One win away: Puyallup advances to 4A state championship game after beating West Valley
Drew Jones had a quiet first half in Puyallup’s Class 4A state tournament semifinal game against West Valley (Yakima) on Friday night at the Tacoma Dome.
But it doesn’t take long for the Vikings’ senior guard to catch fire. He scored 14 points in the third quarter, knocking down shots from all over the floor and lifting Puyallup over West Valley, 53-46.
“I had kind of a slow first half, I didn’t get many buckets,” Jones told The News Tribune. “Coming out of the locker room, I knew I was gonna have to step up a little bit to win this game. I hit a few shots, they were in rhythm, I was just taking good shots and letting the game come to me.”
Jones has been perhaps the tournament’s best player. His play has Puyallup in Saturday night’s 4A state championship game.
“A lot of people didn’t think we’d get here,” Jones said. “We worked really hard in the offseason to get here. It’s an amazing feeling, for sure.”
And something of an underdog story, too. Puyallup, the tournament’s No. 8 seed, isn’t Cinderella, but the Vikings weren’t a favorite to reach the tournament championship game, either. As Jones has gone, the Vikings have gone. All the way to the state championship game, for the first time since 1971, when Puyallup beat Pasco to lift the 4A trophy.
“Last year, it hurt,” Jones said. “We lost in the first round at state. I knew I was gonna make it a commitment of mine to get back here and go win something. I made it a priority in the offseason to get up early, go late nights and just work my butt off. I’m glad I did because the hard work has paid off for sure.”
Jones scored a game-high 24 points with seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. Forward Will Nasinec scored eight points to go along with nine rebounds and three blocked shots. Forward Mason Sonntag had a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double, including some clutch fourth-quarter buckets. Puyallup coach Kevin Olson knows what he’s going to get from Jones and Nasinec most nights, but Sonntag is the X factor for this group.
“When Mason is producing, when he’s getting after it, making some plays, things are going well for us,” Olson said. “When he’s struggling to score and not finding his way, we’ve only got two guys that are scoring and it makes it kind of tough. Our third guy has gotta be Mason.”
West Valley’s talented guards were held in check. Forward Parker Mills scored a team-high 14 points for the Rams, but West Valley shot just 30 percent from the field.
It’s been a long time coming for Olson, too. He coached in a state championship game as an assistant coach at Decatur 30 years ago, but hasn’t returned since. He’s trying to soak it all in this time around, knowing the chances don’t come by often.
“You just have to cherish these moments,” he said.
Puyallup will face No. 1 Gonzaga Prep in the state championship game. Puyallup played Gonzaga Prep in Spokane last weekend in the state regional game and lost by two. This time, it’ll be about a 15-minute drive instead of a five-hour drive.
“Last year, it hurt,” Jones said. “We lost in the first round at state. I knew I was gonna make it a commitment of mine to get back here and go win something.”
This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 8:08 PM.
