SPOKANE — Since the commencement of Eric Hersman’s first campaign as the Napavine head coach in mid-December, the Tigers have frequently been the team inflicting frustration in opposing coaches as they rack up the scoreboard.

In the Class 2B State Tournament Round of 12, the ninth-seeded Tigers were the team searching for defensive answers as eighth seed Northwest Christian (Colbert) knocked out Napavine 80-65 Wednesday, March 5. The Crusaders exacted revenge on the Tigers, who eliminated them in the 2024 quarterfinals last winter.

In the midst of an emotional meeting with his team in the locker room after the game, Hersman expressed his gratitude for a squad he has long commended for their competitive spirit and leadership.

“I just told them how grateful I am to be a small part of this team,” Hersman said. “We’re blessed at Napavine to have a winning culture. It’s tremendously hard to get here, and schools with history have a temptation to take that for granted.

“You want to win your last game, and we couldn’t get it done tonight,” he continued. “I’m just really sorry that I let everybody down.”

Northwest Christian won the tip and struck first on a Caleb Grant putback jumper, but Napavine controlled the first half of the opening quarter from that point. Four different players scored for the Tigers to build an 8-6 lead before the Crusaders cruised in front by eight with a 12-2 run in the next two minutes and change.

Denault broke the Crusaders’ run with a powerful transition dunk that appeared to break a screw loose from the rim, which caused a 15-minute delay to start the second quarter with Napavine trailing 21-14. Officials lowered the hoop to repair the apparent damage before action resumed.

Neither team needed to shake off any rust from the stoppage as the pace was at a blistering speed. Napavine found success in the paint through seniors Jack Nelson and Denault, but the Tigers could not stop Crusaders elusive senior guard Avi West, who scored 16 points in the first half to give NWC a 44-33 halftime lead. West put up 26 points against Napavine in last year’s quarterfinal matchup.

The Crusaders were determined to inflict the same season-ending pain that the Tigers delivered them last year, as they amped up their defensive intensity in the second half. Northwest Christian finished the third quarter with a 14-point advantage and Napavine reeling from turnovers and missed free throws.

Napavine could only creep within 13 in the fourth quarter before Northwest Christian pulled away to win 80-65 and send the Tigers home. They gave up a season-high 80 points to the Crusaders, who torched the nets with a 52.5% field goal percentage, including 61.5% on 2-point shots.

“They’ve got shooters, man. They’ve got three guys that are gonna get theirs every time, and you’ve gotta make it challenging for them. I thought at times we did that but at the cost of letting some other guys get hot,” Hersman said of the Tigers’ defensive effort. “The beauty of March is that there’s a hero born every March. I fell short in preparing our hero.”

Denault finished with a team-high 22 points in his final game in a Napavine uniform, while Nelson contributed 14 points and seven rebounds in his curtain call. Beckett Landram added 18 points and five assists. 

Denault, Nelson and Landon McNamara depart from the program following a tenure that saw Napavine earn its highest placement in the 2B state tournament in 13 years when it took fifth in 2024.

“They’re winners. They all do different jobs and they do a tremendous job of doing their job. That’s what leaders do,” Hersman said. “Some guys are ‘Stonewall’ Jackson and lead from the front, and that’s Karsen. Some folks lead from the back and hold everybody accountable, and that’s Jack. I’ve never met a guy who’s quickly tremendous friends with everyone like Landon.

“We’ve got tremendous kids that desperately want to win, and they’re blessed to have tremendous parents that have instilled that in them. It’s a remarkable combination,” he added.