The following section will be given over to the coaching staff of the Auburn Trojans who were asked to give a short recollection or favorite memory from this season.  They will be posted as they are received.  Here they are for your enjoyment:

Coach Hansen:

To wrap it all up in a few sentences is so difficult.  There are so many memories that make each season unique.  This season was no different.  How about the excitement to get the year started, waiting for football to complete their magical run deep into the playoffs to get our full roster of players.  Looking forward to competing in arguable the toughest league in the state.  The many battles that take place over the year, including the winning tip-in by Zeke in the final seconds vs. Kentridge, the gritty win at Riverside, or the great time we had over in Wenatchee.  Our magical run in the West Central District Tournament will not be soon forgotten.  Playing about as well as we could play to beat tough teams like Curtis, Puyallup, and Gig Harbor.  Wow, that was fun to be a part of!  I will remember this team for their willingness to work hard every day in practice and their chemistry on and off the court.  This was a special group.  I'm so glad they got the opportunity to compete at the state level; a memory they will hold close to the heart for a lifetime. 

Coach Way:

My greatest memories this year are all compacted into how we played in our three loser out games to qualify for the State Tournament.  The magic we orchestrated on the court during those three games with our execution, communication, and emotion was spectacular.  That was the way that team basketball was meant to be played!  The way our team got there was through a year of hard work on the floor and getting to know each other off the floor.  We were truly playing for each other in those games.  I will always be proud that I was a part of this team and I look forward to what we are capable of achieving next season. 

I took the liberty of including my wolf pack speech so everyone can hang it in a frame to cherish for all time.

Hello… how bout that game? I guess that’s why they call it loser out…ha ha. You guys might not know this but I consider myself a bit of a loner. I tend to think of myself as a one man wolf pack. But when Coach Hansen brought on all these coaches, I knew they were one of my own. And my wolf pack, it grew by six. So there…there were seven of us in the wolf pack. I was alone first in the pack and the coaches joined in later. And when Coach introduced me to you guys I thought “wait a second, could it be?” And now I know for sure, I just added a team of guys to my wolf pack. A pack of us wolves, running around the Puget Sound together, looking for a win and a trip to the state tournament!

Coach VanDerPuy:

My favorite memory from this year has to be one specific play.  At our Christmas tournament in Wenatchee we were set to play Mead who had just knocked off a top 5 team in Gonzaga Prep a week or two before.  As a team we knew we could be pretty good but I don't think we had found ourselves yet.  We knew Mead would be a challenge for us and they turned out to be just that as we got a win in OT.  However it was the very first play from that game that stands out as a moment where I just looked around and wondered how good we could eventually be.  We set up the play and got Kevin Henderson free on a back door lob pass.  The pass went up, and the dunk went down...  HARD...  Great screen, great pass, and a great two hand finish!  Next year we'll be looking for that in a trophy game at the state tournament...

Coach Chew:

Coming into the 09-10 season I knew we had the potential to surprise a lot of people.  All summer long we played a style of basketball that I love: high pressure defense, fast break/great passing offense, and a team that has different people making the big plays at different times.  Not many people gave us a chance to make it as far as we did, but we knew if we played the same way during the season we'd be in every game.
We knew going in that our league was going to be good from top to bottom and that if we could survive enough "dogfights" we'd have a chance to make noise at the district and state level.  There were games when we looked unstoppable and games where we couldn't seem to get anything to go our way, but through it all the guys continued to believe that the team could reach the ultimate goals: a trip to the district and state tournaments.  And they got there the right way:  with hard work.  This was, no doubt, the hardest working team I've been a part of in my 5 years with Auburn High and I'm very proud of them for that.  Effort wise, they never took a practice off.  Even when they made mistakes, they made them going 100%.
I'm very sad to see this Senior group go.  Tyler, Zakk, and Nick are great kids and it's been fun seeing them grow.  I've known Zakk and Nick since they were 6th graders and it's fun to see how far they've come as basketball players and young men.  Tyler I've only known for the past 2 years, but his improvements on the court and his sense of humor off it will be greatly missed.  Good luck to all 3 of you in the future.
Overall, I'm very proud of this team.  My biggest highlights have to be the second TJ game and the Curtis game in the district playoffs.  Two polar opposites in almost every way, but great lessons in their own right.  After the TJ game we could have thrown in the towel and turned on each other because it went so badly, but the guys were amazing the next day in practice.  I've never seen a team grow so much overnight.  It made them stronger and brought them closer and gave us the motivation we needed to finish the season strong.  The Curtis game because we had our backs to the wall, nobody (except us) expected us to win, and we came out and played one of the best games of the year (especially the first half).  Even when Curtis made it close, the guys rallied together and made the big plays when needed. 
Thanks guys for a great 09-10 season.  I'll never forget it.

