Former teammates clashed as inter-island rivals when Orcas Vikings hosted the Lopez Lobos Friday night.

“They beat us handily the first game at Lopez, so it was great to win the last one,” said Orcas senior forward Taylor Diepenbrock.

“It’s been kind of a fun rivalry over the years for all of us, but mainly the seniors because in 6th and 7th grade we played on the same team, so we know all of those guys well. It’s fun to play against those guys, joke around, and get really competitive,” he said.

Many of the senior Vikings and Lobos played together in junior high in Skagit Parks and Rec.’s Swish League, on a team called the Pistols.

When the Vikings are up against the Lobos, “we always seem to play harder,” said coach Gregg Sasan.

The game was fast paced and very physical, with plenty of fouls and steals.

“It was a very physical game; it was fun because we like to run up and down the court. We try to wear them down and see what happens,” Sasan said.

The Lobos used a full court press in the first half, pressuring the Vikings into several turnovers. But when Viking forwards Daniel Janssen and Nick Van Maren began scoring, the Lobos turned to zone defense to try and shut them down.

“If we can get them the ball it takes the pressure off our guards,” explained Sasan.

Orcas ran a man-to-man defense, paying special attention to star Lobos William Carson, Alex Buffum, and Mica Arps.

“We have to keep a body on all three of them,” he said. “Tommy Granger did a really good job for us defending.

Sasan said William Carson shot well at Lopez last time, but because of pressure from Orcas defense, Carson only scored 2 points on Friday.

Lopez scored first, and after trading baskets with the Vikings, were able to build an eight- point lead by the end of the first quarter. They maintained their lead through much of the second quarter, but with 3 minutes left in the first half the Vikings were able to come back and take a two-point lead into halftime.

After the break, the teams continued their spirited match, and midway through the fourth quarter, the Vikings had built a 10-point lead. With two minutes left in the game, Lobo defenders Colton Jardine and Arps went down in a head-to-head collision, but suffered no major injuries. Shortly thereafter, both coaches took the opportunity to give their reserve players some court time.

The Vikings carried home the game, with a final score of 63 to 47.

The Lobos top scorers were Arps, 9 points, Colton, 8 points, and Buffum, 8 points.

Daniel Janssen had one of his best games yet, scoring 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. He had five key rebounds in the offensive zone. Tyler Nigretto scored 19 points.

“We just came out with the intensity and urgency we try to play with in every game,” Diepenbrock said.

“It was a total team effort for us,” added Sasan.