They were once the hunters of Class 2B District 4. Now, the Toledo High School boys basketball team is the hunted. As the program with the crown bestowed upon them, they understand what’s at stake each time they take the court.
“From day one, nobody cares or is going to take it easy on us,” Riverhawks head coach Grady Fallon said. “You can’t take days off.”
Toledo didn’t wilt in its postseason opener on Wednesday night.
Spurred by scoring the first eight points of the game and a 15-2 spree in the third, Toledo toppled Mossyrock 87-48 in a district quarterfinal at Centralia High School. The scoring output is the second highest of the season.
“You try to mirror things that work,” Fallon said. “The key in my mind is to stay focused to try and go into those games with momentum.”
It marks the third straight season the Riverhawks (18-5) will play in the semifinals and be a game away from a return trip to the state tournament. Standing in their way is P2BL champ Ilwaco next week in Chehalis.
Experience goes a long way in the playoffs and with Toledo boasting a lineup of four seniors, it carried the load early versus the Vikings.
Adam Kruger, Eli Weeks, Trevin Gale and Cooper Fallon scored the first 14 points for the Riverhawks. They sliced and diced up Mossyrock’s zone defense with cross-court passes and fed the cutters.
The Riverhawks ended the night with 23 assists to 11 turnovers.
“Adam is maturing as a point guard and he is finding his role,” Coach Fallon said. “We shared the ball so well.”
Mossyrock head coach Kelly Ross admitted it’s not the easiest matchup for his group. It finished the night with 23 turnovers.
“We wouldn’t come hard to the ball,” Ross added. “Keeping your dribble until you’re ready to pass, that’s being a player and there were times we didn’t do that.”
After a 30-point opening frame, the Riverhawks added 16 more in the second and blew the game open in the third with a 24-point quarter. The four seniors all played a role in the 15-2 outburst that spanned four minutes.
Gale finished with a game-high 24 points, Kruger added 17 and Fallon recorded 11 points plus eight rebounds and four steals. Fallon, Kruger, Weeks, Gale and Conner Hill all notched multiple assists.
“Whoever has the hot hand,” Coach Fallon said. “Nobody is selfish.”
Mossyrock (9-12) got warm from downtown late with five trifectas, but never got closer than 25 in the final two quarters. It struggled with the inside-out game, opting to swing it around the perimeter.
Its two posts – Shaun Fry and Ethan Johnson – combined 11 points on three total field goals. The leading scorers were guards Colby Cournyer with 13 points and Kevin Mitchell recording 11.
“We were hoping that they were going to have an average night (from 3-point territory) and we were going to have a good night,” Ross said. “We wanted to try and bring Cooper out and give Shaun the pick-and-roll, but we struggled to make that pass.”
The Vikings now must win three games in a row in order to clinch a spot in the top-16. They face rival Morton-White Pass on Friday night, then would get the winner of North Beach and Onalaska next week.
In Ross’ eyes, everything remains on the table.
“Got to get Friday, play to live another day,” he said. “We still have an opportunity.”
When Toledo and Ilwaco tip off, the Fishermen will come in with a 16-game winning streak and without a loss in two months. The Riverhawks aren’t looking past any opponent at this point in the season.
“I know the end goal and to keep that in mind; a couple weeks away now,” Coach Fallon said.
