Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald

Terrace’s Ryan Shannon (23) blocks Snohomish star guard, Luke Hamlin (12)

in the Mountlake Terrace Holiday Tournament Championship.

Unlike the first short week for the holidays, this was a very exciting one, as it featured the Mountlake Terrace Holiday Tournament. It started with Mountlake Terrace defeating star big man, Ryan Shannon’s old team, Marysville-Pilchuck, 84-50. Then Snohomish beat Mark-Morris 55-51 to set up the dream match-up of two of the top teams in the state for the finals (more on that later).

Also happening this week, Meadowdale pulled out a close win over Stanwood, 49-48 to bring their record back to .500 (6-6). Meadowdale opened the year with one of the worst starts in recent history, starting 0-3. With the loss, Stanwood’s record dropped to 5-5 after starting the year 4-2.

See my player of the week and my WesCo Power Rankings after the jump!

For the first time ever, SeaTown Sports will be doing 1A Washington State Basketball rankings. As far as I know, the only publication that covers 1A power rankings is the Tacoma News Tribune, so this is a first on many levels.

Ranking 1A is tough. There are five prominent 1A leagues around the state that I could choose from to focus on (Emerald City, Cascade, Northwest, Nisqually, Olympic), but I’ve decided to crunch all the leagues together and create statewide power rankings. This is tougher because with me going to Bellevue Christian, I’m unfamiliar with a school like Tenino. But hey, that’s what e-mail and MaxPreps are for.  I’ll be ranking teams every two weeks.

1. Granger, South Central (7-0)

Hands down the top 1A team in the state. The Spartans are led by speedy 5’5” senior Brandon Castro (20.1 PPG) and have crushed everyone in their path, including my number two team, Cashmere. Granger’s average margin of victory is 24 points, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they swept the table. They’re that good.

For Granger to keep this spot, they’ll need to keep blowing out teams by wide margins, as they aren’t really going to face anyone up to their level outside of Naches Valley on January 28^th.

2. Cashmere, Caribou League  (6-1)

If you had asked me a couple week ago who the best 1A basketball team in the state was, I would have immediately said Cashmere. Mitchell Darlington should be all-state this fall, as he’s averaging around 15 points per game and taking control of games. Cashmere is very, very athletic and can run the floor with anyone.

But after they lost 64-56 to Granger, I had to put them down into the number two spot in the power rankings.

3. Bellevue Christian, Emerald City League (7-1)

This 2011-2012 Vikings squad is perhaps the school’s best since 2006 when current Seattle Pacific University starting point guard Jeff Downs led BCS to the state title. Led by seniors Bryce Oldham (12.4 PPG) and Nick Schubert (9.3 PPG), the Vikings have torn through the extremely weak Emerald City League so far, dominating every league game by at least 14 points.

The Vikings also have won every out of league game so far with the exception of yes, Cashmere. Ethan Mitchell hit a double clutch 8-foot game winning jump shot to topple last year’s tournament champs, Cascade Christian 34-33 to give the Vikings a signature win and a reason to be considered as a frontrunner for the championship this year.

4. King’s, Cascade League (5-2)

After suffering heart breaking losses to a tough 3A Evergreen team and a very good Lynden team, the Knights rattled off five straight victories. The team is playing lockdown defense, holding opponents to an average of just forty points and 34% shooting. On the season the Knights are out-rebounding their opponents 196 to 162 and are averaging an incredible 11 steals a game.

King’s is also enjoying a huge year from James McCutchen who is averaging 18.5 points and six rebounds per game. His most impressive stat is that he’s averaging an incredible 62% from three point land. Look for his name in the coming years.

5. Cascade Christian, Nisqually League (2-2)

Yes, I realize that they are 2-2 (two of their games got canceled a couple weeks ago) which isn’t what you want to see from a fifth ranked team. But keep a couple things in mind. One of their losses was to Bellevue Christian in a game where they easily could have won. The other was to 7-0 Chimacum, who may find themselves in these power rankings in the coming weeks.

Cascade Christian plays some of the best defense I’ve ever seen for a high school basketball team, which is the reason they hold opponents to 42 points a game. Their best player is 6’9” power forward Shawn Spencer, who is constantly moving and no other player in the Nisqually League can match his size. He’s an intimidating force that could lead the Cougars back into the top three.

