Lumberjacks fall to the Titans

There’s nothing quite like a good old-fashioned rivalry, and the rivalry-rematch held on Jan. 29 carried all the promised anticipation and intensity one could ask for as the Tri-Valley Titans hosted the Council Lumberjacks.  

 Beginning with the tip-off, both teams fought to establish their own undercut shots to determine the direction the game would fall.  At the end of the first quarter the Titans led by 1 point 14-13.  

 The rival intensity continued into the second quarter with the Titans chipping a slightly larger lead out by halftime with a score of 25-20.  But it was the scoring frenzy in the third quarter with key 3-point shots and balanced slashing from the Titans that put up a record 26 points. Tri-Valley pulled ahead 51-36 and continued to saw away to victory until Council was felled with a score of 67-47.

 Stacking up the points for Tri-Valley were Orion Southwick with 26, Jayden Mink with 14, and Ty Barnett with 11.  Pounding the boards were Michael Carpenter and Nathan Kindall with 5 rebounds apiece, and Orion Southwick and Cody Nixon with 4 each. 

 “I thought Council came in and played hard for two quarters,” Coach Morris said. “They were physical and aggressive. Unfortunately for them, they lack depth. The second half was all Tri-Valley. Our pace of play wore them down. It was a good win; both teams played hard.”

 Ending the week was the match-up on Saturday, Feb. 1, as the Titans traveled to play the Grangeville Bulldogs. The Titans held their own in the first quarter, but the size and shooting accuracy of the Bulldogs and their towering trap-press left the Titans scrambling.  

 The scoring gap continued to widen each quarter, leaving the Titan score in the slash pile at the end of the game with the Bulldogs running away victorious 63-37.

 Stacking up the most points for Tri-Valley were Orion Southwick with 15, Michael Barnett with 8, and Cody Nixon with 7. Leading in rebounds were Orion Southwick with 5 and Jayden Mink and Michael Carpenter with 4 each.

 “Tough game for Tri-Valley at Grangeville,” said Coach Morris.  “They fielded a squad with a combination of height and athleticism.  Our boys tried to bring the fight, however, we just could not compete with their size as we were out-rebounded in this one. I expect Grangeville to make some noise at the state level this year.  It was a good experience for us if we want to improve.

 “Tri-Valley’s regular season is down to one game.  We would appreciate everyone’s support for our final home game with Horseshoe Bend.  It’s senior night for that contest in