It is officially play-off time for basketball, making each game more exciting and important. Last night's overtime showdown between the Saints of North Clackamas Christian (NCC) and the Open Door Academy Huskies was no exception. Open Door won both regular season match-ups by a combined 12 points, but the play-offs mark a fresh slate for teams to show up when it matters most. The Huskies were the Valley-10 #2 seed while the Saints occupied the #3 seed. The winner would earn a play-off berth and an opportunity to play #1 seed Country Christian for the district title while the loser would have a matchup against #4-seeded Trinity Academy to play for the final league play-off berth. In a back and forth affair that saw heroics by many players, the Saints edged out the Huskies in overtime 51-49. "I've been in their spot," Saint's Coach Grant Nelson said after the game. "Games like this are not a surprise at districts. It's nice to be the team without pressure." The Saints dominated the first half. Senior Isaac Minnie scored 19 points in the first half, including 5/8 on 3-point shots (many coming from well behind the arch). Minnie's outstanding performance accounted for all but 10 of the team's first half points. "I knew deep three's would be open," Minnie said after the game. Senior Luke Nelson added that, "It's super nice to have someone that can hit deep threes. Teams can't guard it." The Huskies did an excellent job of holding Nelson in check for the first half, holding the thousand-point scorer to just 3 points in the first half. The Saint's defense was stifling, keeping the Huskies to just 18 points in the first half. The Saints forced several turnovers leading to fast-break baskets that helped get their offense rolling after only scoring 4 points in the first five minutes of play. The score was 29-18 in favor of the Saints going into the break. Coming out of halftime, the tide of the game swung in the favor of Open Door. The Huskies allowed only 6 points in the second quarter and scored 11 of their own. The fourth quarter was similar, with Open Door forcing turnovers and making steady progress into the NCC lead. Junior Isaiah Wolcott led the Huskies in scoring with 12 points in the second half. With 5:06 to play, the Huskies had pulled even with the Saints. The Huskies took a their first lead since early in the first quarter with 4:15 to play. After making a defensive stop, the Huskies went up by 3 points with under 3 minutes to play. With the Saints struggling to score, it looked as if the Huskies were going to pull away and complete the comeback. That is when Nelson finally found his shot. With 2:15 to play, the Senior guard hit a step back 3-pointer to tie the game. When the Huskies went up again, Nelson drove to the hoop to even the score. With under a minute to play, Open Door went up by 2 again, giving the Saints one last chance. With 14.5 seconds to go, Senior Landon Meuser scored a contested lay-up over two Open Door defenders to tie the game. The Huskies failed to score on their final possession, sending the game to overtime. Senior heroics came out again in overtime for the Saints. Minnie scored a clutch "and-1" 3-point play which put NCC up by one. Junior James Zelenivskiy hit two shots in overtime for the Huskies, including one to put Open Door up by 1 with under a minute to play. But it would be Nelson who hit the final shot of the game by sinking a game-winning 3-point shot with 9.5 seconds to play. In the final 6:15 of play, Nelson scored 11 points to keep the district title hopes alive for the Saints. "It's a little extra special, and I couldn't be more proud," Coach Nelson said after the game, reflecting on his son's performance. "I was just trying to create shots and make it up to my teammates," Luke Nelson said of his own heroics. Minnie led all scorers with 25 points (including 6 3-pointers). Nelson ended the game with 15 points. Wolcott ended with 15 points for the Huskies. Both teams have a quick turn around. Open Door faces Trinity academy at 4:30pm. NCC will play Country Christian at 8:00pm. "We already got to where we need to be, and we're hungry for more," Minnie said of their next match-up.

