March 2020: Naselle Head Coach Bill Olsen is pictured with the third-place WIAA 1B basketball trophy. Olsen has long said his season goal every year is for his team to be still playing on the last day of the state tournament.

Naselle boys’ basketball squads have endured highs and lows.

The team enjoyed grinning for team photos at Spokane while hoisting the 1B third-place trophy in March 2020, one week before covid-19 restrictions curtailed WIAA sports (and everything else) for more than a year.

Naselle Boys Basketball

Dec. 6 Washington School for the Deaf (a)

Dec. 8 Firm Foundation (h)

Dec. 13 Mossyrock (h)

Dec. 15 Columbia Adventist Academy (a) 6 p.m.

Dec. 17 Toledo (h) 4:30 p.m.

Dec. 19 Yakima Tribal (a) 4 p.m.

Dec. 20 Dayton (a) 3 p.m.

2023

Jan. 3 Valley (h)

Jan. 6 Pe Ell (h)

Jan. 10 Three Rivers Christian (a)

Jan. 12 Wash. Sch. for the Deaf (h)

Jan. 14 Ilwaco (a)

Jan. 17 Firm Foundation (a) 6 p.m.

Jan. 19 Mossyrock (a)

Jan. 24 CAA (h) 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 26 Valley (a)

Jan. 28 Winlock (a) 3 p.m.

Jan. 31 Pe Ell (a)

Feb. 2 Three Rivers (h) senior night 7:30 p.m.

That year’s tournament saw the Comets win a quarterfinal, fall to eventual champions Odessa in an exciting semifinal, and then overcome Lummi to earn the hardware.

But their last trip to state this past March was not fun at all.

The top eight teams from their districts have a bye in the first round, but all the others must play a loser-out game before their path in the tournament bracket becomes double elimination.

Naselle faced Northwest Yeshiva, a private school from Mercer Island that was playing in its first state tournament. Facing a well-organized squad, the Comets were on the wrong end of a 60-48 score. The Lions went on to place fifth; Naselle went home.

It was a shock for head coach Bill Olsen, his only first-round elimination in his storied career as a coach at Wahkiakum and Naselle.

Just like last year, Olsen has had to wait for fall sports to conclude before putting together full practices. The Comet football team, which includes many of his squad, lost an astonishing quarterfinal 76-74 to Odessa Nov. 19.

Olsen’s returning athletes include Kolten Lindstrom, who was a sophomore on the NHS team that placed third, a squad led by his talented older brother Ethan.

Key match-ups are likely to include Mossyrock, a school enjoying a stellar year in all high school sports. Naselle hosts the Vikings in its fourth game Dec. 13 then they play on the road Jan. 19. The Comets will travel to Ilwaco (which plays in the 2B league) in the pursuit of South Pacific County bragging rights Jan. 14.