By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
With a spot in the WIAA 3A State Championship on the line, late last night, Rainier Beach and Garfield faced off for the fourth time this season in a hard-fought semifinal at the Tacoma Dome. Both teams brought energy and intensity, but Rainier Beach’s balanced scoring and defensive pressure ultimately made the difference, as the Vikings pulled away late to clinch a 59-47 victory over the Bulldogs to advance to the state title game this Saturday.
The Bulldogs won the tipoff, and D-Jack Jackson quickly got them on the board with the first two points of the night. Kaden Powers answered on the next possession, tipping in two points for Rainier Beach to tie the game at 2-2. The Bulldogs would gain early momentum as they went on a 6-0 run, with JuJu Ervin, Tripp Haywood, and BJ Roy Jr. contributing baskets to give the Bulldogs an early 8-2 lead. But Jaylen Petty would fire back with a three-point shot to cut the deficit to 8-5.
With half of the first quarter remaining, Garfield held a 13-8 lead after Roy hit a three-point shot to further stretch out Garfield’s lead. After a turnover by the Vikings, Roy would strike again with a deep three-point shot, making the score 16-8 and forcing Rainier Beach to call a timeout. Out of the break, both teams struggled to score for a few possessions before Petty knocked down another three-point shot to cut Garfield’s lead to 16-10. Garfield’s Ohmono Bomet then added a quick basket to stretch the Bulldog lead back to eight. Petty had a chance to chip away at the deficit at the free-throw line but missed both shots. In the closing seconds of the quarter, Ervin ignited the Garfield crowd with a dunk, giving the Bulldogs a 20-10 advantage heading into the second quarter.
The second quarter started with Ervin making a huge block on Maceo Rivers. But Rainier Beach struck back as Roy fouled Powers, sending him to the line, where he converted both free throws to make the score 20-12. Garfield’s defense remained aggressive, blocking multiple Rainier Beach shot attempts. But the Bulldogs’ offense started to stall, prompting Head Coach Brandon Roy to call a timeout. Out of the break, Garfield struggled to find space near the basket as Rainier Beach tightened up defensively.
With about five minutes left in the quarter, Ervin fouled Marques Ili-Meneese, sending him to the line, where he missed both free throws, keeping the Bulldogs ahead 20-16. Moments later, Isaiah Davis missed a three-point shot for Garfield, but Haywood grabbed the rebound and threw down a putback dunk, pushing the Bulldog lead to 22-16.
The play electrified the Garfield fans, but Rainier Beach quickly silenced the crowd with a 7-0 run, including a three-point shot by Dre Morris off a Petty assist, bringing the score to 23-22 with 2:44 left in the half. As the clock wound down, Petty drained a three-point shot at the buzzer while being fouled by Roy, sending Petty to the free-throw line, where he converted a four-point play, sending Rainier Beach into halftime with a 31-24 lead.
Powers started the second half with a three-point shot, pushing the Beach Boyz’ lead to 34-24. After a lot of back-and-forth play and four points scored by the Bulldogs, Marque Ili-Meneese picked up his fourth foul with five minutes remaining in the half, sending Ervin to the free-throw line, where he made both free-throw shots, making the score 34-30 in favor of Rainier Beach. The Vikings responded with Nyale Robinson assisting Rivers on a three-point shot to extend Beach’s lead to 37-30. However, Micah Ili-Meneese picked up his third foul, sending Ervin to the line again, where he made one out of the two attempts to bring the score to 37-32.
With just over two minutes left in the third quarter, Garfield ramped up its intensity. Ervin, who was a tremendous force on the court, chipped in two points, and during the Vikings’ next possession, a block by Haywood against Rivers’ shot attempt under the rim allowed Burkett to bring the ball down the court for two points, making the score 37-35 in favor of Beach. Powers then went on a scoring spree, draining a three-point shot and throwing down a dunk, bringing the score to 42-35. To close out the third quarter, Haywood drained a three-point shot and scored on an amazing under-the-rim basket, while Robinson answered with a three of his own for Beach. Heading into the final quarter, the Vikings held a 45-40 lead.
Powers sent Ervin to the line to start the fourth quarter, where he made the first of his two shot attempts. Ervin would miss the second attempt, but Bomet grabbed the offensive rebound, and the Bulldogs then set up at the top of the key. Robinson then fouled Haywood on a three-point attempt. Haywood sank all three free throws, cutting the lead to 45-43. Powers followed with a smooth two-point jump shot, which Rainier Beach followed with a full timeout.
After the timeout, Powers scored again, and Petty followed with a steal and drove down the court for a layup, as the Vikings quickly built a 51-44 lead. Rainier Beach’s momentum continued with a jump shot by Micah Ili-Meneese and a steal by Robinson, who then passed to Rivers for a layup, making the score 55-46 and forcing Garfield to call a full timeout.
With two minutes remaining, Petty was fouled and converted one of two free throws. Moments later, Burkett went to the free-throw line after being fouled by Marques Ili-Meneese, who picked up his fifth and final foul. Burkett made one of two free throws to cut the lead down to 56-47.
To close the final minute of the quarter, Rainier Beach chipped in three free-throw points before running the clock out to secure their 59-47 victory and punch their ticket to the 3A state championship game.
Powers led Rainier Beach with 20 points, four rebounds, and two assists, while Petty added 14 points, four rebounds, and five assists. Haywood finished with 14 points and four rebounds for Garfield, while Ervin contributed 14 points and an impressive 16 rebounds.
After the game, Rainier Beach Assistant Head Coach Jamal Crawford had high praise for Powers and the way he led his team against Garfield.
“Let me tell you about Kaden Powers. Man, he is only supposed to be a high school junior, okay? And he has what the pros have. That special effect—his character is high, and he is just an unbelievable kid,” Crawford said. “He does whatever it takes to win, cares about family, cares about people. He is one of the special guys.”
Rainier Beach Head Coach Mike Bethea echoed Crawford’s sentiments about Powers.
“Big-time players make big plays when you need them, and Kaden does what he is supposed to do—just that,” Bethea said. “Going back to his sophomore year and looking into the crystal ball, I knew what type of player he was going to be, and he was that typical Rainier Beach-type player.”
Despite his monster performance, Powers humbly credited his teammates after the game for staying focused after a sluggish first half.
“The first half was a little bit sluggish, and then we came out in the second half and did really well, trusting our teammates and [we] found a way [to win],” Powers said.
Petty also emphasized the team’s unity and focus as the driving force behind their success.
“Honestly, just sticking together and knowing that through hardship, we are going to keep getting better and keep working hard,” Petty said. “Through God and praying, we are going to come out victorious. Tomorrow, we are going to continue to work together, and we are going to get this done.”
With the win, Rainier Beach advances to the 3A boys’ state championship game, where they will take on Edmonds-Woodway today at 5:00 p.m. Garfield will face Mt. Spokane at 1:00 p.m. in the third-place game.
