Open Gym Report: Skyview Storm
fter spending much of our time taking in open gyms around Portland, we decided it was time to cross over the Columbia River to catch some action and who better to see than the team likely the favorite in the 4A GHSL? Thursday night’s visit was to see the Skyview Storm, where head coach Matt Gruhler has a talented squad ready to make another run at the Tacoma Dome.
Here are observations on the top players that were present:
Alex Schumacher (2019)
The senior leader of the Storm pretty much did whatever he wanted on the offensive end. He split through the defense like a hot knife through butter finishing plays at the rim, sank deep threes, or scored off step-back pull-ups. Schumacher largely focused on his own offense but also set up teammates for some easy scores. According to Coach Gruhler, interest from Division II schools has come in quite a bit this fall but Schumacher will be waiting until the spring before making any decisions.
Kyle Gruhler (2020)
As dominant offensively Schumacher was, Gruhler was just about as dominant as well. The 6-foot-5 junior was usually playing on the other team and he was quite impressive hitting long range shots as usual, but was also able to show off his ability to take the ball to the basket in the halfcourt and in transition. The Storm lost a lot of size from last year so Gruhler will be playing up front a lot, mostly as a stretch four.
Squeeky Johnson (2021)
The 6-foot sophomore is the son of Skyview’s girls basketball coach, so it should come as no surprise he plays with a good feel for the game. Johnson showed off a slick handle, some nice penetrating moves, and the ability to find teammates with passes without turning the ball over. His outside shot wasn’t hitting much in the action we saw, but Johnson has decent form on his jumper.
A notable player not in attendance was Jace Chatman (2021), who will likely be a starter on the team according to Coach Gruhler. He’s a younger brother of Boston College senior guard Jordan Chatman and the son of former BYU standout Jeff Chatman.