Naselle girls, Wahkiakum boys shine in postseason

The 1B district championships have wrapped up across Washington, and the state tournament field is set. Wahkiakum's boys and Naselle's girls have punched their ticket to the big dance.

The Wahkiakum boys earned their spot after securing the District 4 crown, and Naselle's girls qualified with a district semifinal win over Wahkiakum's girls basketball.

Let's dive into the results from the district championships and see what the opening rounds of the state playoffs hold for the Mules and Comets.

Wahkiakum boys win district tourney

A year after battling through the backdoor bracket to make the state championship, Wahkiakum took the top spot out of District 4, defeating Willapa Valley 63-60 in the title game on Saturday, Feb. 21. Wahkiakum Head Coach Rob Garrett called the victory a "huge win."

"We set our sights on this goal and, at times, it looked almost out of reach," Garrett said. "I thought we played phenomenal as a team. I thought the guys went out and crushed their roles. Our defensive intensity was by far the best I've seen out of us all year. We actually shot pretty poorly from the outside, so it was even more impressive we were still able to win."

One of the keys to victory was Wahkiakum's balanced scoring and ball security. The Mules had only eight turnovers in the game, one of which came in the fourth quarter. Valuing possession was critical in a game decided by just three points.

In addition to squeezing the orange, the Mules had four players in double-figures scoring, led by Parker Leitz's 20 points. Point guard Cooper Carlson had a career night across the board, registering 13 points, eight rebounds, 13 assists, and taking two charges while turning the ball over just once. Senior shooting guard Jayden Stoddard also stepped up in the game, coming up big on both ends to power the Mules to victory.

"Jayden Stoddard played great defense on their best player, holding him to just eight points if you don't count the free 'layin' at the end," Garrett said. "He also added 14 pts, and it seemed like every time we needed a big bucket, Jay knew it was time to step up."

Sophomore Joe Merz was also in the mix all night, dogging the Vikings on defense and making winning hustle plays to give Wahkiakum crucial possessions. Another highlight of the night for Garrett was the play of senior Gage Robinson. In a game where they needed every ounce of energy and effort, Robinson stepped up.

"Gage Robinson was a whole new kid in that game," Garrett said. "That's the guy we all know he's capable of being, and he finally went out there and put it all together. He started the game with a swish three and added another late in the fourth."

For the Mules, the win was their 17th of the season, and the first-place finish was the culmination of a campaign that had Wahkiakum ranked inside the top 10 for much of the year.

"Overall, it was just amazing to watch these guys go out and play the way they are capable of," Garrett said. "I was proud of them and couldn't be happier for them to experience that accomplishment."

With districts in the rearview, attention will now turn to a round-two matchup with #1-ranked Lummi Nation on Saturday, Feb. 28. The Blackhawks enter with a 23-1-1 record, and they promise to be a tough test.

"Lummi is a whole new beast," said Garrett. "They are ranked number one in the state for a reason. It will be a great challenge, and we are looking forward to it."

Win or lose, Wahkiakum will have a second game in the state bracket. A win would earn them an automatic placement in the quarterfinals, while a loss would see them advance to the round of 12. If that were to occur, they would play the winner of a game between Willapa Valley and either Columbia Adventist or Concordia Christian.

For Wahkiakum's girls, the district tournament marked the end of the season, but they also showed how much they improved. After winning against Willapa Valley in the opener, Wahkiakum played Naselle in the district semi with a berth to state on the line.

After losing to Wahkiakum by more than 20 points in their previous matchup, the Mules put up quite the fight. Wahkiakum took the lead in the first quarter and came out of the first period up 18-16. Ava Mendez led the way in scoring for the Mules, notching nine points and showing why the eighth grader is already a contributor for the team. Ryen Hurley, Amy Horman, Esther Bouts, and Brienna Cothren each scored six points for the Mules. As the game wore on, Naselle wrestled control from the Mules, taking the lead by halftime and keeping Wahkiakum at bay through the final buzzer. The final score saw Naselle come out on top 52-40.

Needing to win consecutive games to make state, Wahkiakum faced off with Mary M. Knight for the second time this season. The Mules grabbed a nine-point 50-41 win, advancing to the game to go to state against Taholah at Montesano High School on Saturday, Feb. 21.

