The Mossyrock boys basketball team started its season and league play with a win on Wednesday, beating Toutle Lake 68-62 in its season opener.
“It was nice to get a win,” Mossyrock coach Tom Kelly said. “It was a real team effort and a very exciting game.”
The Vikings built an early lead, going up by more than 15 late in the first half, but the Ducks slowly began to chip away as the second half progressed.
Foul trouble only made things more difficult, as a couple of players were forced out of the game.
A few young players stepped up, though, according to Kelly, including eighth-grader Colby Cournyer and freshman Kevin Mitchell, who both started the game.
“They played really well in a hostile environment,” Kelly said, noting that both fanbases were present and loud. “It was good for the young guys to get through that … It was nice to get a win.”
Ethan Johnson led the way for the Mossyrock offense with 29 points, while Easton Kolb added 13 and Shaun Fry scored 10.
It’ll be a tough road environment up next for the Vikings (1-0, 1-0 C2BL), who will head to Rainier on Friday.
