SPOKANE — Napavine took the long trip to Spokane, only to have to play Central 2B League rival Toutle Lake in a state-elimination game Wednesday.
It was the second meeting between the two squads, with Napavine having beaten Toutle Lake 51-47 in the regular season. But this time was different. The Tigers had lost two of their last four, while the Ducks had won five of their last six to secure a state bid.
On Wednesday, the Ducks continued their hot streak while the Tigers were unable to close the gap in a tight, intensity-fueled, 56-54 loss to the Ducks that came down to a final shot.
Trailing 56-54, Napavine had possession with 18.9 seconds left. They would get two trips down the court, the first resulting in a turnover under the hoop and the second being a last-second desperation heave at the buzzer that fell short.
“We were definitely hoping for more,” Napavine coach Rex Stanley said. “Whenever it ends, you always want a little bit more. We knew this wasn’t going to be an easy game. You play a league opponent who knows you well, we know them well. It’s just gonna be a battle.”
Though the Tigers’ season ends earlier than they had hoped, Stanley said he was still proud of his team for their overall performance throughout the season.
“They’ve been an easy team to coach,” Stanley said. “They’ve given us everything we wanted all year, as far as effort.”
Six seniors played their final game for the Tigers: Khalil Bell, Gavin Parker, Jaden Tabor, Peyton League, Glade Shannon and Keith Olson.
Olson finished with a team-high 20 points to go with four boards, while James Grose added 19 points and five boards, Jarin Prather knocked in nine points and Cael Stanley chipped in six points and eight assists.
“All our seniors — especially our two captains: Keith and Gavin — have been tremendous,” Stanley said. “They just give us everything you could ever want. Just as good as they are athletes, they are going to be better people. The whole group is going to be missed.”
Stanley said what he’ll remember most about this group of seniors is their work ethic and the lasting legacy they’ve left on the program; being role models for the underclassmen.
“Just their work ethic every day,” Stanley said. “They’re just hard-working kids that are great teammates and treat everybody with respect. When you’ve got kids in your program that do that and the other kids see it, that just builds on the program.”
