Speed kills as River Ridge outruns Wapato

YAKIMA, Wash. — They have to do it, and not just because it’s their style of play. It’s who they are.

But there are occasions in which Wapato’s Wolves not only incite themselves with their fast-forward, pedal-to-the-metal aggression, they ignite opponents, too.

“Sometimes,” coach Adam Strom said, “our aggression brings out the best in other teams.”

Or the beast, as in the case of River Ridge.

The third-ranked Hawks, who labored to get past North Mason in their Class 2A state tournament opener, played at both a faster pace and a higher level Thursday night while surviving Willie Blodgett’s 29 points in a 55-45 quarterfinal defeat of sixth-ranked Wapato in the SunDome.

Wapato's Willie Blodgett and River Ridge's Joel King try to control the ball during the second half of their 2A state tournament game on Thursday, March 12, 2009. (Sara Gettys/Yakima Herald-Republic)

River Ridge, of Lacey, has thus reached the second final four in its 15-year history. The Hawks (21-4), who finished third in 2007, will oppose Burlington-Edison (18-7) tonight in a 9 o’clock semifinal.

Wapato (17-7) will meet Clarkston (16-10) in a 2 p.m. loser-out game. The Wolves can still finish as high as fourth.

Strom and Blodgett were quick to say that at least part of Wapato’s demise came by its own hand. Seventeen turnovers and seven missed free throws in 12 attempts came to mind.

But it was difficult to discount the overall play of River Ridge, especially that of Joel King.

The 6-foot-3 junior guard totaled 19 points and 10 rebounds, plus he actually slowed the relentless Blodgett when assigned to defend him.

“I didn’t really try to stop him,” said King, who deflected a couple of Blodgett’s shots when the Wolves were in full late-game scramble mode, “I just tried to contain him. He’s just so fast. And my teammates had my back.”

Specifically he meant rugged 6-3 senior Ross Creamer, who had eight points and 13 boards.

Tyler Nelson was the Hawks’ other double-digit scorer with 12 points, though senior guard Younase (pronounced YOU-niss) Dunn had eight points, eight rebounds and two steals that resulted in breakaway layups when Blodgett was in full-flame and the game was in its formative stages.

Matt Guevara compiled 14 points and 11 rebounds for Wapato, which led as late as the 4:18 mark of the third quarter and was within 50-45 with 1:18 to play.

Guevara’s putback of an errant Blodgett 3-ball at that juncture made it a two-possession game, and the Wolves would have had their large and loud contingent in a complete frenzy had Rigo Alvarado’s long ball, coming after a Blodgett steal, fallen with 54 seconds left.

It didn’t, though, and RR closed with a 5-0 run.

“I really liked the way we finished the game,” said third-year coach Jeremy Landram. “We overcame a lot tonight, when you consider Wapato’s team, playing in the SunDome and the thousands of fans — their whole town, probably — rooting them on.”

Strom had no quarrel with his team’s defense, against which the Hawks shot 43 percent. But Wapato’s motion offense, which often resembles the inside of a clothes dryer, sometimes took shots quicker than he’d have liked against River Ridge’s adhesive man-to-man.

“What did we have at halftime, 15 points?” asked Blodgett, who’d scored 13 of them. “That wasn’t enough.”