Jacks roll into CWAC title game

QUINCY — The Quincy Jacks’ championship hopes continued this weekend as they fought their way through the Ellensburg Bulldogs and the Grandview Greyhounds to move into Saturday’s Central Washington Athletic Conference district championship game.

On Friday night the Jacks hosted the Bulldogs of Ellensburg.

After a close contest, the Jacks held on for 54-49.

Friday night’s battle against Ellensburg was an offense-driven contest in front of a standing-room only crowd.

The first quarter got off to a slow start and neither the Jacks nor the Bulldogs could grab the lead as they played to a 9-9 tie.

The Bulldogs managed to take the lead in the second quarter before Quincy senior Jay Cedargreen helped the Jacks pull even at 15-15.

The Bulldogs fought back, briefly taking the lead at 19-18, but Ellensburg’s lead did not deter a confident Quincy team and the Jacks went on a 7-0 run to close out the first half and take a 25-19 lead into the locker room.

The second half was a defensive struggle and neither team could gain the upper hand.

With the Jacks leading late in the third quarter, the Bullbogs came back to tie the game at 39-39 before Quincy got their second wind and began to pull away.

The Jacks never looked back as they knocked off the Bulldogs in the CWAC district quarterfinals.

After holding off Ellensburg Friday night, the Jacks traveled to East Valley High School in Yakima on Saturday to take on Grandview in the CWAC district semifinal.

The Jacks controlled the scoreboard from the opening tip and Quincy never trailed during Saturday’s CWAC semifinal contest with Grandview as the game came down to the wire, Quincy Athletic Director Bill Alexander.

With seconds left on the clock, a Grandview foul sent Quincy freshman Luke Grigg to the free-throw line. Grigg missed both opportunities, but grabbed the rebound off of his second miss and put the ball in the basket for a 44-42 lead.

The Greyhounds inbounded the ball and drove it down the court for a last minute attempt to win the game. Grandview’s shot missed the target and the Jacks held on for the victory.

After the shot clanked off of the rim, the Jacks wrapped up a trip to the state tournament and a spot in the CWAC district tournament’s championship game, Alexander said after the win.

“(Grandview) threw up a shot as the buzzer rang,” he said. “It rattled around the rim a few times, then fell out. We just couldn’t believe it.”

The Jacks now travel to Sunnyside to take on the Wapato Wolves in the CWAC district tournament’s championship game at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Both the Jacks and the Wolves clinched berths to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association 2A boys state basketball tournament at the Yakima SunDome March 11 through March 14.

Central Washington Athletic Conference Girls Basketball

Othello 55, East Valley 47

YAKIMA, Wash. — The Othello Lady Huskies held on to knock of the East Valley Red Devils 55-47 Feb. 28 to move into Saturday’s Central Washington Athletic Conference district championship.

With the win over East Valley, the Lady Huskies clinched a berth into the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association 2A girls state basketball tournament March 11 through March 14 at the Yakima SunDome.