The Garfield High School boys basketball team beat Ballard 63-50 Friday night to win the KingCo 4A title. The Bulldogs, who are 21-3, open the playoffs Friday at Juanita High School.
Seattle Times reports that the Bulldogs’ Friday win had some extra emotional weight for the team.
It was an emotional night for Garfield coach Ed Haskins.
Last Saturday his nephew, Aaron Haskins Jr., a former basketball player at Kennedy Catholic and Bellevue College, died overnight on his 29th birthday. The viewing was Friday, so Ed Haskins’ mind was with his family and his team during the Bulldogs’ KingCo 4A title game matchup with Ballard.
“He always spoke about living in the moment, and tonight I just told the guys to live in the moment for 32 minutes,” Haskins said. “They came out and they played well.”
The girls team is out of the playoffs after a 59-54 loss to Issaquah.