Willapa Valley overcame a late deficit to snatch away the 1B District 4 Championship from the Ocosta Wildcats 46-44 on Saturday at Montesano High School.

Valley (21-2 overall) won its third district title in four years by overcoming a nine-point deficit against the Wildcats (16-7) with just under four minutes left in the game.

The Vikings got out on the break early en route to a 13-9 lead at the end of the first quarter before the Wildcats shored up the defense to hold Valley without a point in the second quarter until a pair of free throws from junior guard Brody Ritzman with 38 seconds left in the first half.

It would be the only points Valley would score in the frame as Ocosta held a 16-15 lead at halftime.

After his team went without a field goal for an entire quarter, Valley head coach Derek Rask credited Ocosta’s defense.

“The message at halftime was, offensively, we needed to make some adjustments and we needed to be better,” he said. “Really, the adjustments we made didn’t help us a whole lot. Credit Ocosta’s defense. They were phenomenal and took us out of pretty much everything we wanted to do offensively.”

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Ocosta’s Noah Prigmore (left) looks to shoot while Willapa Valley’s Blane King (10) defends during the Vikings’ 46-44 win in the 1B District 4 championship game on Saturday at Montesano High School.

The two teams traded leads four times in the third quarter, with Ocosta closing the period on a 7-0 run, highlighted by a three from senior guard Kayden Turner and capped by a bucket from the low post by freshman post Sonny Beard to take a 29-24 lead heading into the final period of play.

Valley cut the Cats’ lead to 32-31 on a three from Ritzman with 5:49 to play in the game, but Ocosta responded with another 7-0 run capped by a Turner three for a 39-31 lead with just under four minutes to play.

After a layup by junior guard Blane King on the following possession ended Ocosta’s run and put Valley down 39-33, the red-hot Turner buried another shot from downtown for a 42-33 lead – its largest lead of the game – with 3:40 left to play.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Ocosta senior guard Kayden Turner (14) celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter of a 46-44 loss to Willapa Valley in the 1B District 4 championship game on Saturday at Montesano High School.

Valley rallied back with a quick 7-0 run, four of those points coming off Ocosta turnovers and capped by a King layup off an assist from sophomore power forward Brody Aust to trim the deficit to 42-40 with 2:18 on the clock.

Turner responded with a clutch free-throw line jumper to put Ocosta up 44-40 with exactly two minutes to play, but Valley wouldn’t go away, racing back down the floor with Aust scoring on a baseline spin and layup from the low post to cut the Cats lead to 44-42 at the 1:49 mark.

Another Ocosta turnover on the ensuing possession was scooped up by King, who took off and went coast-to-coast for a layup with 1:18 left, bringing the Vikings all the way back to tie the game at 44-44.

“We’ve been in these moments several times this year,” Rask said. “We’ve been in a lot of close games and we feel like we’ve learned from those close games. We’ve grown as players in those close games and we know how to approach them. So it was nothing new to us. We’ve been there before.”

Ocosta senior guard Jesus Agramon’s drive and scoop shot was off the mark, giving the ball back to Willapa Valley with 45.6 seconds on the clock.

Ritzman then found himself with the ball in his hands, but his baseline drive and layup missed. Ritzman grabbed his own rebound and kicked it out to King at the perimeter, who surveyed the floor before working it around to senior guard Nathan Fluke, who passed the ball to junior guard Lucas Lusk in the corner.

With Turner defending him, Lusk crossed over to his left and drove the rim, putting up a short bank shot from layup range.

The ball fell through the basket, giving Valley its first lead of the second half at 46-44 with 7.9 seconds left in the game.

Lusk said he saw an opening in the Ocosta defense when the 6-foot-5 Beard drifted over to the nearside of the court.

“I wasn’t worried about getting swatted, so I took a chance and drove in,” Lusk said of the biggest shot of his prep career. “I was just trying not to loose it. My hands were sweaty. I was trying to draw a foul and it went it. I was really happy after we were down nine.”

After Willapa Valley fouled with fouls to give, Ocosta had a chance to tie or win the game with the ball at half court and 4.7 seconds on the clock.

Ocosta senior guard Noah Prigmore lobbed a clean inbound pass to Beard just outside the low post. Beard caught the ball and turned to attempt a baseline jumper in a single motion. The freshman’s shot bounced off the back iron, where Ocosta senior guard Dalton Welch got a hand on the ball and scooped up the rebound while moving away from the basket, covered by Valley defenders. Welch’s desperation heave at the buzzer fell short, handing Valley a dramatic 46-44 victory and the district title.

“I ran over to the team as soon as I could. It was awesome,” Lusk said of the final moments of the memorable game. “It’s what we’ve been working for all season. We haven’t lost since December and we’re happy.”

Happiness was not to be found on the opposite side of the scorer’s table as the crestfallen Wildcats missed a chance to win their first district title since the state-championship team of 1971.

“Tonight was definitely a heart-breaker for us,” Ocosta head coach Jason Quinby said. “We probably outplayed Valley for most of the game, but couldn’t quite close the deal at the end.”

Ritzman led all scorers with 19 points while King also finished in double digits for Valley with 11.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Willapa Valley guard Brody Ritzman scored a game-high 19 points in the Vikings’ 46-44 win over Ocosta in the 1B District 4 title game on Saturday at Montesano High School.

“Really what got us going was getting some stops and getting out in transition,” Rask said of his team’s late-game comeback. “(The district title) means a ton. … We’ve been on a mission since the beginning. These kids have earned it. … It’s a credit to them and the grit that they have.”

Beard had a double-double with 15 points and 19 rebounds while Turner had 14 points – including four 3-pointers – to lead Ocosta.

“Overall, I told my guys that I was bummed that we lost, but not disappointed one bit in the effort and the fight that we showed tonight,” Quinby said. “We represented ourselves very well and Valley is a deserving champ as they made the plays necessary to win. I like the heart that my team has and am excited for our next challenge.”

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Willapa Valley guard Lucas Lusk holds a piece of the net after a 46-44 win over Ocosta in the 1B District 4 title game on Saturday in Montesano.

It appears the WIAA selection committee took notice of Ocosta’s performance as the Wildcats – previously ranked No. 17 in RPI – were awarded with a state No. 8 seed, avoiding a first-round elimination game and will face No. 1 Almira-Coulee-Hartline at 6 p.m. on Friday at Wenatchee High School.

Having not lost since Dec. 5 and in the midst of a 21-game win streak, Valley received a No. 3 seed and will face No. 6 Tulalip Heritage at 8 p.m. at W.F. West High School.

Ocosta 9 7 13 15 – 44

Willapa Valley 13 2 9 20 – 46

Scoring: Ocosta – Beard 15, Turner 14, Agramon 8, Welch 4, Solis 3. WV – Ritzman 19, King 11, Lusk 8, Aust 6, Russell 2.