Prairie’s Kameron Osborn tries to get around Kelso’s Riley Noah Jan. 22, at Prairie High School.
Cassidy Gardner sets a play from up top for the Prairie girls basketball team. She scored all 23 of her points in the first half to lead to Falcons to a 79-37 victory against Kelso Jan. 22.
Zeke Dixson scores two of his team-leading 16 points to help the Prairie boys beat Kelso 53-46 Jan. 22 at Prairie High School. This was the seventh win in a row for the Falcons, who also handed the Hilanders their first league loss of the season.
This is the kind of basketball the Prairie boys team dreamed of playing.
On Jan. 22, the Falcons rallied from 11 points down at the start of the game to defeat Kelso 53-46 for their seventh victory in a row. Prairie also handed Kelso its first league loss of the season.
“It was awesome. One of our best efforts of the year,” said senior guard Kameron Osborn. “We knew Kelso was tough. They were undefeated. It’s important to have the energy like that at home so we can give the fans what they want.”
The Hilanders jumped out to a 13-2 advantage at the start of the game, before Aidan Fraley gave the Falcons some momentum on a steal and a basket before the end of the first quarter. Fraley then hit two threes in the second quarter to tie the score at 22-22. He finished with all 12 of his points in the first half.
Zeke Dixson caught fire for the Falcons and delivered 13 of his team-leading 16 points in the second half. Osborn added 10 points in the game, A.J. Dixson chipped in with 8, and Thomas Hapgood hit a big three at the end of the third quarter and a key jumper in the fourth to keep Prairie out in front.
“We feed off each other,” Osborn said of the team effort. “If I’m not having a good game, Aidan is the next man up and then the twins step up. It’s good to have a lot of offensive weapons.”
Prairie came into this season as a three-time league champion, but started off 0-2 after losses to Evergreen and Kelso. By the end of December, the Falcons were 4-7. What a difference a winning streak can make. Prairie is 7-0 so far in 2019 and 11-7 overall. Flipping the calendar over has felt like a fresh start.
“New year, new us,” Zeke Dixson said.
“We just flipped a switch,” Osborn added. “It’s not fun to lose. Every game matters, but when we got to league, we all said ‘no more losing.’ This is fun. Winning is fun.”
Prairie put the pressure on Kelso to win the rest of its league games. If the Hilanders slip, the Falcons hope to be there to take advantage.
“We cannot let down,” Osborn said. “If we play like we have been, we can win out.”
Osborn, Hapgood and Bronson King are enjoying their final season on the basketball court for Prairie. Together, they hope to lead the Falcons back to the Tacoma Dome. Osborn surpassed 1,000 career points at the end of December. He dreams of breaking Dan Dickau’s school record of 1,267.
“Just enjoy every moment. Win or lose, it’s just been a lot of fun,” Osborn said. “Always give 100 percent. You never want to walk off the court feeling like you could have given more.”
Prairie girls cruise past Kelso
The night after beating No. 5 ranked West Seattle 58-50, the Prairie girls basketball team showed no signs of fatigue or complacency against Kelso Jan. 22.
The Falcons clipped the Hilanders 79-37 to improve to 8-0 in league and 17-1 overall. Cassidy Gardner hit four 3-pointers and collected all 23 of her points in the first half. Brooke Walling delivered 10 of her 14 points in the third quarter. Hailey Reed chipped in 11 points in the game. Dayna Vera drained three 3-pointers for nine points.
“You never know if they would come out after a big win and show that effort. These kids have all bought into one common goal. They just don’t let up,” said head coach Hala Corral. “We have to be really good on defense. Our defense leads to offense. These girls are very unselfish.”
The Prairie girls are closing in on a 22nd consecutive league championship. The Falcons host Hudson’s Bay at 7 p.m. Wednesday for Senior Night. Their only loss of the season was against Archbishop Mitty of San Jose, California, at the Surf ‘N Slam tournament in San Diego.
“They were a great team and they had the number-one player in the nation,” Corral said. “We got a little rattled from that, but we learned we can come back from anything. We just all have to rally together and trust the system.”
Facing teams like Archbishop Mitty and West Seattle are getting the Falcons ready for the state tournament in March.
“Our ultimate goal is to win a state championship,” Corral said. “As long as we trust each other, believe in each other and continue to work hard, that’s all we can ever ask for.”
