The basketball court at Cedarcrest High School has been a virtual stomping grounds for seniors Molly Hammontree, Courtney McKinney, Sarah Stauffer and Kailyn Campbell.

For four years, these four seniors have started on varsity. This year could well be their year, to do things the Red Wolf girls team has never done.

“We want to be the first Cedarcrest girls team to win the league championship, and the first to go to state in the history of the school,” says head coach Brad Knowles, a former Mercer Island and Mount Si AU coach who’s helmed the program for two years.

To get there, he’s counting on his eight varsity returners, who bring two to three years of varsity experience apiece.

“We’ve got speed, we’ve got height,” says Knowles. His team had a good opener last week against Squalicum, winning with a 30-point lead.

“The girls are ready to play,” the coach added. “We’ve been working hard.”

Last year’s push to districts was fine, but McKinney’s got bigger goals like state in sight.

“We hold ourselves accountable in practice, and work hard against each other to get better,” the senior says.

With their time on varsity, “we’ve helped build up the program,” says Campbell. “It’s been through hard work.”

Campbell, a post and the tallest varsity Red Wolf, is personally working to rebound and score when she gets the shot.

She wants to see this team beat its league and district rivals, Archibishop Murphy and Lynden.

“We’re really fast,” she says. “We can run teams to death. They get really tired.”

Hammontree, who spent the fall hustling as a cross country athlete, says basketball is the most team-oriented sport she plays.

“It’s a camaraderie thing,” she said. “We’ve played together since fifth grade. We’re really close.”

Cedarcrest girls basketball events

Friday, Dec. 7

• Cedarcrest hosts Coupeville, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 11

• Cedarcrest at South Whidbey, 7 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 14

• Cedarcrest hosts Sultan, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 18

• Cedarcrest at Archbishop Murphy, 7 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 28

• Cedarcrest at Bellingham, 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 2

• Cedarcrest hosts Granite Falls, 7 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 4

• Cedarcrest at Kings, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 8

• Cedarcrest hosts Lakewood, 7 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 11

• Cedarcrest at Coupeville, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 15

• Cedarcrest hosts South Whidbey, 7 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 18

• Cedarcrest at Sultan, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 22

• Cedarcrest hosts Archbishop Murphy, 7 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 25

• Cedarcrest at Granite Falls, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 29

• Cedarcrest hosts Kings, 7 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 1

• Cedarcrest at Lakewood, 7 p.m.