris Moedritzer would fill his place.  Moedritzer graduated from Garfield in 2003 and went on to play college ball at Claremont McKenna.  After graduating, he returned to Garfield as the assistant coach of the varsity baseball team and has coached for the last three years.

“Chris was definitely the most knowledgeable baseball coach we had last year,” said co-captain John Trupin. “Joe was an awesome and really nice guy, but he was kind of just in charge.”

However, after interviewing all the applicants for the head coaching position, Ted Howard hired Casey Sample. Sample had coached little league, for Foster High School, and coaches the South End Hurricanes 16U club team.

But when he showed up for the first day of tryouts, the players were less than impressed.  They spent the first two days on bunting and base running, and after the week was over each player had only taken five swings.

Sample also confused the team by telling them he had been a bullpen catcher in college when colleges don’t technically have bullpen catchers, only back-up catchers.

“Honestly he knew nothing about the game of baseball,” said co-captain Spencer Scott.  “I’d correct him and he’d just be like, ‘don’t be a smart ass.”

The assistant coaches Sample had lined up quit the day before tryouts.  Sample was left with his elderly father, a guy from Gig Harbor who showed up 45 minutes late every day, and Sample’s brother who proudly presented himself as a red neck.

By the end of the week many of the players were disgruntled and they took a poll in which the majority of the team said they would not play for Sample.  Howard, booster club members Scott Honican, Dan Billey, and Shawn Skerrett, and captains Scott and Trupin held a meeting with Sample on Friday March 5th after which Sample resigned.

Trupin recounted, “Spencer looked [Sample] in the eye and said, “I have no confidence in your ability to be a coach, I have no confidence in your knowledge of the game, and I will not play for you.”

Not all of the baseball team held as extreme a view as Scott. Trupin said he felt Scott may have been a bit harsh, but agreed that it would not have been a good year with Sample as head coach, and that the change was a good thing for the team’s development.

Part of the returning varsity players’ frustration with Sample came from an aversion to change.  They had been improving over the last couple of years, doubling their wins from 2009 to 2010, and liked the direction the program was moving.

“This guy was totally different, but not totally different in a good way, just totally different in a really underwhelming way,” said Trupin. “We wanted to go back to what we know.”

The interview process started all over again while the captains led practices with the help of some of the parents. They interviewed four applicants, one of whom was Moedritzer.  He interviewed better the second time around.

“I felt more relaxed and in control,” said Moedritzer. “The panel was knowledgeable about baseball. We were all on the same page as far as trying to find solutions to the issues facing the baseball program and how to get the team up to speed with only a few days until the games started.”

Moedritzer was hired the Friday before their first scheduled game and had one practice to put a team together. The roster has been fluid since the beginning of  the season. But even with all the turmoil the boys have endured already, they’ve still managed to go  3–4.

But the people we curse most are the recruited athletes. Really it all comes down to jealousy. We all dream of having colleges competing for the chance to have us, instead of us begging on our hands and knees for them to give us a chance.

So we complain, hating the Division I recruits because they don’t have the grades we do or the SAT scores we do and they’re getting paid to go to college. We say its not fair, but our own egocentricity keeps us from seeing how entirely fair it really is.

The sad truth is that there isn’t enough room for all of America’s high school graduates to go to college. In an ideal world, anyone who had the drive would be able to continue on in their education. If the family couldn’t pay the steeply rising tuition rates, financial aid would cover the rest. But unfortunately that simply isn’t realistic.

So we weed out the students with the most potential to succeed later on, the ones who’s bright futures could be even brighter with a little push. After all that is the purpose of an undergraduate education: to set up its students to succeed.

Sure, often times athletes don’t have the grades that other college bound seniors do, but there’s an even smaller percentage of pitchers who have impressive batting averages and it’s for the same reason; if you’re putting all your time and energy into one thing its hardly fair to expect you to be great at everything else.

I’m not encouraging athletes to sluff off on grades (good grades boost your chances of getting a scholarship as an athlete) but as long as an athlete’s good enough, graduates on time, and can get a 900 on the SAT, it might not hurt them too much.

Becoming a top athlete takes just as much—if not more—time and dedication as becoming a valedictorian with a perfect SAT score does. And unlike students who are going to college on merit scholarships, athletes on scholarship give back to their colleges while they’re there.  Athletics provide a huge amount of income to schools through ticket sales and merchandise.

