The Orcas Christian School Saints boys basketball team has ended its season. Since the beginning of the season, it was clear that the Saints were building for the future with how young they are.

“We consisted of two sophomores, six freshman and two eighth graders,” coach Ryan Davis said. “We knew this was going to be a year of development and I am very proud of how the team grew. This is a team that will continue to grow and will be competitors for years to come.”

The Saints struggled through the league schedule, often playing against older and bigger teams. The team came together at the Walla Walla Friendship Tournament and won the D2 Championship and Sportsmanship award.

“I love coaching because you get the opportunity to have a positive impact and you get to see your student-athletes growth and development,” Davis said. “This team showed great improvement over the season and played very well against older teams. We focus a lot on basketball IQ and understanding the game not just following set plays. These guys showed to have a much higher understanding at the end of season.”

The Saints season ended by forfeit when they decided as a team to give up playing to help a teammate.

“We were on the boat when we learned that a family emergency came up and one of our own needed to get to Seattle. Lucien Anderson showed great leadership and got the team together. They unanimously and without hesitation voted to give up their season to get their teammate to Seattle when no other options became available,” Davis said. “When asked if they were sure, Ryan Schneider commented, ‘yes, we are family.’”

Coach Davis received many messages from parents applauding the team’s decision and saying how proud they were of the decision the team made.

When asked about the season, team captains Lucien Anderson and Corey Aragon simply stated: “Trust the process.”