Down 25-12 at halftime on Senior Night, Jan. 1, the UPrep Boys Varsity Basketball team found itself staring at a familiar challenge. It was not the first time this season the Pumas had to rally. And once again, the Pumas chipped away, tying the game with 18 seconds left in regulation. In overtime, they took their first lead of the night with 3:51 remaining, and secured the 54-49 victory.
“They don’t really back down just because they’re down,” Head Coach James Johnson said. “They keep fighting till the end.”
A ceremony honoring Sol Starin and Dyon Williams took place before the game, and both seniors helped steady the team during the comeback. The core of the team, however, is young. Sophomore Eli Williams, the younger brother of Dyon Williams, earned first-team all Emerald Sound Conference honors, as did sophomore Wade Suess. Another sophomore, Cole Waterman, was named second team all-conference this season, and he was one of several underclassmen who played key roles in the win.
The moment the game felt finished came at the free throw line. After South Whidbey was forced to foul late, Waterman stepped up and calmly converted both shots, putting the Pumas up five with two seconds left on the clock.
“Not to be cocky, but once I got to the line, I already knew those free throws were going in,” Waterman said. “My mindset was, we were already up three, worst-case scenario we go to double overtime. So, when I shot the free throws, the only pressure I felt was from the fans, not the game itself.”
The performance of the underclassmen highlighted the depth and future of the program, even on a night meant to celebrate the seniors.
“We all wanted to win it for the fans and for the seniors,” Waterman said. “Building these core memories as a team only continues to strengthen our bond and improve team chemistry.”
The team doesn’t usually see the stands full, but their fellow students delivered. The gym environment was electric, and the noise built as the comeback unfolded.
“We don’t get a lot of kids at basketball games,” Johnson said. “That happened to be a very epic turnout, and so to see all their peers in front of them, that takes some getting used to.”
From the stands, sophomore Keegan Jones-Vanderleest felt that energy and connection.
“It’s so fun to have that collective effervescence as a school,” Jones-Vanderleest said, “and to work hard to cheer for our team.”
Johnson said the team tried to stay grounded in the same identity, no matter the environment.
“No matter what, it’s gonna be us,” Johnson said. “When we won tough road games, it was us. When we won at home, and there were only the parents in the stands, it was just us.”
That identity was built months before Senior Night, through an offseason that started long before most fans were paying attention.
“We started in June,” Johnson said. “We had three practices a week. We went to team camp for four days. We played 12 or 14 games in June. The kids came in at 7 a.m. in September. They put in a lot of work. But in order to have a good team, you have to do that.”
That extra work has evidently paid off.
“We truly wouldn’t have made it this far without all the work we put in over the summer,” Waterman said.
When the game tightened late, Johnson challenged his players to meet the moment.
“What I told my guys is two things,” Johnson said. “One: ‘are these moments going to be too big for you?’ And two: ‘This is your chance to prove that it’s not.’”
After the win, Johnson thanked the students who helped turn the Pumadome into a real home court advantage.
“I appreciate all you guys for showing up for those kids, you have no idea how much that meant to them,” Johnson said. “We can create that atmosphere. But it starts with you guys and supporting each other.”
