State hoops: Todd Beamer ends T-Dome drought, sent home early

A 10-year state tournament drought came to an end this year for the Todd Beamer Titans boys basketball team on Feb. 28 inside the Tacoma Dome.

Regardless of the result, making it to the Tacoma Dome after such a long time was a special experience for players and coaches on the Todd Beamer sideline.

“It meant a lot. I work very hard every day in school and everywhere (else). Finally being here was special, especially with my teammates,” senior Caleb Berry said.

The ending of a drought didn’t matter to Mountlake Terrace, who sent Todd Beamer home in the opening round with a 69-59 win over the Titans.

For the course of the entire year, Todd Beamer had been proving themselves game in and game out. When you face the number five seed in the state tournament, that was just another opportunity for Todd Beamer.

Despite scoring the first four points of the game, the Titans struggled early to find an identity. At the end of the first, they were trailing 20-8 and seemed to be on an express trip back to 35999 16th Ave. S.

But the Titan players like Berry and Will Tellis and coaches had other ideas.

“Our guys have had grit all year. They don’t quit. Ever… We knew it wasn’t over. But we might have been the only ones in the Tacoma Dome that didn’t think it was over,” said Head Coach Brent Brilhante.

At halftime, the Titans still trailed by double digits, Tellis and Berry combined for 11 of the Titans’ 19 points in a 34-19 hole. Rebounding and defensive breakdowns were the shovel for Mountlake Terrace that put Todd Beamer in that hole.

For the last two seasons, Brilhante has said he has shooters and is going to let them shoot — and boy did they. Tellis, Berry and some sneaky good play from Terrence Whiting jump started an 18-0 run for the Titans in the third quarter.

“We just didn’t want our season to end. Everybody on the team came together and fought for each other,” Berry said.

As the clock struck zeros at the end of the third, Todd Beamer was back in the game trailing 45-43. That is when the belief started for the Titans. Tellis had 11 points in the third quarter, the most of any Titan. “Will is Will. When he gets hot, he gets real hot… He got it going in that third,” Brilhante said.

Todd Beamer took the lead in the fourth quarter after being knotted at 51-51. At that point midway through the fourth, Brilhante thought that Beamer had done it. But Mountlake Terrace had other ideas.

“When we took the lead, I thought it was over. I thought there was no way we are going to lose this game, but they made some big plays down the stretch,” Brilhante said.

Senior Dom Simpson might not have stood out on the stat sheet, but he played an integral role for the Titans. Once he picked up his fifth personal foul, the Titans lost that identity that had gotten them back in the game. “Dom played his butt off. He did some huge things down the stretch to get us back in the game,” said Brilhante.

Having your year end in heartbreaking fashion is never easy. Especially when it seemed like the Titans were on the verge of an upset: “You see how much it means (to Berry). I know he feels like he let us down. He did not…He was huge down the stretch. We’re going to miss Caleb Berry for sure,” Brilhante said.

Ultimately the Hawks put away the Titans, ending their season. But the seniors made a last impact on the Todd Beamer program. “It’s been so fun playing with these guys for four years. Then finally getting here, even though we went down. We still found a way to come back,” Caleb Berry said.