Cavs can’t complete revenge against PJH

POULSBO — On the gridiron this past fall, it was the Cavs who were victorious against their arch-rivals Poulsbo in a 36-30 come-from-behind win. But on the hardwood, it was Poulsbo that had Kingston’s number, utilizing a little late game comeback of their own to beat Kingston for the second time this season.

POULSBO — On the gridiron this past fall, it was the Cavs who were victorious against their arch-rivals Poulsbo in a 36-30 come-from-behind win.

But on the hardwood, it was Poulsbo that had Kingston’s number, utilizing a little late game comeback of their own to beat Kingston for the second time this season.

The Panther hoopsters sealed a 40-33 win with a 14-2 run during the last minute and a half of regulation and a four minute overtime period to beat the Kingston Cavaliers at home.

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“Our kids responded to the adversity of being down,” said Panthers’ coach Clary Carlsen. “They found a way to be ahead at the end.”

Nonetheless, the Poulsbo coach delivered a message to the Cavalier players following the game, to a team he felt should’ve handed PJH its second loss of the season.

“I told the Kingston kids that they deserved to win today,” Carlsen said.

“That was a great gesture from a great coach,” Kingston coach Tony Chisholm, whose team is now 5-4, said of the Panther skipper’s remarks.

Earlier in the year, the Panthers handed the Cavs a 46-31 defeat on their home floor. But this time, the Cavs came into Poulsbo with a different attitude and an altered plan.

Chisholm’s attack was to apply double coverage of inside Panther players Jordan Coover, Kyle McCown and Taylor Hoffer — who packed a 33-point punch in Poulsbo’s earlier season win against Kingston. The Kingston skipper also slowed the game down using long possessions, testing Poulsbo’s patience.

Kingston maintained that aggressive stance for all 32 minutes but eventually got into foul trouble and the three posts still ended up with 30 of Poulsbo’s 40 total points.

But Kingston’s strategy was most successful late in the third and early in the fourth, drawing multiple turnovers that led to inside scores by Doug Vogel, Andy Smith and a three from sharpshooter Kyle Erickson. Kingston’s biggest edge was a 25-19 lead with 5:40 left in regulation.

“Defense!” Chisholm yelled from the sidelines. “You know it’s all about the defense!”

With only 33 seconds remaining, Coover took over for the Panthers, hitting a jumper to put Poulsbo within one and then sprinting the length of the court to block Kingston’s Preston Elzey from a lay-in. Poulsbo’s ensuing possession saw Coover draw a foul and make one of two from the line to go to overtime, 31-31.

The Panthers outscored the Cavs in the extra session 9-2, playing a pressure defense that kept Kingston from getting chances inside the paint.

“We learn from this, we move on, and we’re young,” Chisholm said of his team, about half of which are eighth graders. “We will be back.”

Poulsbo and Kingston close out their seasons next week. The Cavs will be at Bremerton Tuesday and at home versus Fairview Thursday. The Panthers, riding an eight-game win streak, finish up at home versus Ridgetop Tuesday and then on the road at Central Kitsap — the only team they’ve lost to this season — on Thursday.

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