‘We’ve been waiting like our whole lives for this.’ Puyallup clinches first trip to Tacoma Dome since 2011 with win over Chiawana

High School basketball games can be won and lost in a matter of minutes.

After Puyallup’s 57-42 victory over Chiawana in a Class 4A boys loser-out state regional game, it wasn’t hard to pinpoint where it all went wrong for the Riverhawks, and all went right for the Vikings.

The Vikings (20-7) outscored the Riverhawks 17-5 in the second quarter, highlighted by an 11-0 run, to turn what was otherwise a very competitive game in their favor.

“We’ve just been preaching defense, rebound and execute,” Puyallup coach Scott Campbell said. “When we get stretches where we do all three, we’re pretty tough.

“The second quarter was a stretch there of four or five minutes where we were able to put all three of those things together, and we got on a little run.”

With the win, the Vikings earn their first trip to the Tacoma Dome since 2011, where they will play the loser of Saturday’s Jackson-Federal Way game on Wednesday’s opening day. Chiawana ( is out.

Punching their ticket to the Tacoma Dome was a goal the Vikings have had all season.

“We’re excited,” Campbell said. “It’s just been an awesome group of kids. I think they’ve earned it. They’re selfless. They come to practice hard every day, and we’ve continued to improve and get better. They’ve really played for each other.”

Sparking the 11-0 run in the second quarter was sophomore guard Cobi Campbell. He scored five points during the run, and finished with a game-high 17 points, including three big 3-pointers.

“It was a huge momentum swing,” junior forward Kendall Munson said of Campbell’s shooting. “When shooters can get hot, that always sparks us.”

Munson chipped in 12 points, and senior guard Jaeden Ingram added 15 for the Vikings. The three combined for 44 of the Puyallup’s 57 points.

“I think the thing that is great about our team is that it can be a different guy every night,” Scott Campbell said. “We have a team saying, ‘Sometimes me, sometimes you, always we.’

“My brother coaches down at the University of Oregon. That’s one of the sayings from down there, and I love it. It’s really applicable to our team.”

While Cobi Campbell had the outside shot going, Munson was too much for the Riverhawks to handle near the basket. He recorded nearly all of his points in the paint and numerous second-chance opportunities for his team.

“We’re just trying to play to our strengths,” Scott Campbell said. “Kendall is a beast, and Dylan (Rhoades) and Zane (Foster) played really hard. You mix those guys together and they’re definitely a load to deal with inside.”

Rhoades and Munson both stand 6-foot-8, while Foster is 7-foot.

The Vikings held a lead that hovered between 15 and 20 points for much of the second half. The Riverhawks cut that deficit to 11 at one point in the fourth quarter, but the Vikings remained poised.

“We’re a pretty mature team,” Scott Campbell said. “They’ve gone through a lot of battles this year. It’s balancing how aggressive we want to be in trying to score and shoot it quickly, or settle down and try to run clock.

“Once they got settled down, I thought they hit free throws and took care of the basketball really well for us.”

When the game was over, the excitement for playing on the biggest stage set in for the Vikings.

“We’ve been waiting like our whole lives for this,” Cobi Campbell said.

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

C – Kobe Young 6, Cooper Dewitt 7, Taylor Perez 5, Brennan Bunger 4, Jacob Manson 3, Jayden Martinez 8, Matthew Kroner 5, Connor Mendez 2, Seth Schmidt 2.

P – Cobi Campbell 17, Jacob Holcomb 9, Luke Holcomb 2, Kendall Munson 12, Jaeden Ingram 15, Dylan Rhoades 2.