Former Wilson-turned-Garfield standout Alphonso Anderson finishes prep career with three state trophies

Alphonso Anderson said he wishes only one thing had gone differently about his family moving from Tacoma to Seattle and him enrolling at Garfield High School.

That it would have happened sooner.

Anderson entered high school in Tacoma and he ended his high school basketball career in the Tacoma Dome when his Garfield rebounded from a loss to Rainier Beach in the semifinals to earn the third-place trophy on Saturday.

“I mean, coming up here was a really good move for me,” Anderson said “I was able to expand my game to another level and develop a new family really.”

The 6-foot-6 senior helped Wilson reach the 3A state semifinals his sophomore year. But then transferred to Garfield, where he helped it win the 3A state title last year.

He said he spent the past two years getting stronger mentally and physically. He has signed a letter of intent to play at the University of Montana next year, where he’d play alongside fellow Tacoma products Bobby Moorehead (Stadium) and Ahmad Rorie (Clover Park, Lincoln).

“My years there (at Wilson) were really fun,” said Anderson, whose Twitter handle is “King Of Tacoma.” “Having the documentary was probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever done or be a part of.

“But that state championship – I don’t think there’s ever been anything better than that.”

He reached the state semifinals each of the past three years. But said he still made time to get to Tacoma when he could and that he was a frequent spectator at Wilson football games this past year to support former teammate Montre Lofton-Brown and hangout with David Jenkins Jr.

Anderson finished his prep basketball career with a fifth-place trophy at Wilson, a state title with Garfield and a third-place trophy with Garfield. He played in the state semifinals each of the past three years.

He averaged 13 points and a team-best 6.7 rebounds on a Garfield squad loaded with college-bound players.

“When Alphonso came in we were extremely surprised,” said Garfield coach Ed Haskins, a 1990 Clover Park graduate. “His mom and I went to school together (at Pierce College) back in the day and she called me and said ‘I’m bringing my son to you. I said, ‘Huh?’ She said. ‘I’m bringing my son to you. We’re moving and he’s going to enroll at Garfield.’

“… And he brought us a championship. Two Tacoma guys brought Garfield a championship. Go figure.”

Haskins’ roots are still Tacoma, even if he got his coaching break in Seattle, first as an assistant under Mike Bethea at Rainier Beach. Haskins’ father, Ed Haskins Sr., is the pastor at Refreshing Springs Church on Bridgeport Way in Tacoma.

He also had a message for Tacoma basketball players.

“Here’s what I think and I’ll be perfectly honest – this is me being a Tacoma guy. It think Tacoma always treats Seattle like it’s a little brother-big brother thing and I don’t think Tacoma guys should ever compare themselves with anybody, let alone Seattle people,” Haskins said. “Because I think it’s a different brand of basketball. When I come down, Fonzo and I have done it together or with other guys to come down and watch, it’s just different styles, different coaches.”

Haskins said he had been looking for a coaching position in Tacoma before he joined Rainier Beach’s staff in 1998. His late brother, Aaron Haskins, starred at Mount Tahoma before playing on two NCAA tournament teams at Washington State.

This story was originally published March 5, 2016 at 10:43 PM with the headline "Former Wilson-turned-Garfield standout Alphonso Anderson finishes prep career with three state trophies."