Last year the Texas Longhorns made $44.7 million on ticket sales to athletic events. In 2008, Louisville made an operating income of $16.6 million for mens’ basketball alone, followed closely by North Carolina with $16.4 million. But often times football programs are the ones who bring home the biggest bacon, with bowl teams generating operating profits of up to $61.5 million in 2006.

In addition to income from tickets and merchandise, schools are payed millions for TV revenue. The NCAA central basketball fund gives back over $140 million to be split among college ball conferences for such purposes.

The system mirrors the real world.  We invest in our athletics in this country. It gives people with depressing lives something to invest in.  So we pay them obscene amounts of money to make us feel emotions stronger than we are sometimes capable of.

But what we often don’t realize is that college athletics can give back even to students who have no interest in sports whatsoever.  In the New York Times, Sociologist Scott L. Thomas was quoted saying that students who go to state schools with successful football teams may have an advantage when applying for jobs right out of undergraduate school  since the community of dedicated alumni and sports fans is continually growing. So everybody really is a winner.

“Big games with a lot of people coming to watch, and the crowd’s going crazy…that’s the best part about [playing],” says senior guard Glenn Brooks.

Brooks had a basketball placed in his tiny hands at four years old, and he never let go.   His parents and his three older brothers all played basketball, so there was never any question about whether or not he’d take up the sport  too.

His brothers were always talking trash about each others’ games and Brooks felt a need to prove to his brothers that being the youngest didn’t make him the weakest.  That motivation led  him to develop quickly into a talented player.

In 8th grade he was still playing for the same Rotary Boys and Girls Club team he had started out on.  His cousin was his coach and Tony Wroten, Salim Gloyd, and Marcel Davis were his teammates. They took third in nationals that year, making Seattle history.

Then it was on to high school—a new team, a new coaching staff, and another league to conquer.  He made varsity his freshman year, and quickly established the important role he would play for the next four years.

His improvement came in leaps and bounds. From his sophomore year to his junior year, Brooks almost doubled his average points per game, going from 7.7 to 15.1.  His biggest games came against some of the strongest teams in the league; he scored over 20 points against Lake Washington and Eastlake.

He began to step into a leadership position and continued to expand on that this year.  He keeps the team going during the rough times; when anyone is down he’s there pulling them back up, saying “Don’t worry about it, just get onto the next play.”

With such a competitive and sometimes hot-headed team this season, Brooks’ calm and collected resolve has been invaluable.   He’s especially been an influence on the younger players.

“I try to do the best I can to help them mature at a young age so they don’t have to go through things that I went through as a young player.” He explains.

While he doesn’t play a flashy game, Brooks is consistent.  He’s ranked ninth in the league for points per game, and his three point shot is money. He hit three out of five shots from behind the arc against the Brisbaine Spartans (Australia,) and Morgan Park (IL).

At Ballard he was five for seven with an overall shooting average of 70 percent, matching his average versus Roosevelt earlier in the season. He topped that with 71 percent against Woodenville. But despite his shooting prowess, Brooks plays selflessly, distributing the ball well and often.

It may be that seclusion from the press has saved Brooks from the curse of the inflated ego and has made him a steadier player all around. Or it may be that he would have survived over-exposure anyways. Either way, he’s proven himself to be one of Garfield’s best kept secrets.

The Bulldogs have been within reach of a state championship for the last few years and barely fallen short.  The boys finished second in State in 2009, and the girls placed third last year, losing the semifinals by one point.  They’re hungry for it now.

“To come so close last year—to lose by one point—I mean, you just have to go in the next year with fire, wanting that back’” said senior Lady Bulldog Cora McManus.

The boys feel the same.

“The main goal is to win State,” said senior Tony Wroten.

It’s not far off now.  The boys basketball team is currently ranked first in State.  They’re undefeated in league play, their only loss being to the KingCo 3A powerhouse O’Dea, whom they lost to by two.

“We beat ourselves that game,” said senior Des’juan Newton

Garfield started off the game strong, finishing the first quarter 30–18.  But O’Dea steadily gained back the difference.

“If we had played defense like we did the first half, we would have blown them out of the water,” said Wroten.

Together, Dustin Watts and Sekou Wiggs scored 61 of O’Dea’s 78 points.  The points were more evenly spread on Garfield’s side of things, which can be contributed to the depth of the squad.

“We can start anybody on any given night and still come out with the same outcome,” said senior shooting guard Glen Brooks. His point was validated in the game against Issaquah when all 13 members of the team scored.

