Entering his final year of prep basketball, Mountlake Terrace Hawk big man Shimron Masih has big goals — for himself and his team.

The 6-4 post player and his Hawk teammates tip-off their 2015-2016 season on Tuesday, Dec. 1, with a road match-up against the Monroe Bearcats; game time is 7:15 p.m.

Masih is looking to take up this season where he left off for Terrace last year — improving his game offensively, defensively and mentally.

“I felt like I was getting better in having confidence,” Masih said of his season last year. “I got more comfortable with playing full-time varsity ball.”

Though a senior now, Masih is still relatively new to the game of basketball; he wore a team jersey for the first time in seventh grade at Brier-Terrace Middle School. “Honestly, all my friends were playing it, so I said ‘why not’ and hopped on,” he explained.

Masih picked up the game quickly and has shown improvement on the court each year since. As a junior last year he averaged 6.5 points per game, with a season-best of 15 points in a Terrace loss to West Seattle on Dec. 29.

His on-the-court goals for this year are more ambitious. “I want to be around a double-double (double figures in points and rebounds) per game,” he stated. “I want to be first team or honorable mention All-Wesco.”

Improvement over last year is a goal not just for Masih, but for the entire Hawk team. Terrace’s mark of 6-14 was the first losing record for Terrace since the 2007-2008 squad went 7-14. But Masih believes the current Hawks have already shown growth from where they were last year.

“Honestly, we were a young team last year but we’ve grown older this year,” he said. “I feel we’ve come together this year — we have more chemistry this year. We also have a better feel for the game.”

The Hawks lost only two starters — Ryan Lacasse and Justin Hopkins — from last year’s squad, making it one of the more experienced teams in the Wesco League 3A South Conference this year. In a pre-season poll, coaches put Terrace in the middle of the pack behind conference favorites Glacier Peak and Edmonds-Woodway.

In addition to Masih, the Hawks return seniors Gabe Altenberger and Derek Anyimah for the 2015-2016 season; both averaged just under 12 points per game last year. Others back from last year’s squad include Daniel Johnson, Gabriel Powter and Joey Gardner.

New additions to the team this year include 6-4 junior Carson Dallas, sophomore wings Zeke Tomas and Khyree Armstead, and junior transfer Brock Davis, who played in the Meadowdale Mavericks program over the past two seasons.

This year’s team faces a schedule loaded with tough tests, especially during the first half of the season. The first four games are all road contests, including trips to take on Wesco 3A North favorite Marysville-Pilchuck and the always-strong Roosevelt Roughriders in Seattle. Terrace also has games scheduled with the Wesco League 4A favorites Cascade Bruins and conference match-ups against Glacier Peak and Edmonds-Woodway before reaching the halfway point of the season.

The Hawks will again host their Holiday Tournament this season, an event that brings teams from throughout Western Washington to Mountlake Terrace for games on Dec. 29-30.

You can view the Mountlake Terrace Hawks 2015-2016 schedule here.

— By Doug Petrowski