2B/1B Prep Girls Basketball: No. 1 ranked Toutle Lake sends Naselle into orbit

Shooting Stars — Fighting Ducks defend top RPI ranking with 73-29 win over Comets

Toutle Lake’s Audrey Kilponen (22) drives in for a fast break layup with the Naselle defense trailing close behind, Wednesday, Jan. 8, in Toutle. Kilponen scored 12 points in a 73-29 win over the Comets on the same day the Ducks were ranked No. 1 in the WIAA RPI. — Skyler Smith for Blast Zone Media

Jordan Nailon / blastzonenews@gmail.com

TOUTLE — There was an unusual buzz surrounding the Fighting Ducks, Wednesday, prior to a non-league tilt against Naselle. It may have taken a little longer for word to reach East Cowlitz County, but by game time nearly everyone on the far side of Silver Lake was aware that the Toutle Lake girls basketball team had been dubbed the No. 1 team in the Washington territory by the all-knowing computer in charge of the notorious RPI rankings.

And it wasn’t some sort of miscalculation by the robot in charge. The Ducks began the day 10-1, with an epic non-league schedule that sent them road tripping from Neah Bay to Knappa, Oregon and nearly every other gymnasium on the coast as they hunted down, and mostly vanquished, the best competition they could find along the way.

Liliyn Lorentzen of Toutle Lake (12) shoots over a Naselle double-team of Haylee Rose (left) and Brianna Johnson (center) during a 73-29 win over the Comets, Wednesday, Jan. 8, in Toutle. — Skyler Smith for Blast Zone Media

So what was the midweek chatter like way out Spirit Lake Highway? It was excited, to be sure, with a dash of practicality mixed in for good measure.

“It’s something fun to look at, honestly. I don’t think many people are putting a lot into it, myself included,” Toutle Lake coach Daren Dean said, after being forced to acknowledge that the rankings existed in the first place. “The most important game is still the next one. But so far we’ve got a good record. We’ve only lost to Neah Bay, who is ranked No. 1 and undefeated, so that helps.”

In fact, those Red Devils of the Olympic Peninsula have won their last 27 games, but who’s counting.

So with their No. 1 ranking in hand, the Fighting Ducks did what their coach suggested by focusing on their next game, and the ensuing result speaks for itself.

Toutle Lake scored the first 18 points in the game on the way to a 73-29 win over the visiting Comets. The Ducks led by a full score after one quarter and took a 46-13 advantage into the intermission.

Kendal Dean of Toutle Lake (5) drives to the hoop and draws a foul against Naselle’s Brianna Johnson (left) during a non-league game on Wednesday, Jan. 8, in Toutle. Dean scored 11 points in a 73-29 win over the Comets.