Late in the first half, Rainier was on the brink against Ilwaco. The Mountaineers were on the wrong end of a long run, and they found themselves down double-digits.
A pair of buckets in the final minute and change got them back within single-digits, and they eventually tied the game in the opening seconds of the fourth.
Rainier was able to make enough shots to stay in the game, but it wasn’t able to connect on enough to flip the script entirely, and the Mountaineers were knocked out of the district tournament with a 45-39 loss in a 2B District 4 Tournament Elimination Game.
A win would have sent them to the state tournament for the second year in a row, but instead, Ilwaco will make its first trip to state since 2022.
After the game, Rainier coach Ben Sheaffer walked out of the locker room first, and slowly but surely, the Mountaineers followed with the sorrow evident on their faces.
“The emotions are a reflection of how much these guys enjoy being around one another,” Sheaffer said. “Realizing that your season is over is a difficult pill to swallow.”
It was a Peyton Sheaffer three that ended Ilwaco’s 12-1 run in the second quarter, and a Devin Sheaffer bucket at the second-quarter buzzer made it 22-15 Ilwaco heading into the locker room.
For a Rainier squad that struggled from the floor in the first half, a seven-point deficit felt like somewhat of a reprieve.
Points didn’t come quickly in the third quarter either, but the Mountaineers held Ilwaco to just two points over the first five minutes of the frame to get back within two at 24-22. The two teams traded buckets to end the third, but a two from Rainier’s Jacob Hanson tied the game at 29 with 7:38 to play.
“What kept us close was that we just do what we always do,” Ben Sheaffer said. “To stay focused on that possession and stay in the present. Yeah, we weren’t making shots, and we weren’t scoring the ball as well as we wanted to. But we were definitely competing, playing good enough defense, and being physical enough to stick around.”
Ilwaco scored six straight, including a three-pointer, to retake the lead at 35-29, and that stretch was the first of multiple Fishermen responses to Rainier’s attempts to chip away at the lead.
Nehemiah Linson scored a bucket, Ilwaco’s Dylan Pelas answered with a three-point play. Ty Beckman responds with a three, Ilwaco’s Haddox Hazen gets a layup on the other end. Peyton Sheaffer connects on a layup of his own, Ilwaco’s Cooper Petit gets one right back.
With 31 seconds to go, Peyton Sheaffer hit a three to make it 43-39, but that would be the last shot that Rainier would make.
Coach Sheaffer said that typically on offense, the Mountaineers will try to drive inside to create opportunities, but against Ilwaco’s defense, they were forced to settle for shots on the perimeter.
“Unfortunately, when you’re not making jump shots, it’s tough to score,” Ben Sheaffer said.
Peyton Sheaffer finished with 13 points, Linson added eight, and Ryder Martin ended the night with five. Hanson and Devin Sheaffer both added four, and Beckman finished with his three.
Rainier ends its season at 13-12.
“This is the best collection of young men I’ve been around,” Coach Sheaffer said. “That’s really special as a coach to see that, and it’s a testament to their families. Just an unbelievable group of kids.”
Included in that group are his three seniors: Linson, Jordan Pringle, and James Morrison.
“We’re gonna miss them,” Ben Sheaffer said. “But they left a legacy of hard work and commitment. They were great role models. We’re proud of them, and all three of them are gonna do big things.”
As for who will be returning, Coach Sheaffer couldn’t hold back his enthusiasm for what’s to come.
“It’s awfully early to look forward, but we’re excited to see what we can become in the next couple years,” he said. “We’ve got a bunch of young kids that have learned how to play hard and play together, and that’s really our measure of success. We’re super optimistic.”
