by Jefferson Freeman
Orcas High School student
Rivalry week was upon us for Orcas Island Basketball as the Vikings squared up with Friday Harbor on Friday, Dec. 17.
The first matchup of the week, however, would be boys Varsity facing Seattle Lutheran. Seattle Lutheran was not the team they have been in past years and provided what ended up being a tune-up game for the Vikings who would win by a final score of 69-16.
The Vikings would then turn their attention to one of the season’s most important games: Friday Harbor. The Wolverines would provide a tough test to both Orcas squads attempting to get their seasons back on track. The girls would be the first matchup of the night and they came out guns blazing, establishing a solid lead and never turning back on their way to a 50-29 win.
The main event of the night saw the gym sold out for the boys’ game. An important game for both teams was set up for action and the game lived up to the hype. The Vikings came out guns blazing and took control of the game in the first quarter. Friday Harbor was in foul trouble early and the Vikings capitalized controlling the game going into the half.
But that was only half meaning Friday Harbor had a chance to claw back into the game and that they did. A deficit that had been as high as 13 points was cut to one late in the game. The Vikings weren’t going to let up and some late-game heroics gave them a 50-43 edge. That capped off a full sweep of the night for the Vikings.
Orcas turned right around for a non-league game on Saturday, Dec. 18, facing Cedar Park Christian. Another day and another sweep with all teams taking a win. The Varsity scores were 79-49 in the boys’ game and 53-22 for the girls.