Any high school coach that has been around long enough will tell you that due to graduation, transfers, etc., some seasons become a rebuilding year.

They just never figure that will happen midseason.

That is precisely what the Montesano boys basketball team is faced with after dropping its fourth game in a row in Friday’s Senior Night contest — 41-38 to cellar dwelling Tenino — and losing another key player due to injury, turning what were the clear front-runners for a league title less than two weeks ago into what looks like a young team on the rebuild.

Already missing leading scorer in senior Trace Ridgway — out for the season due to COVID exposure — the Bulldogs (5-5 overall, 4-4 1A Evergreen) were dealt another blow when forward Caydon Lovell, did not suit up for the game due to a back injury.

With all that on its shoulders, Montesano played solid defense early on and quickly jumped out to a 12-3 lead on 10-0 run capped by a Colby Adams running one-hander with 2:21 to go in the first quarter.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Montesano guard Colby Adams drives to the hoop for two of his game-high 16 points in the Bulldogs’ 41-38 loss to Tenino on Friday at Montesano High School.

But from that point on, Tenino (2-8, 2-6) began to whittle away at the lead.

The Beavers cut Monte’s lead to 15-12 on a Takari Hickle drive with 4:41 left in the first half, but the Bulldogs responded by scoring the final five points of the second quarter, taking a 20-12 lead into the break on a Tyler Christian 3-pointer from the top of the key.

In the third quarter, the Beavers finally caught up to Monte, tying the game at 24 on a Hickle bucket in the paint, then taking a lead on a long jumper from Toby Suess with 2:17 left in the frame.

The Bulldogs responded with five straight points on an offensive rebound and putback from center Mason Dineen, followed by a three from Adams to stake Monte to a 29-26 lead.

A late bucket by Tenino’s Max Craig trimmed the Bulldogs’ lead to 29-28 heading into the final quarter.

In the fourth, Monte took a 32-30 lead on a three from Christian and — after two straight baskets from Tenino’s Hickle and Conleth Jackson — tied the game at 34 on a drive and scoop shot from Adams with 3:32 remaining.

The Beavers took a 39-34 lead on a long jumper from Suess, followed by a 3-pointer, but Adams once again answered with a bucket, drilling a free-throw line jumper to cut Tenino’s lead to 39-36 with 2:20 left.

Monte would pull to 39-38 on two Dineen free throws with 2:01 left, but Hickle followed with a layup just under 30 seconds later and the Bulldogs failed to hit another shot down the stretch.

“I thought our defense in the first half was awesome, then in the second half we didn’t play as well,” Montesano head coach Doug Galloway said. “We got to make some shots and get some extra rebounds and extra opportunities to kind of improve here.”

Adams led Monte with 16 points, while Christian scored 14 for the Bulldogs. Dineen added eight points as just three Monte players got on the scoreboard as the Bulldogs shot 9-for-41 (22%) from inside the 3-point line on Friday.

The loss was the fourth-straight league loss for Monte after starting 4-0 in league play.

“It’s been challenging for a number of reasons,” Galloway said of the season, which has been odd for more reasons than just dealing with COVID. “With the injuries to a number of key people and with the season being so short and condensed, we can’t work on conditioning. … There’s a weird vibe and there is so much to teach to so many inexperienced players, it’s hard to get to everything. But we’re plugging away.”

Black Hills 70, Aberdeen 50

Aberdeen fell to 1-7 in the 2A Evergreen Conference with a loss to Black Hills on Friday in Tumwater.

The Bobcats (2-7 overall, 1-7 2A Evergreen) got off to a slow start, scoring eight points in the first quarter and playing catch-up for the rest of the game.

Trailing by just four at 28-24 at the half, the Bobcats were outscored 22-10 in the third quarter as Black Hills took control of the game.

Aberdeen was led by Jayden Watson (18 points, 8 rebounds) and Kayden Seibert (12 pts., 5 reb.) as the only Bobcats to score in double digits.

The Bobcats shot 20-for-61 (33%) from the field, including 0-for-20 from the 3-point line.

Aberdeen 8 16 10 16 — 50

Black Hills 14 14 22 20 — 70

North Beach 59, Chief Leschi 49

North Beach got big games from Josh Bighead and JT Mall en route to a victory Thursday in Ocean Shores.

After a slow first quarter that saw the Hyaks score just nine points, North Beach (3-7 overall, 3-6 2B Pacific) responded to pull within two at 24-22 by halftime.

After the break, Mall and Bighead heated up.

Mall scored nine of his 20 points in the Hyaks’ 17-point third quarter to help North Beach get out to a 39-36 lead heading to the final period.

Bighead went to work in the fourth, scoring eight of his game-high 22 points as North Beach outscored the Warriors 20-13 in the final frame to secure the victory.

