Daniel Landram is keeping it simple this winter.
The Kentlake High guard doesn’t care how many points he scores this basketball season. Nor does he care about how many rebounds he collects or assists he dishes out.
Landram has just one goal in mind.
“A lot of us want to set a new (school) record,” said Landram, a 6-foot-1 sharpshooter who averaged 13.1 points per game last season. “I just want to make it to state for the first time.”
It’s as simple as that for Landram and the Falcons.
On paper, that state dream might seem a bit far fetched. After all, Kentlake has never qualified for the state tournament, and the Falcons have advanced to the South Puget Sound League tournament just once during the past decade (2007-2008). Yet, a closer look indicates that Kentlake may not be that far off. The Falcons had the fifth-and-final playoff berth from the SPSL North in their grasps last year before dropping two of their final three games, thus finishing in a two-way tie with Jefferson for sixth. Both teams posted identical 7-9 league marks.
That fifth-place team?
Auburn, which despite its 8-8 league mark, ended up advancing all the way to state.
The key this winter for the Falcons will be the one thing they couldn’t deliver a year ago — defense.
“We’re very athletic,” assured Kentlake coach Ron Charrier. “We won’t have problems scoring, but can we stop the other team, get a rebound and stay out of foul trouble? Those are the things we need to work on.”
Stopping the other team, however, proved the most challenging last winter, when Kentlake allowed a league-high 74.6 points per game. Auburn was next closest at 65.8 followed by Tahoma at 64.1.
“It’s definitely going to take better defense,” Landram said. “I feel like last year we weren’t close to where we needed to be to win close games.”
Defense aside, the Falcons have the firepower and athleticism to keep up with any team in the league. In Landram and 6-foot-3 forward Jaron Heck, an honorable mention selection a year ago, the Falcons have one of the top 1-2 punches in the league.
“For us to have success, both of them are going to have to play a pretty big role on both ends of the floor,” Charrier said.
Throw in seniors Sean Hartnett, Brady Johnson, Blake Johnson and multiple-sport standout Austin Pernell into the mix, and the Falcons may be one of the most athletic teams in the league.
“People are excited and working hard,” Landram noted.
And with a single goal in mind.
FALCONS: AT A GLANCE
• COACH: Ron Charrier, 6th year.
• LAST YEAR: 7-9 in league (6th), 8-12 overall.
• TOP RETURNERS: Daniel Landram, sr., guard; Jaron Heck, jr., forward; Brady Johnson, sr., forward; Blake Johnson, sr., forward; Sean Hartnett, sr., forward.
• SIXTH MAN: Austin Pernell, jr., guard.
• STRENGTH: Athleticism, quickness, guard play.
• WEAKNESS: Height, defense.
• LAST STATE APPEARANCE: None.
• OUTLOOK: The Falcons can run the floor with anybody and have enough talent and athleticism to advance to the postseason. The key for this group will be defense and rebounding. If Kentlake can deliver both, it should challenge for one of the final three playoff berths from the SPSL North.
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