3 takeaways from Federal Way’s 78-33 win over Franklin Pierce in T-Town Throwdown
In an intriguing first-round morning matchup between the Federal Way High School boys basketball team and Franklin Pierce at the T-Town Throwdown holiday tournament on Thursday at Wilson High School, Federal Way came out on top, 78-33. A few observations from the Eagles’ win.
FEDERAL WAY PUTS THE GAME AWAY EARLY
The Eagles can score quickly and in bunches. Federal Way led 21-15 at the end of the first quarter, looking like the better team but playing a bit sloppy. The second quarter? That was all Federal Way, with the Eagles outscoring the Cardinals 34-6 and taking a 55-21 lead into halftime. It seemed like it happened before fans could even blink, with Federal Way going on a 14-1 run to open the quarter, forcing turnovers, getting out in transition and for the most part, picking apart Franklin Pierce’s zone with ease.
“I feel like we just really turned up defensively, locked in on guys we needed to stop,” said Federal Way guard Bradley Graham, who scored a game-high 17 points. “We’re a defensive-minded team, so once we get that down, I feel like the offense just comes with it.”
FEDERAL WAY’S LENGTH IS A DIFFERENCE MAKER
It’s easy to clog up the lane when over half the roster is listed at 6-feet or taller. Federal Way doesn’t have a true, traditional big man, but there’s plenty of height all over the floor, with 6-foot-5 senior forward Jared Franklin and 6-foot-6 wing Peter Erickson among the players who can change the game at both ends of the floor. It’s a tall enough task to slow down Federal Way’s offense, but an underrated part of this team may be how disruptive the Eagles are on the defensive end. And once possession turns, all of those players are capable of scoring on the fast break.
“It’s just the system,” said Federal Way coach Yattah Reed. “If we do have length, it’s a positive to us. Are we using it to benefit us? I’m always preaching that to them. You have this length and you’re over here playing like you’re 5-foot-8 when you’re really 6-foot-4? Use your length so that it helps us. By having that, it helps us getting into passing lanes. It makes those passes take a little bit longer.”
That team length and the full-court press are a match made in heaven and indeed, a big part of Federal Way’s defensive game plan. The Eagles were able to make Franklin Pierce play directly into their hands, speeding the game up, forcing careless turnovers and capitalizing on those turnovers in transition. For teams to have a chance against Federal Way (7-0 overall) this season, the key will be avoiding falling into that frenetic pace, taking care of the basketball and forcing Federal Way to play a half-court game.
“That’s a huge factor,” Graham said. “Our defense, we get in guys and pressure them a lot. That helps us a lot getting hands on balls, tips, things like that. It always starts on the defensive end. I feel like it’s a huge part.”
EAGLES HAVE PLENTY OF SCORING THREATS
Nine players found themselves on the scoresheet for Federal Way and four players scored in double digits in the win. Graham led the way with 17, Jared Franklin scored 16, Peter Erickson had 12 and freshman Isaiah Afework scored 11 off the bench. That was mostly all without senior guard Jaylen-Wes Williams, who played sparingly, working his way back from an injury.
“For us, it’s like every other night,” Graham said. “Could be Pete, could be Jaylen, could be Jared. We have a lot of weapons.
Graham, who was mostly a 3-point specialist on last year’s team, which reached the Class 4A state finals, has grown his game in his senior year, driving to the hole more often and scoring off the dribble.
“I’ve definitely worked on getting to the rim, finishing,” he said. “Last year, I was mainly a spot-up shooter. This year, I’ve gotten my handle right and definitely finishing at the rim.”
That growth has been clear to Reed.
“His role has changed,” He’s always been like that, always worked on his craft. I’m just happy that he bought into the system and understand what we’ve been coaching. What he’s doing out there, he just continues to improve on it. I’m more impressed with him not putting the ball on the ground as much as he did in the past.
“It’s catch and shoot, one-bounce pullup. His defense has gotten stronger. He’s improved a lot from junior year to this year.”
For Franklin Pierce, John Barbee and Claudell Quinland both scored nine points apiece. Jalen Barbee scored eight and Carvon Stout chipped in seven.
This story was originally published December 26, 2019 at 1:51 PM.
