TENINO — Just over two weeks before Onalaska and Napavine met in a 1B/2B District 4 Semifinal on Thursday in Tenino, the two teams played to a low-scoring draw.
When thinking back on his offense’s performance in that first meeting, Onalaska coach Christopher Van Clifford admitted his team didn’t have the answers for Napavine’s low block.
“We weren’t really ready for what would happen and how that would work,” Van Clifford said.
In the two weeks since, the Loggers made their adjustments in practice, and on Thursday, they were able to break through and roll to a 3-0 victory to advance to the district title game and clinch a spot in the state tournament.
“We did some things in practice to kind of talk about how to break it down,” Van Clifford said. We’ve just never had to deal with breaking down a low block before, but we got a few things worked out to get some shots in and get in tight.”
Onalaska began trying to break down Napavine’s low block instantly, but the Tigers were able to hold firm through the first 15 minutes despite a few chances for the Loggers.
Onalaska’s Emilee Rodriguez broke the deadlock in the 19th minute, finishing a loose ball in the box, and right before the break, Piper Iverson doubled the advantage with a shot from the left side of the box.
In the 62nd minute, Kiley Talley took advantage of the extra space at the top, scoring on a high, floating shot from about 35 yards out.
“They were able to shoot from distance, which is the way you beat a low block,” Napavine coach Caleb Gallanger said. “They were trying to pull us out, and they were able to do it … They made good adjustments.”
In the first game, Napavine was able to score on the counter-attack, something that Van Clifford said caught the Loggers flat-footed and off-guard.
On Thursday, the Loggers were more prepared for any potential counters. Not only were they able to get back on defense quicker, but they were also able to win the ball back faster, which turned into more offensive chances.
“Today, we were ready,” Van Clifford said.
The Loggers (11-4-1) will head to their seventh consecutive state tournament, but not before facing either Toledo or Adna in the district title game in Tenino on Saturday.
“We’re excited,” Van Clifford said. “Win or lose on Saturday, I think we should get a pretty decent seed, and we’ll have fun at state.”
The Tigers (9-8-1) will also be back at Tenino on Saturday, when they’ll face the loser of the Toledo-Adna semifinal for the district’s third and final state spot. It would be their third consecutive state berth with a victory.
After two years of trips to the state quarterfinals and a reloaded roster, Napavine is back in an all too familiar position.
“We’re very excited,” Gallanger said. “We’ve been preparing all week, and whoever we end up playing against, I think we’re gonna be prepared and ready.”
