Edmonds-Woodway cruises into district title game with 79-55 win over Ferndale
Published 8:56 am Wednesday, February 17, 2016
MILL CREEK — It was close for about a quarter.
Then Edmonds-Woodway, which frustrated Ferndale with its defense and pleased the crowd with a David Woodard dunk, rolled to a 79-55 victory over Ferndale in a 3A District 1 semifinal game Tuesday night at Jackson High School.
The win clinched a spot in Saturday’s district championship game against the Warriors’ Wesco 3A South rival Mountlake Terrace.
“When people tell me they like watching us because we play hard, that’s the biggest compliment you can give me,” Edmonds-Woodway coach Robert Brown said. “And that’s the biggest compliment you can give them. They played hard tonight.”
After Edmonds-Woodway closed the first quarter with a 24-16 lead, the Warriors quickly overwhelmed Ferndale to lead 46-26 at halftime. Edmonds-Woodway shot 52 percent in the first half with Woodard leading the way with 15 points.
It was much of the same in the second quarter. Woodard finished with 25 points including a dunk in the third quarter much to the delight of his Edmonds-Woodway teammates and fans.
“It’s a big stage and I think he’s been waiting for a big stage,” Brown said. “He’s had some at the beginning of the season. It’s interesting for a team who hasn’t seen him. We have all wanted him to get that dunk for the whole season. He’s just got the breakaways and has laid it up and he finally got that dunk. It’s fantastic for him. We’re happy for him.”
Brady Edwards scored 18 points for Edmonds-Woodway and Tre’var Holland added 14 for Edmonds-Woodway (20-2), which has won 15 consecutive games.
“I don’t know about 15 straight wins. All I know is two losses,” Brown said. “I have to think that’s the most important thing: the two losses and learning from those and getting better from those.”
The Warriors will face Mountlake Terrace (16-6) in the district championship at 8 p.m. Saturday at Jackson High School. The two teams split their regular-season matchups, with the Hawks winning 74-72 on Dec. 17 and the Warriors defeating Mountlake Terrace 66-61 on Jan. 22.
The loss to the Hawks was Edmonds-Woodway’s only league defeat and the Warriors haven’t dropped a game since.
So is Brown excited to face the Hawks again?
“Let me tell you the truth: no,” Brown said with a laugh. “I mean, yes and no. That’s a program (where Mountlake Terrace head coach Nalin Sood) is doing a fantastic job with that program. I’ve been here for two years. I’m trying to grow up and be that. So to play them in the finals is exciting.”
Ferndale (13-9) will travel to Stanwood for a loser-out game at 7 p.m. Thursday. The winner will face the winner of Shorewood-Glacier Peak in the third-place game at 2:30 Saturday for the district’s third and final regional berth.
Edmonds-Woodway’s defense pestered the Golden Eagles, the lone 3A team in the Northwest Conference. The Golden Eagles, who come down to play with Wesco teams in the district tournament, ended the Warriors’ season in a district loser-out game last season.
Austin Honeycutt led Ferndale with 18 points.
“They eliminated us last year from the (playoffs),” Brown said. “Honeycutt is a hell of a player. He’s a load. But it is nice to see another team because that’s what we see if we’re getting to where we want to go. We’re going to be seeing other teams that we haven’t seen.”
At Jackson H.S.
Ferndale 16 10 17 12 —55
Ed.-Woodway 24 22 21 12 —79
Ferndale—Sky Freeman 4, Garett Holmes 9, Kyler Lagerway 0, John Weg 5, Riley Hunt 2, Jackson King 1, Austin Honeycutt 18, Dane Larsen 9, Carson Genger 8. Edmonds-Woodway—David Woodard 25, Uchenna Acholonu 1, Grygoriy Lozynskyy 0, Tre’var Holland 14, Brady Edwards 18, Edikal Seare 2, Jordan Rice 6, Ryan Peterson 4, Noah Becker 9, Joe Cooper 0. Records—Ferndale x-x overall. Edmonds-Woodway x-x.
