Jacob Cofie determined to get Eastside Catholic boys to title game

The Tacoma Dome was all Jacob Cofie could think about last summer.

That’s what happens when a historic regular-season high-school basketball run ends in a Class 3A state quarterfinal upset at the Tacoma Dome. Cofie, a 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward, is determined to have his senior season at Eastside Catholic end in the state championship game.

“I was very disappointed with our outcome at state,” said Cofie, who was held to five points and 13 rebounds in the 45-42 loss to Auburn. “In the offseason, I put in a lot of work and took on a bigger leadership role with my team. Now that we’ve been in the Dome so many times, and I have all this experience on my team because we didn’t lose many players, I feel we’re prepared this year.”

Because of the COVID pandemic, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association canceled state tournaments Cofie’s freshman year. Eastside lost in the consolation bracket to Garfield his sophomore season.

To continue to push the Crusaders to the top of boys basketball, Cofie, the top senior recruit in the state according to 247Sports.com, had to overcome some fears. Mainly getting in the fray defensively. A humorous beginning for a player who’s now regarded as one of the top defenders in the country.

Cofie, a four-star recruit, signed in November to play for Virginia. Coach Tony Bennett is known for his defensive schemes.

“(Jacob) wouldn’t get in the drills; he’d stand out and watch or say his stomach hurt and have to go use the bathroom,” said Eastside coach Brent Merritt, whose teams are also known for being stout defensively. “Because he couldn’t do it and he didn’t like the fact that he couldn’t do it and make the rotations so he would skip out.

“I had to tell him, ‘Hey, just go in there and mess up so I can yell at you. You’ll learn it and you’ll be fine. I’m going to help you through it.’ From not knowing how to do it at all (as a freshman) to going to a school like Virginia is a huge testament of him actually buckling down and learning.”

Cofie guards the best player on the opposing team. Last season, the lock-down play helped Eastside go on a seven-game win streak headed into the state tournament, including upsetting Rainier Beach for the Metro League boys title. The Crusaders also won the SeaKing District championship.

After the league tournament win, Cofie received text messages from teammates he was once timid to defend such as JT Tuimoloau. The former two-sport star is now an All-Big Ten defensive end for Ohio State.

“JT told me to keep going and keep pushing,” said Cofie, who averaged 18.7 points and 11.4 rebounds per game last season. “It felt really good. We were the underdogs, but once we won that, we got our respect. But we didn’t deliver when it came to the Dome.”

Cofie trained in the weight room and on the track five times a week with junior guard Tate Dawson and senior forward Jora Grewal last summer to get ready for the season. Cofie also had private training twice a week to work on his skills.

Eastside is 4-0 to open this year’s campaign. The streak includes a 75-67 road win against Garfield, the defending Class 3A boys state champions.

“I didn’t watch the film from that (state quarterfinal loss) until a lot later. I didn’t want to watch it,” Cofie said. “But after watching it, I understand how I can take us all the way this year.”

Crusaders point guards Dash Lamebull-Ingram and Alex Elston run the show. Shooters such as Dawson, Grenwal and Luke Johnson balance offensive options if opponents shutdown Cofie. Yabi Aklog, a 6-10 sophomore, is imposing in the paint for Eastside.

“Everybody on our team knows their role,” Cofie said. “We’ve all dealt with the hardships. This is nothing new.”

But, hopefully, the end of the season will be.

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