Getting a late season test from a Pe Ell squad looking to pull off an upset, the Mossyrock boys basketball team held on late to defeat the Trojans at home in 1B Columbia Valley League play, 49-43.
The Vikings got 12 big points out of Cooper Young and another 11 and 10 from Matt Cooper and Keegan Kolb, respectively, to hold off a frantic Trojan comeback in the fourth.
“Pe Ell came out and executed their game plan well,” Vikings assistant coach Kelly Ross said. “We really had to battle back and piece some things together. Pe Ell has shown a lot of improvement and they fought hard all the way to the buzzer.”
The Trojans kept pace with the Vikings, blow-for-blow in the first half, before a 16-8 spurt in the third quarter gave Mossyrock an advantage heading into the final frame.
Though Pe Ell found a way to outscore the Vikings in the fourth, the Trojans couldn’t quite make up the difference.
Pe Ell was led by Kaden Knowlton’s 12 points and Kail Homan’s 11.
Mossyrock plays again in a key league matchup against Columbia Adventist on Tuesday, while Pe Ell hopes to spring an upset against Naselle at home.