6. Lynden Christian, Northwest Conference (5-1)

7. Zillah, South Central (5-2)

8. Naches Valley, South Central (6-0)

9. Life Christian Academy, Nisqually (8-2)

10. Tenino, Evergreen (5-1)

--Nathan Parsons (@nathanparsons98)

First of all, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, whatever you celebrate this winter season, I hope you had a special time with family and friends. Since it was winter break this week, most teams played just one game, with a few exceptions who played two.

It was generally an unexciting week, with favorites easily winning games. However, on Tuesday, December 20, in what was possibly to most (and possibly only) exciting game of the week, Arlington barely topped Monroe 70-67. Quite simply, the game, between fairly evenly matched teams, came down to a 23 point 3rd quarter by Arlington, and also a 34 point game by Arlington Junior guard, Terry Dawn.

Also worth noting, Marysville-Getchell (in their first year of sports) won their first varsity game in school history, beating Everett 52-40. Brothers Zander and Kaleb Seymer led the team with 15 and 10 points to their first win. 

Player of the Week: Terry Dawn, Junior (Arlington) Dawn had a great game this week, scoring 34 against a pretty solid Stanwood defense, to help lead Arlington to a 70-67 win. Dawn has scored 30 points one other time this year, against Lake Stevens, showing that he score against potent defense. He is second in scoring in WesCo 4A, and has averaged 24.0 ppg. Runner-ups: Luke Hamlin (Snohomish), Ryan Shannon (Mountlake Terrace)

Power Rankings
1. Snohomish (8-0) What else can I say about this team? While being very good, this team still has not dominated, or blown any team out of the water yet. They simply show a line of consistency week after week.
This Week: Mark Morris (5-3)

2. Mountlake Terrace (8-0) The only undefeated WesCo 3A team decided to add to their season dominance by killing Oak Harbor 74-43. It was their 3rd 70+ point game, and 6th win by at least 20 points. This week, they take on Ryan Shannon’s former team, the Tomahawks. This Week:
Marysville-Pilchuck (0-7)

3. Lake Stevens (7-1) This week, Lake Stevens faces their second real challenge of the season, taking on the Edmonds-Woodway Warriors, a team with an identical record. Lake Stevens, in the North Conference, trails only undefeated Snohomish. This Week: Edmonds-Woodway (7-1)

4. Edmonds-Woodway (7-1) Woodway, on the other hand, has not had a real challenge so far this year. They suffered their lone loss against a then-struggling Jackson. Woodway, who has arguably had the easiest schedule in the state up to this point, will need to prove themselves to stay in the race for the state tournament. This Week: Lake Stevens (7-1)

5. Shorewood (6-1) The Thunderbirds have suffered their lone loss against a very potent Mountlake Terrace team, and now they face a (seemingly) very dominant team from California. Honestly however, this game doens’t really matter as it’s not a conference game, and it’s nearly equivalent to when Meadowdale played an Australian team. This Week: El Toro (10-2, Team from California)

6. Shorecrest (5-2) This Week: Kennedy Catholic (4-1)

7. Kamiak (5-2) This Week: Ranier Beach (5-0)

8. Arlington (4-3) This Week: Glacier Peak (5-4)

9. Stanwood (4-3) This Week: Marysville-Getchell (1-8)

10. Glacier Peak (5-4) This Week: Arlington (4-3)

--Austin McDermott (@austin_mcdermot)

Last week’s games showed us why the Metro Division is the most exciting division in the state. Eastside Catholic pulled off the upset against No. 3 O’Dea. The Irish led the entire game until the fourth quarter. Sekou Wiggs missed two key free throws that would have put O’Dea ahead with a 1:00 left; Eastside’s Matt Callans then made a layup to put the Crusaders in the lead. O’Dea was unable to score on their final possession due to the Crusaders stellar defense.

Chief Sealth did the unthinkable and defeated 4A juggernaut Garfield. With No. 3 O’Dea and No. 4 Franklin losing, and Sealth winning, the rankings have definitely shaken up. See my player of the week, predictions, and the power rankings after the jump.

The Eastside Catholic Crusaders basketball team came back from a late deficit to upset the #3 ranked O'Dea Fighting Irish 65-63 Tuesday night at Eastside Catholic High School. The Crusaders and Fighting Irish now both sport 5-2 records, tying them each for second in the Metro Mountain division behind #4 Seattle Prep (5-1).

