Basketball Game Preview: Willapa Valley Vikings vs. Pe Ell Trojans

The Willapa Valley Vikings will venture away from home to challenge the Pe Ell Trojans at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Willapa Valley took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They skirted past Oakville 42-39. The Vikings haven't had any issues with the Acorns recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.

Tylar Keeton

Rebounds

01/27/25 @ Naselle	21
12/05/24 @ Columbia Adventist Academy	20
01/31/25 @ Taholah	15
01/07/25 vs Taholah	15
02/11/25 @ Taholah	14
+ 15 more games

Willapa Valley's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Tylar Keeton, who dropped a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Willapa Valley is 9-4 when Keeton posts eight or more boards, but 3-5 otherwise. Paislee Hurley was another key player, putting up eight points and five rebounds.

Meanwhile, Pe Ell put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Mary M. Knight 55-27. Given the Trojans' advantage in MaxPreps' Washington basketball rankings (they are ranked 93rd, while the Owls are ranked 224th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Pe Ell pushed their record up to 19-0 with the win, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. As for Willapa Valley, their victory bumped their record up to 12-9.

Willapa Valley took a serious blow against Pe Ell when the teams last played back in January, falling 55-21. Can Willapa Valley avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.