If point totals, roaring crowds, and blowout finales are any indication,

the Mount Si Wildcats are fully up to speed and ready to take on all

comers for this year’s KingCo 3A basketball title.

The team opened the week on Tuesday, Dec. 7, with a thorough

82-44 trashing of Highline. The following Friday the `Cats

“hosted” Sammamish to the tune of a

77-56 Mount Si victory.

In the first game, Mount Si whomped the visiting Pirates,

putting the team at 3-0 and ready for conference play. Junior guard Isaiah

Cormier set the tone for the evening, putting away an astounding 23 points in

the first half, including four 3-pointers in the first quarter. Senior teammate

Jason Arriaga plunked in 17, while Marc Dahm sank 13, and Chris

Kaplan parked 10.

The Wildcats outscored Highline 24-14 in the first, then put together

a 28-5 tear in the second to put the game away.

The hot-shooting Cormier didn’t score a point in the second half,

spending most of it on the bench, but it didn’t matter according to coach

Garrick Phillips.

“He broke out of his slump a little bit,” said the obviously pleased

coach afterwards. “All of the starters sat

the better part of the second half and I played some of the JV team.

They (Highline) were kind of outmanned, and we jumped on them early.”

As for the upcoming league opener, Phillips said it was “going

to be a good game.”

How’s that for understatement?

The pre-season favorite Totems most definitely came out on the

short end of events on a night that saw Mount Si only fall behind once.

That came in early minutes of the game, but senior forward Kaplan

quickly slammed the door with a magnificent jam that tied the game.

“We trailed for the first time all year,” said Phillips this past

Monday. “We were behind 2-0, but Chris took care of that. We ran a back-door

alley- oop to him.

“He hung on the rim, the crowd went wild, and he got a technical,”

the coach added with a laugh.

The `Cats never looked back, surviving two close quarters before

putting Sammamish away with authority.

The game saw a total of five players score in double-digits. Leading

the home team was Arriaga, who dumped in a total of 17 points. Cormier

and freshman Logan Ratcliffe followed with 16, Helgeland scored 11

and Kaplan rang up 10. Marc and Mike Dahm each contributed seven

points while harassing the Totem backcourt.

The first half ended with Mount Si on top, 31-29; but the boys

cranked it up in the third quarter, completely shutting down the Sammamish

offense while going on a 22-4 tear. As with the previous game, coach Phillips

then summoned the reserves. The Totems never quit, scoring 23 points to

Mount Si’s 24 in the final quarter, but the mighty Wildcats had already

determined the evening’s outcome.

“It was pretty exciting,” said an ebullient Phillips. “We took care

of business for sure. However, we did set a precedent. We have to play

them (Sammamish) the last game of the regular season at their place, and

I’m sure they’ll be ready for us.”

This week’s schedule looks tough, with the Wildcats facing Liberty

this past Monday night, followed by Bellevue this Friday. Concerning

the Patriots, Phillips said, “This will be our first road game, so it will be a

little bit of a test for us. We’re looking for a challenge, but at least we’ll get to

finally wear our red uniforms.

“Bellevue will be a tough test,” the coach concluded. “They’re a

tough team, and they’ve got Dan Dicks _ all-state in football _ and he’s a force

in the middle.

“These two games are significant because the schedule puts us

on Christmas break next week. It would be nice to go in with two wins,

sitting atop the conference.”