Nighthawks claim globe

Nighthawk-Colton net saga ends

in state title game at SunDome

Final round of the 16-team 1B volleyball tournament came down to a rematch of two county teams who faced each other four times in the fall campaign. Tekoa/Oakesdale and Colton, the two dominators in the SE, faced each other one more time with the Nighthawks taking the title in four games.

Tekoa/Oakesdale Nighthawks celebrate with the state trophy after dramatic wins in the semi-final and championship matches Saturday at Yakima's SunDome. In front from the left are manager Corinne Anderson, Haley Adams, Myrannda Neill, Kaela Dewan, and Alexa Lindgren. In back from the left are Katelyn Renstrom, Assistant Coach Brenda McFarling, Kimberly Groom, Eden Anderson, Courtenay Perry Olivia Pakootas, Kayler Dub, Mattie Jo Johsnon, Coach Brandy Brown, Cassandra Mendoza, and Asssitant Coach Ignacio Mendoza.

Both coaches after the tourney said they changed little for the match. Afterwards, both noted one of the final highlight was a two-team hug session before the season-long foes collected their trophies in front of their fans. Colton players, who came within points of bagging the school’s first V-net state trophy, shed a few tears but soon received hugs and congrats from their neighbors from the north.

“That was really something to see,” Wildcat Coach Kelli Dahmen commented Tuesday.

The two county foes went into the title game after Colton stopped the ‘hawks in the SE title game last week for the top ticket to the dome. Colton ended the Nighthawks win string in the process.

Nighthawk Coach Brady Brown noted the end of their 15-0 win string probably served as a jolt for her club before the tourney run, but it also meant a tougher road to the championship round.

TEKOA/OAKESDALE went into the title game against the Wildcats after a semi-final battle against Christian Faith, the big team from Federal Way which arrived with a 13-3 record in the books.

The Eagles had size and speed and figured to be tough semi-final foe with 6-0 Kendra Ireigbe one of the tourney’s sure shot hitters.

Coach Brown reported Tekoa/Oakesdale actually listened to a “David and Goliath” pep talk before the Saturday afternoon semi-final round.

The ‘hawks roared to an early lead in the first game, but the Eagles picked up momentum and won the second game.

The ‘hawks rallied to win the third game after Cassandra Mendoza crashed to the court with a rolled ankle and the action stopped. She returned to lineup and the ‘hawks took the third game.

The Eagles battled back to win game four in a close battle, and the two contenders went into a game-five decider. The short game was a race, but the ‘hawks booked the win when Mendoza hit two kills for a 13-12 lead and then went to the serve line. She booked the last point on a net serve that stalled out the Eagles.

Line score for the semi win was 25-18 21-25 25-10 24-25 and 15-12.

Coach Brown noted the five-game win in the semi came after they bested Almira/Coulee/Hartline in a four-game battle in the Friday opener. ACH arrived at the dome as the defending champs.

The ‘hawk then stopped Moses Lake Christian, another tough dome contender, in three games 25-12 25-11 and 26-24.

COLTON arrived on the title night court after making a power run through their first three matches. The Wildcats pegged three three-game wins.

They demolished Three Rivers Christian 25-7 25-8 25-10 in the tourney opener Friday and topped a tougher Wilbur Creston team 25-21 25-11 and 25-22 in the quarter-final

Colton then topped Seton Catholic in another three gamer, 25-16 25-20 25-22 in the semi-final round.

Colton Coach Dahmen noted her team played like they knew what they wanted from the dome run.

Seton, which traveled from Vancouver, turned around and took out Christian Faith in the third-fourth match Saturday afternoon with the Federal Way team again fading in a fifth game. That outcome added more drama to the title game when the two local finalists compared the fates of teams they had bested in the semi-finals.

CHAMPIONSHIP action saw the two clubs again battle with the ‘hawks out to erase their three-game upset by the Wildcats in the qualifier the previous week.

Tekoa/Oakesdale looked like they would claim the globe quickly when they bagged 25-16 and 25-13 wins in the first two games.

Colton changed the tune with a 25-15 jolt on the ‘hawks in the third game.

“All year long we’ve had trouble with that third game. I really don’t know why,” Coach Brown noted.

Game four proved to be a horse race. Leading 2-1 the ‘hawks wanted to avoid another fifth-game showdown.

“It really didn’t want to see it go to a game five,” Coach Brown said. “We were really running out of energy.”

“We really wanted a game five,” Coach Dahmen said. She also felt the Wildcats had more fuel in the tank.

It ended with Nighthawk veteran Kaela Dewan going to the line with the game tied at 23-23. She hit the last two points, and Tekoa/Oakesdale won the B globe trophy to match a feat booked by their 2007 team.