The Mount Si Wildcats entered Sea-King district play last week

by taking two must-win games. Tuesday night, Feb. 15, the `Cats

thrashed Seattle’s Cleveland High 74-53. They followed up two nights later with a

61-49 victory over Evergreen.

However, in the third game of the week _ held Saturday at

Bellevue Community College – Mount Si ran afoul of old nemesis Sammamish,

who won a tough, hard-fought contest by the score of 42-37. The Totems’

victory put them in the state championship series while relegating the

Wildcats to yet another loser-out game.

As a result, Mount Si faced fourth-ranked Kennedy Tuesday night,

Feb. 22, in Burien.

Against Cleveland the boys from the Valley had their “A” game in

order. After maintaining a slim 31-28 lead through the half, the

Wildcats soundly disposed of the Metro League’s Eagles in the third period.

The Eagles’ players came out on the short end, rolling up

combination technical and personal fouls and regularly displaying their

frustration. Mount Si responded by firing away, hitting the 60-point mark at just

under six minutes in the fourth and achieving 70 on Mike Helgeland’s

free throw at the one-minute mark.

At that point the Wildcat faithful got a treat, as junior point guard

Vince Longbucco took the court for the first time since last season. Longbucco

had missed the entire 1999-2000 campaign due to a serious knee injury and

staggered onto the floor wearing a substantial brace, but the fans didn’t

care; they were just glad to see him back.

Longbucco didn’t score during his brief stint, but did send up one

shot that was completed by Helgeland on the rebound. Mount Si’s Jason

Arriaga and Isaiah Cormier led the squad’s scoring effort with 14 and 13

points respectively.

Post-game the locker room was upbeat. “Everyone in that locker

room has worked hard,” said Coach Phillips, “and we tried to get everybody

into the game to give them some time.

“We stress team and we got a team effort. I’ve preached to the kids

that we want to play our best basketball right now, and so far we are.”

Longbucco laughed and shook his head when asked about the roar

from the crowd when he took the court.

“I couldn’t miss it,” he commented wistfully, adding, “The knee’s

really shaky right now and it’s kind of scary right now, so I’ll take it easy.”

Two nights later the squad made the long journey to Burien’s John

F. Kennedy High School for the game with Evergreen. A victory would

have put the team in the second seed spot for Region 2 and into the final

eight-team round of the district championships. Conversely, a loss would

have sent the `Cats home.

Once again they rose to the challenge, disposing of the

Wolverines with a flurry of offense in the second half of the game. Evergreen took

the first quarter 19-12, but Arriaga’s basket in the waning moments of the

first half put the Wildcats up 33-31. The `Cats came out roaring for the

third quarter and continued the punishment into the fourth, outscoring the

Wolverines 28-18 over the final 16 minutes and sealing the 61-49 victory.

Arriaga, with 18 points, did the most damage. He was ably assisted

by teammates Cormier with 11 points and junior Sean “Deadeye” Fallows

with 10.

Next on the docket was Sammamish. In two previous

regular season meetings the `Cats and Totems had split, with Mount Si taking

the early contest on Dec. 10 by a score of 77-56. Sammamish returned the

favor on their home court Feb. 4, winning 68-53 and taking the Valley

Division flag.

This one had all of the aspects of a civilized brawl, with both teams

battling back and forth to the thunderous accompaniment of the crowds in

the packed stands. The Wildcats managed to tie the game in the third and

continued to lurk within striking distance into the fourth, but then the

team’s shooting went cold.

Overcoming a passel of swarming Wildcat defenders, the Totems rang

up the points, led by Tygann Billow’s five three-pointers. By comparison

Mount Si’s shots regularly clanged off the rim and backboard with a waiting

Totem usually getting the rebound. Cormier scored his team’s final six points

in the losing effort, all with less than 20 seconds to go, on a three-pointer

and three shots from the charity line.

Sammamish got the slot at state and a chance to play Seattle

Prep, while Mount Si ended up facing another loser-out game Tuesday.

“I thought we played well,” said Coach Phillips afterwards, “but

there was a stretch in the fourth quarter where we lost five shots in a row.

Their guy, Billow, hit all his threes. I don’t remember him missing any shots.

“We executed well, handled the pressure, but the ball just didn’t go

in. That’s basketball.

“We’re back to a loser-out game now,” Phillips concluded. “Our

backs are against the wall.”