Coach Callero:

The first five minutes in the locker room after beating Gig Harbor will stay with me a life time and keep me coaching the rest of my life.  

With a bright sparkle in their eyes, the conquering heroes jumped on each other, screamed, high-fived, hugged, ripped off jerseys, cried, laughed, bumped chests, screamed some more, and then looked at each other in disbelief. Soon they became mesmerized by each others’ voices exclaiming “We’re going to STATE!”

I have never derived so much pleasure from somebody else’s enjoyment.

Coach Lisk:

There are just too many things that happen throughout a season like the one our Varsity just completed to find a few that capture what this season was all about.

I’ll do my best. The three straight loser-out games in WCD really showed what this team was capable of. Each game contained the following:

-  Out working your opponent, and focusing on what our team needs, not what any individual may want.

-  Being tough and staying together through adversity and relying on each other to get the job done

-  Finishing strong together with focus and determination.

The last game of the three brought all those qualities together. Here’s my defining moment from that game.

            With 1:33 to play in our Winner to State game vs. Gig Harbor, we are at the line shooting Free Throws, when it hits the kids….we are going to STATE!, smiles and cheers start bubbling out of the players.

Me being one who believes anything is possible, I call the nearest player Kevin Henderson, over and say.

“In 93 seconds you can celebrate all you want, right now you’ve got to stay focused and finish this game.”

Kevin replied with “Ok, Lisk” then he leans in, and whispers “Hey Lisk, guess what?

“What?” I say.

His reply, “We’re going to State.”

Yes we are.

Other moments that standout in my mind:  Rowland Quinit scoring 12 points in the first half vs. Gig Harbor.  Zeke Johnson scoring 28 with a bandaged up hand vs. Riverside at Riverside.  Tyler Jones absolutely OWNING AR’s Point Guards at Riverside.  Nick Hammond’s 17pt 15 rebound game at Kentlake.  Zeke’s quick as a flash dunk past Josh Smith at KW.  Nik Edwardson scoring 11 vs. Bethel in SPSL playoffs.  Zeke’s game winning put back vs. KR at AHS.  Kevin’s Monster Alley-oop dunk vs. Mead at Wenatchee.  The Wolfpack speech by coach Way.

Coach Lang:

My memory from the 2009-2010 season, We were in the locker room at T.J. High School, they had just thumped us bad. I could see how disappointed the boys were, It was a very low point in our season,I remember the coaches telling the boys things like "remember how this feels, learn from this, we need to move on and stay focused on our goal."  That's alot to take in, especially after a loss like that.  Jump forward to the Gig Harbor post game locker room, WOW what a different scene!!!   The boys had just played one of their best games of the season, we were going to state!!!  They were the most happy I had seen them all season! I think it was Coach Callero or Coach Hansen that reminded the boys of the T.J game, and that very low point. It was a great way for them to learn first-hand about team work and a "never give up" attitude.  I am so proud to have been part of this team!  These are great boys. I would like to leave them with a Coach Lang special "LETS GO FELLAS, THAT WAS SOLID!!!"  Thanks for letting me be a part of your season.

4A State Tournament Bracket posted on the WIAA website:

http://www.mywiaa.org/brackets/redir.aspx?ID=2915

Auburn Trojans will battle the Gonzaga Prep Bullpups at 9 am in the so-called "Egg McMuffin" game.  GPrep is ranked as the #2 team in the state.

