SEATTLE- The O’Dea fighting Irish basketball team have guaranteed themselves as one of the top 8 teams in the state for 3A. They finished the Metro season at a strong 13-4 and came up just short in the metro championship to Garfield.
The Irish have started state playoff basketball. They played Mountlake Terrace in their regional game and won their game. That game set them up for a better chance to bring a ring home.
The Irish have had a very successful season up to this point. They have been led by Senior forward Malcom Clark. Clark has been a force for them all season long. Clark has averaged a double-double this season with totals of 14.1 ppg and 10 rebounds per game. His exceptional season landed him on the Metro league first team and Co defensive player of the year.
Bj Shannon has also been a big impact player for the Irish. He has been a hassle od defense for opposing players all season long. He was recognized as Co defensive player of the year.
Brian Webster has led the scoring for the Irish this season. He is averaging almost 16 ppg as a sophomore. His ability to score from anywhere on the court earned him Metro league second team.
Senior Noel Davis went down with a season ending injury before he even played a game. This was devastating for the Irish losing a player of his caliber. This hasn’t stopped him from being a leader and coaching for the Irish.
Senior Patrick Galvin Says, “Every gameday Noel has been in the gym with me early in the morning training me and getting my head right for the games.”
Davis has played a huge role mentally for the team.
Davis says, “I want our team to have a mindset that we are better than everyone we play. We are a defensive team at heart. If we play good defense it translates into good offense.”
He is certainly right. The Irish brought home both the defensive players of the year which shows how gritty the team is on defense.
The Irish put themselves in a great position to bring home the hardware. Winning at Mountlake Terrace allowed them to only have to win three games instead of four to win the State Championship.
The Irish will play either Garfield or Arlington in their next game on Thursday @9 AM at the Tacoma Dome.
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