Another one of the team’s strengths is experience.  There are six seniors on the team and the majority of the players are returning. Of course it also doesn’t hurt to have one of the best point guards in the nation.  After missing last season due to a torn ACL, Wroten has transitioned smoothly back onto the team.

“Being back is a blessing,” he said. “I’m so glad to be back and playing and healthy and can take my team to a state championship.”

Wroten’s leadership will be more important this year as he and Brooks have stepped into their roles as captains.

“We’ve got to lead by example on and off the court,” says Brooks.  He stresses the importance of playing as a team and the power it’s given them this year.

“We all have the same goals so we go out there as one.”

Wroten is certain that this will take them far in State. “Every team has its faults but I think we have every piece of the puzzle to win the state championship,” he said.

Weather permitting, they head to Boston today to compete with some of the best teams in the nation.  All games will be shown on ESPN.  As one of the few public schools competing, Garfield will certainly turn some heads and make us proud.

“Even when we’re doing wrong, we play so well we make up for it,” Newton pointed out.  “So I’m always proud with this team.”

While the girls team isn’t ranked in state currently, there’s no need to worry.  They consistently start the season off slow and finish strong. Last year their first game against Issaquah was a blow out loss, but when they faced them again, Garfield won by about 20.

“That’s a 40 point swing when you look at it’” said Nyasha Sarju.  “We just have to get some more momentum, realize what our strengths are and capitalize on them.”

The loss of ‘010 graduates Demaria Caples and Alyse Harris has forced the team to make some adjustments.

“Those two players, they scored effectively, so myself , Renee, and Nyasha had to step up in our scoring,” said McManus.

The team is especially strong at the posts with McManus and Renee Dillard-Brown breaking down opposing defenses.

“We’re bigger down low than anyone else.  We’re stronger down low,” said Sarju.

With shooters like Sarju they can also pick and roll and sink jumpers. She’s averaging 20.6 points per game, first in all of KingCo 4A.  Dillard Brown and McManus are sixth and seventh in the league for points per game.

“Each person on the team has the role that they contribute,” said Dillard-Brown.

The girls are fun to watch, but because of the lack of dunks and flashy play the fans don’t show up.

“It would be nice to get more support from our school,” said Dillard-Brown.  “If we do, that would be great.  If we don’t we’re still going to go out there and work our butts off.”

Considering that most likely this has been the least impressive part of their season, the Lady Bulldogs are looking pretty good.  Their only league losses have been against the top teams in KingCo: Woodenville, Eastlake, and Issaquah. Issaquah is currently first in KingCo and ranked fourth in state.  This year Garfield held their lead against them into the fourth quarter, but eventually lost 64 to 57.

“We played pretty well against all those teams and I feel like all the mistakes we made are correctable,” said McManus.  “When we play them again we’ll match up a lot better.”

They’re working hard to repeat their KingCo championship and hopefully finish first in state.

McManus is confident that they can achieve that goal. “By the end of the season we’re always going straight up sky high.”

Seniors:

Last year, ‘011 was unstoppable. Even after the seniors tried to cheat to squeeze out a victory, the class of 2011 came out on top. The same group of girls and the same coaching staff will be returning for another win, with the help of a few strong additions. The senior classes of past years have put up quite an embarrassing losing streak, and it’s about time it was broken.  Here’s a look at some key figures for ‘011.

Valentino Coleman:
Coleman will return as the ‘011 girls’ head coach.  This man certainly has a way with the ladies. Last year he organized a whole team of girls who didn’t know the first thing about playing football into a cohesive, well-oiled machine. He’s back again this year with experience and the same calm, level-headed approach to coaching. Chris Michael Garret will be his assistant coach, but he will probably be too busy watching his defensive line bending over in slightly see-through pairs of spandex to actually do much coaching.

Cora McManus:
McManus is a force on the field. She can tear through any defense and blocks like a champ. The other team would do well to stay out of her way unless they care to be bulldozed.

Stephanie Sundsten:
This girl’s got wheels. Sundsten is also a natural at finding holes in a defense. She was a primary scorer in the game last year and this year should be no different.

Renee Dillard-Brown:
Dillard-Brown is an amazing athlete.  She was widely recruited for basketball, plus, she towers over the entire ‘12 team.  They should be quaking with fear just thinking about facing her this weekend.

