W.F. West's Cade Haller (4) makes a layup during a game against Jacks Thursday night at Tumwater High School.
W.F. West's Tyler Speck (30) makes a layup during a game against Jacks Thursday night at Tumwater High School.
W.F. West's Carter McCoy (3) looks to shoot during a game against Jacks Thursday night at Tumwater High School.
W.F. West's Max Taylor (24) is fouled on his way to the hoop during a game against Jacks Thursday night at Tumwater High School.
W.F. West's Kayden Kelly (2) puts up a shot during a game against Jacks Thursday night at Tumwater High School.
W.F. West's Tyler Speck (30) dribbles towards the hoop during a game against Jacks Thursday night at Tumwater High School.
Images from a 2A District boys basketball game between R.A. Long and W.F. West played Thursday night at Tumwater High School.
Images from a 2A District boys basketball game between R.A. Long and W.F. West played Thursday night at Tumwater High School.
Images from a 2A District boys basketball game between R.A. Long and W.F. West played Thursday night at Tumwater High School.
Images from a 2A District boys basketball game between R.A. Long and W.F. West played Thursday night at Tumwater High School.
Images from a 2A District boys basketball game between R.A. Long and W.F. West played Thursday night at Tumwater High School.
Images from a 2A District boys basketball game between R.A. Long and W.F. West played Thursday night at Tumwater High School.
Images from a 2A District boys basketball game between R.A. Long and W.F. West played Thursday night at Tumwater High School.
Images from a 2A District boys basketball game between R.A. Long and W.F. West played Thursday night at Tumwater High School.
Images from a 2A District boys basketball game between R.A. Long and W.F. West played Thursday night at Tumwater High School.
W.F. West's Carter McCoy (3) puts up a shot during a game against Jacks Thursday night at Tumwater High School.
W.F. West's Cade Haller (4) attempts to shoot during a game against Jacks Thursday night at Tumwater High School.
W.F. West's Dirk Plakinger (34) attempts a layup during a game against Jacks Thursday night at Tumwater High School.
W.F. West's Tyler Speck (30) is shutdown on his way to the hoop during a game against Jacks Thursday night at Tumwater High School.
By Jordan Nailon
jnailon@chronline.com
TUMWATER — Try as they might W.F. West could not find a way to contain Cavin Holden and the rest of the Lumberjacks here on Thursday. The result was a 67-55 loss in the District IV. 2A boys basketball tournament that brought the Bearcats season to a close.
Holden knocked down eight three-pointers in the contest and seemed to fire away from farther and farther away each time as his confidence swelled along with R.A. Long’s momentum. The swaggering freshman finished with a game-high 30 points even though he missed a large chunk of the first quarter after going up for a block on defense and winding up prone on the floor after landing hard on his head.
It didn’t take long after his return at the start of the second quarter for Holden to hone back in on the orange cylinder and resume his season long assault from beyond the arc. By the end of the game Holden had raised his season total for made three-pointers to 99.
“We know that’s their thing. I wish I would have done some more of that scrambly stuff sooner. Why did we accept that as the status quo and tolerate that?” said W.F. West coach Christ White after watching his team cutting a 15-point deficit to just eight points midway through the fourth quarter. “That was actually a nice push we were making there, unfortunately they answered back with a couple of shots.”
While the Lumberjacks dropped in 11 long balls on the night W.F. West was only able to connect on 1 of 13 attempts from beyond the arc. Overall, the Bearcats managed just a 31 percent clip from the field.
Kayden Kelly scored in frantic bursts for W.F. West before fouling out with a frustration induced technical in the fourth quarter. The senior point guard finished the game with a team-high 13 points. Carter McCoy added a double-double with 11 points and 15 rebounds.
In the second quarter the Lumberjacks announced their intention not to be trifled with when Aaron Ofstun spun on the baseline and went up with two hands off of two feet and packed home a dunk through a defender’s unenviable arm. The sophomore post player finished with 13 points and 15 rebounds for R.A. Long.
“Credit to them. Ofstun really impressed me, he’s really improved his game. And when you put a nice piece with their guards going like that they are really scary going forward. They are going to be very highly respected next year,” White noted of the Lumberjacks.
The Bearcats offense was buffered by Tyler Speck and Max Taylor who both scored ten points. Cade Haller added nine points in the loss.
After finishing second in the Evergreen Conference before falling two wins shy of a Regional round berth the Bearcats were shedding tears in the locker room while their three seniors, Kelly, Speck, and Eason Guerrero pulled off their W.F. West jerseys one final time.
“My seniors, I’m so proud of them. They are a legacy to our program,” White emphasized. “They would just get the guys together on off days and shoot at The PAC. And we had countless dinners in my shop where we had potlucks and watching the Super Bowl. They were just a true family and I’ve never had leadership to this caliber.”
