Knights aiming high for success this season

ROYAL CITY — After an 11-12 season, the Knights are ready for more, according to head coach Farrah Wardenaar. After leaving it all on the court last season, they went into the offseason with a renewed drive to succeed.   

“We had a really good summer; we put in a lot of work. We went to a great team camp at Gonzaga, and I took 20 kids with me this summer. That just shows me the level of dedication (they have) is improving every year, so I think that's great,” Wardenaar said.   

With their investment into developing in the offseason, Wardenaar said she feels her team will be different this season. The Knights return a strong group of upperclassmen and a freshman class. Taking both of those into account, she feels this roster is a strong depth to work with.   

Heading into her third season as the head coach, she feels her players have a better understanding of her vision.   

“You've got to build the culture, and they know more about me. They know my expectations, and I think it's getting a little better every year," she said.   

Wardenaar has a positive outlook on Royal’s potential this season. A lot of her players are multisport athletes and have seen success with those programs. Given this experience, she has noticed them develop a winning attitude overall and it is expected to carry over to basketball.   

She is positive, she said, they will hit the ground running. Her players coming out of soccer or volleyball come from the disciplined leadership of Jens Jensen and Lisa Lawrence, Wardenaar said. Their level of discipline in those sports translates well into basketball.   

“Of my 20 players, I bet 12 of them play soccer; it's helpful. (Jensen) has high expectations and they get after it, and so when they show up with me, they're ready to go, and the volleyball team, too,” Wardenaar said.  

Graycie Kast, Brianna Cedillo, Taylor Webb and Maggie Frank are expected to be key contributors for the Knights this season. Wardenaar called Frank a defensive specialist, who they were without last season, but she is excited to have her back on the court.   

“She's a natural competitor,” Wardenaar said. “That's just her mentality, no matter what she's doing. I think as she gets more comfortable in the season and finds her spot, players follow her lead; she just works so hard all the time.”  

As she evaluates her team this season, the Knights will have height on their side when they hit the court, Wardenaar said. They will be tall and fast, she said, and even their depth will provide those same strengths. She will be able to sub players in and out to keep them fresh and avoid fatigue.   

On the flipside, Royal is looking at a competitive South Central Athletic Conference this season. Wardenaar pointed to Cashmere and Zillah as the teams to beat this season. She said those are well-coached programs that typically compete for the top spots in the SCAC each season.   

“Last year, we beat Cashmere at Cashmere, so that was huge for us. I hope we can go give both those schools really competitive games again this year,” she said.   

If they want to see success throughout the season, maintaining player health will be the most important factor, Wardenaar said. She is optimistic about their ability to do that. They did not face these issues last season and the players coming out of their fall sports have shown up healthy as well. Additionally, she wants her players to have confidence that they belong on the court with anyone this season.   

“It's just going to be the level of commitment, and really the confidence to believe that we're a tough basketball team too, to believe that we deserve to be there and that we can beat any of those teams,” Wardenaar said.   

Bottom line, their goal is to reach the 1A state basketball tournament this season. Wardenaar said they have not reached that point in the postseason in a long time and have aspirations of changing that this season.   

“The girls have been watching the boys' team. They've been there for the last three years, and so they want to go too. That's our goal,” she said.   

The Knights tip off for their first game of the 2025 season Dec. 2 against Chelan at 5:45 p.m. on the road. Their first home game is Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. against Riverside.   

    The Knights’ Taylor Webb, in white uniform, takes a contested shot during a game last season. Head Coach Farrah Wardenaar said they will have a lot of strong leadership in the upperclassmen this season, including Webb.
  

    Avarie Hill, right, pressures a Wahluke player during a shot attempt last season. Head Coach Farrah Wardenaar said her team left everything they had on the court last season and feels confident they will build off that this season.
  

    The Knights’ Briana Cedillo, jumping, puts up a contested shot over a defender during a game last season. Head Coach Farrah Wardenaar said the Knights have a shared goal of reaching the state tournament this season and making a deep run.