Wahkiakum's season would end at the hands of the Chitwhins. Taholah proved too dominant to overcome, and the Mules fell 66-27 in their final game of the season. It was still a successful season for Wahkiakum's girls, as they finished with a 10-8 record despite being a young program with just two seniors. While they didn't advance to state, there's plenty to look forward to in the coming seasons for Wahkiakum's girls.

Naselle girls advance to state

Naselle's girls reserved their place in the state championship with the win over Wahkiakum on Feb. 17 at South Bend High School. Head Coach Marie Green was thrilled with the performance in the 52-40 win, especially with Wahkiakum playing a solid game.

"On to State," said Green after the win. "I am so beyond proud of how the girls played tonight. We came out and really pushed our tempo of the game. We allowed a small slip where the Mules were able to take the lead, but we never got down more than five. Once we took the lead back, we didn't look back."

Junior Brooklyn Avalon led the way for the Comets, scoring 15 points, grabbing nine rebounds, dishing three assists, and registering two blocks. Beside her, there was plenty of help, as Brianna Johnson and Brooke Davis each added seven points, and Mylee Dunagan and Aubrey Katyryniuk both notched eight points apiece.

Green credited Wahkiakum with marked improvement since their first matchup of the season, when Naselle came away with a 54-33 win. After trailing 18-16 after the first quarter, Naselle seized momentum in the second. The Comets' offense flared, and they outscored the Mules 11-6 in the period to take a 27-24 lead into halftime. In the second half, Naselle built on its lead, outscoring Wahkiakum 26-14 in the final two quarters to clinch its spot in the district title game and the state championships.

"The girls were moving the ball well, and we did a great job of limiting our turnovers tonight," said Green. "The girls, as a whole, have been playing so well together."

In the district championship, Naselle faced off with Pe Ell. In the earlier matchup between the two, the Trojans came out on top 63-50 on Wednesday, Jan. 21. This time around, Naselle fared slightly better, but the result ended up the same, with the Comets coming up just short 42-49. That loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Comets and was the second loss in Naselle's previous eight games. Both those losses came at the hands of the Trojans.

Despite not getting the district title, Naselle still captured the Coastal 1B League championship, and they enter the state playoffs with a 17-6 record. The Comets' next game will be against either Pomeroy or Lopez Island on Saturday, Feb. 28 at Kelso High School in round two of states. If they win, they advance to the round of 12. If they lose, their season will come to an end.

Naselle's boys followed their heartbreaking loss to Columbia Adventist with a steamrolling 64-32 win over Oakville on Friday, Feb. 13, to keep their season alive in the backdoor bracket of the district tournament. In the next round, Naselle faced off with Taholah on Friday, Feb. 20, with a chance to extend their season one more time.

In the first quarter, the Chitwhins asserted themselves early, grabbing a four point lead and maintaining it for much of the period. In the final minute of the quarter, Taholah extended the lead to nine, hitting a three with about 30 seconds to push the lead to 19-10. To stay within reach, sophomore Gus Burkhalter drove baseline with under 10 seconds to go, corkscrewing through the air to make a tough reverse layup to bring the score to 19-12 going into the second. In quarter two, the Chitwins pushed the lead to as much as 12, with Naselle fighting to keep the score close.

In the third, Naselle got back within striking distance, cutting the lead to five with a pair of free throws from senior Leith Chadwick at the start of the period. Again the Chitwhins extended the lead. They managed to gain double-digit separation in the third before seeing the Comets claw back into the game to close the third. A huge three by Trajen Ford brought Naselle within four (44-48) with under a minute to go. Burkhalter tacked on two more free throws to bring them within a basket.

In the fourth, it looked like the Comets might totally turn the game on its head. A putback layup by senior Tucker Bennett gave Naselle a three point lead (51-48) with 7:30 remaining in the game. The Chitwhins answered back with a run of their own, ripping off eight straight points over the next three minutes to go up 56-51 with less than five minutes remaining. Naselle would stay close and actually retake the lead 59-57 with 1:30 on the clock, thanks to a short range jumper from Chadwick. Sadly, the game would come down to a clutch shot from Taholah, as they knocked down a contested two with 11 seconds left that proved decisive. Taholah would hang on for the 64-59 victory.

Naselle ended its season with a 10-13 record, but their spirit to continue fighting through the district tournament was something of which they could be proud.