They played hard and focused on fundamentals. They supported each other and held each other accountable. They were loyal and they waited their turns.
The Cedar Crest boys’ basketball team entertained certain expectations and upheld very specific values. Now the Falcons’ standards are the Lancaster-Lebanon League’s standards.
“We have a couple of non-negotiables for how we play,” said Tommy Smith, who’s been the Cedar Crest boys’ basketball team’s head coach for 15 years. “They (the current group of players) play Cedar Crest basketball to a tea. We spend so much time on fundamentals and they never take a night off. They’re very unique in their personality. They’re just a fun, fun group to be around.
“They’re very intelligent, not just on the court, but in the classroom. We have 10 seniors, and many sat in the wings. They stuck it out. They were a large part of what we did last year, even though they didn’t play a whole lot.”
On Friday, Feb. 14, at Manheim Township High School, Smith and the Falcons captured their second straight Lancaster-Lebanon League boys’ basketball championship with a 45-40 triumph over Warwick. Cedar Crest, which got 14 points apiece from seniors R.J. Young and Danny Speaks, trailed 32-31 before outscoring the Warriors 14-8 during the fourth quarter.
Cedar Crest had reached the Lancaster-Lebanon League championship game with a 57-45 semifinal triumph at Conestoga Valley on Wednesday and a 76-43 home win over Lancaster Country Day on Monday – a game in which Smith said his club played its best second half of basketball this season.
“What stood out to me was how resilient my kids were all week,” said Smith. “In the league final, I think our kids had chips on their shoulders because everyone was picking Warwick. It was an incredible week. It’s my favorite week of the season.”
The Lancaster-Lebanon League championship was Cedar Crest’s fifth in the last 12 years and sixth overall. Only McCaskey and Lebanon High have won more Lancaster-Lebanon League championships than the Falcons.
On Tuesday night at West Lawn, Cedar Crest’s splendid campaign came to an end with a 50-41 loss to Wilson in the opening round of the District Three Class AAAAAA playoff tournament. Seeded 12th for the event, the Falcons finished their season with a 17-8 overall mark.
“This is the standard. This is the expectation,” said Smith of the L-L League title. “Fifteen years ago, when I took over it wasn’t a bad program. But my goal was to get it to this point. It’s been a little bit of a perfect storm, with vision we had and a bunch of great players coming through. Now we’re rolling and the bar is the bar. One of the things we’ve been able to do is refocusing every year and not being satisfied where we are.”
Cedar Crest opened its 2024-25 campaign by winning seven of its first eight games, but then dropped three of its next four. The Falcons compiled an 8-2 league mark to win their fifth Lancaster-Lebanon Section One title.
“We got off to a really hot start,” said Smith. “After Christmas, it was a little up and down and some of it was due to injuries. Dealing with adversity and different lineups was difficult at times. We weren’t playing the brand of basketball that we want to throughout the season.
“Ultimately, at the end of the day, we’re playing our best basketball now, which is what any coach wants. We thought we would get to Manheim Township (for the league championship game) but we didn’t know how we were going to get there. They (his players) made a lot of sacrifices to win.”
For much of the season, the Falcons’ fortunes revolved around the play of Young and Speaks. But Cedar Crest also received strong contributions from Isaac Wolfe, Owen Reager, Dylan Groff, Cameron Tirado, Jack Waranavage, Jackson Custer, Owen Outman, and Kayden Tirado.
“You can plug this into any sport: You learn life lessons that you can’t learn in the classroom, only on the athletic field,” said Smith. “They are life lessons that players will carry with them to the next level and into life. You can talk about these things, but you’ve got to experience them. These guys kept competing and getting better.”
Smith spoke to LebTown for this piece prior to Tuesday’s season-concluding setback at Wilson.
“We want to play into March,” said Smith. “For us to do that, we need to get one victory in district play. We’re currently in lose-or-go-home mode. We want to stay focused. We’re not done yet. For the seniors, this is their last time. This could be it.
“I don’t think that’s (that no matter what happens in the District Three playoffs the season must be considered a success) the case right now. When it’s our last game, it’s going to be devastating. It’s going to be our last time as a group. When we do get a chance to reflect, yes, it’s been a success. But we’re not there yet.”
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