After a close loss back on December 3rd, the Knappa Loggers have refused to lose another game. With Knappa’s 23-1 record, 25-0 Crane (1A) is the only boys team in the state can claim to have more wins than them. Last night, the Loggers had one last challenge to their flawless run through regular season Northwest League play. It was a rematch of Wednesday’s game against the Mannahouse Lions. With the league title secured, playing on the road, and having the game fall on the opponent’s senior night, there was potential for this to be an upset. However, the Loggers stayed laser-focused and delivered another elite performance, winning the game 54-33. The first half was a physical affair with many fouls called on both teams and many more left uncalled. The slow-paced grind led to a low-scoring couple of quarters where the Loggers managed to hold the Lions to just 13 points. Going into the break, Knappa led 24-13. The fans were loud, but Knappa came out in force, outnumbering the home team fans. When asked about the environment, Knappa coach Paul Isom commented that, “It was a nice last game before playoffs.” And that the community support was very appreciated by the team. To start the third quarter, the referees were determined to reduce the physicality and called multiple fouls early. The players adjusted to the game and the pace picked up. Senior Logan Morrill led the way in scoring for the Loggers by dropping 8 of his 13 points in the third quarter. The Logger press forced turnovers. The third quarter included one of the prettiest sequences the Loggers have had all year. Senior Shane McMahan stole the ball, and flipped a no-look, behind-the-back assist to Tanner Jackson who completed a 3-point play. On the next possession, McMahan secured another steal leading to a Logger bucket. Just when it looked like Mannahouse was going to get a breakaway basket against Knappa’s press, Morrill pinned the shot to the backboard. Knappa then found Brandon Gale who hit his fourth 3-point shot of the game. Mannahouse called a timeout to stem the 11-0 run by Knappa. This did little to stop the bleeding as Knappa went on to put the game out of reach by out scoring Mannahouse 24-5 in the third. ”We own the third quarter,” Isom said after the game, “We try to close the door [on opponents] in the first few minutes.” Mannahouse got their offense going in the fourth quarter, but the 30-point deficit was too much to make up. The Lions out scored the Loggers 15-6 in the fourth. Morrill and Gale scored 16 a piece to lead all scorers. McMahan was close behind with 15 of his own points for the Loggers. Sophomore Jadon Bjornsgard led Mannahouse with 10 points on the night. As the Northwest League regular-season champion, Knappa will play next Saturday at 3:30pm at Vernonia High School. Their opponent will be the winner of a four-team “ladder” playoff. The winner of the league tournament will receive a top-eight seed and home playoff game. When asked how he will prepare his team for their unknown opponent, Isom said that, “We just need to run our stuff. The playoffs are all about how good are you at what you do.” Mannahouse finished second in league and will play either Vernonia, Columbia Christian, or Faith Bible on Thursday at home.

Wednesday's games against Mannahouse marked the final regular season home game for the Knappa Loggers. With a crowded gym and much fanfare, the home teams delivered three dominant victories. After a shaky start, the junior varsity team went on a 17-0 run to take firm control of the game. The dominant performance allowed for many players to get involved, including first-year player Daniel Toliver. The JV cruised on to a 48-16 win to start the night. Next up came the girl's team who only built off of the momentum of the JV victory before them. In arguably their best game of the season, the Lady Loggers put together a team performance against the all-freshman Mannahouse team. Senior Hannah Dietrichs led the way in scoring with 10 points followed closely by Sophomore Ariana Miller who scored 9 points and hauled in 12 rebounds. The Lady Loggers found success with great ball movement which allowed them to find open shots. The good offense showed in their season-high 52 points. On defense, the Loggers were feisty, forcing 32 turnovers. Freshman Alondra Pina led the way with 6 steals for the Lady Loggers. They would hold Mannahouse to 35 points on the night in their 52-35 victory. Knappa was able to build enough of a lead to get exchange student Laura Jeka into the game. Jeka had never played basketball before attending high school in America this year and has spent most of her time on the junior varsity. Jeka was fouled as time expired giving her a chance to shoot a pair of free throws. The student section exploded with excitement when she sunk the first of the two shots. "It was awesome to get to see Laura play and score in a varsity game," Dietrichs said after the game. For Mannahouse, Reaiah Hall led all scorers with 19 points. "They are a typical young team," Mannahouse coach Nicole Damazio said of her team after the game. "They've improved a lot over the season. They run the floor, hustle and work hard." She also added that she was learning how to coach her young team just as much as they are learning what it takes to play at the varsity level. On the boy's varsity side, the game meant more than just senior night. With three games remaining in the regular season, both Mannahouse and Knappa controlled their own destiny in pursuit of the regular season league title. A win for Knappa meant clutching at least a share of the regular season title, while a