Wildcat men poised for breakout year
Published 10:01 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008
It was a young Wildcat squad that took to the hardwood last year, and
it showed.
While outdoing the competition in several important stats,
including shooting and rebounding, the Mount Si hoopsters fell short in one
major category: overall scoring. They finished with an overall scoring
average of 59.7 points per game, while giving up an average of 61.0.
The 1.3 percent difference translated into final season records of
8-15 and 5-8 in the Valley Division of KingCo 3A. At the end of the
campaign the `Cats rose up and smote Issaquah 82-68, but eventually
departed tournament play with losses to Newport and Eastside Catholic.
This year – according to coach Garrick Phillips – things are going
to be different. The Wildcats only lost one starter from last year’s squad
to graduation, 6-3 forward Sam Stevens. Fellow seniors David Lynch and
Justin Odom also departed, but Phillips believes this year’s team has the
combination of experience, drive and athletic ability to make a run for the title.
His team heartily agrees. When asked what the biggest change
was from last year, senior Chris Emerson responded, “Our record, and our
attitude, too. It’s all different this year. We’re going to state.”
“We fear no man,” added senior post Chris Kaplan.
The optimism could prove well- founded. The team has three
returning starters: 6-1 senior guard Ben Eaton, 6-5 senior forward
Jason Arriaga and 6-1 junior guard Isaiah Cormier. All three have added an
inch or two in height since last year.
Other top returnees include the 6-5 Kaplan and the Dahm brothers
_ Marc and Mike, both 6-0 junior guards.
On the negative side, 5-9 junior point guard and starter
Vince Longbucco has been lost to the team for the season with a torn ACL
(anterior cruciate ligament; the ligament that connects the femur to the
tibia). Longbucco suffered the injury while participating in summer basketball.
Phillips hopes to have the player back next year, but in the meantime
is looking to the rest of his squad to fill the gap. Besides the Dahms,
possible candidates include newcomers Emerson, a 5-9 senior, and 6-3
junior guard Mike Helgeland.
The coach _ who is in his seventh year as leader of the Mount Si
program _ knows it’s going to be a tough campaign, but feels the `Cats have
the power and skill to prevail.
“We’re returning almost all of our scoring with Cormier,
Arriaga, Kaplan, the Dahms and Eaton, all who were significant contributors,”
Phillips commented. “We are experienced and very athletic and will be able to
get after people defensively.
“We need to play with our feet a little bit more, and somehow
replace Longbucco. Eaton stepped up last night and had six points and six
assists.”
Phillips referred to his team’s season opener against Tahoma of the
4A South Puget Sound League. Playing at home on Tuesday, Nov. 30, the
`Cats started their year with a 62-58 win over the Bears. Afterwards the coach
referred to the contest as “a real hack fest.”
“We were up by 20 points in the second quarter,” he
commented. “Then my three big kids got in
foul trouble, so I had my three starters sitting on the bench in the second
half with four fouls.
“It wasn’t as close as the score would indicate. The closest
Tahoma ever got was four points.”
The leading scorers for the game were Arriaga, with 19 points,
and Cormier and Eaton, each with 14.
Last Friday evening Mount Si hosted Federal Way, followed by
another non-league home match up against Highline last night.
They’ll start league play this Friday at home against the Sammamish Totems.
With three KingCo 3A games on the schedule before the Christmas break,
the hardwood `Cats should get an early indication of what kind of
season they’re going to have.
“We’re going to be really competitive,” said Phillips. “In the Valley
Division, it looks like Interlake, Sammamish or Mount Si will
dominate. In the other division, Mercer Island is going to be tough again,
but Bellevue and Newport are pretty good, as is Skykomish. There is a lot of
parity in the league this year.
“However, I think our biggest team strength is this: we’re really athletic.”
The Mount Si “C” team, led by coach Stan Durman and
assistant Brian Hill, will take to the court first on Friday, at 3:45 p.m. The JV’s _
led by coach Geri Spalding _ follow at 5:45, with the varsity match
starting at 7:30 p.m.