From the Seattle Times:

Auburn 66, Gig Harbor 53 (winner to state, loser out)

Junior Kevin Henderson poured in 24 points as the Trojans (16-9) returned to state for the third year in a row and first time in Class 4A since 2004. Auburn reached 3A state in 2008 and 2007.

Rowland Quint added 15 points for the winners. Brandon Gagliardi led the Tides (18-10) with 16 points.

The Trojans broke the game open with a 17-2 run in the second quarter in building a 41-23 halftime advantage. Auburn sank a trio of three-pointers in a span of two minutes as Kevin Henderson drained a pair and Nik Edwardson added another trey in the run.

     It's cliche time for the Trojans.  "Do or Die," "Now or Never," "Backs Against the Wall," and "Put Up or Shut Up" all apply to Friday's game versus the Gig Harbor Tides at Foss High School.  However, this is familiar territory for the Trojans who have beat two formidable SPSL South foes in their last two "win or go home" games.  This last game of the West Central District Tournament is a battle for the #5 seed to the state tournament which starts on Wednesday of next week.

     The Gig Harbor Tides are led by the inside scoring and defensive presence of Austin Sefarian-Jenkins.  The 6'7 250 center is a big body inside who can score, rebound and block shots with authority.  He is also one of the highest rated Tight End prospects in the country.

     The Trojans have been lead all year by the scoring duo of Kevin Henderson and Zeke Johnson, both juniors, and this game should be no exception.  Auburn will look to continue their successful run in the postseason by playing great defense and scoring under pressure. 

     We encourage all students to come out on Friday and support the Trojans by wearing green t-shirts and being our "Sea of Green" to turn back the Tides.  Go Trojans!

Auburn 63, Puyallup 57: Auburn played perfect basketball for the first 10 minutes, building a 29-4 lead over Puyallup at Foss.

Then, the Trojans played hold-on basketball, withstanding a valiant Puyallup comeback attempt and keeping their state tournament hopes alive.

“We were attacking their press – at one point they pulled their press off because we were making hard cuts and getting easy baskets,” said Auburn coach Ryan Hansen. “Against a team like Puyallup no lead is ever safe.”

Auburn (15-9) will play Gig Harbor on Friday.

Kevin Henderson led Auburn with 18 points.

Puyallup (17-7) saw its season end, but the Vikings didn’t go down without a fight. Despite going just 1-for-18 on 3-pointers, Puyallup twice cut the deficit down to four points late in the fourth quarter.

Erin Barber led the Vikings with 15 points, and Dalton Daniels chipped in 11.

From the Seattle Times:

Auburn 63, Bethel 48

The Trojans (13-8) led 14-3 after four minutes. Kevin Henderson led Auburn, the No. 9 SPSL seed to district, with 20 points, 14 in the first half. Nik Edwardson added 11 and Iszia Johnson finished with 10. Bethel (9-11), the No. 10 seed, committed 14 first-quarter turnovers.

From the Tacoma News Tribune:

Auburn 63, Bethel 48: Auburn jumped out to a 14-3 first quarter lead and held a double-digit lead for the remainder of the game in a victory over Bethel on the Braves’ home court.

Auburn (13-8) will receive the SPSL’s ninth seed to the West Central District tournament. Bethel (9-11) will take the 10th and final SPSL seed.

Auburn’s Iszia Johnson went to the bench with two fouls just four minutes into the game, but junior forward Kevin Henderson picked up the slack. The left-hander scored 14 of his 18 points during the first half as the Trojans built a big lead.

Henderson said he is optimistic going into the district.

“We’re playing hard right now,” Henderson said. “Hopefully we’ll go far.”

Sophomore shooting guard A.J. Maxwell led Bethel with 20 points, while Anthony Meray added 13.

Auburn @ Kwntwood Photos by Mike Eastep of Washington Prep Sports:

http://photographicmemory.smugmug.com/Sports/High-School-Boys-Basketball/KW-vs-Auburn-13010/11098374_iTvGv#P-1-20