WOODLAND — Chris White didn’t want to take any chances.
His freshman guard Wyatt Hoffman was trapped near half court and instead of potentially witnessing a turnover, the W.F. West High School boys basketball coach called a timeout.
There was 7 minutes, 25 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter Thursday night. The Bearcats were nursing a four-point lead.
“I was nervous about the craziness of that,” White stated.
That break turned the game on a dime. And not in W.F. West’s favor.
Columbia River switched to its zone defense, rattled off four turnovers and grabbed hold of a lead it wouldn’t relinquish, triumphing over the Bearcats 55-48 in a winner-to-state Class 2A District 4 affair.
The closest W.F. West (13-12) got four points twice in that stretch. It went 5-for-12 in the final eight minutes, the fewest made shots and attempts in one quarter.
“We just couldn’t execute,” senior guard Gage Brumfield said. “I knew they were going to (go zone) at some point.”
The heroics of Ari Richardson spurred the Rapids to their second straight state tournament appearance and fourth overall.
The senior point guard scored 15 of his game-high 25 points in the last frame. Only forward Luca Phillips netted the other four points.
Richardson went on a personal 10-0 outburst that featured back-to-back triples to put Columbia River ahead 46-40.
“Once I was able to start attacking the rim, saw some go in and I was able to find my outside shot with more legs,” Richardson said.
The clock was far from being on W.F. West’s side down the stretch and the switch to zone halted an already-struggling night from downtown.
It made just three 3s on the night, all in the third.
“We’ve made the adjustment a few times this season,” Richardson said. “We knew it would be a tough matchup. We’ve had rough third quarters all year, but we know how to overcome in the fourth.”
Still, that stretch of a little warm shooting gave the Bearcats the lead.
Weston Potter and Ross Kelley drilled consecutive trifectas to give them their largest lead of the night at five. From the end of the second quarter to the start of the third, they went on a 10-0 spree to take the lead back.
Potter capped the run with a triple.
“We’re going to try everything we can,” Brumfield said.
Yet the empty possessions late proved too much to overcome. W.F. West players and coaches didn’t walk back to the locker room immediately after the final buzzer.
Rather, the Chehalis walked down the stands and embraced the players. It wasn’t until five-plus minutes after they dispersed into the locker room.
“Emotions are mixed right now,” Brumfield said. “We’re all sad because it is the end of our senior season, but then we think back to all the good times.”
Brumfield was behind a stellar start and a 17-15 lead after one. The Eastern Washington football recruit tallied nine of his 13 points in the first eight minutes.
Grady Westlund ended his prep basketball career with another double-double of 17 points and 18 rebounds, both team-bests.
“It will sting,” White said. “It hurts not to take them to the promised land.”
Columbia River scored seven unanswered in the second to regain a multi-possession lead and stayed within reach before the fourth.
Phillips added 10 points for the Rapids while he and John Reeder each grabbed eight boards.
Brumfield, Westlund, Potter, Kelley and Carlos Vallejo played their final games together. It marked the final game for Brumfield in the maroon and white.
He hopes the legacy he leaves behind will be felt by others.
“See if I can impact any of the younger kids,” Brumfield said. “Maybe come back for a few games, hype them up a little bit.”
Hoffman was a key cog as a freshman and the bench was littered with underclassmen. The Bearcats’ junior varsity and ‘C’ team squads combined to bio 36-4 this winter.
“There’s a lot of nice guys coming up through the ranks,” White said. “We just have to work hard in the offseason.”
