Daven Harmeling finally saw a game, a moment, a performance he’s waited to see all season.
His young pups — a King’s Way Christian boys basketball team featuring a new roster from its state-bound team from a season ago — is growing up fast.
It’s how they closed out Thursday’s 61-52 victory over Hoquiam to open the Southwest 1A District Tournament at home to advance to Tuesday’s winner-to-regional semifinals versus Montesano, in particular, that has Harmeling beaming.
In order to look deeper into the meaning of their first-round district win, you have to look back at seven of the team’s nine losses coming by an average of 3.8 points.
That’s why Thursday’s win, Harmeling noted, is particularly noteworthy because he saw growth in late stages of a game when it was a two-possession lead with 90 seconds to play.
No momentum lost this time. The Knights won.
“It points to some maturity happening,” Harmeling said. “The exciting thing about a team this young and our depth is our best ball is in front of us.”
The Knights’ clinic-type outside shooting performance and interior play gave way to a momentum swing by the Grizzlies (9-12) in a rematch of last year’s district title game at Chehalis’ W.F. West High School.
While Thursday didn’t have nearly the same stakes as a district title trophy, some in-game moments felt like it.
Hoquiam’s Matt Brown, a 6-foot-3 starting forward, led the comeback trail in the third quarter after his team trailed by as many as 33-14 as one point in the first half. He finished with 20 points, but not before getting the Grizzlies to within seven to start the final eight minutes.
Harmeling turned to Bryce Dodge, a 6-2 freshman, to put a body on Brown.
Dodge not only answered the call on his toughest assignment to date, but the freshman who averages 2.5 points in 13 games played made an impact on offense, too. He was one of three Knights in double figures with 11, and six came over the final 3:43 and his dribble-drive off the top of the key and layin drew an foul on Brown. The field goal pushed the lead to 56-50 with 1:18 to play.
“My friends told me that was the most emotional they’ve ever seen me,” Dodge said afterward. “I was really pumped for that play. We’ve had a lot of close games this year and a lot of games we haven’t been able to close out. I felt excited we were one step closer to getting that win.”
Dodge had eight points in the fourth quarter, and also altered Brown’s next shot on the ensuing possession that eventually led to King’s Way closing out the game on a 7-1 run.
Khal Cason led King’s Way with 14 points and brother, Kobi, added 10.
No true secret to success, said Khal Cason, who led the Knights with seven steals: just execution.
“It came natural to us,” he said. Tonight, it was difference; it really counted.”
GIRLS
Hoquiam 38, King’s Way Christian 31: A cold shooting night led to a first-round district tournament loss for the Knights, the Trico League’s runners-up, in the opening round of the Southwest 1A District tournament at home Thursday.
The loss ends King’s Way’s season at 16-4.
Lacey Zook led King’s Way with 11 points and Abby Cummins and Hannah Moats added 10. seven apiece. The Knights shot 16 percent (8 of 51), including 2 of 26 in the first half and trailed Hoquiam 22-10 at half. The Grizzlies (10-12) advance to face league-rival Elma in the double-elimination portion of the tournament Saturday.
Despite a poor shooting night, Cummins, Zook, and Moats, who scored all of King’s Way’s fourth-quarter points, kept the Knights in it late. The Knights outscored Hoquiam (10-12) 11-6 in the quarter, and a pair of Zook free throws cut the deficit to 36-31 inside 1 minute to go.
