With an undefeated run to start their 2024-25 season, it’s been all smiles and fun for the Edmonds-Woodway Warriors so far this season. The Warriors have breezed through their first 11 games, winning them all by an average of 30 points and feeling really good along the way.

But would a trip to a hostile environment against another unbeaten team bring with it a pressure that could crash the good vibes of the Warrior party bus? 

“It’s pressure if you make it pressure on the kids,” said E-W coach Tyler Geving. “I think we kind of take the other approach: Go have fun with it, man. It’s not life or death; it’s high school basketball.”

Embracing the moment and playing carefree and inspired, the Warriors danced their way to an exuberant 53-45 victory over the previously undefeated Shorecrest Scots on Tuesday.

The contest featured two teams with matching 11-0 records and was played before a full house at Shorecrest High School. “Two teams getting after it — and it was a fun atmosphere,” Geving said.

While the game would determine who would hold first place in the 2A/3A Wesco League South Conference standings with eight games remaining in the regular season, Geving and the E-W coaching staff insisted that their message to the team in preparation for the contest was lowkey.

“It’s something we talked about all week: Go have fun,” Geving said after the victory. “These games are what you play high school basketball for, to have fun in these type of games.”

E-W may not have been enjoying the moments early on in the contest as the Scots led by seven points multiple times in the second quarter, fueled in part by an electrifying dunk by Devan Jones and sending the Scots’ faithful into a frenzy. But the Warriors kept their cool and closed out the quarter with an 8-0 run of their own to lead at halftime 29-28.

“Our kids did a good job there sharing the ball and making some good plays,” Geving said of the team’s late second quarter run. “They just dug in. We really hadn’t been in that position before, down seven (points). And the kids responded really well. I’m super proud of them.”

The Warriors then opened the third quarter with a 9-0 run, helped along as senior Cam Hiatt scored on three consecutive E-W possessions, including a three-pointer at the quarter’s 5:18 mark.

“He came out and sparked us to start the second half,” Geving said of Hiatt’s early third quarter performance. “He was really good.”

Hiatt and Warrior teammate WIlliam Alseth led the game in scoring with 17 points each. Brayden Fischer paced the Scots with 16 points while Jones added 13 points for Shorecrest.

With the defensive pressure amped up by both teams, scoring was scarce in the second half and it enabled the Scots to pull within three points, 48-45, with 1:24 to go in the game. But Shorecrest was held scoreless for the remainder of the game and the Warriors were able to secure the feel-good road win.

Shorecrest (4-1 in 2A/3A Wesco League South Conference, 11-1 overall) entered Tuesday’s game averaging almost 71 points per game this year; the Warriors held the Scots to just 17 points in the second half and to their lowest points total in a game (45)  so far this season.

“Our defense has been pretty good all year” Geving added. “It’s something we take a lot of pride in.”

With the victory, E-W lifted their overall record to 12-0, 4-0 in the 2A/3A Wesco League South Conference and now have a one-game advantage over second place Shorecrest in the standings. But Geving wasn’t ready to claim Tuesday’s win over the Scots was especially significant during what is a long 20-game regular season.

“I told the kids tonight it’s one (game) after the other,” Geving said. “We’ve got to be ready to go on Friday. Meadowdale, crosstown rival; I know they’re going to be ready.”

Prep Boys Basketball: Edmonds-Woodway at Shorecrest, Jan. 7

Edmonds-Woodway 14 15 13 11 – 53

Shorecrest 15 13   9   8 – 45

Edmonds-Woodway individual scoring: Cam Hiatt 17, William Alseth 17, Grant Williams 7, DJ Karl 6, Julian Gray 4, Luke Boland 2

Shorecrest individual scoring: Brayden Fischer 16, Devan Jones 13, Alex Lo 8, Jack Thompson 4, Porter Swanson 2, Junior Kagarabi 2

Records: Edmonds-Woodway 4-0 in 2A/3A Wesco League South Conference, 12-0 overall; Shorecrest 4-1 in 2A/3A Wesco League South Conference, 11-1 overall

Edmonds-Woodway next game: versus Meadowdale; Friday, Jan. 10; 8 p.m. at Edmonds-Woodway High School

Shorecrest next game: versus Archbishop Murphy; Friday, Jan. 10; 8 p.m. at Archbishop Murphy High School

— Story and photos by Doug Petrowski