By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Already having three state championships under their belt, the Garfield Lady Bulldogs are looking to keep that ball rolling by bringing home a fourth consecutive state championship to Garfield High School.
Senior point guard Katie Fiso has been a key player for the Bulldogs during her time at Garfield. Averaging more than 22 points per game, Fiso has helped the Bulldogs maintain their championship legacy, as the team won the 3A state championship with a 23-1 record last season.
When asked if he thinks his team will face a great deficit next year with the departure of some key senior players like Fiso, first-year Head Coach Roydell Smiley says that he believes his seniors will inspire the returning players to keep the winning tradition going for more years to come.
“The seniors that are leaving are good leaders every day,” says Smiley. “Whether it is encouraging [their younger teammates] to go hard at practice, get their bodies right, watch film, whatever it is, they are setting the standard at the top, and it is trickling down to everybody on the team.”
Despite having a bullseye on their back as the defending state champions, the Bulldogs have held their own this season. Although the team has suffered two losses this season – a two-point loss to 4A Camas (11-6, 3-0 in District) and a 12-point loss to Metro League rival Lakeside (10-2, 8-1 in Metro) – they have looked unstoppable in their 10 victories, winning by an average of 21 points per game.
Being ranked as one of the top teams in the state, the hopes of bringing home another 3A state championship win do not seem far out of reach for Garfield. Well into conference play, the Bulldogs have showcased their ability to be a force to be reckoned with. Despite their overall unstoppable athleticism, the three-time champions have faced equally dominant teams such as the Lakeside Lions.
Back in December, the Bulldogs faced the Lions and suffered a 12-point loss, giving them their first and only conference loss thus far of the season. Garfield was given the opportunity to face Lakeside again on January 20th and defeated the Lions 60-38.
Lakeside has been a tough team to beat this year. Having two opportunities to play each other, the Bulldogs have had time to work and make adjustments between the matchups. The Bulldogs dominated on the court during the rematch game, truly playing like a three-time state championship team.
“It’s been a good season thus far; we have only dropped two games, avenged one, and had a non-conference loss,” says Smiley, who believes his team is peaking at the right time. “This season is going as planned. We are healthy, and we are getting our bodies right, getting the everyday grind to where it is just an everyday thought process.”
Smiley preaches to his team that there are always going to be challenges and tough teams that they will face, but having the right mindset will take them far. Getting his team to buy into the notion that they are doing this for a reason is something that Smiley holds his team to as their head coach.
“I think our biggest challenge is motivating ourselves to play hard every single minute, every single day when they step on the floor,” says Smiley. “When you win three state championships in a row, you can get a little cocky, complacent, and the routines become boring.”
Being a head coach of a repeating championship team is something that any coach would dream of. It takes more than the players to do so; you need a coach who is dedicated and wants to give their players the best possible opportunity for success as an athlete and a student, and Smiley has done exactly that.
Previously coached by former Garfield and UW basketball star Tre Simmons, Smiley is the third coach that the Bulldogs have had in three years. Smiley readily admits that his first year as a head coach has been a learning experience for both himself and the team.
“I am learning from the girls; the girls are learning from me so we are all kind of in this together,” shared Smiley. “I strive to be a better coach every day, getting all of the seniors an opportunity to play at the next level, as well as hitting our checklist goals such as state championships, Metro, and districts.”
Believing that his team, and himself included, are in good spirits, Smiley says they are ready to go and finish it out and win that gold ball for the fourth year in a row.
“To continue doing what they have done in the past, they have to have that mindset of I am doing this, I am going to get better every day, and nobody can stop me from doing it unless I stop myself,” says Smiley.