A lot of things went right for Joshua Hall this boys basketball season.
Hall and the Hockinson Hawks beat Mark Morris for the first time in the program’s history. Then the Hawks beat the Monarchs again.
Hockinson tied Mark Morris atop the Class 2A Greater St. Helens League standings and captured the top seed to the district playoffs.
Joshua even got to share the experience by playing varsity ball with his younger brother, Hayden, for the first time.
By the end of this season — and his four-year varsity career — Hall had a bunch of Hockinson’s basketball records. Points, blocked shots, free throws, among the many.
Hall again was the go-to guy for the Hawks this season. But after the graduation of eight seniors from last year’s squad, he had all of the attention of opposing teams.
Didn’t matter. He still registered double figures in scoring in every game, leading the Hawks with an average of 20.5.
For that performance, the Class 2A Greater St. Helens League’s player of the year is The Columbian’s All-Region boys basketball player of the year.
This year’s Hawks had to rely on Hall for a lot of the scoring, plus leadership. It must have worked, as Hockinson won a league title for the second time in school history and the first since 2006.
The Hawks struggled in district and missed a return trip to the state tournament. Still, Hall said he was proud of the season.
“Overall, I don’t have anything to complain about. It was a great experience.”
Plus he has a lot of memories. He is particularly fond of being able to team up with Hayden.
“It really was a highlight,” Hall said. “We played together, but we were never on the same team.”
The Halls welcomed extended family members from California, Idaho, and Minnesota to watch the brothers in action: Family reunion at Hockinson.
Joshua Hall has been part of the Hockinson varsity basketball family since he was a freshman. A quick look at the school record book shows that he leaves quite a legacy.
