SEQUIM — Last season, the Sequim basketball team had one of its best years in a decade or more, sharing the co-championship of the Olympic League and qualifying for the state 2A tournament in Yakima.
However, there was a feeling of more to be done as the Wolves were one-and-done at the state tourney after entering the Yakima SunDome with a 20-4 record and one of the highest RPIs in the state.
The Wolves are hungry for a return trip to the postseason and the state tournament. And they will have to do without one of their star players from last year, Jericho Julmist.
Julmist, a first-team all-Olympic League performer who averaged 21 points and nine rebounds a game last year for Sequim, chose to play on an elite traveling AAU team this winter.
“It’s a cool opportunity for him,” said Sequim coach Craig Brooks, pointing out that these travel teams play at a high level.
The Wolves also lost starter Ethan Melnick, who graduated and is now playing for Peninsula College.
That’s a big loss for the Wolves, but they have lots of firepower to make up for it, led by last year’s Olympic League Co-Defensive Player of the Year Solomon Sheppard.
Sheppard, at 6-foot-4, averaged 15.5 points a game last year for the Wolves and will be asked to carry a heavy load this year with rebounds, assists and defense. In his first game, a non-leaguer against Washington this weekend, he poured in 29 points and used his defensive prowess to make a crucial steal in the final minutes to help seal the win.
Also returning from last year’s team is a huge cog in veteran junior Mason Rapelje, who, along with Sheppard, can be expected to provide a serious one-two punch for the Wolves’ opponents. Rapelje scored 19 in his opening game. He can shoot from outside, drive to the hoop and hit his free throws.
Another returning player is Zeke Schmadeke, who is highly athletic and a strong defensive player.
Those are the veterans. Sequim also has some outstanding youth coming up this year from the junior varsity squad, led by Andy Reynolds. Reynolds, at 6-foot-4, epitomizes the length and long arms of this year’s squad, which boasts five players 6-foot-3 or taller. The Wolves definitely will not be hurting for players to crash the boards with all their height.
Reynolds, just a sophomore, had a double-double in his first varsity game, scoring 13 points, mostly on putbacks. He can also shoot from outside. Nolan Bacchus, at 6-foot-4, and Kellen Smithson, at 6-foot-3, are two more tall, rangy sophomores.
“Nolan is going to be good,” Brooks said.
Junior Austin Klimp is another tall player with long arms at 6-foot-3.
Brooks was excited by the Wolves’ first game of the year in which the new players meshed together with the varsity veterans.
“Today was exciting,” Brooks said. “There’s things they’ve been trying to do all summer. They did some of those things well today.”
Brooks also expects Noah Green and Kaden Miller to be solid contributors. The roster is rounded out by senior Sebastian Buhrer.
Sequim, with Julmist and Sheppard leading the way, went 12-2 in the Olympic League last year, tying for the league title with eventual state champion Bremerton. Bremerton returns its superstar Jalen Davis, the league MVP who scored 34 points in the state championship game. So the Knights are heavily favored to be at the top of the league.
Brooks expects Bainbridge to also be good and for North Mason to be improved. North Kitsap is always tough. The Wolves are going into this season with the expectation of returning to state and doing more damage than last year.
Sequim begins league play hosting Kingston at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Sequim Wolves
Coach: Craig Brooks.
Last Year: 20-5, qualified for state, co-league champion with Bremerton.
Strengths: A lot of height with five players 6-foot-3 and taller. Solomon Sheppard, last year’s co-defensive player of the Year in the Olympic League, returns, as does standout starter Mason Rapelje. A return to state is definitely a possibility.
Biggest challenge: Must overcome the losses of league first-teamer Jericho Julmist, who is playing AAU ball, and Ethan Melnick, who is playing for Peninsula College. The team has a lot of youth without a lot of varsity experience, but the new sophomores and juniors are all tall with long arms. Bremerton, with superstar Jalen Davis, is expected to be tough again.
