Central Valley stuns top-ranked Union, 63-55, advances to 4A championship game
The top-seeded Union High School boys basketball team came into its Class 4A semifinal matchup against Central Valley a perfect 26-0.
No longer.
The Central Valley Bears handed Union its first loss of the season, winning 63-55 to advance to Saturday’s Class 4A state championship game against the winner of Mount Si and Glacier Peak, the last game of the night on Friday.
“We’ve been preparing all year for it,” said Central Valley guard Dylan Darling, who scored 14 points for the Bears. “We just came in really mentally focused and we knew what we had to do and we executed.”
Some folks around the state may have penciled Union into the state championship game, but Central Valley’s players didn’t put much stock into that.
“(We had) 100 percent (belief),” Darling said. “We knew coming in that we were the better team. We came out and we proved that.”
Noah Sanders scored 16 points and Gavin Gilstrap added 13. For Union, Tanner Toolson scored 26, Mason Hill scored 11 and Josh Reznick scored 10.
Union made a run in the fourth quarter, cutting Central Valley’s lead to two — 46-44 — midway through the fourth quarter. But Central Valley stayed collected and hung on for the win.
“Shout out to (Jayce Simmons),” Darling said. “He’s our leader and he keeps us through everything. He keeps us level-headed.”
Central Valley’s last state championship came in 1968. Now the Bears are one win away from ending a 52-year drought.
“It would feel great,” Darling said. “It’s a dream come true and we’re working for it.”
