By Terry Mosher
Editor, Sports Paper
It’s not been one of the best basketball seasons that North Mason has experienced in recent years. No, the Bulldogs have struggled all season, having just recorded one win in the Olympic League (1-21) and four for the season (4-13).
A bright spot, though, is senior guard Matt Duckworth. The five-foot-11 shooting guard is the one player on the team that opponents absolutely must keep an eye on, or else he’s likely to go off on a hot shooting tear.
“He’s always been a good shot,” says NM coach Steve Hackett. “He’s got an unorthodox-looking shot, but we think he will make most of them.”
Twice this year, Duckworth has nailed seven threes in a game. That is his primarily weapon – shooting threes.
Duckworth, who averages 14 points a game, is one of those guys who lives in the gym. If he could pitch a tent there, he would be there full time. As it is, Duckworth was there at the North Mason gym this summer for early morning open gyms and weight-lifting, and when he’s not there he might be working out with Craig Murray’s Total Package Basketball in various gyms around the area or be at the South Kitsap gym shooting around with friends on the SK basketball team.
“He’s got a great passion for the game,” says Hackett. “It’s the only sport he plays.”
Duckworth, who arrived in Belfair when he was eight years old – the family came from California and then Whidbey Island – used to play baseball. He did that, playing outfield, though his freshman year. But now it’s just basketball and more basketball.
His stepdad, Don Wilson, is the key to practicing at the SK gym. Wilson is an assistant coach with the Wolves.
“They have a good program and they have a lot of kids and the gym is open like three days a week,” says Duckworth. “I know some of their players and I have played with them in open gyms.”
He does the same with Total Package, showing up for practices, which has helped him with the fundamentals. Hackett says all that work has made him solid in handling the ball.
“Last year he didn’t have a left hand and he’s worked hard on getting that stronger,” says Hackett, who has also asked Duckworth to be more active on defense.
“And he’s done that,” says Hackett. “He’s trying real hard on defense. We’re also trying to get him to attack the rim instead of just being a three-point shooter.”
Duckworth is busy doing all these things while trying to keep what is a young Bulldog team focused on winning some games as the team’s captain. It’s a tough chore, but nobody said it would be easy.
“Our team is really young right now,” says Duckworth, “and it’s usually the fourth quarter we have lost most of our games. We are down to eight players right now for our last couple games because of injuries or what not.”
As tough as it is for him and the Bulldogs, Duckworth keeps a positive outlook and looks forward to his time in the gym. And that extends past this basketball season.
“My first goal is to see if I can play anywhere for basketball,” he says. “My second goal, if that doesn’t work out, is to go to Wazoo (WashingtonState) for athletic training.”
Duckworth carries a 3.7 grade-point average, so getting into school doesn’t appear to be that much of a trouble. If he was to make a decision today on playing college basketball it might be at PierceCollege or some other community college.
Until then, Duckworth will keep firing away at the basket wherever there is a gym.