win for Mannahouse would keep them in contention for the outright title. The Knappa boys did not disappoint their rambunctious student section. The Loggers battled through "really good defense" by Mannahouse to cap the night with a 61-38 victory. Mannahouse played aggressively inside on defense often double or triple teaming 6-10 senior Logan Morrill. For the first quarter, Mannahouse managed to keep a slower pace to the game but found themselves down 17-11. The second quarter was chaotic, but both teams struggled to score. In a back and forth affair, neither team managed to score a bucket until almost three and a half minutes in to the quarter. Two 3-pointers by senior Brandon Gale, a bucket by Morrill, and a couple of free throws gave the Loggers 28 points at the half while their aggressive defense held Mannahouse to only 15 points in the half. The third quarter changed everything. Senior Tanner Jackson exploded in a performance described as "unconscious" by coach Paul Isom. Jackson scored 16 of his 19 points in the third quarter, "when he shoots like that he just might be the best player in the state," Isom said. Jackson was 5/6 from beyond the arch on the night. For Mannahouse, senior Chisom Okafor was the life of their offense. All night he took confident shots on Morrill and played physical defense inside. Okafor led Mannahouse with 10 points on the night. The guards for Mannahouse also played good games, but the depth of Knappa allowed the Loggers to constantly have fresh legs to keep the Johnson brothers and Jadon Bjornsgard in check. With a large lead and two minutes to go, the student section for Knappa started chanting “we want Daniel” as a plea to Isom to let Toliver see his first-ever varsity action. With a minute and a half to go, Isom sent Toliver to the scorers’ table to finish the game. “It was overwhelming to have that support [from the crowd]” a smiling Toliver said after the game. He described his opportunity as “amazing”. With the win, Knappa secured at least a share of the Northwest League regular-season title. “We’ve worked so hard for this,” Jackson said after the game. Coach Isom said that it was a “good first step” but that his team needed to continue to “take care of business” as they close out the season against Gaston on Thursday before having a rematch at Mannahouse on Saturday. Mannahouse still stands firmly at 2nd in the league standings. With a chances at both Faith Bible and Knappa coming Friday and Saturday, the Lions can clench that position heading into the league playoffs. If they want a share of the regular season title, Mannahouse will need to win their remaining two games and get some help from a struggling Gaston team (who would have to beat Knappa on Thursday).

The Faith Bible Falcons went into Saturday's game determined to avenge their 77-29 loss to the Knappa Loggers back in early January. Knappa entered the game looking to win the 19th straight game and retain their 2nd-best active winning streak in Oregon (1A Crane has 21 straight wins). The Northwest League is crowded with four different teams that have a shot at winning the regular season league title, and Faith Bible hoped to make good on their second shot at the Loggers. Even with a loss, the crowded field means that tie breaks to decide league playoff seeding could come down to point differentials adding another element to the game. The Falcons played calm and collected the entire first half, "We played them the exact same way [as earlier this year]" Falcon's coach Brent Masterson said after the game. This time the strategy worked well for two quarters. The Falcon's controlled the pace for most of the first two quarters and kept Knappa's offense in check, leading to a 26-26 tie at the half. But coming out of the break, Knappa took the lead quickly and did not look back en route a 70-52 win. The Logger's press succeeded in speeding up the pace of the game and led Knappa to a 20-point third quarter. "Knappa took it to the next level, and we didn't," Masterson said of the second half. Knappa's coach Paul Isom reflected similarly on the game, "The guys have a good ability to turn it [the intensity] up." Knappa would add another 23 points in the final quarter. The win highlighted Knappa's strength in depth, "We only had eight guys, but that doesn't really affect us," Knappa senior Logan Morrill stated after the game. Four of the Loggers in the regular rotation were unavailable for the game, forcing players further down the depth chart to contribute key minutes. Two of these standout players were Trever Ogier who scored 8 points and Mark Miller who scored 5. Morrill led all scorers with 16 points despite constantly being double and triple-teamed all game, "You just need to look for your teammates and sometimes you also need to power through." Senior Matthew Fachiol led the Falcons with 13 points and Landon Young added 11 points. Although the Falcons came up short, there is a lot to be proud of. Their trust and discipline is amazing as well as their resiliency. They are in a good position to make a playoff run. Their performance should be commended. Knappa tested itself with three games in three nights and proved that it has the depth needed for the playoffs. There is no rest for either team after the game who both have four games next week. Knappa takes on Nestucca on the road on Monday before playing the Northwest League #2 Mannahouse Christian on Wednesday and Saturday with a game against Gaston on Friday. Faith Bible plays Portland Christian on Monday and Tuesday before facing Nestucca on Wednesday and finishing the week against Mannahouse on Friday.

