ADNA — It’s a short drive from Pe Ell to Adna, just about 20 minutes or so.
On Tuesday evening, plenty of Pe Ell fans made that trip to support the Trojans, as they took on Willapa Valley in a 1B District 4 Semifinal at Adna High School. In the final seconds of the game, that crowd told the story, collectively joining in on a deafening chant.
“ON TO STATE! ON TO STATE! ON TO STATE!”
“I’m just super proud of my girls,” Pe Ell coach Kelsey Lennox said. “They deserve this.”
After the final buzzer, Lennox and the players joined in on the celebration, as the Trojans clinched their spot in the district title game and the state tournament with a 53-29 victory.
“It’s awesome to see the hard work come to fruition,” Lennox said. “I’m just super proud of my girls … I’m lucky to be their coach.”
The Trojans left no doubt as they pulled away in the second half, but it took them a while to settle into the game.
The first quarter was filled with uncharacteristic turnovers and mental mistakes, and early in the second quarter, Willapa Valley’s Addison Merkel hit a three-pointer to give the Vikings a 16-15 lead and force a Pe Ell timeout.
“We were just super tense,” Lennox said, noting the game’s stakes along with the rivalry. “They just had to relax and finally get into the flow of our game.”
They did that by ending the half on an 8-0 run, and they followed it up in the third with a 10-2 run to push their lead to 14.
Maisy King, an eighth-grader and a first-team All-Columbia Valley honoree, rounded out the second run with five points in a matter of seconds. She connected on a three and followed with a quick layup just seconds later after a Viking turnover.
King didn’t score until late in the second, but the late flurry in the third put her at nine going into the fourth. She went on to finish with 11 points and eight rebounds.
“I was just scared in the beginning,” King said. “And then I realized I wanted to win, so I just kept going harder.”
Karli Phelps, the CVL MVP, did her part as well, scoring a game-high 13 points and adding six rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
“She’s a commander of the floor,” Lennox said. “Being a sophomore, she’s pretty well composed, and she sees a lot of pressure. And they feed off that.”
Emma Kissner added eight points, five rebounds, and three steals, and Brookelynn King tallied six points and six rebounds.
Now winners of 20 games in a row, the Trojans (20-0) will face Taholah in the 1B District 4 Championship Game on Saturday in Montesano. If they win, it’ll be their first district title since 2013, when they won the 2B District 4 title over Morton-White Pass.
“I’m looking forward to getting closer as a team,” Maisy King said. "And winning the district championship.”
After that, Pe Ell will learn its state seeding and begin preparing for the Opening Round of the 1B State Tournament.
“I think it’s what every team wants to be in,” Lennox said. “I think the girls are gonna be ready.”
Oakville eliminated by Mary M. Knight
The Oakville girls basketball team was eliminated from the 1B District 4 Tournament on Tuesday, as the Acorns fell to Mary M. Knight 65-23 in a district elimination game.
A win would have put the Acorns one win away from the state tournament, but instead they finish their season 12-10.
They’ll say goodbye to four seniors: Andrea Mendez-Castro, Carolann Black, Vivi Cruz, Rachel Simmons.
