Eastside Catholic triumphs in blowout against West Seattle
The Eastside Catholic Crusaders continued their strong run of form with a commanding 80–53 win over the West Seattle Wildcats on Saturday, Jan. 24. With a fast-paced offensive showing and consistent control on both ends of the floor, the Crusaders secured another win, bringing their season record to 13-6.
Eastside Catholic started the game off strong, finding their momentum instantly. Dash Ingram started with a powerful drive to spark the Crusaders offensive attack. As the Crusaders continued their offensive rhythm with Trey Garrett and Jordan Boggan-Cryer, they knocked down mid-range jumpers to extend the early lead. Tytan McNeal added a pair of aggressive finishes at the rim, showcasing Eastside Catholic’s strength in the paint. Boggan-Cryer then elevated the momentum with the game’s first three-pointer, quickly followed by another from Steven Sun. Despite their rough start, West Seattle found ways to respond by using turnovers and a more deliberate pace. But as the quarter progressed, they found themselves overwhelmed by the tempo of Eastside Catholic’s offense. The first quarter ended 25–11 in the Crusaders’ favor.
The second quarter started off with the Crusaders taking an early lead. Boggan-Cryer scored a three-pointer from the wing. The Crusaders kept their foot on the gas with an onslaught of layups led by McNeal and Yabi Aklog. Their offensive pressure kept West Seattle pinned deep in their own half for much of the quarter, but the Wildcats fought back through mid-range jumpers and layups. Boggan-Cryer’s push to up the tempo led to some easy points for the Crusaders while McNeal and Trey Garrett continued to dominate around the rim. West Seattle’s Finnegan Moore drained a three-pointer late in the half for a lifeline, but Eastside Catholic firmly ended the half, 42–19.
Eastside Catholic came out of halftime blowing open the third quarter with a strong offensive presence. Boggan-Cryer and Garrett followed up with back-to-back layups, carving up the West Seattle defense and stretching the Crusaders’ lead. Adding insult to injury for the Wildcats, Garrett delivered the game’s first slam dunk. West Seattle responded by capitalizing on small cracks in Eastside’s defense to sneak in a handful of layups and mid-range shots. The Crusaders continued their domination with Boggan-Cryer, Garrett, and Achilles Reyna connecting on a series of passes and finishes at the rim. As the quarter continued, both teams went back and forth with layups before Eastside Catholic’s Isaac Corey scored two quick layups to end the quarter 73–34 with the Crusaders still leading.
The Crusaders continued to cruise in the fourth quarter, with Micah Rouson sinking a three-pointer and following up with aggressive finishes at the rim. The offensive chemistry between Garrett and Sun continued to shine, with the duo running pick-and-roll sets that became increasingly difficult for the West Seattle to contain. Despite the scoreline, both teams maintained intensity on both ends of the court. West Seattle found their chemistry later in the game, attempting to come back. Moore knocked down a couple of three-pointers and showed defensive adjustments that helped slow down Eastside Catholic’s drives. Sullivan Pond and Toby Patricelli started to rack up a couple of mid-range shots. But, with the game already tilted heavily in the Crusaders’ favor, the deficit proved too large to overcome. The Crusaders remained composed in the final minutes and closed out the game with a confident 80–53 win.
