Last Saturday, the Ballard boys basketball team's season abruptly came to an end with a loss against Puyallup which ended their State tournament.

Now that the season has ended and it has had a few days to all sink in, Coach WIlliam "Billy" Rodgers reflects on the most successful season since 2002.

"What a ride! I'm still hoping we could play and practice another day. Truly a special group of young men. I thought we had pretty good talent and I thought we would have a good season, but our team really meshed together and that allowed for a special season. These kids really had fun playing together which in the end, that is what it is all about. Our two captains: Brad Baker and Nick Onstad-Hawes were both great leaders and really kept our team focused and headed in the right direction.

My toughest job this season was speaking to them following the loss to Puyallup on Saturday. I knew how deep they were hurting and you could just tell that the emotion in the room was real. Not a dry eye in the house. You expect your seniors to be upset….but on this team it was everybody. They did not want it to end…not just the basketball…they did not want the team to end…they wanted to stay together as long as they could. These kids bonded like no other, there were some strong friendships and relationships that were built this season. And I think deep down….they thought it would never end…they were having too much fun. As their coach I felt the same way…I can’t believe it was over. It seemed so fast…one game and you’re done. I stressed to them that at some point they will look back and be very proud of this team and all that they accomplished.

Salim Gloyd had a special season. He really played spectacular. Teams knew that they had to stop him…but rarely did. The great part about it was that he was playing his best basketball in the state tournament. His last two games at Puyallup HS were the best I have ever seen him play. I wanted him to get that shot to play on the big stage in Tacoma. His focus was excellent. He almost led us to the round of 8. He was a unanimous first team all league player and if you watched him you knew why. People did not see how hard he worked behind the scenes….he is one of the best I have ever coached. We will really miss him next year….but I do think his best basketball is ahead of him.

Really pleased with the development of our youngsters. They were young when the season started, but grew to be key players as the season progressed. Seth Berger, Stuart Mac George, Jordan McColloch, Domisi Thrash, and Johnny Verduin all played a big role in the team’s success. Their improvement really allowed us to have depth and a new dimension on offense and defense. Seth Berger played key minutes last year, but was really a focal point for us this season. They are the foundation of our program. It is nice to bring back young players with state tournament experience. Those kids played in front of some large crowds in some big games. I know they are excited to carry on the tradition.

Looking back…I am just really proud of this group of kids. They played hard every night and took this program to new heights. It was great to see the school, community and alumni rally behind them. They were a team that was fun to watch and played the game the right way."