The Kentridge Chargers took down the Lions of Auburn Mountainview 76-58 on Dec. 13, handing them their first loss of the 2022 boys basketball season.
The win was the 401st of Charger Coach David Jamison’s career, moving him into 57th place all-time in Washington state high school basketball. Entering year 25, according to the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association, Jamison has been a basketball icon in the city of Kent, living in the city for 38 years and coaching at Kent-Meridian prior to Kentridge.
“It’s really nice, but honestly, it is just a sign of old age … it means a lot,” Jamison said.
The Chargers took control of the game from the first whistle to the last, never trailing to the Lions. Kentridge was led by seniors Jaylon Blackwell and Elijah Cain, who were extremely effective from 3-point land.
To start the second half, the Lions were only able to score 13 points in the third quarter, their lowest scoring quarter of the game. The Chargers played suffocating defense and created lots of turnovers, which caused problems for the Lions.
“They are hard to guard, and play a similar offense to what we try and do,” said Jamison.
In the fourth quarter, the Chargers put the game out of reach. Kentridge extended its lead to a game high of 18 points with 5:10 left in the game, 65-47. A key contributor was the senior Cain, who takes pride in that part of his game.
“I work on my shot every day. I feel like I should contribute to my team when they need me,” Cain said.
Blackwell, Cain and the Randhawa twins (Xzavier and Dominic) have been teammates since middle school. All four are now seniors with a single goal in mind.
“We are a senior-laden team, and we want to get to the ‘Dome’,” said Jamison.
If this group of Chargers makes it to the Tacoma Dome, it will be the first time since 2019. In that tournament, Kentridge won its regional matchup and the opening-round game. The Chargers were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
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