LYNNWOOD — There’s a little bit of a buzz on the campus of Lynnwood High School these days.
If the members of the Lynnwood boys basketball team have a little extra spring in their step, it’s perfectly understandable.
The perennial 3A underdogs have turned the tables on their larger Western Conference 4A South Division counterparts.
The Royals not only are headed to the district playoffs, but they are wrapping up the most successful season in coach Landon Porter’s six-year tenure.
Despite Tuesday’s 54-48 loss to crosstown rival Meadowdale, Lynnwood is 13-4 in the league and 14-5 overall and remained in sole possession of second place in the South Division. The Royals never finished above .500 in Porter’s five previous seasons and had struggled before he arrived.
Lynnwood senior co-captain Brennen Grubb said he isn’t surprised by the Royals’ success this season.
“I wasn’t really expecting anything less than this,” he said. “It was a goal everyone wanted to be — at least to be in the top three.”
An added bonus is that Lynnwood will be hosting a first-round district playoff game on Wednesday, Feb. 15 before heading to Squalicum High School for the remainder of the Northwest District 3A tournament.
Having that home game was a goal for the Royals.
“It’s a big thing for our program,” Porter said. “Now we’re here. We’ve done it. We can do it again.”
For many of the players, this is their fifth year playing together, having played together in middle school. The closeness of the team is a major reason for Lynnwood’s success.
“We’re having so much fun,” senior guard Amar Prasad said. “We’ve known each other for so long. We’ve played summer ball together. It’s carried on to a winning season.”
When Porter took over the program, he told his coaching staff it was going to take at least four years to get everything set in place. Porter said it ended up taking closer to six years because he spent the first two years trying to figure out how he wanted to set up his program.
Porter has known most of this year’s players since junior high and has worked with them in camps.
“Our system is installed,” Porter said. “I know we’re going to be a very competitive team every year.”
Lynnwood’s junior varsity team is above .500 and the freshman team is 14-4.
“It’s a real turning point and a big focal point for us,” Porter said of Lynnwood’s success this season. “This is when it really gets fun.”
The Royals are led by twins Jeremy and Nathan Rudd, who are averaging 15.3 and 13.3 points per game, respectively.
The two played well at last year’s district tournament, Porter said. The twins’ speed and explosiveness could give Lynnwood’s opponents some trouble.
“With our style of offense, if they (opponents) choose to go man to man, we could give them some issues,” Porter said. “No one runs that style of offense up there.”
Grubb, who averages 9.2 points, noted that even if teams key on the Rudds, other players will step up.
“We still have Amar, me, Chris Matzen,” Grubb said. “We have depth on our bench in Conner (Milne) and Garrett (Dill) … our bench is one of the best in the league.”
Playing in the Wesco 4A South Division is a distinct advantage for Lynnwood as it heads into the playoffs.
Not only are the teams tough, but they are well-coached, which forces Porter and his staff to make adjustments on the fly.
The Royals should expect a different type of atmosphere up north, Porter said. In addition, players from the smaller towns tend to gel together well.
“The small town kids grew up together,” Porter said. “They know which players to go in crunch time.”
Lynnwood can secure a berth to state with a pair of victories to start the tournament. Otherwise the Royals would have to battle their way through the loser’s bracket.
Should Lynnwood advance to state, it will be because of the bond that has developed between the players.
“It’s heart that counts and coming together as a team,” Prasad said.
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