Woodland High School senior Alex Bishop blocks a shot by La Center. The 6-foot-5 forward also hit some big threes and a slam dunk for the Beavers.
Isaiah Flanagan glides to the basket for Woodland. The junior forward scored 20 of his team-leading 30 points in the first half.
Hunter Ecklund delivered 16 of his team-leading 27 points in the second half to help the La Center boys basketball team beat Woodland 80-66 Thursday in La Center.
Fans were on the edge of their seats watching the action unfold between the La Center and Woodland boys basketball teams Thursday. Another exciting chapter in the Lewis River rivalry was being written.
“Obviously, it’s been going on for a long time,” said Woodland junior guard Isaiah Flanagan. “You’ve got dads that played against each other. And then, you’re playing against kids that you’ve grown up playing against all your life. It’s a ton of fun.”
Woodland got off to an 11-2 start and led by as many as 13 points in the second quarter, but La Center turned up the heat in the second half and cruised to an 80-66 victory.
“They came out and they were swinging and we were not. We were kind of on our heels,” said La Center head coach Jeremy Ecklund. “Our kids could have rolled over, but they weathered the storm and bounced back. It was a pretty good gut check.”
Flanagan netted 20 of his 30 points in the first half for the Beavers. Alex Bishop added threes and a slam dunk, but Woodland couldn’t contain the Wildcats for long. Hunter Ecklund turned some big steals into fast breaks and baskets. Avery Setter and Matt Bryant drained threes to cut the deficit to one point by halftime.
“This La Center team is unbelievable. They have guys all over the court,” said Woodland head coach Andrew Johnson. “I got to hand it to Hunter Ecklund. He had an unbelievable game.”
Ecklund delivered 16 of his 27 points in the second half. The Wildcats flipped the switch in the third quarter, outscored the Beavers 28-12 and never looked back.
“That third quarter happened so fast,” said coach Ecklund. “All of the sudden, we were up 15. That was huge.”
After Woodland beat La Center by 18 points last season, Hunter Ecklund said the Wildcats were determined not to let history repeat itself Thursday.
“It was all effort and heart,” he added. “Our rebounding was probably the best it’s ever been.”
Although Flanagan was thrilled by the 30 points, he would rather have a victory to celebrate. Johnson said Flanagan looks like a different player on the court.
“He put in a ton of work in the offseason and it shows,” Johnson added. “He’s taking giant steps from his sophomore year to now and it’s fun to watch.”
Just like the players, both coaches enjoy the Lewis River rivalry.
“It’s great to be playing Woodland, always, because they’re right down the road. There’s a lot of kids in Woodland that have played with our kids,” said coach Ecklund. “My son has played with Isaiah for many years. It’s kind of neat that Isaiah had 30 and Hunter had 27. They’re both high scorers and they have played a lot of basketball together.”
Johnson has been on both sides of this rivalry.
“I went to La Center. I graduated from here. I played basketball here. I grew up hating Woodland, but now I bleed green,” he said. “This rivalry, it’s awesome. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I think it’s one of the best in the entire state. We get to see them in every sport. They got the best of us (Thursday). Hats off to them, but we’ll get them next time.”
