Strong finish by Toledo ends bid by Colfax boys

Jaydon Soncarty moves to the paint against Toledo's Brian Wood.

Cal Gregory shoots over Junior Arroyo of Toledo.

After battling through the NE consolation rounds and booking a big win last week at Pullman to get to the state start at Spokane, the Colfax boys came to the end of this year’s basketball road in the second half of the play-in round last Wednesday at the Spokane Arena.

Toledo, a team which was rated number-three going into the state finals, poured on the power in the second half for a 52-37 win over the Bulldogs to make the final eight start the next day.

The Indians from Lewis County clamped down on the Colfax offense in the second half and took the game away. The Bulldogs, who erupted for an early lead in the Wednesday round, scored just 18 points over the last two quarters. They scored just six points in the third quarter while Toledo extended a one-point halftime lead to 32-25 going into the last period.

Colfax booked a fast start and led the coast club 13-8 after the first quarter, but the Indians closed the gap in the second quarter and took their first lead at 20-19 just before the end of the half.

After the break, Colfax failed to score until late in the third quarter while Toledo, led by 5-10 guard Reece Wallace, built up a big lead. Wallace hit two quick three pointers in the quarter

Colfax scored just six points in the third quarter after hitting just six in the second quarter.

Junior Carson Cloaninger topped Colfax scoring with a game high of 14 points. Cloaninger booked 10 of his points in the first half. Brett Kincaid finished with 10 points for Colfax.

Wallace led the Indians with 13 points. He dropped a total of three three-point shots.

Toledo Coach Grady Fallon had a strong performance from his bench. When Junior Arroyo, the Indians’ 6-6 inside power player fouled out, Fallon tapped Westin Wallace, a 6-5 junior who also showed power on the inside.

Brian Wood, also a junior, at times went in for Wallace as point guard and did a solid job of keeping pace.

One bright spot for Colfax came at the end of the game when Coach Reece Jenkin called out the bench to get a sample of the Arena action and senior reserve Austin Ring hit a bucket to get into the tourney scoring ledger.

Toledo traveled to Spokane with a 21-5 record after they were jolted the previous week by the NE’s Liberty Lancers, number-two qualifier out of the NE league, 45-42.

After they made the final eight lineup at Spokane, the Indians sustained two close defeats to spin out. They lost to Adna by two points, 66-68 in the Thursday quarter-final and then bowed to Toutle Lake 45-49 in the first consolation round.

The two teams which topped Toledo, Liberty and Adna, wound up playing for fourth and sixth places on the final day with Adna taking the win for fourth.

The NE’s top team, St. George’s, rolled all the way to Saturday’s championship game on a 26-0 mark, but they ran into Kittitas/Thorp, in the championship game and bowed 50-65.

Kittitas last year defeated St. George’s in the semis and Liberty in the title game. They returned this year as the defending champions after booking a 23-1 record. Lone loss for the Coyotes during the year was to Zillah.

Colfax ended the season at 19-7.

The campaign was capped by four wins over the last five games to stay in the running for state action at the Spokane Arena.

Last Wednesday’s Colfax loss concluded the Colfax hoop careers for seniors Brett Kincaid, Jaydon Soncarty, Caleb Berquist, Cal Gregory, Chase Baerlocher and Austin Ring.

Toledo 52-Colfax 37: 8/13 12/6 12/6 20/12: Jaydon Soncarty 1 1-3 3, Carson Cloaninger 4 (3pt) 5-5 14, Caleb Berquist 2 (3pt) 0-0 5, Brett Kincaid 4 (3pt) 1-2 10, Cal Gregory 0 1-2 1, Brian Rubin 0 1-2 1, Kelan Becker 0 1-2 1, Austin Ring 1 0-0 2. Total 12 10-37 f-17 37. Toledo: Brian Wood 2 0-0 4, Fano Arceo-Hansen 2 2-2 6, Junior Arroyo 4 3-4 11, Reece Wallace 3 (3 3pt) 4-4 13, Westin Wallace 2 0-0 4, Andreas Malunat 3 3-5 12. Total 17 12-21 f-13 52.

Top: Carson Cloaninger unloads against Weston Wallace.

Right: Caleb Berquist drops a shoulder while charging for the bucket.