2A/3A Prep Boys Basketball: R.A. Long leans on depth, defense to drop Kelso

Festivus Express — Jacks overcome another slow start to top Scots 61-37

R.A. Long’s Joshua Crane elevates for a dunk over Kelso’s Reece White (14), during a 61-37 win over the Hilanders, Monday, Dec. 23 at Kelso High School.

Nick Sisson for Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

KELSO — R.A. Long has become somewhat accustomed to needing a fairly large sample size of gameplay before settling in and finding their groove this season, and Monday night against Kelso the Lumberjacks certainly didn’t go off-script.

The second version of this season’s Cowlitz River rivalry ran the Longview schools’ combined record to 2-0 against the Hilanders, but the Jacks had to overcome yet another slow start to win 61-37 just a little ways down the road on K-Court.

R.A. Long presents a tough defense, with Jeffrey Rooklidge (left) and Rhet Young (right), swarming Kelso’s Bronson Miller’s (34) during a 61-37 win over the Hilanders, Monday, Dec. 23, in Kelso. — Skyler Smith for Blast Zone Media

Kelso helped the Jacks remember their role by using an effective pick and roll action to get good position down low on the blocks. With the help of four quick points by sophomore A.J. Fabian midway through the first quarter the hosts held a 9-2 lead, and R.A. Long had to figure out a way forward.

This was not the first or second time that R.A. Long has trailed by nearly double digits in the early going of games this season, and head coach Jeray Key has implored the same strategy each time; let it play out.

And that hands-off approach has garnered the same result in each contest, so far.

“I didn’t call timeout,” Key said. “I felt like we needed to deal with the adversity like we have before, and the guys responded once again.”