Yes, a basketball team with a Battle Ground address did make the state playoffs.
The Columbia Adventist Academy of Meadow Glade — just southwest of Battle Ground proper — lost at home to the Sound Christian Lions on Tuesday, Feb. 25.
The Columbia Adventist Kodiaks finished the year at 18-5 overall and 10-0 in the Columbia Valley League. With a sour conclusion to their District 4 tournament as the No. 1 seed from their league to losing in a both teams to state loser bracket game, the Kodiaks would have needed to win three straight loser-out state games to make it back to the Spokane Arena.
Last year, the Columbia Adventist Kodiaks of the 1B Columbia Valley League found themselves in the top 10 in Washington, landing at ninth overall in the state tournament. This year, as the 16 seed, the climb into the main bracket was going to be tough. Their season came to a close on Feb. 25 with a 61-50 loss to the Lions.
A 15-17 first half and an overall sluggish basketball affair broke into a high scoring second half where the Kodiaks found themselves down multiple scores but clawed back to a one score game before falling too far behind once more.
“These boys do nothing but give it their all and, yeah, it’s a disappointing end, but you know, day in and day out, they work hard and it just didn’t fall our way,” Kodiaks head coach Jonathan Weil said.
Two seniors on the roster, Logan Pierce and Caleb Payne, will be missed as their work ethic and leadership shined on and off the floor.
“We couldn’t ask more of them,” Weil said of his two seniors. “The leadership was obviously there, and they’re bringing 110% to practice every day and in the game. So that’s what they’re there for, and they did their job excellently.”
With a team of just two seniors earning a spot in the state playoffs, Weil is looking forward to a fresh start next year as his team developed over the course of this season. He said his squad continuously improved throughout the year in his first year as varsity head coach after previous seasons as the junior varsity coach.
