Warriors ready to make a late-season run
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin HeraldMaguire Isaak (15) distributes the ball after driving into the lane during Friday night's 1B game against Curlew.
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin HeraldAHC senior Payton Nielsen (33) goes to the rim against Curlew Friday night.
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin Herald AHC junior Hayden Loomis passes inside in the first quarter of Friday's 1B game against Curlew.
COULEE CITY — The sign on the wall in the gym at Almira/Coulee-Hartline High School reads: “I have 99 problems, but my game isn’t one of them.”
Whatever issues the Warriors (12-4, 9-2) have, having twice lost to Odessa, were nowhere to be seen in Friday night’s 69-11 win over Curlew at the Paul Lauzier Activity Center. The Cougars (0-14, 0-12) have just the one senior and the roster includes two eighth-graders and four freshmen and they were no match for the likes of Payton Nielsen, Maguire Isaak, Hayden Loomis and the boys.
It was a spread-the-love around kind of night. Isaak finished with 22 points and 10 assists. Loomis knocked down three from 3-point range en route to 13 points and Reese Isaak finished up with 13 as well. Nielsen was content rebounding and distributing the ball, finishing the night with 11 rebounds, five assists and six points.
Friday night was means to an end and the Warriors stayed disciplined in their approach. But it’s certainly not the end game for a team that played for a 1B state championship two years ago.
“We’re getting close to the point where the games take on new meaning. We want to stay in position on defense and stay disciplined no matter who we’re playing,” ACH coach Graham Grindy said. “We’re trying to lock some things up and break some bad habits, so we had a chance to work on those things tonight.”
The Warriors opened the season slow, losing the first two games of the year, including a 54-49 decision at Odessa in the second game. They had a three-game winning streak in the middle before getting blown out by Okanogan. ACH put together a nice little seven-game win streak together before the holidays that carried over into the new year, but lost for the second time to district-leading Odessa at home on Tuesday.
Grindy has gone unbeaten into the state championship game before, and to tell you the truth, he doesn’t mind a few hiccups along the way as long as they have the A-game at tournament time.
“This is a talented team,” he said. “I’m waiting for that moment where it all clicks. I know it’s getting late (in the season), but I’d rather have a team peak late than early.
“Moving forward, we need to learn how to hold a lead and finish. I’d rather beat Odessa when it counts.”
ACH is at Northport tonight and at Davenport Tuesday.
Curlew 2 7 2 0 - 11
ACH 28 23 11 7 - 69
Curlew - Conner Pennington 2, Jayden Thomas 7, Spencer Fanning 2. Totals: 3 2-4 11
ACH - Hayden Loomis 13m Chase Gerard 5, Macguire Isaak 22, Brayton Schafer 2, Gage Burchill 3, Reese Isaak 13, Tim Hahn 5, Payton Nielsen 6. Totals: 20 14-17 69