Nesta Teague was credited by Hyaks head coach Larry Moore with having a “great all-around game” with seven points, eight rebounds and five assists.

Teague credited Bighead and Mall with providing the offensive boost but stated what led to the victory was what the Hyaks did on the other side of the court.

“An outstanding defensive effort led to the win tonight,” Moore said, adding North Beach’s Sam Teague came off the bench to provide “great defensive intensity.”

North Beach made 23-of-51 (45%) shots from the field, including 7-of-20 (35%) from beyond the arc.

Chief Leschi 15 9 12 13 — 49

North Beach 9 13 17 20 — 59

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Raymond 74,

North Beach 18

The Raymond Seagulls took care of business Friday, defeating North Beach in Ocean Shores.

Raymond (8-1 overall, 2B Pacific) put the game away with a 31-5 first quarter as standout junior guard Kyra Gardner was hot from the start, scoring 19 of her game-high 32 points in the first quarter. Gardner also added six rebounds and six steals to her stat line on Friday.

Kyndal Koski scored nine points, with Maddi Silvernail adding eight points for a Raymond squad that had eight players score in the game.

Raymond grabbed 28 rebounds and dished out 22 assists — six by Izzy Silvernail — as a team.

“Defensively, we did a much better job playing on the ball preventing drives to the basket,” Raymond head coach Jason Koski said. “Offensively, we had good spacing and ball movement.”

Raymond 31 16 20 7 — 74

North Beach 5 7 3 3 — 18

Chief Leschi 65, South Bend 19

South Bend fell behind early and never recovered in loss to Chief Leschi in South Bend.

The Indians (0-8 overall, 2B Pacific) fell behind in the first quarter as Chief Leschi’s Alicia Pluff scored 13 of her game-high 34 points in the opening frame.

With the Warriors (3-2) leading 37-10 at halftime, Ramona Gallegos took over for Chief Leschi in the second half, scoring 22 of her team’s 26 points over the final 16 minutes of game time.

“Our game plan was to attack them quickly and it would have worked had we made some of our shots,” South Bend head coach Randy Carlson said. “These girls work extremely hard in the games but simple mistakes keep killing us.”

Hannah Jewell led South Bend with eight points, nine rebounds and two steals in her all-around floor game.

Chief Leschi 22 15 12 14 — 65

South Bend 4 6 6 3 — 19

Napavine 50, Willapa Valley 21

Willapa Valley fell to a superior Napavine team in Menlo.

Cami Swartz had 13 points and two blocks for Willapa Valley, which trailed 16-8 at the half before being outscored by 21 over the final two quarters of the contest.

“(Napavine) is a very good 2B program and they really pressure the basketball,” Vikings head coach John Peterson said. “We just didn’t shoot the ball well. That a great program they have and we have a lot of respect for them.”

Despite the lopsided loss, Peterson said he was proud of how his young team fought without the services of leading scorer Lanissa Amacher, who is sidelined with an injury.

“I’m really proud of how hard they played,” he said.

Napavine 10 6 17 17 — 50

Willapa Valley 4 4 6 7 — 21

Other scores

Black Hills 47, Aberdeen 42

SUBMITTED PHOTO Aberdeen senior wrestlers (from left) Katlynn Smith, Tatum Heikkila, Ashlyn Yakovich and Justice Valenzuela pose for a photo after the Bobcats dominated WF West in a dual meet on Thursday, winning 13 of 17 matches against the rival Bearcats.

GIRLS WRESTLING

Aberdeen wins

The Aberdeen girls wrestling team won 13 of 17 matches to defeat WF West in a dual meet in Aberdeen on Thursday.

The Bobcats were led by two of its four seniors on Senior Night.

Senior captain Ashlyn Yakovich defeated WF West’s Kylee Breen via fall at 0:47.

Bobcats senior Katlynn Smith defeated the Bearcats’ Brooke Johnston at the 41 second-mark of the first round.

Aberdeen also got two wins from junior Emma Siano, who won with late pin falls.

Aberdeen also honored seniors Tatum Heikkila — a state finalist and two-time freestyle All-American that will be competing for Colorado Mesa University in the fall — and Justice Valencia — a two-time state tournament participant who plans on competing for Grays Harbor College next season. Both won via forfeit as WF West did not have an available wrestler in the respective weight class.

“I’m so happy that these girls finally got to show what they could do under the lights and in front of their friends and families. It’s been a crazy year,” Aberdeen head coach Craig Yakovich said. “It’s also a sad night personally for me that I’m watching this senior class for the last time at home. They have meant so much to the success of our program over the past four years. They are not only great wrestlers but amazing young ladies.”