APTOS – James Page’s first game in the Adobe Palace as interim head coach got off to a hot start Wednesday night, as his Seahawks dominated the Ohlone College Renegades 84-53.
The first fifteen minutes of the game featured explosive dunks, deep 3’s, lockdown defence and crisp ball movement by Cabrillo (4-3, 0-0) as they jumped out to a commanding 27-3 lead.
The Renegades (2-4, 0-0) looked outclassed and helpless to stop the fast-paced offence that exploited mismatches and struggled to get shots off against the significantly longer team.
The combustible offensive output was equally matched by lockdown defence lead by sophomore trio Avery Edwards, Trey Whitley, and Yeskin Williams.
The trio melted the minds of the visiting Renegades with their demonstrations of supreme athletic ability, leaving their opponents stunned and remarking about the showcase they had front row seats for. In fact, the only time the Seahawks struggled in the game was when they stopped looking for each other.
Whitley, a guard and Harbor High alumni, guided the offensive attack scoring ten points, handing out a game-high seven assists and pulling down five rebounds.
Whitley’s gift for ball handling and passing was showcased as he shook defenders with behind the back dribbles before finding teammates for open looks.
He regularly slipped passes inside to his post dominating centre Avery Edwards through multiple defenders and fired cross key Hadouken dimes to parameter snipers like sophomore forward Davon Northcutt.
Midway through the second half Williams, a forward from Texas, saw something in the backside of the defence and called for the ball to work its way around to him. Once it arrived he pump faked before driving along the baseline and elevated as he seemed to float in mid-air, elegantly avoiding contact with two defenders before violently slamming down a one-handed dunk.
At that moment, it was as if the bleachers in the Adobe Palace had become electrified, no one held their seat and the exclamations of awe echoed off the rafters back down on to the floor.
Wednesday night answered many questions for the Seahawks as they progress through a young season with plenty of off the court distractions.
But it also raised one key question going forward.
Can the Seahawks stay focused on team ball as the season goes on, or will they succumb to stat hunting in their quest’s to play at the next level?
The Seahawks will host Cuesta College, Foothill College, and Butte College for the Fifteenth Annual Cabrillo College Classic this weekend in the Adobe Palace.
