Federal Way struggles with Mount Si’s length in 4A quarterfinal loss
Last year, the Mount Si boys basketball team made it all the way to the 4A state championship game, but were blown out by Gonzaga Prep, which won its second consecutive title.
The loss didn’t sit well with the Wildcats, specifically their star, now senior Jabe Mullins. In his first game at the Tacoma Dome since that championship loss, Mullins showed he doesn’t plan to lose on this stage again, scoring 28 points, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing six assists in third-ranked Wildcats’ 61-49 win over fifth-ranked Federal Way in the 4A quarterfinals on Friday.
“He’s had a goal on his mind since we lost in the championship last year, and that was to get back to the championship game,” Mount Si head coach Jason Griffith said. “It didn’t surprise me the way he came out and played tonight.”
Seven of the 12 players on the Wildcats’ roster are listed at 6-foot-6 or taller, giving them a decisive height advantage, something they exploited in the first half as they took a 33-19 lead at halftime.
“I thought we did early on,” Griffith said. “I thought they tried to put some smaller guys, quicker, athletic kids on Jabe, and Jabe is good in the block, he’s good in the mid-range and he’s good at the 3-point line. One of our goals was to use our height and our length to our advantage and I thought we did a good job of that.”
On the other side, Federal Way head coach Yattah Reed admitted his team struggled with the length of the Wildcats.
“I thought their length bothered us,” Reed said. “At the end of the day, when you get to this point, it’s all about execution. I thought they just executed better than we did. I thought the first quarter hurt us. We dug ourselves a hole. When you’re playing against a good team, it’s hard to get back, especially when they’re not turning the ball over and moving the ball well.”
Reed had never seen Mullins play in person before Thursday’s game, it’s safe to say he was impressed.
“It was difficult, because he handled the pressure,” Reed said. “He scored when he needed to score, and he got the ball to his teammates when he needed to.”
Senior Hayden Curtiss also stepped up for the Wildcats. He scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and shot a very efficient 6-for-7 from the field.
Federal Way, on the other hand, struggled to get anything going on offense. The Eagles were led by seniors Jaylen-Wes Williams and Jared Franklin, who each had eight points.
The Wildcats (24-4) will face No. 2 Glacier Peak at 9 p.m. in Friday’s semifinals. The Eagles will play No. 10 Sumner at 2 p.m. on Friday for a berth in the fourth/sixth-place game.
At Tacoma Dome
Federal Way 10 9 13 17 - 49
Mt. Si 21 12 14 14 - 61
Federal Way – Jaylen-Wes Williams 8, Peter Erickson 7, Jared Franklin 8, Bradley Graham 7, Jaden Call 3, Marcus Cole 5, Javan Colombelli-Silva 2, Isaiah Afework 0, Lamarron Johnson 4, Drelyn Decuire 0, Dace Pleasant 5, Darius Williams 0. Mount Si – Bennett O’Connor 2, Jabe Mullins 26, Hayden Curtiss 13, Tyler Patterson 13, Quin Patterson 5, Tyler Clem 0, Kevin Cole 0, Parker Wutherich 0, Jack Williams 2, Zach Soliday 0.
This story was originally published March 6, 2020 at 12:49 AM.