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CEDAR CREEK — The Eagles made their second consecutive playoff appearance this winter, but their postseason run abruptly ended with a first-round loss to Weiss.
Still, Cedar Creek varsity basketball Head Coach Chris Young took pride in his team’s efforts during his inaugural campaign at the helm.
“I thought we had a good year,” Young said. “We started off with some tournaments and got humbled a little bit, but that’s what we needed. We had a tightknit group that really liked playing with each other.”
Cedar Creek began the season 7-10 after a challenging slate in tournament play, including three straight losses during the Eagle Shootout.
The Eagles, however, rallied to close out the regular season with 13 victories in their final 17 games.
Young credited the turnaround to his players fully embracing his system.
“I think our kids just bought in,” he added. “It took a couple of months, but then we’d watch film, and I’d ask, ‘Guys, are you seeing the same thing I’m seeing? This is what we need to do to be successful.’ The kids really started to see that, which took our game to another level.”
The season also featured a major milestone for senior guard Kenji Franklin, who surpassed 2,000 career points.
“For our kids, that was a huge feat because they put in the work every day and see Kenji grinding,” Young said. “When we were able to celebrate one of our own who has put in a lot of work, it was a really big deal. It just shows that we can accomplish big things at Cedar Creek if we put in the time and effort.”
Looking to next year, Young stated that this season’s success may spur more interest in the program.
“Now that more kids have seen the success we’ve had, more want to be a part of the program,” he said. “We’re just looking to fight every day, no matter who we’re playing. I want our team to be scrappy and make it tough on every opponent. I think we have the makeup to do that.”
