Vancouver-native Brandon Pierce, 41, wanted to start a professional basketball league in Cowlitz County for 10 years.
Due to road bumps such as COVID, he’s never had the chance.
Until now.
Pierce is the sole owner of the Cowlitz County Sasquatch — a new professional basketball team in the Pacific Northwest Division of the West Conference of The Basketball League — which plans to play 12 home games at Mark Morris High School starting in March.
The league is professional, having started in 2018. It has 36 teams across the country and is generally regarded as just below the talent level of the NBA G-League, the official developmental league of the NBA.
The league includes former NBA, college players and international players according to the league’s website.
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Pierce’s goal is to build his players so they advance.
“(We are) doing everything we can as a team to get them to the next level,” he said.
Cowlitz County Sasquatch: Brandon Pierce and Veronica Fridley
Cowlitz County Sasquatch owner Brandon Pierce, left, and President of Business Operations Veronica Fridley pose for a portrait photo on Tuesday, Aug. 5 at Bill Bakamus Gymnasium in Longview. The Sasquatch are a professional basketball team coming to Longview in the spring. Dan Rosenfield
‘An asset to Cowlitz County’
Pierce is a longtime basketball fan.
After attending a Vancouver Volcanoes game, the idea began to surge in his head about starting his own team.
He described Longview as a basketball town due to the success of the R.A. Long and Mark Morris high school basketball teams.
With his parents growing up in Longview and his grandparents still living in the town, he spent many of his childhood summers in the Planned City.
Pierce wants the squad to also consist of local players from Cowlitz, Clark and Lewis counties.
“(We) want to build from our own base,” he said.
The team plans to host tryouts in October, November and December.
League players are usually over 18, but may be under 18 with parental consent. Current high school and college players are eligible.
Pierce wants the team to volunteer within the community as well.
“We want to be an asset to Cowlitz County,” he said.
Local help
Pierce isn’t alone in his endeavors.
His staff includes President of Business Operations Veronica Fridley, General Manager Christopher Atkinson, Head Coach Kyle Randall, Assistant Coach Ian Mendiola, and Game Day Operations Manager Bailey Wilson.
Fridley has worked with Pierce in the business management sector for a decade, and will handle operations including insurance and travel, as well as assisting Pierce with tickets and sponsors.
Atkinson brings over 15 years of experience in competitive basketball and professional management. He will be tasked with scouting and player development.
Randall is a former Division I and G-League player who runs the GAME Winner basketball and softball facility in Longview with his wife Raeanne. He also coached the R.A. Long girls basketball team in 2021-22.
Mendiola is an R.A. Long graduate and played college basketball at Edmonds College in Lynnwood. He has been specializing in managing professional athletes and assisting in their training since 2020.
Wilson has 26 years of experience as a basketball player and has over eight years of coaching experience.
Next level
Randall, 33, always wanted to coach at the highest level of basketball. Two years ago, he made it to the final round for an assistant coaching job with the Rip City Remix.
“(I’ve been) trying to get into coaching at pro level for a while, so when this opportunity presented itself, I took a shot at it,” he said.
It was Pierce’s vision of building something for the community that appealed to Randall.
“Brandon did a really good job of explaining his vision and what he wants to build,” he said. “My hope is not only can I bring something special to the community from a team perspective, but help players advance further in their careers.”
He said he couldn’t provide specifics yet, but has his eye on some local guys to join the squad. He wants players who have a desire to play basketball at a higher level, such as the G-League and overseas, just like he did.
“It puts me in a position to help them in their journey,” he said. “I played at the level where players are trying to reach.”
The only level he didn’t reach was the NBA, which he hopes to see his players accomplish.
“(If I can) help someone else get there,” he said, “(it’ll) make me just as happy.”
Check out more coverage at x.com/DRosenfieldTDN.
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