Knappa's boys basketball team extended its winning streak to 12 on Saturday with its most impressive victory of the season. The 2A No. 2 Loggers won 58-52 at home over 4A No. 5 Seaside. Considering Knappa lost to Seaside handily in the teams' last two meetings -- 62-25 last season and 79-49 in 2018-19 -- the Loggers entered the game with something to prove. “They cemented how tough they are,” Knappa coach Paul Isom said of his players, who started the winning streak after opening the season with a 47-42 loss to 2A No. 1 Western Christian. “This was a team win. It’s impossible to pick out a single star.” Logan Morrill, a 6-foot-9 senior, scored a team-high 15 points for Knappa (12-1). Senior guards Tanner Jackson and Shane McMahan added 13 and 12 points, respectively, for the Loggers. Seaside (11-4) controlled much of the first half, led by senior Ever Sibony. The 6-0 guard scored 13 of his team-high 15 points in the first half and played lock-down defense on McMahan, holding him to two points before the break. Jackson kept Knappa in the game with clutch steals and timely baskets, scoring nine of his points in the first half. Knappa finally regained the lead in the third quarter as McMahan scored 6 points in the third, leading a 21-point quarter for the Loggers. Sibony tired in the second half and struggled to find his shot, slowing down the Seaside attack. It was up to Cash Corder and Carson Kawasoe to keep Seaside in the game. Kawasoe took advantage of openings in the Knappa zone to drain two 3-point shots in the third while Corder slashed to the rim. Going into the fourth quarter, Knappa led 46-44. The fourth quarter was a grind for both teams. The game had exhausted all the players and field goals were hard to come by. This meant that each free throw and rebound were magnified in value. Knappa made the most of their trips to the free throw line, sinking 19 of 25 on the night (10 in the fourth quarter). Seaside shot well from the charity stripe, but with only 7 opportunities in the game, the differential showed. Carter Morrill secured vital rebounds for Knappa down the stretch and 6-9 Logan Morrill made 5 out 6 free throw shots in to put the game away. McMahan said the Loggers just needed to “keep their composure and control the pace” to get back in the game. Seaside coach Bill Westerholm said his team did not hit shots that they normally do, and that “poor shot selection” allowed Knappa to go on runs. “We knew it was going to be a battle,” Westerholm said. “Knappa is much improved over last year. You need to respect the competition.” The Loggers proved that they don't just compete with bigger schools, but that they are capable of beating the title contenders at that level. "They [Knappa] would compete for the Cowapa League title," Westerholm said. Seaside has discovered a weakness for Knappa. Knappa's only loss came without McMahan. On Saturday, when Seaside was able to keep McMahan in check, they led the game. Unfortunately for the Seagulls, this advantage did not prove decisive. McMahan adjusted to the pressure and eventually broke through. Seaside has nothing to be ashamed of in their performance. They led for most of the game and had calls not go their way. If there was a rematch, there is a very good chance that the Seagulls emerge victorious. Knappa turns around and has series of away games next week. On Monday, they play a confident Columbia team, followed by a trip to Portland Christian on Tuesday. On Thursday, the Loggers will travel to play the 1A No. 8 Country Christian. Seaside gets a quick break before playing Tillamook on Tuesday. They will then host No. 8 Banks in a Friday night showdown.

