‘He’s him!’ Jones’ 33 points guide Puyallup to Final Four for first time since 1989
Midway through Drew Jones’ postgame media session, Puyallup’s Will Nasinec and teammates surrounded their star point guard to voice their own opinions:
“He’s him! He’s him!” Nasinec said.
“33 points! 33 points!” another yelled.
Jones had delivered a game to remember on the biggest stage: The early spark and constant flame for Puyallup’s offense dropped a game-high 33 points with five triples and, in the closing minutes, delivered a crucial and-one for the lead.
By halftime, Jones had 20 points with four treys. He was unstoppable.
The mindset? Simple: “If we’re not making it, (he’s) going to go out guns blazing,” Vikings head coach Kevin Olson said of Jones’ game. “He was going to go out shooting, play his best and give everything he’s got, and if it wasn’t good enough, so be it.”
It was plenty.
They’re partying in Puyallup tonight like it’s 1989: Jones’ heroics lifted the Vikings over defending 4A champion Mount Si, 55-47, to reach the tournament’s ‘Final Four’ for the first time in 36 years.
“When big games, big moments happen, I never seem to back down,” Jones said. “I’m always ready for the moment. … After I see a few go in, it usually feels great after that.
“I knew I was going to have to step up a little bit. … This team is just amazing. Great brotherhood. Everyone’s contributing, and that’s what makes us so good.”
Tied with 2:30 remaining in regulation, Jones drove to the rim and delivered the go-ahead bucket through contact, completing a three-point play at the line. He scored again at the 1:01 mark to extend the lead, drifting right and draining a midrange jumper from the wing.
The senior’s final line: 33 points, three assists, and three rebounds. All with five treys and zero turnovers.
Puyallup’s Nasinec (10 PTS, 8 REB) and Mason Sonntag (8 PTS, 5 REB) established themselves inside and limited Mount Si to 10 points in the paint.
Wildcats guard Hudson Moscrip paced Mount Si with 12 points without standout forward Latt Ford (ACL). Chase Mentink and Drenden Knaevelsrud (8 REB) added eight points apiece.
“It’s been a process,” Olson said. “We’ve just been getting better and better and better. We just knew we were going to be one of the teams to contend with. We know this tournament’s wide open. It’s about making plays any given day.”
Puyallup meets No. 6 West Valley in Friday’s 4A semifinals at 5:30 p.m. with a trip to Saturday’s championship on the line.
This story was originally published March 6, 2025 at 4:51 PM.
