CHEHALIS — The Forks boys basketball team had the bad luck of going against the two division champions in the first two rounds of the 1A District 4 tournament, and paying for it.
The Spartans’ stellar season ended after losing to both teams.
Toledo (21-1), tied for first in the SWL-Trico Division, clobbered the Spartans 68-36 in the first round, and then Tenino (17-6), champion of the SWL-Evergreen Division, beat the Spartans 51-37 at W.F. West High School in the second round to send them home.
“I’m bummed that the season is over, but I’m definitely not disappointed of my guys,” Forks coach Rick Gooding said.
“They did not lose because of a lack of will or effort. Hopefully, the kids are proud of what they did this year.
“I know I am.”
The key to the Tenino game was the first half when the Beavers took a huge 32-17 lead at halftime, and increased it to 41-22 going into the final quarter.
“We just couldn’t do anything offensively,” Gooding said.
Forks’ Colton Raben scored 10 of his team-high 13 points in the first three quarters of the game.
“Colton kind of kept us alive,” Gooding said. “He was huge for us.”
Mark Jacobson scored six for the Spartans while Kenneth Abrahams netted five.
Forks star Braden Decker was held to three points.
Tenino player Justin Conklin scored 12 of his 13 points in the second quarter to lead the first-half charge.
“Conklin really sparked them in the second quarter,: Gooding said.
Tenino 51, Forks 37
Forks 9 8 5 15— 37
Tenino 16 16 9 10— 51
Individual scoring
Forks (37)
Raben 13, Lawson 2, Abrahams 5, Gilmore 2, Harris 4, Decker 3, Jacobson 6, Gonzales 2.
Tenino (51)
B. Harris 2, N. Peterson 10, Conklin 13, Egge 6, D. Harris 14, D. Peterson 6.
Wrestling
Forks 4th
at regionals
HOQUIAM — The Spartans captured fourth place in the 13-team field at the 1A Hoquiam regionals with one individual champion.
Blaine claimed the regional title with 217.5 points, followed by Mount Baker 171, Elma 161.6 and Forks 151.5.
Just like Port Angeles, all Spartans at regionals qualified for state berths.
“The postseason tournaments never goes quite as the coach plans that they should be, but no coach is going to complain too much when all of the wrestlers entered in the regional tournament will be making the trip to the state tournament in the Tacoma Dome,” Forks coach Bob Wheeler said.
Forks had 11 boys entered in the regional tournament in Hoquiam and three girls entered in the regional meet in Battle Ground.
All 14 regional participants will be making the trip to the state tournament Friday and Saturday.
One girl and two boys will be state alternates, but the other 11 wrestlers will be wrestling at the Tacoma Dome.
Taking first place for the boys was junior Joel Ward at 220 pounds.
Regional runners-up were sophomore Sebastian Morales at 106 and junior Ricky Barragan at 138 while third-place honors went to freshman Alvaro Ortiz at 113, senior James Salazar at 160 and sophomore Miguel Morales at 285.
Earning fourth place were sophomore Garrett Brito at 106, sophomore Javier Contreras at 126 and junior Luke Loveless at 285.
Taking fifth place as state alternates are freshman Alan Ensastequi at 113 and Gavin Castaneda at 182.
In girls action at Battle Ground, freshman Brooke Peterson captured second at 145 pounds, sophomore Tristen Williams took fourth at 106 and Cassy Schroeder was a state alternate at 112.
Also, coach Wheeler once again was voted the Region 1 1A coach of the year, and will be the Region 1 nomination for coach of the year at the state tournament in the Tacoma Dome.