Naselle Comets win holiday tourney

The Naselle Comets have been lighting it up as of late and are riding a three-game winning streak in the new year. The two most recent victories came at the 2024 Ilwaco Holiday Classic Tournament hosted by Ilwaco High School on Dec. 27-28. The Comets won the tournament, sealing the gold with a 48-42 win against the hosting Ilwaco Fishermen.

The tournament field comprised four teams, including Seaside, Pe Ell, Naselle, and Ilwaco. The first round of games were played on Saturday, and the championship and consolation took place the following day.

In their first game of the weekend, the Comets bested Pe Ell in a resounding victory, with Naselle winning 67-39. It was an incredible game for senior captain Jack Strange, who finished the night with 22 points. It was made all the more impressive that Strange reached that total before the fourth quarter even started. Jacob Lindstrom was also in the middle of much that was going right for Naselle, as he contributed 18 points and shot a perfect 5/5 from the free-throw line.

The lopsided final score was partly due to the balanced scoring from up and down the roster, with eight players registering at least two points and five scoring five or more points.

In the final, Naselle had a closer game but continued establishing themselves as one of the teams to beat in the Coastal 1B League. The Comets now have a record of 5-1, which gives them the best winning percentage in the league, though they are currently ranked fourth of the seven teams due to their league record.

The Comets are 1-1 in the conference, with that one loss being the two-point heartbreaker against Willapa Valley. Ocosta and Willapa Valley are the top two teams in the league, though Ocosta is ahead of Willapa Valley only in terms of point difference.

Naselle’s next conference game will be held on Jan. 7, when they will take on Lake Quinault in an away match. For the Comets, keeping the rhythm going after a big tournament win will be the focus