By Mike Weber
For Columbia Gorge News
WHITE SALMON — The Columbia High Bruins capped a spectacular season by advancing to the WIAA Class 1A District 4 girls basketball tournament for a second straight season and the third time in the past four years.
The No. 14-ranked Bruins (13-7) faced a tough opponent in a first round contest of the eight-team, double-elimination event and they lost to the No. 13-ranked Montesano High Bulldogs (15-8) Feb. 18 at Montesano High School. The Bruins struggled from the outset as the Bulldogs led from start to finish. The Bruins were led offensively by Sara Miller (13 points), Joella Posini (four points, 10 rebounds) and Halle Koch (three points).
The Bruins then faced the King’s Way Christian High Knights (16-6) in a second-round contest Feb. 21 in which the winner would advance in the playoffs, and the loser would be eliminated. The Bruins had won two out of three match-ups versus the Knights during the Trico League regular season, including a 34-24 Jan. 16 home win.
The Bruins, guided by fourth-year Coach Justin Frazier, had a great start, leading 7-5 after the first quarter. The Knights took control of the contest after that, outscoring the Bruins 29-17 over the final three quarters to pull away for the win and end the Bruins’ season.
“The team did a great job all season and it was nice that our seniors helped lead us to a district playoff win in their last home game (a 44-43 win over the Elma High Eagles, Feb. 13) of their career,” said Frazier. “When you get to the district playoffs, the best teams that finish in the final four and have a chance to qualify for state are teams that have very good programs year after year, such as Montesano, King’s Way and Seton Catholic. Those teams have a shot at reaching state every year. We feel like we can now be included in that conversation, as well.”
Posini (six points, nine rebounds) and Mckena Carlock (six points) led the Bruins in scoring.
For seniors Koch, Madison Russom, Miller, Whittney Gross and Claira Camacho, the contest marked the conclusion of their Columbia High School basketball careers.
“The seniors really kind of helped to change the culture of our basketball team,” said Frazier. “They were freshman in my first year as the Bruins’ coach. They really helped us kind of build the culture that we wanted, which is to be a contender in the Trico League every year and they helped provide that. We’ve proven to everyone in our league that we’re a team that can compete for a top position in the standings every year. The seniors helped create that and they really helped change the culture for girls basketball at Columbia High School.”
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