Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Vikings boys, rebound
How many times did Parker Druffel and Reece Chadwick block Ely Hawkins’ shots?
Two less than needed for Colton Saturday afternoon, Feb. 17, as Hawkins hit a late three-pointer and an inside bank shot to secure a tight game in Walla Walla with both teams’ seasons on the line.
“There were a lot of nervous moments Saturday,” said Gar/Pal coach Steve Swinney of the final game of the District Nine tournament.
The Vikings won 64-56, sending them to regionals.
Blake Jones scored 18 points with 10 rebounds to lead Gar/Pal while Caden Sanderson added 15 points and Ely Hawkins 14. For Colton, senior guard Matt Wolf led all scorers with 21 points and Chadwick got 18.
Gar/Pal-Colton, in their fourth meeting of the year, began with a quick Vikings’ lead which went as high as 11 points when Jones hit a three-pointer for 24-13 in the second quarter. Colton cut into it, though, with Wolf scoring to make it a five-point game before the half ended with Chadwick at the free-throw line. He made two shots to keep the margin at five, 31-26.
Into the third quarter, he hit a three-pointer to cut it to two, 33-31. Jon Bean then made two free throws for 35-33.
Chadwick scored again, from three feet to tie it, 35-35, and a foul.
He made the free throw and Colton had the lead.
Timeout Gar/Pal.
With the Dietrich Dome mostly cleared out for the weekend’s last game, quiet descended on the arena as the announcer asked for fans to help clean up as they leave. First, two teams were left to decide the last entry for the road to state.
Back on the floor, Jones threw the ball to Caden Sanderson for a basket and foul. Sanderson hit both free throws and the Vikings were quickly back up six.
Colton then got back within four points at the end of the third quarter. The Wildcats started to press, but no turnover came.
Colton kept the margin to four before Gar/Pal broke their press once more and Sanderson found Hawkins underneath for 54-48 Gar/Pal with 2:32 left.
On the next possession, Hawkins got open on the perimeter, the ball came to him and he downed it, 57-48 with 1:56 left.
“That was probably a shot we didn’t recommend at the time,” Swinney said. “But it went in. Ely doesn’t lack confidence in his three-point shot.”
Was it enough to seal the victory? To be sure, Hawkins hit two free throws, then Jones did too for an eight-point win.
The game concluded Wolf’s career at Colton, which finished the season with an 8-16 record.
Regionals
Garfield/Palouse will play Mt. Rainier Lutheran (Tacoma) in regionals Saturday at Pullman High School. Game time is 4 p.m. The winner advances to Spokane Arena.
The Vikings will approach the game with a potential injury problem; Hawkins hurt his shoulder against Colton and was to get it looked at this week. Also, Tanner Anderson sprained his ankle against Colton but practiced Monday.
As a no. 12 seed, the Vikings meet Mt. Rainier Lutheran in Saturday’s loser-out regional game. The Hawks are a no. 13 out of the Sea-Tac 1B league. Only the top eight seeds in regionals are guaranteed to make it to Spokane Arena.
Gar/Pal reaching this stage is somewhat of a surprise for Coach Swinney.
“We’ve improved a lot. Early in the year, oh boy, it was looking pretty rough,” he said. “The thing that gets us is the pressure we put on ourselves. When we play relaxed, we’re pretty darn good.”
The team is unique in Swinney’s experience for their vocal level.
“Our kids are all pretty quiet kids,” Swinney said. “You don’t know what they’re thinking. You just don’t know.”
Beating Mt. Rainier Lutheran may prove a hard assignment, as the Hawks field a taller lineup known for their 1,3,2 full-court press.
“Attack ‘em, we’re gonna go after them,” said Swinney.
As the Vikings practiced this week, with Swinney and staff analyzing film on Mt. Rainier Lutheran, Gar/Pal’s second five players acted as the scout team, imitating the Hawks’ offense.
BOYS DISTRICT NINE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Pomeroy 59, Garfield/Palouse 33
Pomeroy senior guard Devon Caruso led the chant in the huddle before tip-off.
“Let’s go, boys,” Oscar Morfin repeated calmly during the lay-ups.
The Pirates’ five senior starters took the floor Friday night on a mission to reassert — to reclaim their undisputed spot at the top of the Southeast 1B league. They had it all season long until the last weekend of January when they lost to Garfield/Palouse and Oakesdale back-to-back. Still taking the no. 1 seed into the district tournament, their perch nonetheless was crowded.
Gar/Pal beat Oakesdale the week before to meet Pomeroy in the final in Walla Walla, the game starting much like the girls title game that just concluded: steady scoring from the Pirates and a struggle to match up by Gar/Pal. Caruso pushed the ball up the floor on a fast break, sent it to Morfin for a score and a foul. Pomeroy led 24-12 with 5:10 left in the second quarter.
“Pomeroy is really good, they’re experienced. They’ve been there,” said Swinney. “Within three minutes of the game, our kids were looking like they were tired, wore out.”
Nearing the end of the half, Pomeroy big man Hogan Heytvelt hit from the top of the key for 33-18.
Trying to answer before the buzzer, Ely Hawkins of Gar/Pal leapt for a 10-foot shot and got smothered, two Pirates blocking the shot.
The second half opened and it stayed the same. Pomeroy quietly scoring, Gar/Pal quietly keeping the margin about the same. If the girls’ championship was a like a T.V. show waiting to begin, this was the screen cutting to a waving flag and piped-in national anthem.
When the broadcast went to black and white static, the game continued behind the snow, Austin Jones hitting a three-pointer for the Vikings to make it 54-30 Pomeroy with 4:16 left in the fourth.
Outside, buses warmed up in the cold. After the game, Gar/Pal players would ride back to Garfield and Palouse, then get back on the bus the next day for another two-and-a-half hour ride to meet Colton for the last slot to advance.
Jacob Tewalt led Pomeroy with 17 points in the title game while Morfin had 14.
Hawkins and Austin Jones led Gar/Pal with eight points each.
Gar/Pal’s Tanner Anderson takes down a rebound in the Vikings’ win over Colton.
Colton 49
Touchet 42
Colton first had to beat Prescott Monday, Feb. 12, to keep their season alive before meeting Touchet four days later. Touchet had eliminated Oakesdale.
Colton, in turn, ended the Indians’ season as Reece Chadwick and Matt Wolf both scored 16 points and Jon Bean and Parker Druffel each got 10 rebounds. Late free throws from Luke Vining sealed the victory.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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