Not many people expected the Cascade Christian Cougars boys basketball team to be a contender to reach the Class 1A state tournament this March in Yakima.

The Cougars, whose top three scorers graduated last year after they led the team to the state title, were expected to fall back to the middle of the pack.

Instead, they’ve proven to be a top-notch opponent.

The Cougars (11-5 overall) are in the hunt for  a Nisqually League title, and head coach Jerry Williams made sure his team is prepared for the stretch run with a formidable non-league schedule. Cascade Christian played a plethora of competitive 3A and 4A teams and went .500 in non-league play.

“We had eight non-league games against some very tough teams,” Williams said. “To come out of that with a 4-4 record is pretty good. They were all upper-division teams. We had, by far, the toughest non-league schedule of any team in the Class 1A division in the state. One of our biggest wins was against (3A) Auburn Mountainview, who were ranked No. 11 in the state.”

One of the Cougars’ most impressive performances came in a 63-43 loss against the defending 3A state-champion Lakes Lancers on Jan. 14.

“We lost by 20 points, but I was really proud of how hard we fought,” Williams said. “It was a seven- or eight-point game for most of the way. It was a great effort.”

Williams said the key to the Cougars’ success is their relentless pressure in their zone defense.

“We’re not going to flatter anyone with our offense,” he said. “The way we are playing in our zone is unbelievable right now. The guys are starting to understand how to play together.

“AJ (Howells) is leading the charge in the front, and Shawn (Spencer) is underneath the basket, directing traffic like a general out there. He directs everyone on where to go and helps our defense get out to the shooters. It’s a lot of fun watching our defense mature and get better.”

Williams isn’t ready yet to predict that his team will return to the state tournament in Yakima, but he’s confident in his team’s abilities.

“I think we have a shot,” he said. “It is still a long road. We’ve just got to keep improving every single practice and every single game. How we play down the stretch will be critical for us.”

The Cougars don’t rebuild, they reload. The program hasn’t missed a beat, and that is a testament to the hard work and diligence of everyone involved with the program.



Sports Editor Shaun Scott can be reached at 253-841-2481, ext. 316, or by email at shaun.scott@puyallupherald.com.