WOODLAND — The last time the Tumwater Thunderbirds stepped foot in the Woodland High School gymnasium, they left in agonizing heartbreak.
A kind of heartbreak that left the T-Birds inspired to come together the next season toward a common goal: to never feel that agony again.
In a District 4 2A winner-to-state elimination game against Ridgefield Feb. 20, 2025, Tumwater nearly pulled off a 10-point second-half comeback, but it couldn’t get the game-winning shot off in time and lost 51-50.
This time around, the T-Birds left Woodland High School in triumph.
For the first time in three years, Tumwater is headed to the 2A state tournament, as the T-Birds held off Woodland 72-63 in the District 4 2A semifinals Tuesday night. Tumwater will also compete in the district championship game for the first time in four years, facing top seed R.A. Long Saturday at Kelso High School.
“This group has been tough all year. This one was a little closer than we’d like, but that’s the way these playoff games go,” Tumwater coach Josh Wilson said. “Every time a group of kids gets to this point, it’s a huge accomplishment. It’s really hard to do.”
The T-Birds led for all eight minutes of the first quarter. Julian Balsley, who scored 17 in the first quarter against Washougal in the quarterfinals on Feb. 14, got off to another hot start in the semis. He knocked down two 3-pointers early and helped Tumwater build a 24-11 lead through one, with Balsley responsible for 16 of those points.
“I wanted to do the same thing as the last game and get us ahead again. It was part of the game plan, and it felt good,” Balsley said.
After Woodland opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer, Tumwater’s lead grew to 17 with a 7-0 run over four minutes. The T-Birds led by as many as 18 in the first half and by 14 at halftime.
The Beavers clawed back midway through the third quarter, climbing out of a 16-point hole with 12 unanswered points. Dyrian McPoland started the run with two 3-pointers, and Michael Belvin brought Woodland to within four with a triple of his own. Over the final 2:30 of the third quarter, Tumwater responded with seven unanswered, emphasized by an Owen Reamer layup in the final four seconds, to kick its lead back to 11 through three.
Reamer scored five points in the first 45 seconds of the fourth to give Tumwater a 16-point advantage. But, once again, Woodland chipped away, this time in a more slowed and methodical way. In a span of five minutes and 45 seconds, the Beavers outscored Tumwater 17-6, and suddenly, it was just a five-point game with 90 seconds to go.
Reamer lined up a corner 3-pointer and canned it in a clutch moment with 1:11 left to boot Tumwater back up eight.
“Owen has absolutely worked his butt off. He has put in probably more time than anybody else,” Wilson said of Reamer. “Huge moment for him, for sure.”
“It was kind of the dagger. We really needed a bucket,” Reamer added. “Shot it, went in, bang.”
The Beavers were unable to make a third successful comeback with minimal time remaining, and as time ran out, the T-Birds ran onto the court in jubilation — a stark contrast from their experience in that moment in the same building 363 days ago.
The moment was especially meaningful for the T-Birds’ collection of juniors, some of which have played together since they were fourth graders. All but two of Tumwater’s points scored Saturday were by the junior class.
“They get along so well. There’s good team chemistry. The smallest things can really mess up a team, and this team has been good friends and have played together for a really long time,” Wilson said.
Two of those juniors — Balsley and Reamer — combined to score 38 and, after the game, donned the team’s signature “Charge the Storm” horned hats, given to the player, or players, of the game. Balsley led all scorers with 23 points, and Reamer added 15 points.
“Being able to play with this team for years and years and finally reach this level with everyone is awesome. It’s a great feeling,” Reamer said. “Last year, we lost here. It was very emotional. Being able to come back, win and switch that mentality to excitement instead of sadness is awesome.”
Tumwater (21-1) will face R.A. Long Saturday in order to bring home its first district title since 2020. A lengthy win streak will have to come to an end in Kelso, as the T-Birds have won 20 straight and R.A. Long is 23-0 this season.
“It’s gonna be on the defensive end that wins us that ball game. Absolutely. One hundred percent. Without question,” Wilson said.
