Federal Way Remains Undefeated After Knocking Off Conks

Federal Way Remains Undefeated After Knocking Off Conks
By Steve Dion

Federal Way junior Marcus Stephens

Defending 4A champions Federal Way have been dominant again this season and Tuesday night would provide a test of their strength with a visit by Kentwood. A hot start by the Eagles forced the Conquerors to take a timeout midway through the first quarter trailing by nine. Eli’Sha Sheppard helped Kentwood draw within six at the end of one by finishing a putback at the buzzer.

The second quarter was highlighted by a pair of Jalen McDaniels dunks who finished with a game-high 32 points. In his postgame remarks, Jerome Collins said, “We recognized tonight that they could just not stop Jalen.” At halftime, the host Eagles led 36-29.

Kentwood strung together a strong third frame which was kickstarted by Darius Lubom who led the Conks with 23 points. Each bucket in heavy traffic Lubom made received an increasing roar from the KW sideline. When Rayvaughan Bolton and Davonte Sanchez joined the scoring spree, the Conqueror bench rose to its feet as the deficit was cut to a single point. The game would be decided in the final frame!

Heading into the fourth, Collins gathered his team to reassure their ability to close out. The Eagles responded and according to Coach C, “We clamped down and stopped the layup drill. We gained the momentum back, put it up to double digits…and it was over at that point.” Kentwood was unable to respond to the Federal Way run to start the final frame. The lone three point bucket in the game for Federal Way by D’Jimon Jones sealed the deal and the Eagles keep their unbeaten record alive.

The Final Score
Federal Way 78, Kentwood 62.

Top Performers:
Federal Way
Jalen McDaniels- 32 points (2/2 FT’s)

Kentwood
Darius Lubom- 23 points (5/6 FT’s)