Washington Boys Basketball

Decker likes what he sees at Washington

Justin Decker saw hundreds of high school basketball games during his nine years as an assistant coach at Cornell and Coe when he was scouting players and knows talent when he sees it.

That's one of the reasons he's so excited about being the new boys basketball coach at Cedar Rapids Washington.

"We're about as athletic as you're going to see a high school team be in the state of Iowa," Decker said this week. "We're definitely going to try and use that to our advantage."

Decker played four years of college basketball at Cornell and served as team captain his senior year. He spent one year as the head coach at Riceville High School, then returned to Cornell as an assistant coach for four years before spending the last five seasons as an assistant coach at Coe.

He was not searching for a high school job, but the right opportunity came along.

"I had my chances to take some college jobs that I'd say were high-risk type jobs and not the perfect situation," Decker remarked. "My wife and I love the area here in Cedar Rapids. We have kids who go to school. It just made sense.

"These type jobs like Washington in one of the best conferences in the state, those jobs don't come about too often. It was a really good fit for me at the time."

Read more...

Sanchez resigns as Washington coach

Adam Sanchez has resigned as the boys basketball coach at Cedar Rapids Washington, just a few days after learning that his six-year-old daughter has Type I diabetes.

Sanchez compiled a 26-43 record in three years with the Warriors, including a 13-10 mark this season. He inherited a program that did not win a single game 2011-12 and rebuilt the Warriors into winners this year.

Washington athletic director Paul James did not state a reason for Sanchez's resignation Friday, but the timing points to family reasons. "You'd have to talk to Adam about that," James remarked.

Sanchez and his wife have four young children.

Sanchez announced Thursday on Twitter that Taylor, their 6-year-old daughter, was diagnosed with Type I diabetes on Monday.

"Like most kids she has been incredibly strong thru the news," he said on Twitter. "Usually like to keep my family pretty private, but moments like these need all the prayer we can get."

Sanchez could not be reached for further comment Friday.

Printy transfers from Wash to Linn-Mar

Cedar Rapids Washington junior Jared Printy has decided to change schools and will begin classes at Linn-Mar High School next Monday, his father told the Metro Sports Report Monday night.

Printy, 6-foot-5, was the leading scorer for the Washington basketball team this season at 12.2 points per game. He also averaged 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists and made 51 3-pointers.

"It was a family decision, something we thought was best for Jared moving forward. A difficult decision," said Boyd Printy, Jared's father.

Washington Coach Adam Sanchez and Linn-Mar Coach Chris Robertson could not be reached for comment Monday night.

Jared Printy's cousins are basketball coaches at Linn-Mar. Jordan Printy is an assistant coach with the Linn-Mar boys basketball team and Jaime Printy Brandt is the head coach of the Linn-Mar girls basketball team.

Read more...

Warriors dumped by No.1 Trojans

Cedar Rapids Washington’s 6-foot-7, 300-pound mountain man Julian Good-Jones, scholarship-bound to Iowa State next fall to play football, knows top talent when he sees it.

And he saw plenty of it Tuesday night at the U.S. Cellular Center as his Warrior basketball team was steamrolled by unbeaten and top-ranked Iowa City West, 79-50, in a Class 4A substate final.

“They’ve got five Division I players,” a worn-out Good-Jones said with admiration afterward. “And all of them are very athletic.

"It’s hard to compete against dudes like that. They just run and gun and keep on going.”

Washington Coach Adam Sanchez thought he had a good game plan against the 23-0 Trojans, who have won three straight state championships and seem to be the team to beat again in the tournament that starts next week.

Read more...