Riley Fleet:
Fleet accidentally takes people out all the time in soccer. When she gets to tackle people on purpose, she becomes quite intimidating. On the other side of things, she takes hits like a champ. Luckily for ‘12, the seniors this year have more class than certain members of ‘010, so no one will get spat on, kicked, and left with cleat marks from the top of their hip all the way down their leg (like Fleet was last year, but she toughed it out).

Olivia Turner:
Turner is the natural choice for quarterback because she has one of the best arms in all of Garfield, and yes, that includes boys too. It takes quite a lot to floor her, and if she goes down, someone else is coming down with her.

Cally Shine:
Shine brought together and organized the ‘011 team this year. She makes a good captain, even though her notoriously bad knees may inhibit her playing. Her spirit will make up for it.

Savannah Billedo:
Unfortunately, Billedo is injured. She is still planning to play however, and she will likely prove a considerable threat. Even with a torn ligament in her thumb, she will be able to punt. And that girl can put force behind a kick. Plus, anyone who has ever played soccer with Billedo knows how scary she can be when she’s in the zone, so ‘12 should pray that she will only be able to play kicker.

Juniors:

Basically, ‘12 is screwed. They don’t have the size, athleticism, or spirit that the senior girls do. They are helplessly disorganized and have no idea how to play football.  Without good leadership, they will be immensely embarrassed. But all hope isn’t lost; ‘13 doesn’t look much better, so ‘12 might have a chance for a win next year.  Despite their total lack of notability, half of this article is dedicated to them (thanks to the formatting), so we’ll take a look at them as well.

Carl Barnes:
Barnes is ‘12’s self-proclaimed head coach. For the sake of ‘12’s dignity, someone else should take over this coaching position. Despite what he may think, playing football freshman year does not qualify him for the position. Plus, Barnes is scared of Olivia Turner. Luckily, John Trupin is coming up with a game plan and Mathis Watson is also eager to help, so Barnes can’t do too much damage.

Nyasha Sarju:
Sarju is a huge threat on the basketball court, but that may or may not translate to the football field. Her raw athleticism should help a great deal and she will certainly give some of the smaller members of the ‘11 team a lot of trouble, but she’s no match for McManus.

Ava Klein:
Klein wrestles. That’s a little daunting.  But on the other hand, ‘10 graduate Punneh Abdolhasseini is also a wrestler, and while she played well last year, she was nothing ‘11 couldn’t handle. But as captain of the quidditch team, Klein could bring good leadership.

Mikala Trujillo:.
If Trujillo learns how to tackle properly she could be quite a dangerous player. Her competitive flare will be good for the team as well. Too bad she’s the only intimidating girl on the team.

Emma Giles:
Giles is fast and athletic. Her softball skills would translate into making her a strong quarterback if she could figure out how to throw a football. However, she can’t compare to her softball captains Turner and Madeline Lee, who she will be facing. They’ll keep her docile.

Jenny Lin:
Lin will most likely end up getting snapped in half.

Tamzin Atkins:
Atkins’ speed and endurance will be a nice addition for this team. However, the likelihood of ‘12 having a quarterback who can throw a spiral is quite low, so Atkins will be forced to run the ball. As a small girl, she would be more effective as a receiver.

Annie Clurman:
Although Clurman is quick, she’s quite small. This would be quite a disadvantage for her if she were a boy, but girls tend to exhibit much more self-control than boys. Her size and sweet disposition may keep girls from tackling her too hard, depending on how competitive the game gets.

Kristina Block:
Block has been known to come out on top in not-so-sportsman–like conduct.  But without her “loco” inspiration, it is unlikely that she will prevail on the football field. A little pre-game preparation might be in order.

The problem started last year with the boys’ soccer team. This fall, the football team reported that they had played ineligible players, and Garfield found out that they had been on probation since spring.

According to league officials, Garfield violated WIAA rule 17.5.8.  At the time, this rule stated that a coach cannot coach “any of their squad members” outside of the regular season.  Rule 17.13.0 states, “A group of students playing together against another group of students is a squad.”  Varsity and JV teams are then defined as separate squads in rule 17.30.0.

Carlos Enriquez was the JVC boys’ soccer coach last year.  He also coaches a select team called the Redhawks.  Many of the Redhawks played on the Garfield soccer team last season, but none of them played on JVC.  By the Garfield Athletic Department’s interpretation of 17.5.8 Enriquez was eligible for the JVC coaching position.

