Royals upend Warriors

Neither coach in last week’s clash between Edmonds-Woodway and Lynnwood left the gym elated, but Darrell McNeal of the Royals probably felt a little better than his counterpart.

Simi Fajemisin and Anthony Edwards combined for 29 points to lead Lynnwood to a 55-52 victory over the Warriors in a back-and-forth Western Conference South Division boys basketball game Jan. 14 at Edmonds-Woodway High School.

Edmonds-Woodway jumped out to a 15-12 lead in the first quarter but saw the Royals bounce back in the second quarter to take a 28-26 halftime advantage and then extend the lead to 42-34 into the fourth quarter. The Warriors rallied to take the advantage in the final period before Lynnwood countered, eventually securing the victory.

“We played good in spurts,” McNeal said. “We tended not to control the tempo at times and it kind of played in their favor. We were able to make a run at the end and bounced back. … When it came down to the stretch, I was real pleased at being able to execute offensively.”

Edmonds-Woodway coach Todd Rubin didn’t see the crisp play he wanted from his squad.

“We played all right,” he said. “We were still not executing a lot of the things that we’re trying to do on offense. Defensively, we’re not playing as hard as we can. We’re a step behind in everything.”

The Warriors were missing two starters: leading scorer Josh Jordan and guard Canon Rupple. Jordan, who’s been averaging 13 points per game, suffered a cut to the hand during practice. Rupple is dealing with a shoulder injury. Jordan is expected back in a week or two. Rupple’s shoulder was being evaluated by his doctor, according to Rubin.

The second-year Edmonds-Woodway coach didn’t use injuries as an excuse, though. Jordan and Ruple’s replacements are more than capable of filling in.

“All these guys practice and play together. The expectations stay the same,” Rubin said.

Edmonds-Woodway opened the New Year with a victory over Kamiak but has since lost three straight, including games to Shorewood and Glacier Peak.

“I don’t think we’ve really played well the last couple of weeks,” Rubin said. “We’re just trying to figure it out. A lot of it is that we don’t understand the effort level and intensity that it takes to go out and win. It’s got to be a collective effort.”

The Warriors did have good balance on offense with Andy Willcock leading the way with 13 points. Joe Degrazia added 12 points and Ryan Bury had 10.

McNeal was impressed with Edmonds-Woodway’s physical play.

“They don’t back down. They don’t stop,” he said. “They’re hard defensively. They come at you really aggressively. … (Edmonds-Woodway) is going to be competitive once they get their other guys back.”

Lynnwood was coming off a 57-51 loss to crosstown rival Meadowdale earlier in the week. The Mavericks handed first-place Jackson its only loss of the season.

“I was very pleased,” McNeal said of the Royals’ performance. “We’re still learning. My kids aren’t as experienced as (Meadowdale coach Chad) McGuire’s kids. We’re learning and getting better.”

Fajemisin was the lone player with any varsity experience for Lynnwood. So it’s natural that opposing teams have focused their efforts on shutting down the University of San Diego recruit.

“He’s played hard,” McNeal said. “Teams are really keying on him. It’s forcing other guys to step up. It’s been a challenge.”

The Lynnwood senior center, who scored a game-high 15 points against Edmonds-Woodway, still is averaging 13 points a game, second on the team to Edwards, who averages 15 points. Edwards had 14 points against the Warriors and 16 against Meadowdale.

The junior point guard is making the most of his first year on varsity.

“He’s really been a nice addition to what we have,” McNeal said. “He is able to shoot the ball, He’s able to get to the hole. He plays defense. … He’s really stepped up and playing the role we need to have not only as a ball handler and as a scorer.”

What McNeal wants to see from the rest of the team is more production offensively to support Fajemisin and Edwards.

“We need some solid scoring to help add to what those two are doing,” McNeal said.

All of the 3A teams in the league advance to the district tournament. The regular season record will determine seeding. Lynnwood finished the week 4-6 in the league (fourth among the four 3A teams) and 4-7 overall.

The top three 4A teams earn district berths, while the fourth place team plays a pigtail game against a North Division team. Edmonds-Woodway (3-6, 5-6) is in fourth place among the 4A squads.