Eatonville Earns Milestone League Victory Against Steilacoom

Eatonville’s long wait for a league victory finally came to an end this past Friday night, as the Cruisers pulled away for a 62-52 boys basketball win over Steilacoom.

Eatonville's Amari Samuel seen here in a game earlier in the season scored a season-high 30 points to help the Cruisers break a league winless drought when they defeated the Steilacoom Sentinels this past Friday night. Photo: Heather Quirie

The victory carried added meaning for the program. Eatonville’s previous league win came more than 1,000 days ago, when Shay Brannon was a member of the Cruisers roster and the team was playing in the 1A Evergreen league. On Tuesday, it was Shay’s younger brother, Jake Brannon, who helped Eatonville break the drought, connecting past and present in a milestone moment for the program.

Preparation and momentum played a key role in Eatonville’s performance, according to head coach Josh Bennett.

“We had a great day of practice before this game and I credit that to our guys buying into the game plan and also carrying the momentum and positives from the Washington game over,” Bennett said.

Eatonville edged Steilacoom 12-11 in the first quarter and stayed steady in the second, matching the Sentinels 19-19 to take a 31-30 lead into halftime. The Cruisers then tightened defensively in the third quarter, holding Steilacoom to seven points to gain separation heading into the final period.

“We won each quarter - we stressed not coming out flat and they did an awesome job of setting the tone early in the game,” Bennett said.

Eatonville put the game away with a 21-point fourth quarter, showing patience offensively and composure at the free throw line to close out the win.

Amari Samuel led all scorers with 30 points, attacking the basket consistently and setting the pace offensively. Colton Herbrand added 10 points, while Nash Sherrard finished with four. Jake Brannon chipped in three points as Eatonville received contributions throughout the lineup.

Beyond the box score, Bennett emphasized the collective nature of the performance.

“This might have been the best collective effort and togetherness I have seen from a group in a game since I started coaching here. We shared the ball, ran some offense, got the defense moving and we were able to make plays,” Bennett said.

The significance of the win was evident after the final horn.

“It was an awesome moment in the locker room afterwards for the group - our first league win in over 1,000 days - we have a lot to be grateful for and we are excited to continue on this journey together and get some rest over the holidays,” Bennett said.

Prior to that rewarding win, the Cruisers traveled to Tacoma to take on the Washington Patriots, where Eatonville struggled to find its offensive rhythm on the road Tuesday night (Dec. 16), falling 67-38. Despite a spirited effort in the second half, an early deficit proved too difficult to overcome.

The game began with a tough opening quarter for Eatonville. The Cruisers’ offense was held to just 3 points in the first eight minutes, while Washington jumped out to an early 14-3 lead. Even so, Bennett said the defensive approach was sound from the opening tip.

“We put a good game plan together to contain their two all-league guards and for 80% of the game we had them flustered and out of their actions and style of play,” Bennett said.

The defensive intensity picked up in the second quarter, but scoring remained scarce for both sides. Eatonville managed 8 points in the frame and went into the locker room trailing 24-11. Bennett pointed to that stretch as a key positive despite the deficit.

“To hold a team of that caliber to 24 points in a half and they did not score their 26th point until 3:30 left in the third speaks to the effort, grit, and toughness of our team,” Bennett said. “It is a game that will pay dividends for our program moving forward.”

The Cruisers came out of the break with renewed energy. The third quarter was Eatonville’s most productive of the night, as it poured in 14 points to try to chip away at the lead. Washington answered with 17 points of its own to maintain a 41-25 advantage heading into the final period.

In the fourth quarter, the game slipped away as Washington’s offense broke through for 26 points. Eatonville continued to battle and added another 13 points with contributions from across the bench.

“The game got away from us in the end but it was a defensive effort that if we keep that up we are going to keep shrinking the margins and get on the other side of a few of these,” Bennett said.