www.rentonreporter.com[12]March 12, 2010

BY ADAM MCFADDEN

amcfadden@rentonreporter.com

In basketball there's talent, experience and hard work.

For Renton senior guards Achoki Moikobu, Joseph Powell and Hanley Shum, it's the fusion of all three that has led to something special.

It hasn't been a typical Renton basketball sea-son. ! e team that is used to putting up domi-nant records and making state runs found itself with a 10-11 record moving into the playo" s.

"! e big move for most of us was realizing that we can lose," Powell said. "A lot of these players came into the season with the mentality that we've always won the Seamount and we've always had good records, so we were expecting it to be handed to us. A# er we lost some games. we got to the point where we had to win or our season was over and it actually clicked in that we had to really play."

Since things clicked the Indians extended their season by winning four of $ ve games in the bi-district tournament, good enough to move on to the state tournament. And that's in large part due to the contributions of the three senior

guards.Moikobu leads the team in scoring this season

at 13.6 points per game, Shum's hot shooting has allowed the team to get out to quick starts in the playo" s, and Powell's quickness has helped on both ends of the % oor – not to mention his clutch scoring.

All three are friends o" the court. Powell and Shum have played together since their freshman year; Moikobu joined the team his sophomore year.

"We've played with each other for so long we've got that chemistry," Shum said. "Some-times it's like we can read each other's minds with our cuts and passes."

Trusting teammates is essential as the Indians navigate through the playo" s where every mis-take is magni$ ed and the margin of error is slim. ! e team's $ ve playo" games have been decided by an average of 3.4 points.

A# er missing state last season, the seniors weren't about to let the team miss the tourna-ment in back-to-back years for the $ rst time since 2002-2003.

"I wanted to get back more than anything," Moikobu said. "It was all I could think about.

Once we got in, it's like I can $ nally breathe."! e Indians played Shadle Park in the $ rst

round of the state tournament Wednesday at 7 p.m. Results were not available by deadline.

Contact and submissions: Adam McFadden

amcfadden@rentonreporter.com or 425.255.3484, ext. 5054

SPORT

SREN

TO

N Fusion on the court

HANLEY SHUM Senior/guard#HANLEY SHUM #HANLEY SHUM Senior/guard# Senior/guard3HANLEY SHUM 3HANLEY SHUM Senior/guard3 Senior/guard

ACHOKI MOIKOBU Senior/guard#ACHOKI MOIKOBU #ACHOKI MOIKOBU 11ACHOKI MOIKOBU 11ACHOKI MOIKOBU Senior/guard11 Senior/guard

JOSEPH POWELL Senior/guard#JOSEPH POWELL #JOSEPH POWELL 22JOSEPH POWELL 22JOSEPH POWELL Senior/guard22 Senior/guard Photos and illustration by

ADAM MCFADDEN

Indians get hot at right time, ride streak to state tournament MOREINFO

Renton played in the ! rst round of the 3A state basketball tournament Wednesday at 7 p.m. The tournament is double elimination and runs through Saturday. Check Rentonreporter.com for updates.Here is the lower half of the bracket, with possible games through Friday:

Indians’ state games

Meadowdale 19-6

Enumclaw 24-0

Foster 16-8

Bellevue 22-3

Renton 14-12

Shadle Park 20-4

O’Dea 20-7

Mt. Rainier 18-7

7:00

8:30

8:30

12:00

2:00

12:30

March 10March 11March 12 March 11 March 12

MORECOVERAGE

FOLLOW THE INDIANS ONLINE

Check Rentonreporter.com daily for updates on how

Renton is performing at the 3A state tournament

BY ADAM MCFADDEN

amcfadden@rentonreporter.com

A pre-termination hearing between the Renton School District and Lindbergh wrestling coach Joe Popich is set for March 15.

District human resources recom-mended Popich be terminated as head wrestling coach at Lindbergh, according to a letter sent to Popich Feb. 19.

! e Renton Reporter obtained the letter through a public records

request.Ray and Caroline Garcia origi-

nally brought to light accusations of misconduct within the team.

"! e reasons for the recommend-ed dismissal stem from complaints $ led by Mr. and Mrs. Garcia re-garding the treatment of their sons in the wrestling program, which included alleging that you supplied one of their sons and other students on the team with 'pills' last year," the letter reads.

In a statement, Popich denied the

district's allegations and questioned the investigation.

"I never gave pills, medi-cation or vitamins to any children," the statement reads. "! ough I under-stand the di& cult position that the District is in, their comments and actions were premature and I feel if they had used an independent investigator the results would have been much di" erent."

Although Popich has not been terminated, he is not currently em-ployed by the district since he is not a teacher and his coaching contract has run out for this season.

Popich plans to attend the hearing and "contest any negative result," according to the statement.

Randy Matheson, district spokes-man, said in an earlier interview

that nearly the entire Lind-bergh wrestling team signed a petition asking the district to reinstate Popich. ! e district "heard the students,"

Matheson said at the time.However, he said the

district's decision "will be based on the legal requirements for holding that job."

! e handbook given to every coach states that they do not give ointments, vitamins or medication to any student athlete, he said.

Such treatment can only be done by authorized personnel, such as a nurse and only if there is parental permission. ! e permission also

Pre-termination hearing set between Popich and district COMMENT

ONLINE:PNW.CC/1PF

[ more POPICH page 13 ]

SPRING SPORTS ARE HERE

Be sure to check back in coming weeks for season

previews on local baseball, softball, track & ! eld, tennis

and soccer teams.

BURLESON MOVES ON Nate Burleson has signed

with the Detroit Lions for ! ve years and $25 million.

Burleson caught 63 passes for 812 yards and three

touchdowns for the Seahawks last season.