Rogers heads to state for 1st time since ’75

RICHLAND – The Rogers Pirates have not been to the state basketball tournament since 1975, so it was only fitting that they waited until the final minute of Friday night’s 3A Eastern Regional championship game to secure that long-awaited berth.

“It’s been a long, long time, but it was definitely worth the wait,” said Rogers coach Tim Wood, whose team defeated the Shadle Park Highlanders 61-55 to earn a trip to the Tacoma Dome and set off a wild celebration of players, coaches and fans at Hanford High School.

“To come back the way we did was no surprise because our kids our grinders. This is the way we’ve played the last two weeks. These kids refuse to give up.”

The Pirates (12-13) trailed by 11 points at halftime and were down 48-41 after three quarters before Jesse Vaughn decided it was time to take over the game. The 6-foot-5 senior forward scored 15 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, including a drive down the lane with 1:21 remaining to give his team its first lead of the game and one it would not relinquish.

“I struggled with my shooting, but everybody just told me to stick with it,” Vaughn said. “But it’s not just me, this is about a team with a lot of heart. Everybody contributed and that’s the way it’s been all season. That’s why we’re cutting down the nets and why we’re going to state.”

So are the Shadle girls, who were sharp early and late and just good enough in between to defeat West Valley (Yakima) 44-35 and earn their first state berth since 2000.

“What an awesome deal for these girls. I’m so pleased,” said Highlanders coach Chad Dezellem, whose team improved to 19-5. “Tonight, we did what we’ve been doing all season. We played tough defense, boxed out; we just played a great all-around game.”

The North Central girls, meanwhile, won’t be going to Tacoma next week, but they gained what should be plenty of valuable experience down the road. The Indians (3-22), who feature six sophomores, four freshmen and a junior, lost to Hanford 69-36 in an elimination game.

The Shadle boys (19-5), who defeated Rogers twice during the Greater Spokane League season, can take the back door to state with a victory today against West Valley-Yakima.