Quincy boys basketball team wants to exceed expectations

QUINCY — Quincy High School boys basketball coach Scott Bierlink said the Jacks may very well exceed expectations in the 2022-23 season.

“I’m optimistic that we can give ourselves a chance to win another league title, and win another district title and go back to state,” Bierlink said.

The Jacks went 21-5 in 2021-22, winning the Caribou Trail League with a 13-1 record, winning the district title and advancing to the state tournament for the first time since 2009. They won their first game at the state tournament before losing to eventual state champion Lynden Christian.

The 2021-22 team featured record-setting performances from Aidan Heikes and Bierlink’s son TreyVaughn, who are the fifth and sixth QHS players to score at least 1,000 points in their careers.

“I guess I had envisioned we were going to turn the corner and do some good things,” Scott Bierlink said. “They checked every box on that – our goal was a state title, we didn’t quite get that. But those boys kind of helped turn this program around.”

Quincy graduated 10 seniors from that team, however, and Bierlink said he anticipated a tougher road in 2022-23. One starter returns; Aidan Bews was a second team all-league selection.

“But then I had nobody else with any experience,” Bierlink said. “So I kind of thought, ‘Boy, we’re going to be in rebuild mode.’ We’re going to struggle, is how I would put it.”

Bierlink said he changed his mind a little bit as Quincy players worked on their game in the off-season.

“We played a few games this summer, surprisingly played much better than I thought we would,” he said.

Quincy’s chances improved with the addition of Julian Ibarra, who transferred to Quincy from Omak and was second team all-league.

“You won’t find a harder worker,” Bierlink said. “I’m really excited to see what kind of year he’s going to have.”

Most of the returning players are sophomores and juniors, he said, and there’s a promising freshman class, including Bierlink’s son Pierce.

“I think we’ve got a chance to be pretty good this year, but next year, we can build off that and be really good, I think,” he said.

Chelan will be the favorite for the CTL title, Bierlink said. Quincy defeated the Goats at the buzzer in the 2022 district playoffs to earn a berth at the state tournament.

“They’ve got quite a bit of talent. They’re for sure the team to beat,” he said.

But the Jacks have the potential to be competitive in the CTL.

“I was cautiously optimistic for the year, and then Julian Ibarra moved to town, and now I’m pretty giddy, just for the fact that once he gets in, learns our system, I think we’ve got the chance to be a really, really good basketball team,” Bierlink said.

Quincy opens the season Dec. 2 with a non-league game against the Wahluke Warriors in Quincy.

“I’m really excited for this season to get off and running,” Bierlink said.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.

Quincy Boys Basketball Schedule

Nov. 28 – @ Connell Jamboree

Dec. 2 – vs Wahluke High School

Dec. 3 – vs Manson High School

Dec. 6 – @ Chelan High School

Dec. 9 – vs Omak High School

Dec. 10 – @ Lakeside High School (Nine Mile Falls)

Dec. 13 – @ Cashmere High School

Dec. 17 – @ Brewster High School

Dec. 20 – @ Cascade High School (Leavenworth)

Dec. 21 – @ Ephrata High School

Dec. 28 – @ Freeman High School

Dec. 29 – vs TBA

Dec. 29 – vs Royal High School - JV

Jan. 3 – vs Chelan High School

Jan. 6 – @ Omak High School

Jan. 7 – vs Liberty Bell Jr/Sr High School

Jan. 11 – vs Cashmere High School

Jan. 14 – vs Royal High School

Jan. 17 – vs Cascade High School

Jan. 19 – @ Chelan High School

Jan. 21 – @ Cashmere High School

Jan. 24 – vs Omak High School

Feb. 2 – vs Cascade High School