Basketball is the quintessential team sport. But it is also a game that is heavily influenced by the performance of individuals.
R.J. Young is that player for the Cedar Crest boys’ basketball team. He is the Falcons’ go-to guy. His role with the Falcons’ team concept is to make everyone around him better.
For Cedar Crest to get where it wants to go this year – pretty much the same high places to which it seeks to ascend every year – Young will need to step up, play well, and have a good season individually. Now that may sound like a lot of weight to place on the shoulders of a teenager, only because it is.
But it’s a challenge that the 6′ 7″ senior forward seems to welcome. After all, as the great Billie Jean King once reminded us, pressure is a privilege.
“I think it’s fair to say,” said Cedar Crest head coach Tom Smith of the relationship between the team’s success and Young’s individual success. “I’d say he’s a big piece of the puzzle. He’s the cornerstone of what we want to do offensively and defensively.”
“I don’t feel pressured,” said Young. “Coach Smith and I sat down before the season and had a conversation. I’ll be happy if we’re winning. I’m not looking for personal success. I have to do more things this year, and I’m ready to embrace those things.”
“On offense, I have to dictate the overall flow of the game,” continued Young. “We’re trying to play through me. I definitely have a bigger role than I did last year. I’m ready to embrace that challenge.”
During the 2023-24 campaign, Young, who averaged nine points per outing and provided a presence on defense and on the glass, was the only junior starter on a senior-laden Falcon squad that went 21-8 overall, won the Lancaster-Lebanon Section One championship with a 9-1 mark, captured the overall L-L title and qualified for the District Three Class AAAAAA playoffs.
Read More: Cedar Crest Falcons boys’ basketball once again soaring as playoffs begin
Now is the time for Young’s current classmates to shine, and he’s got the experience to show them how — on the floor, in the locker room, and at practice.
“Last year was great,” said Young. “To do it with those guys (seniors) was incredible because they’re all my best friends. We talked about it (the possibility of success) for a while, and then doing it was awesome.”
“(Last year,) I felt like I didn’t have to do too much,” he added. “I just had to do my job.”
The Falcons opened their 2024-24 season on Friday, December 6 at Exeter.
“On the floor, we’ve got to play team basketball,” said Young. “We’re always excited to see when others are excelling. Practices are fun, but we know when to get serious. There’s so much talent in our gym. Practice-wise, I think we’re getting better every day.”
“The nice thing about this year’s team is that we have eight seniors,” said Smith, who has compiled an overall mark of 221-131 in his 14 years as the head coach. “It’s not like he has to do this thing himself. We have multi-sport athletes who are good at what they do. R.J. is a fantastic leader, but he has this great cast around him. When things get tough, R.J. is going to have to be one of those guys who steps up. He’s been in the fight and that puts him in that leadership role.”
“Certainly, he does a little bit of everything for us,” Smith added. “It starts on the defensive end with his size and his understanding of the game. Offensively, he can score inside and outside.”
During Smith’s time at the helm, Cedar Crest has earned four L-L Section One titles, captured four Lancaster-Lebanon League championships, and qualified for the District Three playoffs 11 times. That success is a testament to Smith and his coaching staff’s ability to get the most out of players, to create and fill roles, and to balance individual skills with team goals.
“That’s our standard every year,” said Smith. “Our program is at a place where those are expectations. This year, we need everyone to stay healthy, and we need to get better every single day. Our kids have done a good job with that so far. We have to stay hungry and humble. It’s hard to get to the top, and it’s even harder to stay there.”
“To me, leadership means if the team is not doing well, bring everyone together and bring them back up,” said Young. “I’m trying to be positive with things. I tell my teammates, ‘Play the next play.’ This year, I have to step up the leadership role. Being the only starter returning, I have to show the guys the right direction.”
In some ways, Cedar Crest’s success this season is tied to Young’s plans of playing college basketball, just as the Falcons’ fortunes are tied to Young’s play this season. Young said he has had interactions with more than a handful of mostly Division Three schools about playing at the next level.
“R.J. is a super nice kid,” said Smith. “He comes from a great family. He’s willing to do whatever it takes. Our standard is doing the right things on and off the court, and he meets that standard.”
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