Kangaroos JV basketball squad captures first place

Lake Washington boys JV hoops team finishes 2018-19 season strong.

February 2, 2019 8:30 pm
The Lake Washington Kangaroos JV boys basketball team finished in first place in the KingCo 2A/3A JV standings with an overall record of 10-2. Members of the Kangaroos JV roster included Zach Pemble, Laphonso Thomas, Sean Royal, John Edgar, Ben Nyquist, Ethan Bell, Reece Campbell, Tom Bowers, Jackson Pribic, Ryan Strausburg and Gunnar Culverhouse. The team was coached by Joe DeGrazia and Canon Rupple. Photo courtesy of the Lake Washington High School Basketball Association.
The Lake Washington Kangaroos JV boys basketball team finished in first place in the KingCo 2A/3A JV standings with an overall record of 10-2. Members of the Kangaroos JV roster included Zach Pemble, Laphonso Thomas, Sean Royal, John Edgar, Ben Nyquist, Ethan Bell, Reece Campbell, Tom Bowers, Jackson Pribic, Ryan Strausburg and Gunnar Culverhouse. The team was coached by Joe DeGrazia and Canon Rupple. Photo courtesy of the Lake Washington High School Basketball Association.

Key victories late in the season against the Mercer Island Islanders and Juanita Rebels propelled the Lake Washington Kangaroos JV boys basketball team to first place in the 2A/3A KingCo standings.

The Kangaroos JV squad, who finished with an overall record of 10-2, earned first place in the 2A/3A KingCo Division during the 2018-19 season. The Kangaroos defeated the Islanders 57-53 and the Rebels 71-48 in their final two games. Lake Washington JV head coach Joe DeGrazia, who is in his first season leading the program, said his team came together as the season progressed.

“Many of our games were extremely close and our team had to rise to the challenge time and time again. Our league is tough but our boys showed the determination and focus required to finish on top. On and off the court, these are remarkable young men and I look forward to their continued success,” DeGrazia said.

Kangaroos freshman Zach Pemble was thrilled with the success his team enjoyed during the 2018-19 season.

“This was certainly a hard fought year for our team and I’m very proud of what we accomplished together. Basketball is the ultimate team effort and I was glad to be part of this team and this season,” Pemble explained.

Kangaroos sophomore Ryan Strausburg echoed Pemble’s sentiment.

“Our guys worked hard in both practices and games because we have a will to win. When we hustle and play team basketball, we showed that we can compete with any team in the league,” Strausburg said.