The Wildcats started the season with an 8-15 record in their
rear-view mirror. But the road ahead would lead to the state finals for Mount Si
and seventh-year head coach Garrick Phillips.
Game 1, Tahoma at home
Mount Si defeated their old Seamount League rivals 62-58 in a
“hack fest,” Phillips said, that saw three
starters in foul trouble early in the second half.
Game 2, Federal Way at home
Wildcats roar to their second win with a 66-57 non-league victory.
Game 3, Highline at home
The Wildcats pounded Highline 82-44 with Isaiah Cormier pouring
in 23 points in the first half, including four 3-pointers in the first quarter.
Game 4, League opener, Sammamish at home
Mount Si wins 77-56 with five players scoring in double
digits. Arriaga leads the charge with 17 points while Cormier and Logan
Ratcliffe follow with 16. Mike Helgeland had 11, Kaplan 10 and Mike and
Marc Dahm racked up seven.
Game 5, Liberty, away
Mount Si proves unstoppable, 98-55. The `Cats go 24-for-29 at the
foul line. Cormier tallies 22 points; Kaplan adds 19.
Game 6, Bellevue at home
Mount Si wins 68-53 with Arriaga scoring 21 points, Kaplan
swooshing 18 and Cormier canning 10.
Game 7, Mount Rainier, away
Wildcats level Mount Rainier, 79-58, with 90 percent free-throw
shooting. Mount Si enters the state top 10 list (fifth).
Games 8, 9 and 10, “Surf n’ Slam” tournament in
San Diego, Calif.
The Wildcats win in a barn-burner, 61-60, against Analy High
from Sebastopol, Calif. With 18 seconds left in regulation, Arriaga nails a shot
to tie the game at 51. Cormier then sinks a shot at the end of overtime to
seal the deal.
In the second game, Mount Si takes on 1A Kings High from
Seattle. The sixth-ranked team surprises Mount Si, 46-32, holding them
to single-digit scoring in all four quarters. The `Cats stayed competitive
in the third game, but come up short against Oldham County of
Kentucky, 49-43.
Game 11, Interlake at home
Mount Si dominates the Saints 72-52 to go 4-0 in league play.
Arriaga finishes with 20 points, 14 rebounds and Kaplan collects 14 points,
11 boards
Game 12, Cedarcrest, away
The Wildcats pound their cross-Valley rivals 82-50. Mount Si goes
on a 32-1 point tear in the third quarter. `Cats move to 10-2 overall and 5-0
in league play. Kaplan scores 24, Arriaga 16 and Mike Dahm, 14.
Game 12, Mercer Island
at home
The Wildcats fall in Mount Si’s first league contest against
defending state champs MI, 61-49, in front of a packed house in Snoqualmie.
The `Cats keep it close, coming within one point on a one-handed layup by
Mike Dahm late in the third quarter. The loss tied the team for first in the
Valley Division with Sammamish.
Game 13, Newport, away
Mount Si suffers their second loss in a row as the Knights shoot out
the lights, 87-67. Cormier notches 10 points.
Game 14, Issaquah at home
The skid continues against the Indians, 56-63. With two minutes
left, Arriaga puts Mount Si ahead 50-47. But Issaquah rallies with a trey
and goes on a 9-3 run in the final minutes to steal the win. Arriaga gets 20 points.
Game 15, Liberty at home
Mount Si bounces back, 82-44, against the Patriots. Eaton and
Kaplan both score 15 points, while Arriaga leads the `Cats with 18.
Game 16, Skyline, away
The Wildcats come up short again, 61-65. Arriaga ties the game late in
the fourth at 61-all, but the Spartans jump back in front before the
buzzer. Arriaga amasses 22 points.
Game 17, Interlake, away
Mount Si wins in a squeaker 60-59. With just over one second left
on the clock, Interlake takes the lead 59-58. But Phillips says the time clock
is off, and referees agree, moving time remaining from 1.3 seconds to
3. Cormier collects the in-bound pass, drives the length of the court and
drills a perfect three-pointer at the buzzer. Arriaga finishes with 22
points; Cormier, 18.
Game 18, Cedarcrest at home
The Wildcats double up their down-river rivals, 82-41. Kaplan
has 16.
Game 19, Sammamish, away
Mount Si stumbles in final game of the season, 68-53. Cormier has
18 points; Arriaga, 10.
Game 20, Mercer Island, to determine third- and
fourth-place seeding for district tournament
The Wildcats drop a close game to the powerhouse Islanders, 52-50,
to take the fourth seed from KingCo at districts. Kaplan and Cormier had
12 points each.
District tournament
Game 21, against Cleveland
Mount Si clobbers Cleveland, 74-53. Vince Longbucco sees his
first minutes on court for Mount Si after sitting out most of the season due to
a serious knee injury. Arriaga racks up 14 points, while Cormier adds 13.
Game 22, against Evergreen
The Wildcats pull one out of the hat, trouncing Evergreen
61-49. Mount Si leads at the break 33-31 after a last-second shot by Arriaga
finds twine. The team unleashes a 28-12 scoring frenzy in the second half
to ice the win. Arriaga gets 18 points, Cormier 11, and Sean Fallows, 10.
Game 23, against Sammamish
Wildcats fall 42-37 after the Totems’ Tygann Billows funnels
five three-pointers into the net.
Game 24, against Kennedy
With their backs against the wall in a loser-out contest, the Wildcats
win when it counts against the Lancers, 52-48. Arriaga scores 14 of his
game-high 20 points in the final quarter. His two successful tosses at the charity
stripe with 43 seconds left ice the victory. He also pulls in 19 rebounds as
Mount Si earns a state berth for the first time in 21 years.
Game 25, against Blanchet
In their final district contest, the Wildcats took on a tough
Blanchet team to determine fifth and sixth seeds from District 2. Blanchet had
dumped the KingCo 3A champ Knights 65-61 and were hungry for another
win. They feasted on Mount Si 66-53. Ratcliffe and Arriaga earn 11
points each.
