LC boys’ season comes to an end

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It didn’t take La Center coach Jon Schroeder long after his team’s season came to an end Saturday to focus on the many positives of the Wildcats’ season.

“I don’t care what level you are on, it’s always tough to exit the playoffs and realize your season is done,’’ said Schroeder, referring to his team’s 60-42 loss to Lynden Christian Saturday at Tumwater High School. “But, this was a really special group of young men. There was just a real strong togetherness they had with each other and they continued to foster that and build upon that throughout the season.’’

The loss to the Lyncs ended La Center’s participation in the Class 1A boys state playoffs in the regional round of the final 16 teams. The Wildcats finished the season with a 14-9 overall record.

“We had a lot of fun from a coaching standpoint,’’ said Schroeder, referring to himself and assistant coach Kris Small. “We finished 14-9 so it’s the third year in a row we finished on the plus side of the win column. The previous two years we were third in league and this year we finished second in league. We played for the district championship and got back to the state round of 16.

“You take a look at the three years together and this year, they accomplished a lot of positive things,’’ Schroeder said of his players. “They laid another piece of the foundation for success in the future we’re working on for the La Center basketball program.’’



In Lynden Christian, La Center ran into a talented opponent that featured two standout performers. The Lyncs’ duo of Zach Roetcisoender (25 points) and Cody Fransen (16) combined for 41 of their team’s 60 points.

“You run into that this time of year,’’ Schroeder said of the Lynden Christian duo.

The Lyncs’ size and athleticism wreaked havoc for La Center’s offense, including the Wildcats’ top duo – seniors Will Rice and Wyatt Aguirre. Rice finished with nine points and Aguirre scored seven, which helped him top the 1,000-point plateau in his La Center career.

“They had some really nice pieces to their team,’’ Schroeder said of Lynden Christian. “They matched up well with our to guys, Will and Wyatt. Their whole game plan was to make life really miserable for them and wear them throughout the game and their kids did that.’’