Joe Owens continues maturation for playoff hungry Gig Harbor

As the league schedule continues to thicken for the Gig Harbor High School boys basketball team, the Tides continue to pile up the wins.

After a 77-43 victory over North Thurston, the Tides improved to a 4-0 record in the 3A South Sound Conference and 9-1 overall. One of the standout players for Gig Harbor thus far in the season has been junior guard Joe Owens.

Owens has been the jack-of-all-trades for the Tides, doing a little bit of everything and doing it well for his team. It is a shift from what has been expected from him in the past, but he takes on the responsibility well.

“I think my freshman and sophomore year, it’s easy when you’re young to get caught up in stats and everything,” he said. “This year, I’m more about helping the team in whatever way they need me… I like to get down and work hard.”

This year, Owens has stepped up in his new role to become the Tides’ best defender on the floor. He will constantly be guarding the opposing team’s best player and being very physical while at it.

Just like his defensive abilities, Owens’ confidence in himself has also skyrocketed. He has become physically stronger from team workouts, and the results have paid off as the Tides have held opponents to just 44.5 points per game.

“He’s aggressive, he moves his feet well, he is determined, and he takes pride in what he is doing in terms of staying in front of the kid and stopping him,” said coach Billy Landram. “He’s just a tough-minded kid. And so you put all those together and he’s really tough.”

Not only has Owens improved on the defensive side of the ball, but he has also stepped up his game offensively as well.

He may not be the high scorer of the team like Asher Raquiza or even Zach Toglia, but Owens has the green light from Landram to shoot or make a drive to the rim.

He is also a smart offensive player too, as he will make the quick reads of the opponents’ defense and make quick decisions on what the best way to score is.

“Once I get in the lane, I noticed that the game has slowed down for me a lot and it’s easier to make the right plays once I am down in the paint,” Owens said. “An assist is to me just as good as a lay in. You’ve got to pick your spots.”

Owens is also not out on the court trying to play hero ball whenever he has the basketball. He is a teammate that likes to distribute the ball where ever the best scoring opportunity may lay.

He has become very unselfish on the court, and that is fitting to his attitude of doing what is best for the team.

“He’s an unselfish kid. He’ll drive and then pass to create shots for others or create opportunities for others,” Landram said. “His unselfishness and his toughness are really helping us this year as far as winning games.”

This has won over his teammates to the point where Owens is seen as one of the leaders for the Tides. And even though there are more vocal leaders on the team, he is one that is leads by example.

Owens is an athlete that is in tune to what his teammates need on and off the court as well. His main focus is having a positive relationships with all of his teammates that in turn creates friendships and from there, success.

“I know that if you really want to have success, with a lot of the teammates you’ve got to be friends with them,” he said. “That’s the only way to really have that great environment.”

He also has a great appreciation for the game of basketball as well. Growing up, Owens’ father Ken told him stories about the games he played in at Peninsula.

They even had a hoop outside of their house where the two would play together. As Owens grew older, he began playing for the select team Total Package and continues to in the offseason; it’s a program that has helped Owens develop as a player as well.

And even though Peninsula is the bitter rival to Gig Harbor, Ken is all about the Tides thanks to his son.

“My dad was really into basketball when he was a kid, and I would see pictures of him playing in high school,” Owens said. “I just always had a basketball in my hand ever since first or second grade.”

Owens and the Tides will try to continue their winning ways in their upcoming road matchup against Yelm at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 at Yelm High School.

This story was originally published January 9, 2020 at 6:00 AM.