Watch: 'Statement'-signaling Spanaway Lake snaps Silas' 23-game league winning streak in early 3A PCL stunner

The big news is that the Rams will be without standout junior guard Cayden McDaniel (knee) for all of the 2021-22 season.

SPANAWAY - Silas High School has lost a few key players from last spring's 3A PCL boys basketball championship-winning squad - and lost some early ground Friday night in its bid to repeat the effort.

The big blow is by way of injury to standout point guard Cayden McDaniel, who confirmed to SBLive WA after the game that he suffered a torn ligament (ACL) in his right knee, ending his junior campaign before it began.

And while the Rams try and put it all back together, host Spanaway Lake jumped on the league champions for a 75-48 victory.

Trayshion Sullivan led all scorers with 27 points for the Sentinels, who led from start to finish. D'Marcus Alexander added 14.

"We had to make a statement," Sentinels coach Deneal Alexander said.

Indeed, they did in snapping Silas' 23-game league winning streak, dating back to 2019.

As far as McDaniel, one of the state's' top-ranked combination guard recruits in the 2023 class, he came out of fall league with soreness in his knee.

Not thinking it was serious, McDaniel continued to play - until in October something felt really wrong.

"I think he was trying to play through it, but the pain - it just didn't feel right," Silas coach Mike Cocke said.

McDaniel visited the doctor, who confirmed a torn ligament. He just recently had surgery, and was on the bench in street clothes with crutches Friday night for the Rams' season debut.

"Spanaway Lake was great tonight," Cocke said. "They made a ton of shots and hurt us on the glass."