The Cedar Park Christian boys basketball team has seen consistent regular season success during five years under head coach Adam Lynch. Last year the team was just one win and a half-court shot from the state tournament. The team also posted an impressive 9-3 in-league record. But the Bothell team has not made the state tournament under Lynch, a fact that the players plan to rectify this season.

“We should have gone deeper into the postseason last year,” said Lynch. “We have a history of getting knocked out at districts. We are capable of doing it, all the pieces are there.”

The move from the Emerald City League to the Nisqually League was big for Cedar Park Christian. It elevates the team to the 1A level of play. For boys basketball, the move means tougher competition but a greater opportunity to show how good they can be.

“It is a tough league from top to bottom,” said Lynch.

The league includes Bellevue Christian, which won the state title last year, and top programs such as Cascade Christian, Seattle Christian and Eatonville.

But that regular season challenge might be what the team needs to progress through the post season.

“We want to place at state, finish in the top eight,” said senior forward and team co-captain Evan Scholten.

The Eagles return nine players, including two all-league selections and Lynch said that the team has good balance overall. Junior guard Trey Drechsel will be a big weapon for the team.

“He is a scorer and he can really shoot it,” said Lynch. “He can score off the dribble and is really good at taking charges.”

Cedar Park will also get the services of senior guard Luke Saufferer, a 2011 transfer from Jackson High School, who was denied eligibility last season.

“We almost have too much depth and we have learned how to use it,” said senior co-captain Anthony Almeida. “We can also be too aggressive at times.”

But all the players have showed that they want the same thing out of this season.

“We return a lot of our guys,” said Scholten. “Everyone has put a lot of time and commitment into the team and each other.”

The squad entered a few off-season tournaments and were highly successful. They defeated 3A level Juanita, 4A Woodinville and 4A Monroe. The team lost to perennial power Rainier Beach but was able to take a lot away from the game.

“We played two tough tournaments and had a lot of success,” said Almeida.

Cedar Park will play four non-league games this season, including the Cactus Jam tournament in Arizona against bigger schools from around the country.

The team gets even more experience with an open gym to the community. The team plays pick-up games against adults.

But Lynch wants his players to learn more than how to get to state during this season.

“We want to teach life lessons through basketball,” said Lynch. “We want them to play hard and be unselfish. Our focus is to honor the Lord with our play. We always break our huddle with ‘for Him.’”