Lions strive to strengthen basketball community in Moses Lake

Nov. 25—MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Christian Covenant School Lions boys basketball team has set its sights on another successful season but have also set a community goal to build up basketball in Moses Lake.

"We accomplished most of what we wanted to do (last season) which was to win our league and to win districts," said Emerson Ferguson, head coach for the Lions. "We fell short of winning at regionals... so that kind of left a bad taste in our mouths so we're working really hard to make sure it doesn't happen this year."

The Lions finished the last season with a 20-5 record going undefeated in league matchups and taking first in the Central Washington B District 5 tournament. At state, the Lions made it all the way to the quarterfinals before falling to Almira/Coulee Hartline.

This season will see MLCA/CCS returning most of their key players after graduating only one senior in the offseason. Of those returning, five are seniors, Max Gulenko, Johnny Ferguson, James Robertson, Dennis Gulenko and Treyson Kast, giving the team a strong group of experienced players who have been in the state tourney, said Ferguson.

"Most of them have been in the program since they were either freshmen or eighth grade, so definitely a lot of experience (and) a lot of games won," he said.

In preparation for the start of the season, Ferguson said the Lions are focused on working towards playing a full four quarters in each game, which was something the team struggled with in the postseason.

"Every game that we lost in the postseason, we played great except for maybe one quarter or half a quarter and it ended up costing us," he said. "Playing our type of basketball for four quarters is going to be the goal and the emphasis."

The feelings of how the last season ended are what have fueled the preseason practices so far and the players are using that as motivation to prevent the season from ending that way this year, said Ferguson.

One of the greatest challenges the Lions will face this season is that all the teams in the league are also returning all their players from last year.

"All the top teams are going to be just as tough as they were last year, including us, so if we want to achieve the goals that we're setting, we're going to have to beat them," said the coach.

This year Ferguson said he is really looking forward to how strong both the prospective squads for MLCA/CCS and Moses Lake High School will be and wants to use this season as an opportunity to challenge the community to come out and support both teams.

This season, the Lions are going to make an effort to go out and watch MLHS when they play at home and has invited MLHS to do the same as they work to just build up the basketball community in Moses Lake, he said.

"I just want this town to really be rocking when it comes to basketball this season because I think they're going to be able to watch a really good show," said Ferguson. "I think that's the big thing is to pack the gyms, come show your support, give us a home court advantage and let us do the rest."

The Lions' first game of the season will be at home to host Entiat on Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m.