Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Garfield/Palouse junior guard Austin Jones drives against Chief Kitsap Academy. Jones scored 19 points.
No. 11-seed Garfield/Palouse was set to open the state tournament Wednesday at 9 a.m.
The bus would leave at 6 a.m. to get up to Spokane Arena, the players to go through required team and individual pictures and then meet no. 6 seed Muckleshoot Tribal School.
Who would be on the Gar/Pal bus was an open question earlier in the week as the Vikings, plagued by sickness, had two more players go home from school sick Monday – including senior forward Blake Jones. Backup Kyle Bankus also left school.
Last Saturday, freshman Caleb Zehm did not make the trip to regionals and neither did sophomore Brandon Hallan, another backup.
"If we didn't have bad luck, we wouldn't have any luck at all," said Steve Swinney, Vikings coach.
The team did, however, get Dawson Dugger back in the lineup for regionals, the senior who was thought to be gone for the rest of the season with a bruised femur. His leg felt better, he got a second opinion and was cleared to play.
The task for the team Wednesday may be substantial.
Muckleshoot Tribal has two 6'5" players and one 6'4".
"And the team's aggressive, they're quick," said Swinney.
The winner advances to play no. 5-seed Naselle, the loser eliminated.
Naselle is the team that knocked out Gar/Pal last year in the first round at state.
REGIONALS
Garfield/Palouse 79
Chief Kitsap
Academy 51
Did they have enough players to empty their bench?
Garfield/Palouse, playing with a limited roster with two players out sick, finished off South Kitsap Academy last Saturday in a regional game early. When it came time to clear the bench, the Vikings did it, in part, then had to put players back in to finish it.
Senior forward Blake Jones led with 26 points in the game while Austin Jones, a junior guard, scored 19 and Ethan Hawkins 14.
Gar/Pal never trailed, with Austin Jones finding openings in the Bears defense. Late in the second quarter, he threw to Blake Jones, point blank, for 37-23 at the half.
It kept up in the third quarter. Austin Jones to sophomore Jaxson Orr for a 20-point lead, Orr to Hawkins in the corner, 58-35, a Blake Jones drive, Austin Jones to Blake Jones, Austin to Hawkins for a two-footer, an Austin drive, Hawkins off a rebound and putback, 73-49 late in the fourth.
Then Coach Swinney pulled Blake Jones out of the game, then Austin.
On the next possession, Orr fouled out.
The Jones boys went back in.
Now they lead Gar/Pal back to state at Spokane Arena.
"They're both stepping up right now, they're leaders, bringing their A game, which we need for them to do," said Swinney.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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