Throughout the history of Everett High basketball, there have been guys who come on the scene their senior year and make a dramatic impact on the program. One such example is today’s Seagull Spotlight: the Class of 2015’s Bryan Lucas.
As a talented 6’0” off guard, Bryan spent his first three years of HS at Archbishop Murphy, and then decided to transfer back to EHS for his final year. He came out for his senior season of basketball with the desire of playing ball with the group of friends he’d grown up hooping with: PG Nolan Rogge, scoring machine David Popach, sharp shooting Dominic Barashkoff, and bruising post Noah Juarez. With a solid core of seniors and a talented underclassmen crew that included Chris Bell, Byron Lewellen, Desmond Burton, and Nate Tuck, the 2014-15 squad had tons of promise and the ability to make some noise in Wesco, and maybe make a run at a state tournament berth.
As can be the story, the team struggled to find continuity out of the gate, and they went into January with a 2-7 record. I remember going to watch this crew play, and felt like they were on the brink of breaking through and being a pretty solid team. While I was impressed with Popach’s ability to score, and the promise of the younger kids, I was surprised to see this guy that I hadn’t seen play before named Lucas flying all over the court creating havoc with his defense and his intensity. He played with a high motor, and always seemed to make the right play for his team. Every game I went to, he’d score in the 8-10 point range (I thought he should have shot it more), but he was much more impactful doing the dirty work for his team: winning 50/50 loose balls, taking charges, making the extra pass for an easier bucket. This “new kid” was making a tangible impact.
The team righted the ship in the second half of the season, and ended up qualifying for districts and drew a first round game against a talented Meadowdale team that had smashed them earlier in the season. Making matters more challenging was that Popach would miss the game with an injured foot, thus on paper it wasn’t looking like it would be promising for the Gulls without their leading scorer.
In stepped Bryan! He went off for a career high of 22 points, but more importantly led a stinging team defensive effort that saw the Seagulls limit the Mavericks to 11 first half points, pacing the Gulls to a 45-36 win. While the Seagulls would drop their next two district games, I truly believe that the effort and leadership Bryan showed that night built the foundation and the expectations for the young players for the next two years, propelling the program to great success in the following seasons. All from a guy who came in and made an impact with his one season of varsity basketball…pretty special.
Nowadays, Bryan (along with Nolan) is coaching Everett AAU’s 6thgrade boys team, and it’s instilling the same lessons he learned playing Seagull basketball with the younger kids. He is a promising young coach, and someone that is creating the same positive culture for the AAU program as he did for his HS team!
We caught up with Bryan and got his thoughts on his season playing for EHS, the battles they had with Meadowdale, and the bond he had with the guys he grew up playing with.
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EHS Alumni Basketball – What years did you participate in the Seagull basketball program?
Bryan Lucas– 2014-2015
EHS AB – Before you were in high school, what events led to you knowing you wanted to play ball at Everett?
BL -The main reason I wanted to play basketball at Everett was to stay with the group of guys I grew up playing AAU with all the way through high school. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen but was able to play again with these guys Senior Year one last season.
EHS AB – Tell us a little bit about the group of guys you grew up playing with.
BL - The main guys I grew up playing with starting in the second grade were Dominic Barashkoff (EHS Alum) and Nolan Rogge (EHS Alum). We grew up very close so we acted like brothers on the court. It was fun because we knew how to communicate on another level which gave us an advantage growing up.
EHS AB – What are some of your most unforgettable moments you recall from your playing days?
BL - Playing Arlington in a must win game and Chris Bell, Noah Juarez and I (All Starters) all fouled out with 3-4 minutes left in the game only up by around 5. It was a crazy feeling not being able to impact the game and watching our guys get the win. Another unforgettable moment was a game at Getchell and Nolan stole the inbounds from half court pass to seal the game with 3 seconds left up by 1.
EHS AB – What was the best team you were a part of during your time at Everett High?
BL - I only played 1 year at Everett high School so obviously the 2014-2015 Team.
EHS AB – What opposing team do you recall having extraordinary battles with? How did you guys fare in those battles?
BL - Meadowdale.We played them at the beginning of the season and in a tie-breaker playoff game at the end of the season. We lost by 25 at the beginning of the season and were out for revenge holding them to 34 points in the playoff game at home. We battled with the same kids growing up so there was also a lot of history.
EHS AB – Who was the best player you recall going toe-to-toe with?
BL - Michael Painter from Marysville Pilchuck. He had a big size advantage on me and was quick and could shoot the ball lights out. Really tough match up both times we played them. He went on to play college ball.
EHS AB – Who was the teammate you enjoyed playing with the most? How did that individual bring the best out of everyone else?
BL - I would say Dominic Barashkoff. Grew up playing with him and is one of the least selfish players I have ever played with. He is really smart with the basketball and can pass the ball really well. Also, can shoot the ball really well and is easy to trust on the court.
EHS AB – Can you recall the most memorable game you played in as a Seagull? What makes that game stand out?
BL - Easily the playoff game against Meadowdale. David Popach (Leading Scorer) was out with an ankle injury and it was a must win game. We played the best defensive game of the season holding them to 11 first half points. Dom, Nolan, and I led the top of the press and harassed the ball the whole game which worked really well. We ended up winning the game by 11 and knocking Meadowdale out of the playoffs which was a good feeling sending them home. Nolan had a few key steals down the stretch and I hit a few key shots to get it done.
EHS AB – Looking back on your experience, what traits were you able to take with you to help forge the person you’ve become?
BL - The biggest trait is hard work. Whether it’s on the basketball court, school, or your everyday job, hard work is always necessary to accomplish the task ahead. Talent can only get you so far and its up to you to make the most of what you are capable of.
EHS AB – If you could give the current group of Seagull basketball players any advice, what would you tell them?
BL - Don’t take any game, practice or experience in basketball for granted. The last thing you want (basketball or life) is to look back on an experience like basketball and say to yourself “I could have worked harder” or have any regrets at all. Leave it all out there and enjoy every second of it.
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