ROCHESTER — The third time was not the charm as the Forks boys basketball team wrapped its season with a 65-50 district tournament defeat against Wahkiakum, a team they’d already played twice before in the regular season.
“It was the same thing that got us all year, we didn’t have a whole bunch of size and we always played a little bigger than we were and we ran into a team that did well at getting the ball inside against us,” Forks coach Rick Gooding said.
Outside of Keaton Northcut who sank six 3 pointers for the Spartans, Forks (13-10) struggled to shoot against Wahkiakum’s 2-3 zone.
“Their stud Brady Avalon, every time we would make a run he would have an answer,” Gooding said.
Avalon scored 29 points.
Gooding had praise for his seniors, Riley Pursley, Logan Olson and Ashton Doyle.
“Doyle played all four years for us and worked his way up from C squad, got better every year and started a lot of games for us this year,” Gooding said. “He hit big shots for us.
“Riley was asked to be a post at probably 5-foot-11 and he did well for us. He had a 38-point game against Leschi and always has a good, hard-working spirit about him.
Logan was the ball boy for Gooding and the Spartans when he was in sixth grade and he and Pursley would attend summer camp with the team beginning when they were seventh graders.
“I’ve seen him grow up, he led the league championship team last year and the kids really looked up to him this year and he embraced it. That will be a hard role for us to fill,” Gooding said.
Olympic 59, Sequim 47
KINGSTON — The Wolves’ (6-14) season came to a close in an Olympic League playoff tiebreaker against the Trojans.
It was the final contest for Sequim seniors Tyler Mooney, Kristian Mingoy, Pryce Glasser, Jayden Possin, Adrian Brown and Duke Anderson.
“I’ve had the opportunity to watch and coach this senior group for many years,” coach Greg Glasser said of a group that includes his son, Pryce.
“And to see the young men they’ve become feels my heart. I am thankful for each of our seniors and blessed for the impact they have made on our program and me personally.”
Olympic 59, Sequim 47
Seq. 8 9 13 17 — 47
Oly. 7 12 17 23 — 59
Sequim (47) — Moore 10, Possin 7, Thompson 6, Green 6, Smithson 5, Carisoza 5, Mingoy 3, Glasser 3, Mooney 2, Brown.
Olympic (59) — Trottman 13, J. Bluitt 11, Bosche-Ferry 11, Whitener 8, Quinene 6, Hanson 4, T. Bluitt 3, Grant 3.
Girls Basketball Forks 67, Ilwaco 36
ROCHESTER — Forks had confidence the moment it took the floor for its loser-out Class 2B Southwest District IV girls basketball tournament game against Ilwaco. The Spartans already racked up two prior wins against the younger Fisherman and that belief was big in Thursday’s triumph, according to coach David Hurn.
“The big thing for us was our confidence in facing a familiar foe,” Hurn said.
“We flew around, we had a lot of energy and a lot of confidence in our reads and rotations. We put a lot of pressure on them to start. We got off to a good start, [Keira Johnson] had a couple of 3s in the first quarter and I think that boosted our energy levels. And our defensive pressure created some good looks in transition and some easy buckets.”
Johnson scored 19 of her game-high 27 points in the first half.
“It was a typical game with Ilwaco, we knew that we had to use our speed against them. Their strength is their post and size and we had to get them moving,” Hurn said.
Forks (11-8) will face Rainier (15-6) in a rematch of a game arranged on one day’s notice earlier this month, a 41-34 Mountaineers win at Rainier.
“They are looking forward to it, they know they can play with them,” Hurn said.
Forks and Rainier will square off at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Castle Rock High School.
Forks 67, Ilwaco 36
Ilw. 7 7 9 13 — 36
Forks 17 15 19 16 — 67
Forks (67) — Johnson 27, Wood 13, Bouchard 11, Gaydeski 7, Neel 4, Wallerstedt 3, Sandoval 2.
Port Angeles 62, North Kitsap 40
POULSBO — The Roughriders clinched a share of the Olympic League Championship in a rout of the Vikings on Thursday night.
Port Angeles (13-1, 14-4) splits the title with Sequim (13-1, 17-3) and the two teams will be seeded into the District 2/3 Tournament based on their respective WIAA RPI rankings. Currently, Port Angeles is No. 8 and Sequim is No. 9.
Against North Kitsap, the Riders started nearly perfectly, opening up a 27-1 lead after one quarter.
“Our first quarter was one of the best of the season,” coach Michael Poindexter said. “We forced 11 turnovers (and had none ourselves), and hit 11 of 17 [shots] from the field.”
Eve Burke notched 13 of her game-high 21 points in the opening frame. She added seven rebounds and six steals in what Poindexter described as “an especially strong night.”
Port Angeles also shot well from the field (49 percent) and on 3-point shots (9 of 22 for 41 percent) with six different players hitting from deep.
“Both our full-court press and half-court zone defenses were effective in taking North Kitsap out of their usual offensive rhythm,” Poindexter said. “The Vikings settled down on offense after that, and Sophia Baugh had a strong game.”
Port Angeles will host a district tournament game on Tuesday against a to-be-determined opponent.
Port Angeles 62, North Kitsap 40
PA 27 11 11 13 — 62
NK 1 12 11 16 — 40
Port Angeles (62) — Burke 21, Petty 12, McGoff 6, Williams 6, Larson 5, Gedelman 5, Mason 4, Smith 2, Sprague 1, Felton.
North Kitsap (40) — Baugh 18, Selembo 5, Wetzsteon 4, Sunnenberg 4, De Vries 4, Reed 4, Beers 1.
Jordan Nailon/The Daily News Forks’ Rylee Bouchard, right, and Kadie Wood, center, pressure Ilwaco’s Zoey Zuern during the Spartans’ 67-36 Class 2B Southwest District IV Tournament game Thursday at Rochester High School.
