Mules dump Valley, South Bend in district

The Mules picked up a pair of 63-48 victories over Pacific League foes Willapa Valley and South Bend in the first and second rounds of district play.

The Mules struggled throughout the game against the sixth seeded Willapa Valley Vikings but maintained their poise and knocked off the Vikes last Wednesday night at Centralia High School.

John Chambers hit four three-pointers on his way to a team-high 16 points with fellow senior Wyatt Parker returning from a one-game absence to add 15 points and seven rebounds. Chris Bilgic also hit double digits, racking up 10 points, but his defense was more impressive as he picked up seven steals to lead the Mule defense. Chambers and Parker also nabbed four steals apiece and Brett Chaput pitched in nicely with seven points and seven boards.

Saturday afternoon, the Mules capped a two-hour ride to Montesano with a lockdown victory over the second seeded South Bend Indians.

Aside from a few out of the ordinary three-pointers, the Indians’ offense had a tough time scoring against the Mules’ 3-2 zone defense, posting only six and eight points in the second and fourth quarters, respectively.

Offensively, Parker led the Mules with 22 points on eight of 12 shooting while Lars Blix bounced back from a rough night against Valley with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

The Mules also got a nice surprise with the return of Eli McElroy, who was knocked out of the game with a concussion against Morton-White Pass more than a month ago. In limited time, McElroy sparked the Mules and the Wahkiakum crowd as he fought for every rebound and loose ball, picking up seven points and seven rebounds, all in the second half.

With the win over the Indians, the Mules have earned a spot in the semifinals against the Central League’s No. 1 seeded Adna Pirates. The Mules dropped both regular season games to the Pirates but are looking to knock off the Pirates when it matters most. The game is scheduled for tonight (Thursday) at 8 p.m. in Centralia.