City of Basketball Love

Michael Bullock (@thebullp_n)
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(Ed. Note: This article is part of CoBL's "Prepping for Preps," our series of articles previewing area high school teams for the 2015-16 season. For the complete list of schools previewed so far, click here)

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LEBANON — At various times during the past two seasons — whether after a monumental victory or leading up to a particular contest — Tom Smith talked openly about having a basketball program in place at Cedar Crest.

When you cultivate a passionate fan base at the suburban Lebanon school while accomplishing some things that hadn’t been done in nearly 40 years — such as capturing a Lancaster-Lebanon League postseason title in 2014 — the former Falcons point guard was speaking confidently yet with plenty of validity.

These days, despite losing nearly 20 seniors from remarkably successful outfits that experienced plenty of memorable moments the past two seasons while winning time after time after time, Smith’s Falcons are going through a transition phase.

Not rebuilding, mind you.

Smith’s Falcons are transitioning after piling up 53 victories the past two seasons, collaring a pair of L-L postseason titles, reaching two District 3-AAAA championship games and twice advancing to the second round of the PIAA Class AAAA tournament, yet his largely untested group isn’t about to back away from the sizable expectations they’ve put in front of themselves following two splendid runs.

In fact, they’re determined to prove there’s a basketball program firmly in place at the suburban Lebanon school and The Cage is still a mighty difficult place to play.

“We’ve got two guys coming back with experience,” said Smith, who will enter his sixth year at his alma mater with a 79-54 record. “We’ve got some three-year players, but not with real true game experience. So young squad, especially as far as experience goes.

“We also have a lot of young players, so it’s been a different type of year for me,” Smith continued. “Last year, I kind of had the keys to a Cadillac and this year we’re starting with training wheels all over again. It’s been fun, nonetheless.

“The kids are working extremely hard and they want to be good.”

And with the remarkably talented Evan Horn still around to take charge on the floor — and in the Crest locker room — Smith’s upbeat Falcons (27-4, 14-2 in L-L Section 1) have the right guy in place to make things run smoothly and put Crest in position to win.

A terrific three-sport athlete with scholarship offers in basketball (Holy Cross) and football (Temple, Bucknell), Horn is a relentless on-ball defender who can finish (11.6 ppg), facilitate (3.5 apg, 2.2 spg) and get to the glass (6.9 rpg).

Quite simply, the 6-1 senior makes plays — all over the court.

“[Horn] does what we need to do to win,” Smith remarked. “It may not be scoring 20 a night, but he accepts any and all challenges. And that’s what I think makes him special. He doesn’t care about any accolades; he wants to win.

“That’s the only thing he cares about.”

Yet even though Horn is determined to keep the positive results piling up at Crest, he’s fully aware of the sizable challenge ahead and what needs to be done.

“Definitely leading by example,” Horn admitted. “A bunch of these young guys — we had 10 seniors last year — have seen the success that we had but they haven’t actually lived it. And that’s one thing they’re really looking forward to doing.

“I think they want to work hard, yet I’ve got to make sure they understand the lesson that it’s not just gonna happen. You gotta go out and get it. The seniors last year worked so hard for it and we wanted to go far and everything and we earned it.

“These guys have to realize that we’re not gonna surprise anyone any more,” Horn continued. “Everyone knows that we’re someone on the rise and we’re there and you’ve got to put the work in if you expect to win.”

Smith, obviously, could gush for hours about his senior backcourt star’s qualities — tangible or otherwise.

“Evan was born a leader. Whether he wanted to be a leader or not, he was just born with all the characteristics of a leader,” Smith cracked. “I just don’t think the kids want to disappoint him. When your best player is truly your hardest worker, you’re in for good things and that’s what we have.”

While Horn undoubtedly will be priority No. 1 when opposing L-L Section 1 coaching staffs are devising their game plans, burly 6-4 senior Raymie Ferreira (6.4 ppg) will be No. 2 — particularly since he’ll be moving into a much-bigger role after spending the past two seasons hopping off the Falcons bench.  

Regardless, Ferreira has seen plenty of floor time at critical moments. Particularly when the Falcons were making their back-to-back postseason advances.

Senior guards Iziah Trimble, Kobe Bolanos and Evan Dissinger also were part of Crest’s late-season rosters, but were deep reserves.

“Me and Raymie are the only ones that have been part of that for real,” Horn said matter-of-factly. “[The others have] got to understand that in past years we had that, but none of you guys have been a part of that and they have no room to back off.”

Regardless of the numbers lost the past two seasons, Smith believes the youngsters on hand have the ability to thrive in Crest’s dribble-drive attack as well as the high-pitched, in-your-grill defensive approach the Falcons employ from start to finish.

Two juniors, 5-10 Tate Seyfert and 6-0 Javin Joseph, have impressed Smith thus far. So has a trio of sophomores — 6-3 Cole Laney, 5-9 Dylan Miller and 6-0 Blake Thomson. A number of others also are vying for playing time in Crest’s system.

“With all the inexperience that we have, competition has been the more the merrier to this point. There’s spots to be had,” Smith admitted. “With our style of play, we play eight to 11 people. It’s worked out well for us.

“The nice thing the last two years is we knew we had the pieces, we had the 10 guys that could play that style at that tempo and were unselfish kids,” Smith continued. “I didn’t know, because we lost all those guys, but this summer it just reaffirmed that we could play the same way with the kids we have.”

Plus …

“We talked about building a program,” Smith said. “They understand what our expectations are. We talked all summer long that we’re not lowering the bar. So it’s their job to meet the expectations and to get there.

And those expectations include capturing a third straight L-L Section 1 title — even though Hempfield and McCaskey may have something to say about that — winning another L-L tournament crown and contending in the District 3-AAAA playoffs.

Crest reached the last two District 3-AAAA finals, losing twice to York High. Smith’s Falcons also played in states twice, falling to eventual state runner-up La Salle College HS in 2014 and eventual state champion Roman Catholic last season.

A non-league slate featuring Central York and Harrisburg-area sides Central Dauphin East, Central Dauphin and either Hershey or Camp Hill should help prepare.

Departures aside, nothing has changed.

“Even though we lost 10 great seniors, we’re bringing in some kids that can play basketball a little bit,” Smith said. “I don’t think at the same level consistently yet, but they’re going to play with the effort those kids played with.

“It’s gonna be a fight every night, I can tell you that.”

Particularly since defending the Crest program’s status is at stake.

“And that’s it,” Smith admitted. “These guys, even though a lot of them weren’t part of being a champion last year, they think they are. And they’re going to carry that with them every game, that chip on their shoulder. They’ve got the mentality that we’re the best until someone beats us. That’s all I can ask for.

“They’re practicing that way and, like I said, they want to be good — and that’s the first step.”