MARYSVILLE – Isaiah Kiehl saved his best moment for last.
With 30 seconds left in the District 1 3A Semifinals against Shorecrest at Marysville Pilchuck High School on Wednesday, the Monroe sophomore had not made an impact yet, with no points, a couple of missed free throws and just one rebound.
But with Monroe leading by three and needing a stop, Kiehl put himself in position to intercept a pass and draw a foul, this time sinking both free throws to put Monroe ahead by five with 20 seconds left.
After a desperation Shorecrest 3-pointer and two more close-out free throws from junior Dominic Castillo, the No. 3 Bearcats (20-3) came out on top 48-44, clinching their first state tournament berth since 2011 and advancing past the No. 2 Scots (20-3) to the District 1 Final.
Final: Monroe wins 48-44
Scots kept it within 1 poss. most of the 4th, but Isaiah Kiehl’s steal with 20.3 seconds left effectively sealed the game and Monroe’s first state berth since 2011.
Waite-Kellar (14p, 13r) dominant once again. Fischer led Scots w/ 18p@HeraldNetPreps
— Joe Pohoryles (@Joe_Poho) February 20, 2025
The Monroe student section stormed the court. The players jumped around hugging each other. Bearcats coach Justin Prohn’s eyes watered taking in the scene.
“It’s surreal. I’m emotional,” Prohn said. “This was something that we worked for. I think the whole community is really in on this right now, and I think this is something that I’m just really proud of our guys. A lot of people, you know the whole seeding committee… didn’t give us a lot of respect, and I don’t think anybody thought we could beat these guys. And I just love my guys, I’m so happy right now.”
After the Bearcats’ leading scorer, junior Chayce Waite-Kellar (14 points, 13 rebounds), fouled out with 30.6 seconds left, he yelled out to his teammates from the bench when they broke a timeout: “Come on, guys! Finish it!”
It couldn’t be Waite-Kellar, so this time it was Kiehl, who credited the defense his teammates applied for setting him up to make the play.
“My teammates got (Shorecrest senior Porter Swanson) in a good spot,” Kiehl said. “When he threw it up, he was just throwing it up to no one. I just got it. It was really my teammates that got him trapped.”
While the game came down to the final plays, the Scots had to fight hard to get to that point, trailing by as much as 11 points after scoring just one basket through the first six minutes of the third quarter. But after the Scots ripped off a 9-4 run to cut the deficit to six entering the fourth, junior Brayden Fischer (18 points) knocked down his third 3-pointer of the night to make it 36-33 with 6:30 to go.
Many teams would wilt in that situation, and the Bearcats were almost one of them. Their inefficiencies from the free throw line earlier in the quarter allowed the Scots to stick around. But they locked in on defense, and ultimately made each of their final six foul shots.
With the state tournament on the horizon, Monroe proved it can weather a storm.
“I think it’s a good way of showing that there’s a bigger fish out there,” Waite-Kellar said. “We’re going to have to keep up the intensity. As much as we love winning this game, we gotta keep pushing forward.”
Monroe will face No. 1 Edmonds-Woodway in the final at Marysville Pilchuck on Saturday. The two sides faced each other in the Wesco Crossover Game on Feb. 10, with the Warriors winning 57-40. Meanwhile, Shorecrest will play No. 5 Marysville Getchell in a consolation game, with the winner going to state, and the loser seeing its season end.
“A lot of people wrote us off,” Prohn said. “After we lost to Edmonds-Woodway, not a lot of people gave us a big chance. … Our guys came out and proved it tonight, and I think that’s what I’m most proud of. They stood up.”
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