The La Center Wildcats boys basketball team got off to the faster start, but it was the Ridgefield Spudders who claimed and maintained a lead in the final minute of action in a 64-62 win on Wednesday, Dec. 4.
The Spudders found themselves down from the very beginning, even trailing 11 points in the fourth quarter, but the team slowly climbed its way back. With just over a minute left, Ridgefield’s Jack Hughes scored on a layup to give his team the lead. Hughes then blocked a potential game-tying shot in the last 10 seconds to secure the win.
The entire game was as much of a learning opportunity for Spudder head coach Jason Buffum as it was for the players on the court.
“We have so many guys in their first game playing varsity,” Buffum said. “So, outside of Hughes, [Jamison] McCann and [Drew] Krsul, these guys are all brand new. So I didn’t know what to think. They made some big plays. I knew they were competitive. I knew they were going to play hard. I just didn’t know what it looked like when we started playing.”
McCann led the Spuds with 30 points, while Logan Rainey for La Center led the night with 34.
The Wildcats maintained the lead for 31 of 32 minutes of action, mainly thanks to Rainey’s offensive efforts. La Center head coach Jeremy Ecklund said the final minute of action was a learning moment for the squad, however.
“I think we learned a little bit about pressure and playing on our heels and still having to keep attacking for 32 minutes regardless if you have a lead or if you’re down,” Ecklund said.
The one-possession game will provide a lot of learning moments for both teams this season. The Spudders, however, get to look at it knowing they started the season off with a win.
“We have to find our identity, and it starts with one win at a time, and we’re not going to say no to wins right now,” Buffum said, adding that they needed to bounce back for a dog fight against Kelso High School the next day.
On Thursday, Dec. 5, the Spudders picked up their second win, defeating Kelso, 53-36.
The Spudders jumped right into league play this week, starting off with a matchup against Woodland High School on Tuesday, Dec. 10, but results were unavailable as of press time. They next play at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at home against Columbia River High School.
The La Center Wildcats played against Hudson’s Bay High School on Friday, Dec. 6, resulting in a 78-60 win. They next travel to Tenino High School on Wednesday, Dec. 11 for a 6:45 p.m. start time.
