Sophomore Jackson Lusk scored a game-high 19 points and snatched three steals as Pe Ell found its offensive rhythm with a 49-42 victory over visiting Winlock on Saturday.
It was a welcome change for the Trojans, who were coming off a tough, 47-34 loss to cross-county rival Willapa Valley the night before.
“We started hitting shots,” Pe Ell coach Clayburn Lusk said. “We didn’t really do that the first three games. We shot better and we played well in stretches.”
Lusk got some help on the offensive end this time, with juniors Aaiden Lee and Wyatt Marrs each contributing eight points. Lee also grabbed four rebounds.
Senior Joey McCalden added six points and six steals, while Joseph Krafczyk also scored six points and Carter Phelps chipped in two.
Winlock was led by Landon Tiemens and Joe Welsh, who each scored 12 points. Nolan Swofford added nine, Aiden Freitas had seven and Payton Sickles had two.
Winlock falls to 1-2 overall and hosts Stevenson at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
Pe Ell improves to 2-2 overall and hosts Firm Foundation at 7 p.m. on Tuesday
Mossyrock gave Naselle at it could handle but couldn’t quite overcome the Comets in a 59-51 loss on Saturday.
Vikings freshman Zack Nunos scored a team-high 15 points, all coming from 5-for-10 shooting from long range.
Gunner Mulligan had an all-around performance, scoring 14 points while pulling down 11 rebounds and swiping seven steals.
“He’s everywhere,” Mossyrock coach Adam Deck said. “The kid has motor for days.”
Warren Nelson chipped in 11 points and 11 boards, and Tryn Thompson provided a spark off the bench with seven boards and three points.
The Vikings held Naselle star senior Kolby Glenn to 19 points after he entered averaging 30 points per game.
“We battled,” Deck said. “Just had some bad turnovers and they’ll take advantage.”
Mossyrock stayed within striking distance throughout but got in some early foul trouble with a couple of its top defenders, which hampered the comeback attempt.
The Vikings shot just 34 percent from the field and hauled in 39 total rebounds.
“Proud of how we played, we’ve just got to learn how to finish,” Deck said. “I think we gave Naselle a better game than they expected.”
Mossyrock falls to 2-1 overall and heads to Toledo on Monday.
Rainier had three double-digit scorers and put up double-digit scoring in all four quarters to easily sail past Class 1A Montesano for a 61-36 win at home on Saturday.
Ian Sprouffske led the Mountaineers with a team-high 17 points, while Jake Meldrum added 12 points and Logan Bowers 10.
Brody Landram finished with nine points, Jake Jeske had four and Curtis Keller had three.
“Having more guys score was a big boost after not having that the first couple games,” Rainier coach Jeremy Landram said.
Rainier’s defense heated up after surrendering 14 first-quarter points to Monte, and held the Bulldogs to single-digit scoring in the final three quarters.
“We just had better focus throughout the game and cleared up some mental breakdowns after that first quarter,” Landram said.
Rainier improves to 2-2 overall and travels to Napavine on Tuesday.
Senior Laythan Demarest erupted for 25 points, 10 steals and was 5-for-7 shooting from deep as Napavine cruised past visiting Tenino, 76-34, in a non-league matchup Saturday.
Napavine had four double-digit scorers to overwhelm the Beavers’ defense. Jamie Grose added 15 points, Cael Stanley scored 23 and Cade Evander chipped in 10. Gavin Parker had six and Keith Olson had two points.
“We just played a solid, all-around game,” Napavine coach Rex Stanley said. “The effort was there and our energy was good. We were able to speed (Tenino) up and force some turnovers.”
Tenino chalked the ball up 27 times.
The Beavers were led by junior Takari Hickle, who finished with a team-high 14 points, while Conleth Jackson had 11.
Napavine improves to 3-0 and hosts Rainier on Tuesday. Tenino falls to 0-2 and travels to league rival Elma on Tuesday.