The Crusaders were led all night by junior Austin Soukup, who led all scorers with 24 points on the night, including six 3-pointers. He came up clutch for the Crusaders, keeping them in it until the end. Soukup tied the game at 63 with 1:30 left. The Fighting Irish got a blocking call on the following play, as star player Sekou Wiggs was sent to the free throw line, as they were in the double-bonus. Wiggs missed the first, and just before he shot his second free throw, Eastside Catholic head coach Bill Liley called a timeout, effectively icing Wiggs. The crowd was into it on the next shot, and Wiggs missed, keeping the score locked at 63 with just over a minute to go.

On the next possesion, EC point guard Matt Callans made a layup to put the crusaders up 65-63 with 52.2 seconds, Ultimately, O'Dea got the chance for one final shot with 7.2 seconds on the clock. After a timeout by each team, Wiggs inbounded the ball and senior guard Jalen Ward drove down the left side of the lane, where he was met by a hoard of Crusader defenders, and was blocked to end the game:



The team and crowd jumped in jubilation and the student section rushed the court. The Crusaders celebrated by cutting down the net on the hoop, as they shared a moment that isn't often witnessed- the Crusaders beating O'Dea.

The Crusaders have a new head coach this season, Bill Liley. Formerly the head coach at King's High School in Seattle, Liley took the Knights to three straight state tournament appearances before coming to the Crusaders this year. Liley has taken the Crusaders to a new level this season. With his upfront approach to managing his squad and his no-nonsense personality, he has the Crusaders in a very good spot. No longer are the Crusaders a team that can be counted out when it comes to the Metro Mountain division.

They have a strong squad with many young players who make a big impact, like starting freshman #15 Mandrell Worthy. Worthy is going to get a lot of looks as he gets older, as he shows a lot of skill and maturity at such a young age. The Crusaders are only going to get better as the season goes on. Just seven games in, they have a long time to shore up any weaknesses that abound during the season.

Look for the Crusaders to make a splash later this season in the Metro League tournament and state playoffs.

(@jimmymichaels1)

It’s week two, and the men are already starting to separate themselves from the boys. The only two undefeated teams remaining are Mountlake Terrace in the 3A conference, and Snohomish in the 4A conference.

This Week’s Top 10:

1. Snohomish (7-0) I dunno how they does it...they just does it. This week Snohomish held Monroe and Marysvilled-Pilchuck, to just 54 points each. Luke Hamlin beat Monroe with a pair of free throws with just 1 second left to win the game. What did I say? Clutch.
This week: Stanwood (4-2)

2. Mountlake Terrace (7-0) When you watch this team, you see that this is a good team. Unlike most teams, where there’s a primary and secondary scorer, this team has had a different top scorer nearly every game. Also, there are about six, yes, six main scorers the Hawks can depend on every night.
This week: Oak Harbor (2-3)

3. Lake Stevens (5-1) After beating Stanwood by seven, Lake Stevens showed endurance and mental toughness, by defeating Arlington in a nail-biter of a game which went down to the last second, with a final score of 72-70.
This week: Marysville-Pilchuck (0-6)

4. Kamiak (5-1) Though having a bit of a tough week, first losing to Jackson by 15 (who’s on a four-game win streak, by the way), Kamiak beat Lynnwood by only 8. Which normally is a solid win, but (no disrespect to Lynnwood) against a team that’s lost by an average of over 20 points per game, it’s a little disappointing.
This week: Edmonds-Woodway (6-1)

5. Edmonds-Woodway (6-1) It felt odd putting Woodway, a six win team, in the middle of the list. That is, until I looked at the list of teams they’ve beaten: Lynnwood, Hazen, Sultan, Meadowdale, Mariner, Cascade — not exactly a list of champions.
This week: Kamiak (5-1)

6. Stanwood (4-2)
This week: Snohomish (7-0)

7. Arlington (3-3)
This week: Monroe (2-3)

8. Shorewood (4-1)
This week: Everett (0-6)

9. Jackson (4-2)
This week: Mariner (0-7)

10. Glacier Peak (4-3)
This week: Lynnwood (1-8)

Player of the week
Michael Washington Jr. (Senior): Now usually I hate giving someone an “award” for a one game performance. But Washington led all scorers in the state Friday night by putting up 41 points in a 66-62 win vs. Everett. And just the day before, he put 21 on the board in a 44-61 loss vs. Shorewood. Runner Ups: Luke Hamlin, Terry Dawn, Jason Todd

We’ve only played two weeks of basketball and the excitement has already built up and it isn’t even the playoffs yet. Last week could have been the week of the upsets. Seattle Prep barely won against Bainbridge.

