Eatonville Boys Secure First Win of Season, Coach Bennett Earns First Career Victory at Coyote Invitational
The Eatonville Cruisers boys basketball team capped off their trip to Arizona with a milestone win at the Coyote Basketball Invitational, defeating Tempe Prep 48-44 to secure their first victory of the season and deliver Head Coach Josh Bennett his first career win at the helm.
The hard-fought win over Tempe Prep came after two challenging losses in the tournament. The Cruisers' resilience was on full display as they battled through momentum swings to close out the game with a decisive 7-0 run, staving off a late push by the Knights.
"This win meant a lot to our team and our coaching staff," Bennett said. "To come down here, compete at a high level, and finally get that first victory – it shows the progress we're making."
Amari Samuel led the Cruisers with 16 points, scoring 12 in the second half, while Carter Taylor and Michael Stogsdill each added 7 points. Lowell McWright and Nate Goode chipped in 5 points apiece, with Goode pulling down a crucial 12 rebounds. Jeremy Osborn Jr. and Colton Herbrand rounded out the scoring with 2 points each.
The win followed a pair of tough losses to open the tournament. Eatonville's first-round matchup against Arete Prep saw the Cruisers struggle to keep pace, falling 61-48. The loss dropped them into the consolation bracket, where they faced the Fountain Hills Falcons.
Against Fountain Hills, the Cruisers jumped out to an early 9-4 lead after the first quarter. A 5-2 run extended their lead to 14-6, but a late 6-0 surge by the Falcons cut the margin to 19-15 at halftime. Eatonville maintained a narrow lead entering the fourth quarter but cooled off offensively, scoring just one basket in the final frame. Despite leading 30-28 going into the fourth, Eatonville ultimately fell 40-32.
"We were in all of these games," Bennett said. "Our defense kept us competitive, and we rebounded well, but sometimes the shots just don't fall. The important thing is that we kept fighting."
That fight paid off in the next game against Tempe Prep. Eatonville trailed 14-11 after the first quarter but capitalized on turnovers to take a 23-22 lead into halftime. After trading leads in the third quarter, the Cruisers found themselves down 44-41 in the fourth before finishing the game on a 7-0 run.
"The difference in the Tempe Prep game was winning the boards and playing fundamentally sound on both ends," Bennett said. "When Nate Goode pulls down12 plus rebounds, we put ourselves in a good position."
Coach Bennett also highlighted the significance of the experience for the entire basketball program. "Being down in Arizona as an entire unified program was a really cool moment of representation for our community; both boys and girls basketball had over 60 individuals who traveled to Phoenix. Those families and support systems that joined us (and those who supported from home too) are building the culture of community for Eatonville Basketball that Coach Andersen and I are striving for," he said.
The Cruisers concluded the tournament with a 56-29 loss to Horizon Honors, a game in which they were outmatched but continued to show the competitive spirit that defined their time in Arizona.
"This trip was exactly what our group needed," Bennett said. "To get away from Eatonville and bond as a team both on and off the court, it gave us perspective and confidence. We learned a lot about what we are capable of. If we commit to defense and take care of the ball, we can compete with anyone."
Eatonville will return to regular season play on Tuesday, Jan. 7, when they host Franklin Pierce at 7 p.m. They will finish out the week at home against Fife on Friday at 7 p.m.
"The kids keep accepting the challenges we set for them," Bennett said. "We've been competitive in every game. If we keep this up, we'll start seeing more wins on the board."
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