During the 2010 season, varsity coach Quauhtli Martinez was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm.  In his absence, Enriquez seemed to be the natural substitute.  Valiere applied for a waiver that would approve Enriquez as a temporary varsity coach.

KingCo would not approve the waiver and claimed that Garfield was already violating rule 17.5.8, saying the rule applies to all players in the program and not just those on the coach’s specific team.

Valiere was told to make a self-report regarding the hiring of Enriquez. He did so, explaining the confusion about rule 17.5.8.  The league still decided to place Garfield on probation. The rule has since been re-worded to exclude any mention of the term ‘squad.’

“This immediate change in the rule is as complete and total an admission that the rule did not say what they wanted it to say as one could imagine. What is incomprehensible is that WIAA and KingCo officials would be comfortable punishing not only Mr. Valiere but the students of Garfield High School for supposedly violating a rule which by their own admission (given their actions in immediately amending it) needed to be changed to say what they wanted it say,” wrote Dave Richardson, president of the Garfield Sports Boosters, in a legal memo addressed to the WIAA.

Cindy Adsit of the WIAA decline to comment on the specific situation.

Following the denied waiver, JV coach Reed Miller stepped in to coach the varsity team to the end of the season.  Enriquez was a huge supporter of the team and attended many games, but varsity soccer players attest to the fact that he never coached. On May 11, the day of the KingCo championship, an email was sent to Valiere notifying him that Garfield was on probation.  However, the official probation protocol wasn’t carried out; WIAA rule 27.6.1 states that an official letter will be sent to a school when put on probation. No such letter was received.

When ineligible players were found in the Garfield football game against Sammamish, it was considered a secondary offense, resulting in much harsher penalties.

“The district put forward what they wanted to do after they finished, which was to remove both coaches and to have the AD put on administrative leave so they could conduct the rest of the investigation,” said Howard.

He asked the coaches to resign in order to keep open the possibility of them coming back in the future. The loss of Allen and Kelly hit the team hard.  Allen had worked tirelessly to get the football team on track for a successful season, set up a tutoring program, and restored excitement for the season.

“We actually thought we were gong to make play-offs,” said senior Des’Juan Newton. “But now nobody really cares.”

To top off an already frustrating season, in a fight between Inglemoor and Garfield players on October 21st, four Garfield players were ejected while no Inglemoor players were. The fight started in the third quarter after an Inglemoor player hit Pierre Wright when he was already out of bounds. The referee claimed that only Garfield players rushed the field, so he didn’t eject any of the Inglemoor players involved

Muggle quidditch has steadily grown in popularity over the last few years.  The first intercollegiate quidditch game was played between Middlebury and Vassar in November of 2007. It has since spread to colleges all over the country. Now it’s growing in popularity in high schools. Garfield’s team was started by junior Ava Klein just a few weeks ago.

“My friend, who goes to Emerson University in Boston, he was on the quidditch team there, and they went to the world cup,” said Klein.

Emerson placed second and brought home a trophy.  Klein’s excitement over the trophy and the pictures inspired her to start the Garfield team. They had their first practice on Wednesday this week.

The team isn’t looking all that intimidating so far. “[They’re] pretty scrawny actually,” said Klein. “A lot of skinny.”  She hopes that as the team becomes better known, the big jocks will come out to represent.

But despite  lack of girth, Klein stays optimistic. “It looks like we have speed on our side,” she says. “A lot of cross country guys.”

Speed is much more important in muggle quidditch than in wizard quidditch; since flying on broomsticks is impossible for muggles, they have to run with brooms in between their legs instead. The basic idea of the game has stayed in tact, although slight modifications had to be made. Most of the time, the quaffle is a red rubber kick ball and the bludgers are slightly-deflated soccer balls.

Due to a shortage of winged golden balls, the snitch has been replaced with a cross country runner dressed in gold.  The snitch is allowed to do almost anything, except run into pedestrians and seriously injure the seekers.

A section of the International Quidditch Association rulebook reads, “The rules forbidding specific types of fouls do not apply to the Snitch. He can do whatever it takes to avoid capture, including pushing players away, wrestling pursuers to the ground, or throwing things at oncoming seekers.”

Muggle quidditch is a full contact sport.  Tackling and slide tackling are permitted, except for from behind.  The chasers get to do the most tackling.  There is no penalty for hitting people in the head with bludgers unless the ball is thrown from less than three feet away.

The violet nature of the game could be reigned in by adding additional rules banning injury inducing behavior. However, since Ballard will be Garfield’s main opponent this year, it is very possible that a decrease in violence will not be desired.

