BOYS PREP BASKETBALL

Elma 73, Pope John Paul II 45

The Elma Eagles used an aggressive, energetic pace of play on both ends of the floor to earn a 73-45 victory over the Pope John Paul II Eagles on Monday in Elma.

Elma (4-1 overall) attacked the basket ad nauseam and shot 28-for-51 from the field, including an outstanding 12-for-25 from 3-point range.

Playing mostly a 2-3 zone on defense, Elma stifled PJP shooters, holding PJP to 19-for-52 from the field while out-rebounding PJP 34-22.

Sawyer Witt led a quartet of Elma scorers in double figures. The junior guard hit on 7-of-10 shots, including 5-of-8 from downtown to score 19 points, all in the first half. Witt hit four threes in a 15-point second-quarter performance that saw Elma turn a two-point lead at the end of the first quarter into a 13 point lead by halftime.

As hot as Witt was in the first half, Raiden Aho was just as scorching in the second half. Aho scored 17 points and hit four threes in the second-half alone as Elma blew the game open. An Aho three with 1:28 left in the third quarter extended Elma’s lead to 53-28.

Despite being in foul trouble, Brady Johnston finished the game with 12 points. Nick Church added 10 points, five rebounds and four steals for Elma.

Elma’s Nick Church (11) is met at the basket by Pope John Paul’s Francis Pettis (5) and Spencer Humberd during Elma’s 73-45 victory on Monday in Elma. (Ryan Sparks | Grays Harbor News Group)

Timothy Sellars led Pope John Paul II (2-5) with 21 points.

Elma head coach Jeff Niemi said his team’s solid start to the season is due in large part to a focus on improving rather than the outcome of non-league games.

“The biggest thing we’re trying to tell the kids is, ‘We’re just going to try to keep getting better and better.’” Niemi said. “Regardless if we win or not, let’s clean up the stuff we need to clean up and they’re accepting that message.”

Elma takes on Aberdeen at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in Aberdeen.

Elma 16 21 18 18 — 73

Pope John Paul II 14 10 8 13 — 45

Top Players: Elma — Witt (19 pts.); Aho (17 pts.); Johnston (12 pts.); Church (10 pts.). PJP — Sellars (21 pts.)

Life Christian 67, Ocosta 60

The Ocosta Wildcats couldn’t contain Life Christian point guard Omari Maulana in a 67-60 loss to the Eagles on Monday in Westport.

Maulana scored 36 points — 18 in each half — to lead the Eagles (5-1 overall, 5-0 Pacific 2B) over the Wildcats in a fast-paced, physical game.

Three Wildcats scored in double figures, led by Cole Hatton, who dropped 19 points in the contest.

Kobe Rudolph and Omar Luque added 12 points each for Ocosta (3-2 overall, Pacific 2B).

GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL

Willapa Valley 57, South Bend 23

Willapa Valley’s offense turned a corner en route to a 57-23 victory on Monday in South Bend.

Britney Patrick scored 18 points to lead Willapa Valley (3-1 overall, Pacific 2B), which has now won three straight games after a season-opening loss to Raymond.

“It was clearly our best game, clearly,” Vikings head coach John Peterson said. “First quarter was fun. We were making shots. We were running and got the ball out (to the open floor). … Our kids got after it. It was a good evening for us.”

Willapa Valley benefited from some bad luck on South Bend’s part, as Indians leading scorer Alise Rohr suffered an ankle injury on the first possession of the game and did not return.

Katie Adkins scored 12 points for Willapa Valley, which committed 15 turnovers in the game, seven of those coming in the fourth quarter with the Vikings reserves in the game.

South Bend (3-2 overall, Pacific 2B) was led by Zaira Medina, who scored nine points as the Indians shot 8-of-38 from the field.

“Valley started off in a man-to-man press that we did not handle very well,” South Bend head coach Randy Carlson said. “Our game plan was not executed very well, if at all. Give Valley a lot of credit, they came out and played extremely well.”

Willapa Valley 23 13 15 6 — 57

South Bend 6 1 7 9 — 23

Top Players: Willapa Valley — Britney Patrick (18 pts.); Adkins (12 pts.); Cami Swartz (7 reb., 5 stl.); Olivia Betrozoff (7 asst.); Brooklyn Patrick (5 stl.)

Other Scores

Raymond 65, North Beach 31

Ilwaco 68, Pe Ell 43

COLLEGE WRESTLING

The Grays Harbor College wrestling team had multiple wrestlers place at a holiday tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico over the weekend. Pictured are (front row, from left): PR Olympic referee Robert Lugo, Cynthia Diaz, Darrien Walters, Southern Oregon University’s (and future GHC wrestler) Kaylee Gaines and Sila Fotu, (back row) PR wrestling champion Jose Betancourt, GHC coach Kevin Pine, Eastern Washington’s Dalton Swayze, Andy Gonzales, Noah Winder, GHC coach Phillip Pine, GHC assistant coach Chris Boeger. (Submitted photo)

Grays Harbor has success in PR

Multiple Grays Harbor College men’s and women’s wrestlers had success at the Puerto Rico Christmas Challenge Invitational over the weekend in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Topping the list for the Chokers was Darrien Walter, who went 4-0 with two pins and two tech falls, to win the men’s 174-pound division.

For his efforts, Walter was named the touranment’s Outstanding Wrestler in the entire men’s division.

Grays Harbor’s Andy Gonzales won the men’s 184-pound class, going 3-0 in the tournament.

Noah Winder placed second in the 197-pound weight class for Grays Harbor.

In the women’s competitions, Grays Harbor’s Silo Fotu went undefeated to win her bracket and Cynthia Diaz placed fourth in the 50-kilogram class.

GIRLS PREP BOWLING

Black Hills 1775, Aberdeen 1394

Black Hills defeated Aberdeen 1,775-1,394 on Monday at Tumwater Lanes.

Sierra Hammond scored the high game and high series for the Bobcats (4-4, 1-3 Evergreen 2A).

Black Hills (1,775) — Full names not provided

Aberdeen (1,394) — Sierra Hammond (141, 130, 271); Juli Villa (134, 114, 248); Victoria Judkins (105, 95, 200); Maggie Reyes (104, 105, 209); Savannah Hendricks (113, 111, 224)