Bears return experienced veterans to defend basketball title

REWSTER – Last year’s Central Washington 2B League basketball champions and District 5/6 runners up Brewster Bears are back minus some key senior players lost to graduation last June.
Edgar Najera, last season’s CW2B Most Valuable Player and team scoring leader, is gone along with big inside man David Garcia, along with Edgar Guzman, Bryan Lopez and Johnny Saucedo.
Seniors Felix Nava, Ramiro Rincon, Carlos Najera, and Caiden Riggan are back for another season. Riggan’s six-foot, four-inch height along with that of 6’5” junior Isaac Baker will give the Bears much-needed help under the basket. Baker was a CW2B All-League Honorable Mention in his sophomore year. Nava was an All-League Third Team guard as a junior.
Junior Joe Taylor, last season’s CW2B All-League First Team guard will spearhead the offensive attack. Rounding out the junior roster are Jeff Sonneman, Quincy Vassar, and Ernie Nanamkin, fresh from the gridiron.
Sophomores Corey Jarrell and Kade Kelpman saw enough court time as poised freshmen last year to bring valuable experience for the younger players this year.
Cade Gebbers is the lone freshman on the varsity squad.
The Bears dominated their regular season league opponents last year, winning 11 straight at home and another nine consecutive games on the road. It wasn’t until District 5/6 play and the first round of state that the Bears met formidable rivals in Kittitas, Northwest Christian (Colbert) and Liberty (Spangle).
Brewster easily handled Waterville-Mansfield, 72-39, on Saturday, Dec. 2, and was scheduled to host Lake Roosevelt on Tuesday, Dec. 5. The Bears host Oroville at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7 and will travel to Liberty Bell on Saturday, Dec. 9. Brewster will be back home against Soap Lake at 7:30 p.m. next Tuesday, Dec. 12.