Mount Si’s boys opened league play last week, proving why they could be one of the best in the state.

The Wildcats, ranked tenth in last week’s Seattle Times 3A state high school boys basketball poll, showed they deserved the honor last Tuesday, Dec. 9, as they took care of the Liberty Patriots in the league opener for both teams.

Junior Tanner Riley scored 24 points as the Wildcats used a 22-0 run to end the first quarter and set the tone in a 68-46 win.

Zander Nelson added 12 points to pace Mount Si. Connor Sjolander scored 13 fourth-quarter points to lead Liberty.

The Patriots blew out to a quick 7-2 lead, only to see the Wildcats go on that aforementioned run and take command. Liberty made it close going into halftime, but Mount Si used clutch shooting and timely free throws in the third quarter to put it enough out of reach that coach Jeff D’Ambrosio was able to get reserves such as Spencer MacEwan and Tucker Edwards-King quality playing time in the final stanza, and they made the most of the opportunity. That could pay big dividends down the road in terms of developing depth, which will be key if the Wildcats want to make state, considering the extreme toughness of Bellevue and the several teams from the Metro League who look to be state-caliber this season.

Last Friday, Dec. 12, the Wildcats hosted the Sammamish Totems in what was expected to be a key early season test for this great Mount Si boys’ team. The game turned out to be that test, and then some, as the Wildcats had to survive a spirited Sammamish effort and an entertaining last frame to take the victory.

Riley scored 33 as Mount Si beat Sammamish 72-59.

“It was a good fourth quarter,” D’Ambrosio said. “All the hard work’s starting to pay off.”

The game was intense throughout, but especially so in the fourth quarter. It started with 6:56 left, with a lively confrontation between Zupan and Sammamish’s star post, senior David Wink, the former Wildcat. Both players were assessed technical fouls, then Wink got to shoot free throws as Riley was assessed a separate foul; Wink hit one of those two attempts. Later, with 4:02 left, referees assessed Wink a second technical foul, resulting in his ejection from the contest. However, technical fouls count as personal fouls, and this second technical was his fifth personal foul, so he fouled out anyway. He left with 11 points.

Mount Si then used free throws down the stretch to seal it up, and Riley finished it off with a dunk with 45 seconds left.

Mount Si was aided by 13 from Dallas Smith, and 12 from Zander Nelson.

Mount Si makes their way up to north Seattle Thursday, Dec. 18, for a game with Lakeside School. Game time is 7:30 p.m.