CHS boys look for strong finish

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Vashon Island is not ranked No. 1 among state 1A boys' teams without good reason, and the Pirates proved it with a 66-32 win Friday over visiting Chimacum.

The Cowboys (3-12, 1-6 league) played Charles Wright last night, and host Life Christian on Friday. The boys play at second-place Cascade Christian on Feb. 2 and host Seattle Christian on Feb. 5 before finishing the regular season Feb. 9 at Orting. The boys' varsity plays at 5:15 p.m. in all these games.

"Hopefully we can get a couple of wins here at the end of the year if we play hard and make our shots," said coach Jim Eldridge. "We're going to play hard and not give up."

Vashon led 38-5 at halftime on the island last Friday. Eldridge said his team missed some breakaway scoring opportunities in the first half and played hard, but Vashon's pressure defense was intense.

"They pressed for the whole first half and into the third quarter," Eldridge said of Vashon. "They are just so big and they're quick. That's why they're No. 1. They are going to be tough to beat by anybody."

CHS used a man defense in the second half and that did well, considering the height disadvantage.

"I'm trying to get them to play better man defense," Eldridge noted. "If one guy doesn't do his job, the whole team pays for it. We got to get everyone to pick it up on the defensive end. Everybody likes to play offense but defense is at the heart, and you have to be willing to do it. I'm trying to stress that into the guys right now."

Last Tuesday against Orting, in the third quarter's last three minutes, Chimacum went from a 31-31 tie with Orting to a 38-31 deficit. The fourth quarter was all-Cardinals as the visitors won 51-37. Turnovers, one-shot possessions, and going 1/10 from the free throw line for the game, were too much to overcome.

"We get behind and our shots tighten up," said Eldridge. "We've got to get used to being in a hole and digging our way out of it."

Orting's height advantage, led by 6-foot-4 Dylan Utley and his 26 points, got multiple offensive rebounds and controlled the defensive boards. Orting, which went 11/25 from the line, is now two games ahead of Chimacum in the playoff chase.

Quinn Eldridge and Landon Cray both hit some treys, and Cray followed the game plan and attacked Orting's 2/3 zone with lane drives to the hole. Cray finished with a team-high 15, Eldridge scored 11 and Dylan Brown 6.

Orting         11         9         18         13 - 51

Chimacum         9         12         10         6 - 37

C: Cray 18, Eldridge 8, Moug 4, Toepper, Brown 6, Glessing, Richardson, Riggle 7.

 

Chimacum         2         3         13         14 - 32

Vashon Island         16         22         14         14- 66

C: Cray 6, Eldridge 4, Moug 8, Toepper 2, Brown 3, Cornachione 3, Pagasian, Glessing 2, Richardson 2, Riggle 2, Dukek.