Bearcats eliminate Wolves, move within a win of state

It was an EvCo matchup in a 2A District 4 Tournament Elimination Game in Centralia on Tuesday, as the Black Hills and W.F. West met for a third time.

The Wolves won the first two matchups of the season, but the Bearcats got the last laugh with a 68-45 win, eliminating Black Hills and moving within one win of a state tournament berth.

Weston Potter came out firing, scoring eight points in the first to help W.F. West built a double-digit lead. Black Hills was able to make a small dent in the lead in the second, but still entered the locker room down eight.

Grady Westlund picked up three fouls in the first half, but he took over in the second half. He scored 14 of his 19 points in the third quarter. Westlund just missed out on another 20-20 game, as he finished with 19 points and 19 rebounds.

Ross Kelley scored all seven of his points to help ice the game in the fourth, and he also finished with five assists and four rebounds. Potter added five more in the final frame to finish with a game-high 20 points.

Gage Brumfield scored 11 points, Fox Rogerson scored five, and Carlos Vallejo and Hayden Rooney combined for six.

Peyton Faught and James Morgan led the Wolves with 15 points apiece, while Talon Morrill scored eight, Quinton Morrill tallied six, and Tristan Deville scored one.

The Wolves end their season, one where they won their first EvCo title since 2020, 14-8 overall. They’ll lose two seniors, Deville and Jaxsen Beck.

W.F. West (13-11) can earn its second straight trip to the Opening Round of the 2A State Tournament on Thursday. The Bearcats will take on Columbia River in a winner-to-state game at Woodland High School.