The Faith Bible Falcons entered Friday's game against Columbia Christian missing four of their players due to injury and COVID protocol. Columbia Christian came into the game after logging two consecutive league wins - including an impressive performance against Mannahouse Christian. However, being short-handed did not stop Faith Bible from securing their 6th league win as they clawed out a 45-38 win. In the first quarter, Columbia Christian took control of the game. Their 1-3-1 zone created turnovers and held Faith Bible to just 8 points. Senior Jordan Tibbets scored 6 out of Columbia's 11 points in the first quarter. Faith Bible's 1-man-zone defense kept the Falcons in the game, but momentum favored Columbia. "We needed to play more aggressively," Faith Bible's Matthew Fachiol said after the game. And that is just what the Falcons did. They quickly drew three fouls on Columbia's Dawson Vensel, forcing head coach Joey Chapman to sit the senior for the remainder of the half. "The foul trouble hurt our mental state," Chapman said after the game. The rest of the second quarter, Faith Bible continued to hang with Columbia, but never managed to gain the lead. Going into half, Columbia led 22-21. Foul trouble haunted Columbia in the second half. Vensel picked up his fourth foul only two and a half minutes into the third quarter. when he reentered the game in the fourth quarter, he fouled out almost immediately, leaving Columbia without a key weapon. Once Vensel left the floor, Faith Bible took the lead shortly thereafter and never looked back. Fachiol secured key rebounds for his team and the team hit free throws down the stretch. "Faith Bible wanted it more tonight," Chapman said of the Falcon's effort. Tibbets carried Columbia on the offensive end by scoring 17 points. Faith Bible's entire offense flowed through Fachiol who created opportunities for teammates as well as scoring 14 of his own points. The biggest benefactor of Fachiol's play was Luke Taylor who led all scorers with 19 points. "We really, really, really needed this win. We needed to be down and for every possession to matter," Faith Bible coach Brent Masterson said. Fachiol said that the team believes in each other, "We to reflect Christ the best we can and it shows on the floor. We believe it when we say 'family.'" Columbia won their homecoming game against Portland Christian on Saturday putting them at 3-3 in league play. Heading into a Monday matchup with Knappa, Columbia feels confident. "We can compete with them if we stay locked in," Chapman said. Faith Bible looks to get their third win in a row on Monday against a Neah-Kah-Nie team that has struggled since being ravaged by COVID.

Although Knappa and Neah-Kah-Nie met on Monday, there was good reason to believe that last night's game could be a different story than the 66-32 Knappa win. Neah-Kah-Nie had more of their team back which has been the story of Neah-Kah-Nie's season. Knappa came in riding an 11-game winning streak, while Neah-Kah-Nie has struggled with sickness and a tough stretch of league play going 0-4 since coming off several cancelations. Knappa was quick to demonstrate why they are the statistically best defense in the league by holding Neah-Kah-Nie to just 2 points in the first quarter, but Neah-Kah-Nie did not roll over. "I feel good about how they played in the first half. They had good fight," Neah-Kah-Nie coach Erik White said reflecting on the game. In the second quarter, Knappa switched to a man-to-man defense and Neah-Kah-Nie took advantage scoring 16. However Knappa still surged ahead on offense. Neah-Kah-Nie could not stop senior Logan Morrill who scored 15 points in the first half. As is often the case with Knappa, it was not a one-man show: nine different players scored in the first half en route to a 76-42 Knappa victory. But still, Neah-Kah-Nie did not give up. Neah-Kah-Nie came our in the third quarter in a full-court press. This led to an explosion of action as players flew up and down the floor with both teams pressing. Tanner Jackson ran himself haggard registering 8 points, numerous steals, rebounds, and assists. Knappa coach Paul Isom called the effort "superhuman". Jackson was laconic about his energetic play, "I just work hard no matter what." Jackson's energy was infectious. Knappa scored 31 points in the third quarter and held Neah-Kah-Nie to just 12 points. But Neah-Kah-Nie still fought for every loose ball and refused to let any shot go uncontested. Coach White reflected that Neah-Kah-Nie's fight went "a little too far" referencing a chippy sequence between the teams that resulted in a technical foul getting called. From start to finish, Knappa demonstrated that they are the team to beat in the Northwest League. With the best statistical defense and offense in the Northwest League, they are an electric team to watch. All that being said, Knappa has yet to face Mannahouse. Additionally, Columbia Christian, who has played Knappa closest so far, is now fully healthy. As coach Isom said, "there are still some unknowns". Morrill led all scorers with 17 points while Anthony Allen led Neah-Kah-Nie with 9 points. Jackson ended the game with 10 points. Neither Morrill or Jackson played in the fourth quarter. Knappa has three big games coming up on their schedule. On Saturday Knappa plays 4A #6 Seaside at home, then Monday they travel to play Columbia Christian, and finally they play 1A #7-ranked Country Christian. Neah-Kah-Nie will not have much time to recover from the games this week. On Saturday they play Vernonia before playing four more games next week. Coach White hopes that his team will continue to build their program and put themselves in position to play for a playoff berth come districts. #NWLeague

