Screaming Eagles avenge loss

REARDAN - In a rematch of a game Kettle Falls won in December, the Screaming Eagles defeated the Bulldogs 44-39 on Senior Night Tuesday, Jan. 30.

If a person only saw the first half score, they might have thought a football game was being played. Except for Justin Vaughn's six points and Rysen Soliday's five points, there was little scoring.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was 7-7. As the Bulldogs' shooting woes continued in the second quarter, Reardan extended its lead to 20-12 at the half.

In the third quarter Soliday took over on the offensive end of the court, scoring 14 points. His inside play, coupled with three point shots by Vaughn and Maveric Sobotta, put Reardan ahead 36-24 heading into the fourth quarter.

Kettle Falls fought back in the last eight minutes of the game. Zane Johnson and Mace Thivierge scored six and five points respectively, as the Bulldogs mounted a comeback.

With 3:20 left in the game, the Screaming Eagles' lead dwindled to 39-35. After the teams took turns throwing the ball away, Reardan's Evan Krupke stole the ball and hit Soliday for an easy lay-in to give Reardan a little breathing room at 41-35.

The Bulldogs came within four points in the closing seconds, but Soliday and Sobotta sealed the 44-39 victory with free throws.

Soliday led all scorers with 19 points. Vaughn and Sobotta scored nine and eight, respectively. Krupke ended the game with five points. Fred Frolov had two points and Hunter Flaa made a free throw.

Johnson, Teddy Bair and Talan Fisher each scored nine points for Kettle Falls.

"We dug deep and were able to finish tonight," Reardan head coach Jake Green said. "The difference in the game was that we made our shots, and they missed a lot of theirs. It was that simple. I was proud of our seniors Landon Bell and Rhys Vinson. Rhys got a few minutes in the game and really competed, and Landon worked hard like he always does. I'm happy that they both contributed to the win."

With the win, Reardan improved to 9-11 at the conclusion of the regular season. The Bulldogs finished the regular season 14-6.

Reardan begins postseason play against Asotin at West Valley High School at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1.

With a win, Reardan advances to the double-elimination quarterfinals against St. George's at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3. A loss to Asotin Thursday would eliminate the Screaming Eagles.