By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

PHILOMATH, Ore.—Entering Tuesday’s Oregon West Conference match-up between Philomath and Cascade, a game separated both great squads in the conference standings.

A win by the Cougars would give them the title out-right, a win by the Warriors would make it necessary that Tuesday’s League Finale interesting.

The latter, sadly, happen as Philomath won in four sets 20-25, 25-15, 25-11, 25-21 to pull even with Cascade.

As the team entered the hallway, as the Warriors celebrated the feat on their Senior Night, you could tell on everyone’s faces that frustration and agony was there.  They wanted the bragging rights going into their Senior Night versus North Marion in Turner.

Even with Head Coach Christina Williams, you saw how much she wanted the win for her and the team.

“It’s frustrating because the girls just weren’t mentally prepared,” she said.  “They didn’t show up tonight, they looked scared out there and Philomath brought their game and they showed that they wanted the tie that title with us.  And now both of us have to prove that title on Tuesday’s game.”

The Cougars came out strong in the opening set as jumped to an 8-3 lead in 1st set.  En route to a 14-9 lead.

But, the Warriors hung around, cutting it to 17-16 before Cascade ballooned their lead out to 22-17 behind Mariah Hollenbeck serving and the front line presence of the Cougs en route to a 25-19 set win.

Tori Lewis got the game winning point that gave Cascade their lone set win.

Unknown what happened during the second and third sets, Philomath came out dominate and the Cougars couldn’t find an answer to slow or stop the Warriors pace.

Cascade found a groove though in the fourth set however.

After being down early, the Cougars battled back to tie it at 13 and held a 15-13 lead halfway through the fourth set.

Philomath tied it up at 16, Cascade takes a 17-16 lead before warriors tied it at 17.

Back and forth it went, until a Cougar miscue allowed the Warriors to take a 21-19 lead before Cascade called timeout.

“They fought back, they have that fight in them,” described Williams on that fourth set.  “They’ve always been fighters, but unfortunately the second and third game they didn’t comeback.  But that last game I know that they were going to come back and a couple of shots, some unlucky calls that we got (and) we didn’t get the win.”

But the Cougars couldn’t complete the comeback as Philomath won the set 25-21 to hand Cascade their first league loss since September 15, 2015.

Frustration is there obviously, but they’re not done nor out.  The loss puts them in a unique situation entering the last week of the season.

At the same time, it is good as well that they had this particular situation occur prior to the playoffs against a playoff caliber team like the Warriors so they can improve and get better for what is on the other side of Tuesday’s Regular Season Finale.

“It’s probably a good thing for the girls to have that loss under their belt and know that we have to get serious if we want this, we have to work harder at practice,” said Williams.  “We have to work harder in games and we have to work together.

“We just have to work harder and the girls know that, Teams are wanting to beat us and we have to work hard and we have to be tougher.  It’s a mental game right now and we didn’t show up mentality.”

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Pictures From Tuesday’s Game (Pictures By Jeremy McDonald)