Rainier Beach Rolls to Third State Title

TACOMA — Rainier Beach strengthened its bid to be considered one of the best teams in state history and won the Class 3A boys state championship last night with an impressive 67-51 victory over Mercer Island.

Tournament MVP Nate Robinson and Rodrick Stewart each scored 19 points in the win and Lodrick Stewart, Rodrick's twin, scored 15.

Beach finished the year 28-1. The Vikings' only loss was to nationally ranked Cedar Hill of Dallas during a holiday tournament in Delaware, where Beach also defeated nationally ranked opponents from Los Angeles and New York City.

"I've been waiting for this since my freshman year," said Lodrick Stewart, a junior who said last year's 3A title-game loss to Mount Vernon had haunted the team.

Top-ranked Beach, ranked No. 9 in the nation by USA Today, had its motor running stronger last night than the Islanders, who finished the season 23-5. The quick-handed Vikings never trailed and forced 11 first-half turnovers, converting them into 13 points, in building a 33-19 halftime lead. In the second half, MI never got closer than 14 points.

So how good is this Beach team?

Mercer Island Coach Ed Pepple, who has been coaching in the state for 45 years and whose 825 wins is the most by any coach, offered his opinion.

"They are great," he said. "I'm not sure they are the greatest by any means, but they are an outstanding team. This is this year, and it's impossible to compare them with teams of the past."

The Vikings held Brandon Burmeister and Kevin Chirls, the Islanders' junior scoring threats, to 10 points each.

"They had the energy tonight, and we didn't have the energy," said Pepple, who was trying to win his fifth state crown in his eighth appearance in a title game.

Beach had gained respect for Mercer Island last Saturday when it had to work to pull out a 46-43 victory in the Sea-King District championship game.

"I think the district game helped them more than us," Pepple said.

Robinson said the Vikings "played like we were down" to prevent getting sloppy. As a result, Beach had only nine turnovers.

Last Saturday's game had left some hard feelings because of a hard foul by Lodrick Stewart on Islanders senior Kevin Tempest, who was going up for a layup in the final minute. Tempest left Edmundson Pavilion on crutches that night and was held out of the state tournament's first game with a groin injury.

MI contended that a flagrant foul should have been whistled. Beach players said Islanders' complaining made the Vikings sound like a dirty team.

Everyone agreed last night's game was physical but clean.

"It was two teams coming out trying to get the gold ball," said Tempest, who was held to nine points. "Rainier Beach proved they were the best team. We went in scared and believed the hype. They took care of what they had to do."

Beach displayed both patience and explosiveness.

Robinson, a 5-foot-9 guard who will play football and basketball at Washington, got the first big gasp from the estimated crowd of 3,600 with 3:40 left in the opening half. He went high above the rim and pounded home a miss by Lodrick Stewart to give Beach a 26-11 lead.

In addition to his 19 points, Robinson contributed six assists and seven rebounds in the win. He penetrated almost at will.

Rodrick Stewart had seven rebounds and four steals to complement his 19 points. He also did a good job guarding Burmeister.

Robinson, who left Beach to attend school in California last year, had told Coach Mike Bethea, "I owe you one because I left last year."

Bethea said he knew he had a special group of athletes on and off the floor early in the season when everybody on the team chipped in money to buy a teammate without money a pair of shoes that matched what everyone was wearing.

Robinson said he dedicated last night's win to sophomore Romell Witherspoon, who had given up his roster spot for state so senior Kenny Williams could go.

The title is the third for Beach. The Vikings won the state AA (now called 3A) title in 1988 with current Sacramento King Doug Christie and the 3A crown in 1998 with current Chicago Bull Jamal Crawford.

By Craig Smith
Seattle Times staff reporter