Like a man fumbling for change in front of a vending machine,
the Cedarcrest Red Wolves fell a quarter short of gaining their first win of
the boys basketball season last week, dropping three more games. The
two conference defeats and one nonleague setback pushed the Cedarcrest
season record to 0-11 and 0-6 against KingCo foes. The Red Wolves have now
lost 30 of their last 31games over two seasons.
The most recent defeat came Saturday night against previously
winless Foster, 68-52. Coach Ray LaBate said his inexperienced team put
together three strong periods of team basketball, but lost the game with poor
play during one eight-minute stanza.
Friday the Wolves stayed even with cross-Valley rival Mount Si
for the first half, but were outscored 31-1 in the decisive third quarter en
route to an 82-50 loss at home against the Wildcats.
“Including spring and summer leagues, the Mount Si players
were probably playing in their 80th game together since last season. We
have played together in less than a dozen games total,” LaBate told the
Valley Record. “I told the boys this game was not lost tonight. It was lost
sometime last summer.”
The Wildcats controlled the boards at both ends of the court and
limited the poor-shooting Red Wolves to just a single attempt on offense.
Morgan Henley led the Cedarcrest offense with 14 points on Friday night, followed
by James Conrick with 10 and Smith with eight points.
On Tuesday Cedarcrest provided the Liberty Patriots with their
first KingCo win of the year in a 63-42 Liberty win in Renton. Senior
Michael Smith led the Wolves with 15 points in the losing effort. No
other Cedarcrest player scored in double figures.
Despite constant double-teaming, Smith maintained his place among
the top five point producers in the conference, averaging 15/2 points per game.
Prospects for a Cedarcrest win do not improve this week as the
Red Wolves dive into the toughest stretch of the KingCo schedule.
Tuesday Cedarcrest was scheduled to host the Newport Knights then travel
to Issaquah on Friday night to take on the Indians.
Next week Cedarcrest takes on Bellevue and Mercer Island in
back-to-back battles.
