Postseason tipoff underway for Wahkiakum, Naselle

The regular season is in the books for Wahkiakum and Naselle. Now, the attention turns to postseason action, with both the Comets and the Mules battling through the league playoffs to try and secure a coveted place in the state championships.

Girls basketball

Wahkiakum and Naselle faced off in a rematch of the KM Trophy game in the second round of the 2026 District 4 1B tournament, but the result was unavailable at the time of press. Preceding that matchup, both teams grabbed wins in the opening round of the playoffs.

Naselle bolstered its impressive record this season with a blowout win over Columbia Adventist on Tuesday, Feb. 10. The Comets lit up their matchup, winning 74-26 in a game of which Head Coach Marie Green was "really proud." Naselle had a week off going into the game, which Green said helped the team recover from various maladies. When it came time to play, they were ready to go.

The Comets jumped on the Kodiaks from the outset, storming out to a 40-11 lead by halftime.

"Once we got our feet moving, we never looked back, and that was great to see," said Green. "We were looking up the court well and really incorporated our posts a lot this game. We had 26 combined steals tonight and converted on a lot of them. My guards were passing the ball around really well and seeing gaps in the defense to pass the ball inside."

The Comets kept their foot on the gas and ended up winning by 48 points, matching their biggest margin of victory this season. Nine players scored at least one basket for Naselle, and the Comets were led by the usual suspects en route to their dominant win. Brooke Davis led the way with 20, followed by 19 from Brooklyn Avalon, 14 from Aubrey Katyryniuk, and 10 from Mylee Dunagan.

While Naselle's stars made a considerable impact, the highlight for Green was getting to play the Comets' depth.

"It was a fun game, because I was able to really work in my bench players and get them some time on the court, and they all stepped up and played well," Green said.

The game marked Naselle's fourth consecutive win, bringing their season record to 16-5. Looking back thus far on the regular season, Green said she doesn't have a specific highlight.

"There have been so many great moments that have made our season what it is," she said. "I love the fact that my girls truly put team first. We are celebrating everyone's successes and working cohesively as a group."

With opportunities to lace up the sneakers together limited to only a few postseason games remaining, Green said she hopes the community will come out and watch this group down the stretch.

"Come and be supportive," she said. "This is a special group of young ladies who want people to come and enjoy the games."

For the Mules, the team's path to the league semifinals was paved with a close win against Willapa Valley. It was a resilient win for the Mules, who had lost against the Vikings in their regular-season matchup on Thursday, Jan. 29, by a score of 41-33.

In the rematch, the Mules prevailed in a defensive battle, taking the lead early and holding on throughout the first half. The Mules had home-court advantage and took a 14-10 lead into halftime. In the third, the Vikings battled back, tying the game 14-14 before the Mules knocked down back to back three pointers to kick start a 9-0 run. From that point, the game was tied until, about midway through the fourth quarter, Wahkiakum dominated, going on a 17-5 run. This was all capped off with a three-pointer from Sam Dela Cruz with 5:30 left in the fourth. In the final minutes, the pace slowed down, with both teams taking a host of free throws. The Mules ended up closing out the game 34-29 to advance.

In the matchup between Naselle and Wahkiakum in the district bracket, the winner will secure their spot in the state playoffs, while the loser will need to battle through the backdoor bracket to try to keep their postseason dreams alive.

Boys basketball

The Naselle boys lost a heartbreaker in the first round of the 2026 District 4 1B Boys Basketball bracket, falling to Columbia Adventist away from home by a score of 55-56. It couldn't have been closer and, at many points, it looked like the Comets would pull off the upset.

The Comets took an eight-point lead into halftime and were up 30-22. Naselle extended the lead in the third to 10 points with a basket by Kyle Pakenen. After a run by Columbia Adventist cut the lead to five, Leith Chadwick hit a clutch midrange jumpshot to push the lead to 47-40 with a minute left in the third. Naselle kept that advantage going into the fourth. Gus Burkhalter kicked off the scoring in the fourth, twisting through the lane for a contested layup to put Naselle up 49-40. The Comets continued to pile on the pressure, and consecutive tough buckets from Trajen Ford looked to have locked up the win for Naselle, as they took a 55-43 lead with 4:10 seconds on the clock. At that point, "a lid settled" on the Naselle basket.

Columbia Adventist began to knock down shots and amp up the intensity and aggression. The Kodiaks ripped off a 10-0 run to bring the score to 53-55, and then Columbia Adventist seized the lead off an "and-one" basket and free throw with 1:30 seconds left. The Comets couldn't find a way to retake the lead, and the Kodiaks, having scored 13 unanswered points in the final four minutes of the game, walked away with a stunning 56-55 win.

Following the loss, Naselle rebounded with a win to keep its postseason dreams alive. The Comets blitzed Oakville 62-34 to advance to the semifinals of the consolation bracket. This means if they can win their next two games, Naselle will qualify for the state championships. They will play the loser of the Wahkiakum-Taholah district semifinal matchup on Friday, Feb. 20.

Speaking of the Wahkiakum-Taholah game, the Mules are entering the matchup excited to keep their postseason journey rolling. Head Coach Rob Garrett is feeling confident going into the game, and his team has won three of their previous four games.

"Nice to be in the district semis against a team that we know we can beat," said Garrett. "Taholah has a high upside, no doubt. They can shoot the ball and fly around on defense, but it's also a matchup where we have a lot of advantages."

It looks like it will be a good game, as Taholah holds a 15-6 record, matching Wahkiakum's 15-6 mark. Garrett was hoping to enter the postseason with even more wins, but he still felt good that the team sealed the league title.

"We were hoping to win a few more in the regular season, but big picture, we won the league title and put ourselves on the correct side of the bracket, so all of our goals are still in front of us," Garrett said.

After closing out the final regular-season game with a 50-43 victory against Columbia Adventist on Saturday, Feb. 7, Wahkiakum beat Ocosta in the first round of the district bracket. Playing at home, Wahkiakum seized the initiative, taking a 13-8 lead after one. The second quarter saw things tighten up. With the game tied with less than a minute in the half, Ocosta knocked down a three to take a 22-19 lead. They would also tack on another deuce with a buzzer beater to end the half up 24-19.

Wahkiakum snapped back into the game in the third, mustering a 16-3 burst. This was powered by baskets from Parker Leitz, Max Ohrberg, and Jayden Stoddard. Leitz punctuated the run with a nifty finger-roll finish on the fast break with three seconds to go in the period. In the fourth, Wahkiakum extended the lead to as much as 13, going up 45-32, but the game still had some twists in store. Ocosta ripped off a 10-0 run to bring the game back in the balance with a minute left and the score standing at 45-42. Wahkiakum ended up hanging on for the 47-43 victory, sinking their final points at the line.

Coming out of the game, Garrett said his team took some important lessons for their upcoming games.

"Ocosta did some good things for sure, but we also know when we play together on offense, we can do a lot of good things," said Garrett. "We just need to remember that consistently. I thought our defense was pretty good most of the time. We just need to know who and where the shooters are at all times. It was a great learning game for us."

With every game bringing higher stakes, Garrett and the Mules will look to keep improving, as they seek the district title and a spot in the state tournament.