By Shane McMahon
UW News Lab
With a roster stacked with experience and talent, the girls’ basketball team at Inglemoor High School has made a name for itself this year with 21 wins and only one (non-league) loss.
“This is the most talented team I’ve had at Inglemoor in the 13 years I’ve been coaching here,” said John Augustavo, the head coach of the second ranked 4A girls basketball team in the state.
The chance to get back to the state tournament for the third consecutive year would allow the team to attend to some unfinished business, as this group has yet to win a state title.
The past experience means the Vikings ought to play with a mentality summed up best by their coach.
“When our players hit the court it’s time to go to work,” Augustavo said.
Team chemistry cannot be understated when discussing this season at Inglemoor. A roster including five seniors earned the nickname the “Fab 5,” first made famous by the University of Michigan men’s basketball team in 1992 and a take off on the Beatles. They have played together at the high school level, but the connection goes even deeper than that.
“I’ve played with some of these girls since the fifth grade,” said leading scorer and 6-foot-4 Inglemoor senior Deja Strother. “We’ve always played together and we’re one of the closest teams out there when you see us play.”
Strother, committed to play at the University of Washington next season, is not the only one of the Fab 5 with plans to play at the college level. Alex Hagen will play at the University of San Diego, Jordana Price will play at California State University Monterey Bay next year, and Hannah McCausland will play at Peninsula College in Bellingham. The remaining senior, Sammi Williams, is undecided.
However, there’s too much remaining at stake now for the girls to stress about their plans after graduation.
“It hasn’t really hit yet, but with how much fun we have, I’m going to miss that relationship,” Price said.
“I’ll miss them but I’m looking forward to the next challenge,” Hagen said.
The close-knit squad starts all veteran players, three seniors and two juniors, and the coaching staff isn’t afraid to use the deep bench led by a couple of seniors ready to enter whenever energy is lacking or a change is necessary. In past seasons, like with many teams, some players were not always about team first. However, this season there’s been an effort to make each other better through a team-first style.
“Our captains, Jordana and Hannah, have done well to bridge the difference in age between the players on the roster. They all have a lot to offer to our team,” Augustavo said.
The players love playing for their coach as well — it’s just another component of the chemistry that adds to this season’s standout play. Augustavo says he’ll miss this graduating class — “they’re like my own kids” — and his graduating players feel the same.
“John is a second dad,” Strother said. “He’s been a big part of my high school life.”
The next game is the most important one for the Vikings — no looking beyond that, according to Augustavo. The KingCo 4A tournament at Redmond High School is a double elimination format and will send two teams to the state tournament. The championship game will be on Feb. 19 with Inglemoor playing their biggest rival, Bothell High School for the top seed heading into state. On Feb. 21 the loser will have a second opportunity to get to Tacoma through the consolation bracket of one-loss teams.
The best eight teams in the state will meet in the Tacoma Dome starting on March 5 and play into the weekend. Inglemoor expects to be playing until the very end.
“It’s been unbelievable to lose only a handful of games in my high school career,” Hagen said. “I’ve been blessed and grateful to play basketball here.”
