O’Dea and Prep Beat Each Other on Metro League Tuesday

First, a word about Seattle Prep’s DJ Fenner. If you haven’t seen him, make haste to your local high school gymnasium. Late in Prep’s 77-56 win over O’Dea Tuesday, Fenner took his defender off the dribble with a crossover, drove the lane, elevated around another defender, switched hands in mid-air and finished at the rim with his left hand. Wow.

With two top-ten teams playing (Prep’s #6, O’Dea #10), a capacity crowd filled Prep’s gym Tuesday. I was thigh-to-thigh with my friend’s girlfriend on my left, which was awkward enough, but also with a nine-year-old boy on my right, which is I think possibly illegal.

Though we’d squeezed in to watch basketball, what we saw actually resembled hockey. You didn’t hear the expression “let ‘em play” shouted at this game, as the referees–including former Seattle Times photographer Rod Mar–permitted Prep and O’Dea to settle matters with minimal supervisory interference. Or as my friend Mark put it: “They’re beating each other bad out there.”

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Early on, the physical style played to O’Dea’s strengths. The speedy Irish applied heavy pressure to Panther ballhanders, forcing steals and bad shots. O’Dea raced to a 20-point first quarter and an early six-point lead.

But the stress of defending Prep’s bigger, taller players began to wear on O’Dea. The Irish don’t give substantial minutes to any player who’s taller than 6’3″. Prep’s point guard is 6’3″. Prep scored inside and on putbacks, slowly catching, surpassing, and eventually blowing out the Irish. Mitch Brewe, Prep’s 6’7″ sophomore center, led the way with 24 points, most from point-blank range.

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The one bright spot for the O’Dea came from their fans. After Prep’s freshman star D.J. Fenner threw down a fast-break dunk. Prep’s fans tauntingly chanted “He’s A Fresh-man.” O’Dea’s responded with “He’s Eight-Te-en.” Ha! Well done, O’Dea.

O’Dea’s boisterous fan section (before their megaphones were confiscated)

 

Another well done for O’Dea was the play of sophomore guard Tyler Hasty. He didn’t play last time I saw the Irish, but he’s got a nice array of offensive moves. I especially enjoyed a hesitation dribble and floater off the glass that gave Hasty two late points. Looking forward to seeing him in the Metro League Tourney.

Prep’s fans got the last word, chanting “Blow-Out” and then, as the clock wound down, “Na, na, na, na, hey, hey, hey, goodbye.”

The loss assures Seattle Prep of winning the Metro League Mountain (or “All Private Schools”) Division. It also drops the Irish into 5th place in the league overall, important because only the top four teams have a chance to win first in the league’s championship tournament.

Prep hosts Blanchet Friday at 6:15 p.m. O’Dea doesn’t play again until Friday, when they visit  surprising 8-2 Chief Sealth.