by Marty Zier

Sports contributor

Both Viking basketball teams ended their season with 2B regional playoff losses to Life Christian Academy, Feb. 24 at Mt. Tahoma High School in Tacoma. The Lady Vikings lost 67-29.

“We tried everything,” said coach Gregg Sasan. “We knew they were ranked ninth in the state and that they could shoot. Our game plan was to focus on defense, and we did, but if we left them open for a second, they dropped a 3-pointer.”

By the end of the first half, the Vikings were in a deep hole, down 43-15, and the margin just expanded.

“Getting to regionals was huge for us and a great experience for all the players, especially the younger ones,” Sasan said. “They need to see how tough it is at this level, and I want us back here. It was a very exciting season. The players were awesome this year. It helps keep me young and on my toes.”

The men’s team also lost 82-53. Head coach Corey Wiscomb said, “We started the first quarter well and even held a lead for most of it, but their size and speed was too big an advantage once they had made adjustments to our style of play.”

As much as the team had to deal with a loss, the reality is the team had a very successful year.

“The WIAA now uses a RPI based ranking system to seed for state games,” said Wiscomb. “As we finished the regular season and into playoffs, we were ranked 37th in the state, the absolute Cinderella of the post-season, and we qualified for state and finished in the top 16. That speaks to a team that has grit, and to the best of their ability played to their potential, and sometimes beyond. These guys should forever be proud of that. This was a special group of strong young men.”