Last night's matchup between Neah-Kah-Nie and Knappa was the second time this week that these two teams have clashed. On Monday, Neah-Kah-Nie beat Knappa by 9 points at home and they were looking to have a repeat performance on the road. Knappa entered the game coming off of their first league win with a 62-21 victory at Gaston Tuesday night. Neah-Kah-Nie got out to a strong start and this proved to be the difference in the game. The lead built in the first quarter created by Neah-Kah-Nie's pass and cut offense slashed Knappa's defense leading Neah-Kah-Nie to score 18 points in the first quarter. Junior Rosie Koch led the way for the Neah-Kah-Nie with 6 points in the first quarter. On defense, Neah-Kah-Nie held Knappa to just 8 points in the first quarter. Knappa made adjustments at the quarter, but still struggled offensively. Coming out of the break, Knappa fought hard holding Neah-Kah-Nie to only 3 field goals in the second half. Unfortunately for Knappa, their efforts were not enough to overcome the first quarter. Clutch free throw shooting by senior Jordan White ensured that Neah-Kah-Nie stayed ahead of Knappa. The final score was 44-38 in favor of Neah-Kah-Nie. Both teams fought hard. Outside of the first four minutes of play, the teams were an excellent matchup. Sophomore Ariana Miller scored 12 points along with senior Hannah Dietrichs, who scored 10, provide an offensive spark for Knappa that teams struggle to stop. If Knappa can shore up their defense early in games then they will be in good position to win games at the district tournament. Knappa plays at Portland Christian next Tuesday. Neah-Kah-Nie emerged from the game with a clutch victory. With their sweep of Knappa, Neah-Kah-Nie has earned themselves some separation between themselves and the next closest team in league as well as winning any potential tie-break scenarios with Knappa. Neah-Kah-Nie is a balanced team that had many different scorers against Knappa showing that they have the ability to win as a team. Koch ended the game with 8 points, Kennedy Fletcher led Neah-Kah-Nie with 12 points, and White finished with 7 points. Neah-Kah-Nie turns around and faces a stiff challenge on Saturday against a 10-2 Vernonia team. #NWLeague

On Monday, Faith Bible beat the 1A #2-ranked Country Christian on the road in a thriller. Rather than suffer a flat performance against Mannahouse Christian, Faith Bible brought the same energy that had allowed them to make a fourth-quarter comeback the night before. Faith Bible came in ranked #2 in the Coaches' Poll with a record of 15-1 overall and a perfect 5-0 in league. Mannahouse entered the game unranked with a record of 3-4 overall and 1-2 in league. Mannahouse jumped out immediately and took control of the game. By halftime the game was 47-16 at the half in favor of Faith Bible. The second half was slightly more even as Faith Bible subbed in their second unit to give them some experience. Mannahouse continued to fight, their coach constantly teaching and helping her girls get just a little bit better as players. Adriana Bjornsgard and Reaiah Hall had good second half driving to the basket. But the best efforts of Mannahouse, the game ended 62-36. Mannahouse is a young team - composed entirely of freshmen. They show potential to be a force to be a force within the Northwest League in the coming years. Hall and Bjornsgard are terrific athletes that have great potential. "The game was won in the first quarter," coach Masterson said after the game. "Taylor won't let us lose," he said referencing senior guard Taylor Masterson. He lauded the leadership of Ashley Lohman and Taylor Masterson, thanking them for their leadership. The leadership shows on the court. While not a flashy team, Faith Bible grinds their opponents down with consistent play and sharing the ball. When the second team played during the second half, the bench erupted when their teammates scored, showing how unified this team is. Faith Bible truly does embody the ideal cohesiveness of a team. None of the players feel like they need to be the ones scoring, they just care that they win. From the team shoes to the encouragement constantly emanating from the bench makes an environment that anybody would be proud to be a part of. And their success shows. Their only loss is to 9-4 Morenci - an Arizona 3A equivalent school - and they have beaten one of the dynasties in 1A girls' basketball. When asked about how the team stays focused when they roll over teams in their own league, Coach Masterson said, "They practice every day with the boys. They get beat every day in practice." Faith Bible plays Gaston on Thursday night. All proceeds from the game will be going to help those affected by the Tonga volcanic eruption and tsunami. Mannahouse's next game is at Vernonia on Thursday. #NWLeague

