The Lopez Lobos are going to the State championships this year, thanks to a second playoff win at the Tri-District tourney.

“The guys are just thrilled; they worked really hard all year, overcame some injuries, and came up big,” said coach M.R. Buffum.

He’s pretty stoked, too, adding, “It’s been 28 years since I’ve coached a team at state.”

The Lobos rocked their first Tri-District game against Northwest Yeshiva on Feb. 12.

But the Neah Bay Red Devils, Olympic League champs, just barely slipped by the Lopez boys, 60 to 62, in their second Tri-District game on Feb. 16.

In the final moments of of the 4th quarter, the teams were battling point for point.

“The crowd got quieter and quieter,” said coach M.R. Buffum. Then Alex Buffum sunk a three-pointer to tie the score, with the clock at 15 seconds. The final seconds ticked down through a raging skirmish, and as the buzzer sounded a faint tip-in swished through the net. MR called the game “a real heartbreaker.”

Undeterred by the defeat, the Lobos rallied to take down Muckleshoot Tribal School, 59 to 49, in their third Tri-District playoff game on Feb. 19. Alex led the way with a red-hot scoring game of 26 points. At halftime the Lobos were well ahead, at 17 to 34, but in the third quarter they suddenly faded on scoring, only sinking 4 points to Muckleshoot’s 12.

“We fell apart in the third quarter,” MR said.

But in the final quarter the Lobos turned on the burn, maintaining their lead with 21 points to Muckleshoot’s 20 points. Mica Arps, Colton Jardine, William Carson and Keldon Jardine contributed 12, 9, 8 and 4 points each.

Lopez finished Tri-Districts in 4th place on Feb. 20, with a third win against Tulalip, 66 to 51.

The Lobos will play their first state championship game against Rosalia on Feb. 24, at 5:30 p.m. in the Yakima Sun Dome. The Rosalia Spartans haven’t lost a game all year, sporting a perfect 23-0 record.