By Martin Barrett, Gem of the Sound Reporter
Point Guard Marcus Moss Jumper Shot. Moss scored 6 Points in the game.
Highline Pirates Perfect in January
The Highline Pirate Men’s Basketball team has turned the season around. After a rough 1-9 start, new head coach Rick Frazier has his players focused and playing together. “It is a new year. The Pirates are a new team. We began January with the mindset that this was a new season. A turnaround year.”, said Frazier.
Three Pirate Wins in the New Year
Monday evening the Burien school posted their third consecutive win, a 55-51 victory over the Lindbergh Eagles. The Highline Pirates came out fast, scoring on their first 8 times on offense. Frazier’s team grabbed a 21-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. Although the Pirates never lost the lead, a scrappy Eagles team outscored the Pirates in each of the last three quarters. “We got off to a good start. But this was of a sloppy game. We pulled it out for the win though.”, said Frazier. It came down to the end. With 4 seconds remaining in the game Point Guard, Marcus Moss sealed the win with a clutch free-throw.
A Team Coming Together
The Highline Pirates have come together in the last few games. Players are more comfortable with the system and each other. Confidence is growing. “We’re doing the little things better; boxing out defenders on the boards, keeping an eye on turnovers, getting them down to seven or eight a game makes a big difference.”, according to Frazier.
Leadership Developing
This game saw more of Frazier’s leaders step forward. Center Rubin Humbert continued demonstrating his strength on the boards capturing nine rebounds and scoring 13 points. Charles Brown added to the momentum he established at the start of this month. With nine points and nine rebounds. Brown’s presence was more evident this game. Marquawn McCraney added ten rebounds and 13 points to round out the top contributors.
“We are getting several guys scoring in double figures. We are executing better on offense. We do not have much varsity experience. But the guys are fighting through it, battling, and it shows.’, an upbeat Frazier said.
Corey Crosby on the Mend
The new year has also brought talented Forward Corey Crosby back on the court. Crosby was side-lined with an injury at the beginning of the year. While still not 100%, his return has added depth to the line-up and is helping keep the other inside players fresh. Crosby has played in four games this year, averaging over 9 points per game and is the Pirates’ most accurate 3-point shooter.
The next Highline Pirate game is at Franklin High School. The Franklin Quackers coach is Craig Jackson, Frazier’s cousin and mentor. Write it on your calendar and look for the pregame story Friday.