If you had to convince someone of how important youth sports are you would only have to show them film of last night's matchup between Mannahouse Christian Academy and Faith Bible. There was no rocking crowd, no athletes throwing down dunks, or perfect play; it was just high school kids giving everything that they have on the court and learning life lessons while doing so. Faith Bible and Mannahouse came into the game tied in league at 10-3 overall records and 4-1 records in league play. The winner would walk away as the second-place team and the loser would be third. With the crowded field that makes up the middle of the Northwest League, every win is important. Mannahouse has not played a game since December 21st and has had issues with COVID. Since the Christmas break, Mannahouse had a record of 2-2 after a 9-1 start to the season. Faith Bible came in as winners of 7 out of their last 8 games with the only loss coming to Coaches' Poll #2 Knappa. Both teams were unranked in the Coaches' Poll. The game lived up to its potential and then some. The entire game was a close and physical affair. Emotions ran high for both teams. "When Landon went down, emotions started to get the better of us," Faith Bible coach Brent Masterson said referencing senior guard Landon Young who left the game with 7:30 remaining in the first quarter with a lower-leg injury. While the game was physical, there did not appear to be any malice between the teams. The referees let the teams play with limited interruption. Both coaches did their best to focus their players and reduce the physicality, but the players knew what was at stake and were giving it everything they had. It seemed like every possession ended with two or three players on the floor hustling for the ball. The entire game was back and forth affair. Faith Bible did their best to coral Mannahouse captain Devin Johnson, but Johnson managed to still score 9 points and distribute to his teammates. All the focus on Johnson allowed six other Mannahouse players to score 4 or more points each. The biggest beneficiary was Chisom Okafor who hauled in 13 rebounds and led Mannahouse with 15 points, most coming off of dishes or offensive rebounds. The game came down to the wire and with under 2 minutes to go, Mannahouse lead 55-47, but Faith Bible fought until the bitter end. A clutch 3-point shot by freshman Zeke Cask brought Faith Bible within 5 points. After a missed 1-and-1 opportunity by Mannahouse, Faith Bible drove down and scored again bringing the score to 55-52 in favor Mannahouse. Mannahouse turned the ball over again and it looked like Faith Bible was going to tie the game. With 13 seconds left, Faith Bible launched a shot to tie the game, but the shot went wide. Senior Captain Matthew Fachiol secured a rebound, but the next shot also missed. In the scramble for the rebound, Faith Bible traveled and gave the ball back to Mannahouse. Faith Bible fouled on the inbounds pass and sophomore Jaydon Hall iced the game for Mannahouse by making both free throws with 3 seconds remaining. Despite the heroic effort by Faith Bible, Mannahouse emerged victorious 57-52 earning themselves the second place position in league. Games like these are extremely emotional, but teach valuable lessons. Freshmen stepped up to a stage bigger than expected, both teams had to fight through injuries and mistakes, and they did all of that while still having school and personal stresses to manage. While Mannahouse walked away elated and Faith Bible left dejected, players from both teams got stronger as people, which is the goal of sports: to teach life lessons in a safe and fun learning environment. "We're a young team, so we practice end game scenarios to get the younger players the experience they need," Johnson said after the game. "Once we got out of our own heads then we were good," he continued, describing his team's execution down the stretch. Mannahouse coach Ryan Bjornsgard gave credit to Faith Bible, "They're a really improved team." When asked how his team is faring after not playing a home game in nearly a month Bjornsgard answered that, "we [the coaching staff] emphasize that we are a better team on the road. There are less distractions." Bjornsgard described the game as "a good win" for his team. Mannahouse has one more road game at Vernonia Thursday before they play 1A Perrydale, who is ranked #9 in the Coaches' Poll, on Saturday at home. Bjornsgard hopes to keep his inexperienced team focused this week as no one can "take a night off" in the Northwest League. According to Faith Bible Coach Masterson, his team took the time immediately after the game to talk about life more than basketball. "We need to wrap our heads around the emotions," Masterson said. "You never want a loss, but we [Faith Bible] needed to see that we can't take it easy." He applauded his team's fight and the play of freshmen Ezekiel Cook and Markus Jackson who played extended minutes to help cover for the injured Young, "They never gave up and it is invaluable to have two freshmen able to play as they [Cook and Jackson] did." Faith Bible plays Gaston at home on Thursday and then on the road at Columbia Christian, who has won their last two league games. on Friday. Young is expected to be back when Faith Bible faces Columbia. Faith Bible also announced that all proceeds from the Gaston game will be donated to help with those affected by the Tonga volcanic eruption. #NWLeague