The Kentlake High boys basketball team needed a front-line scorer when the season began.

A program that has been knocking on the door of the South Puget Sound League playoffs for the last couple of years, the Falcons have been consistently good, a competitive bunch that has generally played with anybody.

The Falcons just haven’t quite been good enough to get over the playoff hump.

This winter, the Falcons are showing that they just might be good enough.

After two straight years of barely missing the playoffs, Kentlake entered the week very much in a battle for one of the five playoff berths out of the rigorous SPSL North. And they owe much of their success to 6-foot-2 standout Jaron Heck, who has blossomed into one of the season’s nicest surprises.

Heck, an All-SPSL North honorable mention selection last year, entered the week fifth in the entire SPSL in scoring, averaging a team-best 20.9 points per game.

Where would Kentlake be without Heck’s somewhat surprising surge?

“In a serious world of hurt,” said Kentlake coach Ron Charrier.

Indeed.

Few in the SPSL North have been better, which is a bit of a surprise from a kid who averaged 10.2 points per game last year and was primarily used as Kentlake’s third or fourth option.

The difference between this year and last?

It has been all about dedication. A gym rat by nature, Heck spent much of the offseason gaining as much experience on the hardwood as possible.

“I kind of just started practicing more,” said Heck, a lanky forward with a long stride. “I didn’t have an AAU team since mine broke up. So I just went to the gym and started playing more. I just decided I could be better.”

Heck’s transformation from a good player to a tremendous one isn’t simply about spending more time on the court, but also about hitting the weights.

Last season, Heck had decent height for a sophomore (6-1), but at 135 pounds lacked the size to go inside effectively, especially in a league that possessed some of the largest players in the season.

“The gym has helped a lot,” admits Heck, who added 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason, but remains a relatively svelte 155. “Last year, I got bumped a lot in the lane and missed a lot of shots. This year I am able to finish better.”

Finish better might be the understatement of the season.

Heck’s season-high in a single game last year was 20 points. Entering the week, he already had eclipsed the 20-point barrier eight times. It’s as much of a credit to his improved outside touch as it is to his additional size, and ability to cut to the hoop like few others in the league.

Yet, what might be Heck’s greatest gain comes from between the ears, Charrier noted.

“He’s gotten smarter, has played more and is a little more mature,” Charrier said. “He knows now when to take his shot, and when not to force.”

Put it all together, and Heck has become a tough player to defend against.

“He’s getting a lot more touches now. If you watch them play, as soon as they get a defensive board, they just throw it up to him,” said Kentridge coach Dave Jamison. “He’s really quick and long, so he’s hard to defend.”

As good as Heck has been, however, the Falcons (4-7 in league, 7-8 overall) will still find themselves in a mad scramble for a playoff berth when they play host to Kent-Meridian at 5 p.m. on Friday night at the ShoWare Center in the Les Schwab Shootout in Kent. It’s a position Charrier and the Falcons know all too well. Kentlake has missed the postseason by two or fewer wins in three of the last five years, and five of the last 10.

Even more than in previous years, however, there’s little difference between the top teams and the bottom teams in the SPSL North. Parity has been the name of the game this winter.

“The good teams are still good, but the bottom teams are better,” Charrier said. “I think there are a lot of teams that could beat anybody, but also lose to anybody, too. I think we should be able to make the playoffs.”

And if the Falcons do make that flight, Heck’s ascension will be a big reason why.