The Rainier High School boys basketball team is headed to the district semifinals for the first time since 1997 after knocking off Forks 52-30 in the 2B District 4 quarterfinals at Rochester High School Wednesday, Feb. 12.
That year also marks the last time the Mountaineers qualified for the state tournament, and they’re one win away from making their long-awaited return to the big dance and accomplishing their goal set in the preseason.
“It’s been a long time. It’s been way too long. These guys are hungry, and they’ve earned it,” Rainier head coach Ben Sheaffer said. “It would be a really cool experience for them. You want to be rewarded for all your hard work, but our success is still measured by our effort and how well we play together. I think we’re doing that right now.”
The Mountaineers came into the matchup with the Spartans at a size disadvantage, but they imposed their will and set the tone from the perimeter early. Josh Meldrum canned Rainier’s first triple to terminate a three-minute scoring drought to start the game. Rainier’s defense hustled for loose balls and jumped in the passing lane to the tune of four steals, especially after Sheaffer deployed a fullcourt press late in the first quarter.
After taking a 14-9 lead through one, it was Jake Meldrum’s turn to punish the Spartans from deep. The senior guard wasted no time firing away when he had space, and his teammates kept feeding his hot hand as he splashed three consecutive triples to give Rainier a 25-16 halftime lead.
The Mountaineers found themselves in foul trouble in the third quarter when Josh Meldrum picked up his fourth foul halfway through the frame. Junior Jordan Pringle stepped right in and drilled back-to-back 3-pointers late in the third. He was ready for the moment.
“My shot wasn’t very good at the beginning of the season, but I’ve been working at it all season,” he said.
Rainier’s bench exploded when Pringle delivered his third triple of the second half, gifting the Mountaineers their biggest lead at 43-26 in the fourth quarter. Over the final eight minutes, Rainier held Forks to just four points and finished on a 15-4 run to win 52-30. Overall, the Spartans had not scored fewer than 50 points in any of their previous 19 games.
“It was the will to win. These guys know how to play defense, but we were so connected. The bench was into it, the role players filled a role, and defensively we were just super connected,” Sheaffer said. “We had some timely charges, and we looked hungry.”
Sheaffer said Pringle’s second-half outburst was a testament to his teammates believing in him and one another, as well as the work that the junior has put in all year. He scored 11 points, finishing shy of only Jake Meldrum’s 19 in the scoring column. The duo combined to make eight of Rainier’s nine triples.
“You could see his confidence and how loose he was. It was fun to watch him,” Sheaffer said of Pringle. “We had some foul trouble, but he stepped right in there and we didn’t skip a beat.”
The Mountaineers, led by the Meldrum triplets Jake, James and Josh, wanted to leave a legacy and rewrite history in their fifth and final campaign. They’ve already done that by punching their ticket to the district semis, but they’re not satisfied yet.
“It means a lot. I can’t put into words how it feels,” Josh Meldrum said of being one win away from a state berth. “I love everyone on my team, and they all did their part tonight. We just wanted it more. The job’s not finished yet, so we’ve gotta keep going. We still think of ourselves as the underdogs.”
Rainier will get its chance to clinch a spot in the district title game and the state tournament, as well as cement its place at the top of the Central 2B League, as it will face Adna in the district semis on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Kelso High School. The winner will face either Toledo or Napavine in the district title game on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 8 p.m. at W.F. West High School, while the loser heads to a loser-out game on Friday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at W.F. West.
