ACH Warriors off to undefeated start

COULEE CITY — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors (4-0) are off to an undefeated start to their season after defeating the Neah Bay Red Devils 71-49. Head coach Graham Grindy was complimentary of his team's defensive effort.  

“Collectively, the defense was great. Along with that, we rebounded really well, and that allowed us to get out in transition. I would say we were pretty balanced inside and out, and also balanced with our scoring,” he said.  

After a competitive first quarter, the Warriors erupted in the second behind a trio of three-pointers by Nolan Grindy. They went from a four-point lead to 18 by halftime. With a 40-22 lead to open the third quarter, the ACH continued to impose its will on defense and maintain a balanced offense that allowed it to score 21 points. From there, they put up 10 more points in the fourth and finished strong to earn the win.  

“We had some assignments there, and it required us to communicate a lot, and we did. We answered the call defensively, and then just sharing the ball on offense, and different guys stepped up at different times,” Graham said. 

The Warriors started strong in the first quarter. Three pointers by Nolan, Josh Booker and Caden Correia provided an early spark for ACH. Max Grindy also contributed a bucket of his own to give the Warriors a 16-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.  

In the second quarter, the ACH offense shifted into a higher gear behind three perimeter shots from Nolan. Brody Pitts, Tucker Bayless, Correia and Booker all continued to operate like a well-oiled machine. By halftime, the Warriors led 40-22 after a 24-point scoring effort in the second quarter.  

Graham complimented Nolan’s mental fortitude after knocking down shots in the second quarter despite missing his first couple.  

“He's not going to let that affect him or change his mentality. He just stayed true to who he is as a player. When you're shooting confident, and you're missing, you got to keep shooting because you still have that confidence. He rattled some off there, and that really changed the momentum,” Graham said.  

In the third quarter, the Red Devils went on a six-point scoring run to start the second half. However, the Warriors did not fall back to their heels and quickly responded with several shots from inside and midrange.  

In the blink of an eye, the Warriors were back in rhythm. By the end of the third, ACH had outscored Neah Bay 21-16 and still maintained a commanding lead. Graham pointed out the importance of playing well in the second and third quarters after getting a fast start to the game.  

“It seemed like it happened with us last year. We would get off to a quick start in the first quarter, maybe, and then you kind of lull there in the second or third,” Graham said. “We started to settle down and play possession to possession, instead of trying to get it all back in one shot, and so we're able to piece together and execute well, and then from there just kept getting buckets and gaining momentum.” 

Though they were outscored 11-10 in the fourth quarter, it would not be enough for Neah Bay to make the comeback, and ACH sealed the win.  

Graham said Neah Bay brought a physical play style that challenged them throughout the game. However, the team chemistry and talent of the Warriors were more than enough to overcome that.  

As they move ahead in the season, ACH is focused on stacking wins one game at a time, the coach said.  

“I'm just having fun. It's just fun to see them go out and compete every night, and it just seems like they're having fun, and I'm having fun, and really, it's just one game at a time. I'm not really getting ahead of myself too much. I don't want them to get ahead of themselves, because it's a process. You've got to respect the process and take each step,” he said.  

At the time of press, the Warriors are completing a three-game stretch that included another win over Mary Walker on Friday and they are set to face off against the Chesterton Academy of Notre Dame Knights on Saturday. The results of that game were unavailable at the time of press.  

After the holiday break, the Warriors hit the road to play the Lind-Ritzville Broncos on Dec. 27 at 6 p.m. 

BOX SCORE: 

NEBY: 12-10-16-11:49
ACHW: 16-24-21-10: 71 

Almira/Coulee-Hartline’s Nolan Grindy (15) dribbles the ball up the floor during a basketball game against Line-Ritzville/Sprague in 2024.

    Nolan Grindy (15) makes a pass in a game last season. Grindy scored 26 points against Neah Bay, which included four three pointers.