YAKIMA — King’s Way’s hot shooting went stale, and the grit and hustle that fueled the Knights’ run from the regional round to the 1A state title game was no match for a 1A power.
Zillah rode torrid second half shooting to sink King’s Way 90-68 in the 1A state championship game on Saturday evening at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
In their first state championship appearance in program history, the Knights ran into a 1A state power. Zillah has won three of the past six 1A state titles.
“They looked like the state champs and they are for a reason,” Knights coach Daven Harmeling said. “They kept coming at us, making shots and kept coming.
“I don’t want to say they played a perfect game because they missed a couple 3s but it felt like it.”
Khalfani Cason scored all 17 of his points in the first half, but, along with the rest of his team, fell cold in the third and fouled out early in the fourth quarter. Kobi Cason added 11 and Bryce Dodge had 11.
Zillah shot 57.1 percent from the field and made 5 of 8 3-pointers in a second half in which it outscored King’s Way 47-29. Cesar Diaz finished with a game-high 25 points and four Leopards scored in double-figures — Antonio Salinas (17 points), Sebastian Godina (18) and Brock Ellis (14).
Early on, King’s Way matched the Leopards’ hot shooting.
Khalfani Cason, a senior, scored 13 of his 17 first half points in the first quarter. Both teams shot over 55 percent from the field. The Knights were 6 of 10 from 3 in the half — three by Khalfani Cason and three from Gage Koenders.
But the Knights couldn’t sustain the hot shooting. And Zillah was just getting started.
Diaz scored 16 of his 25 points in the second half and Zillah shot 58 percent from the field — 62.5 percent from 3 — to close the game. The Knights cooled off to 26.9 shooting during that time, hit just 2 of 12 3-point attempts and played the last seven minutes without Khalfani Cason, their leading scorer.
For what the Knights had left in the tank, they couldn’t help but feel like they ran into a buzzsaw.
“They probaly had one of their best games of the season,” Metz said. “That was tough for us. They shot amazing, transition offense was great, played great defense. We did the best we could.”
King’s Way finished second in both the 1A Trico League and the district and got to Yakima by way of a win in a regional loser-out game. Its path to the state title game was forged by winning three games in as many days over higher seeded teams, capped by a thrilling semifinal win over King’s that required a go-ahead game-winner with 4.6 seconds left.
The Knight hoisted up the second place trophy on the court after the buzzer, which signified the team’s best finish in school history. That combined with the nature of the loss, gave Harmeling pause. He wasn’t sure what to tell them.
“I’ve never felt like this after a loss because I’m so proud of them,” Harmeling said. “But man, the first thing I told them is my feelings for them … I have the same feeling in me right now as I did last night last night in the big win over King’s.”
Said Brady Metz: “I’m just so thankful to be here, even though we lost.”
ZILLAH 90, KING’S WAY 68
KING’S WAY — Khalfani Cason 17, Kobi Cason 11, Gage Koenders 9, Brady Metz 8, Bryson Metz 9, Ty Snider 0, Kefentse Cason 0, Mason Packer 0, Bryce Dodge 10, Seth Woody 2, Justin Frahm 2, Bailey Meek 0. Totals 21-49 (8-22) 18-20 68.
ZILLAH — Cesar Diaz 25, Antonio Salinas 17, Brock Ellis 14, Sebastian Godina 18, Weston Ide 4, Cody Vance 0, Kaden Magana 2, Parker Van De Graaf 0, Ben Kibbe 0, Wesley Avila 0, Dakota Hibbs 0, Claysen Delp 10. Totals 36-63 (10-18) 8-12 90.
King’s Way 24 15 7 22 — 68
Zillah 24 19 24 23 — 90