“Win a game against Ballard, that would be my goal,” said Klein.  “Because Ballard’s dumb.”

Hopefully Garfield can recruit some less scrawny players so we can pound those beavers.

When Brandon Roy stepped out of the locker room it became clear what everyone had been waiting for. The reporters pounced and the crowd went wild.

The hype around Brandon Roy last Thursday wasn’t just because he’s considered to be one of the top 15 players in the NBA. It wasn’t just because he  averaged 21.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game last year.  It was because he is one of us, a Seattle man at heart.

“I had a really good experience growing up in Seattle,” Roy said.

He loved the people and being able to play as many sports as he wanted.

“I just had an unbelievable time,” he said. “I remember when I was a kid I would always say, ‘When I have my kid I want to raise him in Seattle.’”

Roy always knew he was going to go to Garfield High School.  His parents and his brother had all gone there.

“My dad would bring me to games as a kid and I would always be like, ‘Dad, you’re going to let me go there, right?’ He’d say, ‘yeah.’ It was just special” Later he added, “I couldn’t wait to be a part of it myself.”

Once he got to Garfield, Roy made a big splash.  He was named Most Valuable Player in KingCo for two seasons. He played basketball, football, and met his future wife.  All in all it was a good four years.

“I always tell people the vibe at Garfield is different from any other high school.  It’s because of the kids, it’s the athletics; everything is done here at a high level.”

After graduating in 2002 he could have entered the draft early, but decided to go to college instead. He was a top 50 national recruit, and ended up at the University of Washington. He was a leader on the court both in attitude and statistics from the very beginning. As a sophomore, he led the team in rebounds and was second in scoring, assists, and steals. He continued to improve, and for his senior year, Roy was chosen as Pac-10 Player of the Year and received All-American honors. He graduated in 2006.

That year, Roy was the sixth overall NBA draft pick. He was drafted by Minnesota, but then traded to the Portland Trailblazers, and was named Rookie of the Year. Since then, he has been on the NBA all-star team three years in a row.

“Garfield is a huge part of my success,” Roy said to the whole gym on Thursday night.

He stood in the center of the court holding a check about as big as he was, with his three-year-old son holding onto his leg. He started by thanking Garfield for hosting his team and bringing the NBA back to Seattle. He finished by presenting the $20,000 check, written out to the Garfield Foundation, to Ted Howard.

As a benefit scrimmage, the event was extremely successful, even though the game itself wasn’t played at the highest level. There were missed free throws, kicked balls, dribbling errors, lackadaisical defense, and the energy of the whole game was unaggressive.

That isn’t to say it wasn’t entertaining. Armon Johnson and Elliot Williams spiced things up with dramatic alley-oops and dunks. Rudy Fernandez sunk three-point shot after three-point shot, although he barely played defense. And of course Brandon Roy kept things exciting, making some seemingly impossible shots, off balance and one-handed.

The two teams proved unevenly matched. The away team included Roy, Lamarcus Aldridge,  Marcus Camby, Andre Miller, and Greg Oden, although Oden did not play due to injury. The other team had players such as Fernandez, Jerryd Bayless, and Joel Prybilla, but they couldn’t hold their own. At the half, the away team was only up 40 to 37, but they steadily racked up points the second half to win 95 to 61.

When the game itself wasn’t intriguing—with ten minute quarters there wasn’t actually much basketball—the events after each quarter certainly were. There were plenty of opportunities to win free stuff. Each quarter, a group of students was called down to receive signed hats and take pictures with the players.  Free Trailblazer and Jones soda shirts were thrown into the crowd a number of times.

On top of that there were two student contests. One was a free throw contest between Garfield students Deric Nelson, Josh Markowitz, and Julian Novais and Seahawks coach Pete Caroll, Garfield alumnus Isaiah Stanback, and running back Justin Forsett. The other contest was a tricycle race between three members of ASB.

The Seagals also performed, decked out in skimpy uniforms, covered with inches of makeup, and sporting their classic super-straight-and-practically-burnt hair style. Their provocative dancing proved to be quite entertaining to most of the men in the gym, and was definitely a highlight of the evening for many.

But despite the allure of the Seagals, the half time festivities were by far the best. And it wasn’t Rip City that made it so, even though their various combinations of flips and dunks off of trampolines were quite impressive. It was Brandon Roy who stole the show with his generous donation.

“Garfield was the best,” he said.