It’s safe to say that football season ended a few games too soon for quarterback Braden Foley and wide receiver/defensive back Dylan Hanley.
But a heartbreaking loss in the quarterfinals — in which Foley threw a touchdown pass and Hanley snagged an interception — gets two of Bothell High basketball coach Ron Bollinger’s top senior players on the court early and ready to get the Cougars rolling.
The Cougars, who finished 12-12 last season and two wins short of a 4A state trip, not only return Foley (6-foot-4 forward) and Hanley (6-foot-2 guard), but Bollinger is also looking forward to watching one of his best athletes, Dylan Langston (6-foot-1 senior guard), in action.
The coach’s eyes also light up when he discusses a pair of newcomers: 6-foot sophomore guard Zach Lavin and 5-11 junior guard Prince Lacy, a transfer from Glacier Peak High in the Snohomish School District. Add 6-5 senior forward Sasha Shealey to the list, and Bollinger’s athletic, strong-on-defense, fast-on-offense team is off to a good start in practice.
Bothell will tip off its first game at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at Redmond.
“We’ve got a lot of teamwork already — our team’s looking really good. We’ve got a bunch of guys who are coming off the football season and getting into the groove of things,” Foley said after practice on Monday. “We have really good discipline and we’re gonna try and push the ball up the floor a lot, keep a nice quick pace going and try and run over teams.”
Hanley is impressed with the young kids, as he calls Lavin and Lacy. “They seem to fit in with what we do here at Bothell. They get right into the groove of things like we grew up with them playing, and I like how they match with our returners,” he said.
Bollinger has had his sights set on Lavin for a while, he laughs.
“He’s from Canyon Park Junior High. He’s been coming to camp since first grade, so I’ve been waiting for him to show up and play for a long time. He’s gonna be fun to watch,” the coach said. The wiry, smiling Lavin was impressive with his outside shot, passing and dribbling skills in Monday’s practice.
An upbeat attitude and healthy players will be keys to success, according to Bollinger, who feels his team can make another run at state. The Cougars will first have to battle their tough 4A Kingco foes before aiming to defeat equally talented Wesco league teams to advance to the Tacoma Dome.
But first things first, said Hanley, noting that Bothell needs to focus on each game with a positive mindset, even if injuries come into play. Last season, they lost post player Michael Hartvigson to a separated shoulder down the stretch and may have been a bit distracted with him out of the lineup, he said.
And during football season, “We had three devastating injuries in the first week. I feel like our team bounced back very well, and we were able to replace guys and play some younger kids who stepped up. And just like the sophomore and the junior, if they step up, we’ll be good,” Hanley added. “We just gotta focus and play with whoever we have.”
It’s discipline that will carry Bothell far this year, Foley said. But there’s more to it than that, and once again, the Cougar football experience goes hand in hand with the hardwood action.
“I’d say the family nature that football brings into play. You know football is a humongous family thing here and basketball is gonna be the same way. We already are really close, even the younger guys with the older guys,” Foley said.
