LONGVIEW — The 2A Greater St. Helens League’s fourth-place finisher has a history of reaching the Class 2A boys basketball state tournament.
All one has to do is look back at 2024.
That’s when R.A. Long, the league’s fourth-place team, topped Ridgefield in a winner-to-state, loser-out game to earn a state berth. Even a year later, after Tuesday’s 71-57 loss to Mark Morris in the 2A district semifinals, Ridgefield senior Drew Krsul points back to last year’s season-ending defeat as a point of motivation for this year’s Spudders, the 2A GSHL’s fourth-place finisher.
Ridgefield reached state in 2023 when it made it first state appearance in more than a decade. A trio of players — seniors Krsul and Jack Hughes, and junior Jamison McCann — were on that squad.
“Just having that in the back of your mind about all the joy we had,” said Krsul, Ridgefield’s point guard who had 15 points Tuesday.
Ridgefield (14-8) can make that joy happen again Thursday in Woodland when it faces Tumwater at 7:45 p.m. The game is part of a winner-to-state, loser-out doubleheader.
Coach Jason Buffum’s message postgame: time to move fast from Tuesday.
“It’s a short memory right now,” the coach said, “and time to move onto our next opponent.”
The 2A GSHL has made big noise in the tournament by sweeping all four semifinal berths. It came after the tournament’s biggest upset when Ridgefield knocked off 2A Evergreen Conference champion Black Hills to open districts.
For the second time in three years, it’ll be an all-Longview district title game at 8 p.m. at Kelso High School; R.A. Long’s semifinal win over Columbia River sends the Lumberjacks back to the district title game. Mark Morris captured the district title in then-coach Bill Bakamus’ final season in 2024.
Tuesday against Mark Morris (21-3), the Spudders rallied back after an early 9-point deficit to take a 26-22 lead with 2 minutes left in the first half. Much of that was thanks to Jamison McCann, who scored 12 of his team’s best 23 points in that quarter. In fact, it was a one- or two-possession game for nearly 8 minutes between the second and third quarters.
But Mark Morris held McCann to just two points in the third that came on free throws with zeros on the clock. By that point, MM’s lead was 50-45.
Ridgefield got no closer the rest of the way.
Dalton Stevens led the Monarchs with 18 points as one of four players to reach double figures. Nathan Stephens added 15, Carson Bogner chipped in 13 and Drew Ibarreta had 12. Stephens had 10 of his 15 in the fourth quarter, including five straight points that gave MM its first double-digit lead at 62-51.
Jack Hughes added 14 for the Spudders.
Despite the setback, Krsul believes the Spudders are playing some of their best basketball of the season heading into Tuesday.
“Everyone is 0-0 right now, so that’s kind of our mindset that we feel like we’re as good as anybody here.”
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MARK MORRIS 71, RIDGEFIELD 57
RIDGEFIELD — Malik Underwood 2, Talon Sosky 0, Jamison McCann 22, Drew Krsul 15, Jack Hughes 14, Henry Wikstrom 4, Isaiah Ashenfelter 0. Totals 21 (8) 7-10 57.
MARK MORRIS — Dalton Stevens 18, Drew Ibarreta 12, Nathan Stephens 15, Mark Hendrickson 2, Jadyn Brooks 3, Carson Bogner 13, Mac West 8. Totals 29 (5) 8-11 71.
Ridgefield 9 23 15 12 – 57
Mark Morris 16 15 19 21 – 71
