One Heartbeat, One Team: Overlake boys roll into the state basketball regionals
Published 6:01 pm Wednesday, February 25, 2015
One clap at a time, The Overlake School head coach Justin Prohn drew his players into the post-practice celebration on Tuesday.
As seconds passed, the Owls joined in at center court, smacking their hands together, letting out a few yells and soon the gym was awash with joyful noise that echoed off the walls and ceiling.
That’s the sound of a boys basketball squad about to play in the 1A state-tournament regionals. Overlake (17-4) will take on Castle Rock (15-8) at 4 p.m. Saturday at WF West High in Chehalis. This is the second time Overlake has reached the state tourney in the school’s 48-year history.
“It feels great. This year has been phenomenal. We worked really well together as a team and we just kept getting better and better, and towards the end of the season, we just started peaking at the right time,” said junior guard LT Cosmos, who led the Owls with 22 points in their state-qualifying 60-53 victory over Sultan last Saturday in the 1A Bi-District 1/2 tournament at Mountlake Terrace High.
Overlake scored 24 fourth-quarter points to erase a 41-35 deficit and its clutch free-throw shooting in the last two minutes sealed the victory. Senior captain Rick Chavez added 16 points and senior Pranav Harikrishnan scored 10 points in the fourth quarter.
The Owls finished tied for second in the 1A Emerald City League at 9-3 and have won nine of their last 10 games.
In between buzzers that let the players know when to stop running lines, fifth-year Owl coach Prohn said the team’s theme this season is “Do it Better Than it’s Ever Been Done Before.”
“They really like each other, they’re really a cohesive group, they play really well together and they share the ball,” Prohn said. “We’ve got some confidence with some big wins that we’ve had this year (over Seattle Academy, University Prep and others). We’ve just really built some success and some momentum.
“We really try not to react when we make a mistake or maybe a call doesn’t go our way or something — we just try to really move on,” added Prohn, who noted that he’s influenced by Seahawks coach Pete Carroll’s book, “Win Forever: Live, Work and Play Like a Champion.”
Chavez, who averages 11 points per game, said Prohn and the coaching staff have helped mold him into a leader and someone who can contribute on offense and defense. The coaches were tough on him sometimes, but Chavez said it was all worth it in the end.
“As a leader, I try to keep everyone involved and let everyone know that everyone has a role on the team. It’s not just the starting five, it’s on the bench whether you’re loud, you’re getting people involved or getting people to games,” Chavez said. “What people don’t realize is getting this far is really like a community effort, it’s with our fans and everyone.”
Along with Cosmos (15 points per game), Chavez and Harikrishnan, other crucial contributors are senior-sophomore brothers Charlie and Owen Friend (who tower above opponents at 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-9, respectively), senior defensive energizer Keshav Ummat and key freshman defender Tellier Lundquist.
On the Friend front, Charlie and Owen average 11 and 10 points a game, respectively, and are “difference-makers,” offensively and defensively, according to Prohn.
Prohn added that Cosmos is quick and always on the ball, whether he’s notching points, steals and assists or snatching rebounds.
Harikrishnan and Ummat are solid competitors who also teamed up at doubles on the tennis court and finished fifth at state last season.
“It’s amazing when everybody’s making the right plays, passing to each other and we’re playing as a team — there’s nothing better than that,” Cosmos said.
Chavez, who Prohn said is “kind of the glue to our team,” feels the Owls have the potential to play great at state with their motto “One Heartbeat, One Team” in tow.
The Owl captain is inspired by words from Prohn and his dad, Richard, when he takes to the court:
“If you want to win, you’ve got to go out and show it. You’ve got to prove it to the world and prove to yourself that you can do this,” he said of Prohn’s message and moved on to his dad’s creed, “You’ve got to put in the work to be great, and it really shows on the court who’s putting in hours and who’s really trying to develop their game.”
And when you need further words of wisdom, checking out Instagram posts can be beneficial, as well. One Eastside Catholic message struck a chord with Chavez: “Nobody likes us as much as we like us.”
“I think that’s something that is really a part of our team,” said Chavez, who noted that the Owls had to dig down deep to overcome two straight losses this season. “Everything went into a frenzy, but as a team, we stuck together. Everyone else around us was going crazy, but we stayed calm and persevered through all the adversity.”
Photo: Courtesy of Meera Harikrishnan