If it wasn’t for a last second, game-tying three pointer by Ryan Caindec to send the game into overtime, Prep would have fallen to 4-2 and kissed their Metro Mountain title hopes goodbye. Luckily they survived and can move forward. In the game of the week, my prediction of No. 3 O’Dea beating No. 1 Rainier Beach nearly came true. Beach star Anrio Adams controlled this game, but the Irish came back from a seventeen point deficit to take the lead, but lost it in the end.

The surprise of this league has to be Nathan Hale, who keeps winning and moving up in the rankings. See my power rankings, predictions and player of the week after the jump.

After a week of basketball, I can already tell you that this division is up for grabs. No. 1 Seattle Prep, on paper was considered the team that would run away with the division, but they lost their home opener against Rainier Beach last Tuesday. There were a couple more upsets in this division: Eastside knocking off Lakeside and West Seattle beating Bainbridge. This just shows how deep this division is, and how every night you must bring your A-game or else you could easily go home with a loss. Check out my player of the week and my power rankings after the jump.

As the second week of Washington High School basketball begins, it is already obvious in the WesCo conference who will be the dominant few competing for state, and who will be stuck in the cellar for yet another year. WesCo generally has a reputation for a fairly weak conference, although there are several very solid teams this year that may give the Metro powerhouses a run for their money.

Top 10:

1. Snohomish (3-0) Snohomish has started out hot. While not overpowering teams, they have performed consistently, and Luke Hamlin has obliterated opponents, averaging 27.3 points per game. Snohomish will have to either find a secondary scorer to back up Hamlin, (since he can’t dominate every game), or improve their defense in order to stay on top.

2. Kamiak (3-0) Kamiak has averaged 66 points, while holding opponents to just 46.3 points. They most recently obliterated Cascade 90-47. Going into the game, Cascade averaged just under 70 points a game, so Kamiak showed some defensive as well as offensive capabilities.

3. Mountlake Terrace (3-0) The Hawks seem to have a bright future. Off to a hot start, they have one of the best players in the state with Ryan Shannon. This team doesn’t depend on him though, as they’ve had a different high scorer every game. Their defense has held all three teams they’ve played to under 50 points.

4. Arlington (2-1) This week, Arlington had one of the softest schedules a team could ask for: Marysville-Getchell and Lynnwood two of the weakest teams in the conference. That being said, Arlington dominated both teams, winning both games by nearly 20 points. They then lost to Stanwood by 1 in a heart breaker Tuesday, coming up short after leading at the half.

5. Monroe (2-0) In their most recent outing, Monroe had 5 players score at least 12 points. When you have that many scorers on a team, big things can happen. However, the two teams Monroe has beaten (Meadowdale and Marysville-Pilchuck) are both still looking for their first win of the year.
6. Edmonds Woodway (3-1)
7. Stanwood (2-0)
8. Lake Stevens (2-1)
9. Shorewood (1-0)
10. Glacier Peak (2-1)

Player of the Week: Luke Hamlin, Snohomish (Senior)

Hamlin opened the season with Snohomish against Mount Vernon, and absolutely dominated them. He totaled 31 points, including 10 in the 4th quarter. He shot 9-18 from the field, along with going 13-17 on free throws. But that’s not all. Three days later, Hamlin scored 26 points against Woodinville, this time putting 14 on the board in the 4th quarter. On Tuesday night, Hamlin tacked on another 25 in a win against Lake Stevens. In just the first two games, 24 of his 57 points have come in the 4th quarter. Is it just me, or does something about this just scream “clutch”?

Honorable Mentions: Zach Pederson (Glacier Peak), Terry Dawn (Arlington)

High School basketball has finally arrived and SeaTown Sports will be providing weekly coverage of one of the top leagues in the state, the Metro League. The Seattle Times preseason 3A poll ranked Seattle Prep at No. 1, Rainier Beach at No. 3, O'Dea at No. 4 and Franklin at No. 9. This year the Metro Division is also stacked with talent, including four of the top 10 players in the state according to SeaTown Sports' player rankings: No. 1 Anrio Adams, No. 4 Mitch Brewe, No. 5 Sekou Wiggs, and No. 7 DJ Fenner. 

Here are my preseason predictions:

1^st Team All-Metro: G Anrio Adams (Rainier Beach), G Arell Hennings (Franklin), F Sekou Wiggs (O’Dea), F DJ Fenner (Seattle Prep), C Mitch Brewe (Seattle Prep)

Metro Champ: Seattle Prep- This team has the most talent in division and depth and are a favorite to win this year’s 3A State Title.

See power rankings and predictions for this upcoming week after the jump.