High School Boys Basketball: Woodland motors by Mark Morris in second half
PHOTO GALLERY: Stats, quotes, and images from the Beavers 52-39 win over the Monarchs
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Prep Boys Basketball / Report
BAKAMUS GYMNASIUM — The Woodland Beavers marched onto Natt Court on Friday night and went about posting a business-like 52-39 victory over Mark Morris in 2A Greater St. Helens League.
It was a rare win for Woodland in the traditional baby blue accented house of horrors, but if you were surprised by the final result in the most recent meeting then you must not be from the old Forest City. The Beavers are now 5-0 to start the season, including victories over both the Monarchs and Ridgefield in the opening week of league play.
“It’s a tough place to play,” Woodland head coach Justin Gabbard said of Natt Court. “We came out slow compared to what we’ve been doing. Give Mark Morris credit, though, they’re a good defensive team.”
The Beavers nearly had four players in double digit scoring by the end, but led by just one point after the first quarter. And the visitors even wound up trailing 23-19 at halftime following a dramatic turn of events.
However, Woodland put together a 14-point run starting midway through the third quarter to take a double digit lead and never looked back.
“That was our first adversity of the season in the first hafl there and we had a good talk at halftime,” Gabbard noted. “I don’t know if the kids would call it good, but we made some good adjustments and get the job done.”
The 2025-26 updated version of the Beavers have certainly managed to turn some heads so far this season. That includes those on the Mark Morris bench.
“They’re scrappy, and I think they’re probably a little bit ahead of schedule,” MM head coach Ken Kelly said. “They’re clearly a team that’s on the rise. They’re confident. They have some guys who can knife into the basket and they can rebound very well. There’s a real belief to them that they can go into any building and win.
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