MILL CREEK — The Marysville Pilchuck defense was focused on stopping Glacier Peak junior Zach Hatch.
It didn’t matter.
Hatch made eight 3-pointers and finished with 28 points as the Grizzlies outlasted Marysville Pilchuck 56-55 in a 3A District 1 semifinal Wednesday night at Jackson High School.
“To win a game like this you have to have some guys step up and he did,” said Glacier Peak head coach Brian Hunter. “That was big. He had a great first half. They keyed on him in the second half so he didn’t have as many looks but he still caused problems. That’s a good night for him. We’ll take that.”
Hatch was a big part of the win for the Grizzlies, who move on to face Stanwood in the district championship game at 8 p.m. Saturday at Jackson High School, and also clinch a spot in the state regional round. Hatch netted six 3-pointers, for 18 points, in the first half, to give the Grizzlies a 35-31 lead at halftime.
When Marysville Pilchuck took the lead late in the fourth quarter Hatch again stepped up, making a deep 3-pointer with 1:12 remaining in the game to give Glacier Peak a 56-55 advantage.
The Grizzlies defense held up over the final minute to preserve the win.
“It was the focus of our scouting report before the game … and some of them were well-defended,” said Marysville Pilchuck head coach Bary Gould. “He just had a lights-out shooting night.”
The win was a little revenge for Glacier Peak (18-4 overall), which was upset by Marysville Pilchuck 70-49 in the opening round of the district tournament last season.
Hunter said the team didn’t focus on that loss going into Wednesday’s rematch.
“We didn’t really think about that,” Hunter said. “As a team we didn’t talk about what happened last year. I think these guys just wanted to play in a district championship. We’ve had four teams play in district championships in seven years and that’s a really awesome thing for this group of seniors and this team to be able to say, ‘We did this too.’”
Michael Painter finished with a team-high 25 points for the Tomahawks who made quite a few 3’s of their own to keep pace with Glacier Peak.
“He’s such a special kid,” Gould said. “He’s so positive all the time and believing. The kids rally around that and he just kind of wills them — him and (Bryce) Juneau — they’re like, ‘We can still get this.’”
Painter and Juneau, who finished with seven points and eight rebounds, helped the Tomahawks get back into the game with an 8-0 run early in the fourth quarter, with Marysville Pilchuck (16-6) tying the score on a layin by Juneau midway through the period.
It was back and forth until the end, with Hatch’s final basket proving to be the difference.
“Marysville is really talented,” Hunter said. “I really believe that, one through five, they’re as good as anybody we’re going to see. Painter was really tough tonight. He’s a really good player. At this stage, the teams are good. Pilchuck’s really good. It’s playoff basketball and that’s what’s fun.”
Brendan Tetrault had eight points for Glacier Peak — including a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Brady Southard (eight rebounds) and Justin Guffey added eight points apiece.
“I thought Guffey was super-big tonight,” Hunter said. “Justin’s an athlete. He made big-time, athletic plays. Tetrault came in and shot the ball well.”
Toward the end of the contest, Hunter was so excited he was wishing he could suit up and jump on the floor himself.
“There’s some fun to it,” Hunter said. “I’d rather be playing than coaching, honestly. When you’re playing you get to be a part of it. As a coach, you just want to put your kids in the best position to be successful.”
Gould and the Tomahawks hope to rebound when they host Shorewood at 7 p.m. Friday. Marysville Pilchuck can still clinch a regional berth with two more wins in the district tournament.
“The statement, is, ‘This isn’t the way we wanted it to go, but sometimes in life things don’t go the way you want them to go,’” Gould said. “‘So now, we’re going to have to do it the hard way.’ … They’ll bounce back. They’ll bounce back just like they bounced back in that game.”
At Jackson H.S.
Marysville Pilchuck 17 14 6 18 —55
Glacier Peak 15 20 10 11 —56
Marysville Pilchuck—Bryce Juneau 7, Bryce Vitcovich 5, Josh Bevan 2, Michael Painter 25, Cole Grinde 6, Aaron Herrera 3, Nate Heckendorf 7. Glacier Peak—Zach Hatch 28, Brady Southard 8, Grant Peltier 4, Justin Guffey 8, Brendan Tetrault 8, Jacob Middendorf 0. 3-point goals—Juneau 1, Vitcovich 1, Painter 4, Grinde 2, Herrera 1, Heckendorf 1, Hatch 8, Tetrault 2, Guffey 2. Records—Marysville Pilchuck 16-6 overall. Glacier Peak 18-4.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
