Cedar Park Has Grown Up From Nothing

Fourteen years ago, all they needed at Cedar Park Christian School was a kindergarten teacher and a rec room with a carpeted floor.

The staff, as the student body, has grown at the private school housed in the Cedar Park Assembly of God Church in Bothell. The rec room, which doubles as the elementary school gym, complete with its carpeted floor, remains. Only now the younger kids have to make way during the winter for the high school girls basketball team, which uses the facility for practice.

For games, the team plays off-campus in elementary school facilities.

“The conditions,” acknowledged athletic director Annette Duvall, “are far from ideal.”

It’s understandable the Eagles, with three freshmen and three sophomores among nine players, were awe-struck when they stepped into the Arena on Wednesday for their first-round game in the State B Tournament.

“I think they believed they belonged,” said assistant coach Sara Raynor, but when they hit the court for the first time, “it was hard to believe they were here.”

The Eagles were not only overcome by stage fright, but by a seasoned Manson club that took them to school, 62-32.

Raynor, a University of Washington sophomore who is listed as the assistant under her mother, Judy, the head coach, actually does most of the coaching. She said she told the players “I was proud of them, and that we’re still in it” for a trophy.

Indeed, the girls, who produced the school’s first state tournament team, have much of which they can be proud.

Cedar Park was founded as a kindergarten with six kids. Each year, a grade was added until last year, when it had its first high school graduating class. Nine graduated. This year there will be 18. The junior class has 35 members.

The varsity basketball program started with sophomores four years ago. Two years ago, the team won two games. Last year, the Eagles won 16. This year, the Raynors took over “and we’re at state,” said Duvall.

“When I came in 1995, we had six sports for middle school and high school. Now we have 21. It’s been a case of supply and demand. When they’ve showed an interest, we’ve added a team.

“I’ve been in athletics all my life, but I’ve never been involved in developing anything like this.

“We’re doing really well,” she said. “God has really blessed us.

“But I can’t take any credit for the girls getting here. They deserve that.”

And a gym of their own, too. Duvall said that’s on the drawing board.

A game of inches

Not only are these the state’s smallest schools, but the rosters seem to be dotted by some of the smallest players.

Sarah Buehler of Wahkiakum and Tara Smith of Cedar Park are the tall and short of it. Buehler stands 6-foot-3, Smith 5-0.

There are 11 players who stand 6-0 or taller - four teams have two each - but nine teams don’t have a 6-footer.

Coming prepared

Playing in the Arena, with wide-open spaces between the stands and courts, can create perception - read that shooting - problems for the players.

In an effort to give his team an idea of what they’d find, Wahkiakum coach Ed Bate took the Mules to Battleground for a shootaround.

“It’s similar to this,” said Buehler, who had 16 points and 17 rebounds.

Buehler didn’t feel she had any problems - she was 8 of 15 from the floor - “except for my free throws,” where she was 0 for 2.

A tribute to Wright

The little blue ribbons you see being worn around the Arena are in memory of longtime former broadcaster and B Tournament contributor Dick Wright, who died last month from cancer.

A tribute to Wright is printed in this year’s tournament program.

The ribbons emerged, said Wright’s daughter, Kay McGlocklin, last week at the Northwest District B Tournament.

“Wilbur-Creston started it,” she said.

Wright was a B Tournament sponsor for the team. As a special tribute, some of the players broke out the warm-up T-shirts they wore last year that read “We love Dick & Jeannie.” A No. 1 adorns the back.

Wright’s wife, Jeannie, who remains Wilbur-Creston’s sponsor, sat on the bench with the Wildcats on Wednesday.

“Just a lot of people are wearing them,” McGlocklin said of the ribbons. Even Wilbur-Creston rivals.

“Tony (Vostral) from Ritzville told me, ‘we’ll do anything for Dick.’ It’s just wild.”

Even Wright is adorned with one.

“I put one on his Hall of Fame plaque” on the Arena concourse, McGlocklin said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo