Five of the eight boys basketball teams playing in the Mountain View Holiday Invite through Saturday are from Clark County

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

The local high school boys basketball scene is in the middle of showcasing something very local.

The Mountain View Holiday Invite tipped off Thursday with four games, and three Clark County teams recorded victories.

Some will say that all of Clark County wins with this event.

The tournament was formerly held at Fort Vancouver High School. The Mountain View Thunder took it over this season, with the goal of continuing to give local basketball fans an opportunity to see three days of action, four games a day. 

It also allows the local teams to get the tournament experience without needing much of a travel budget.

“It’s really nice. This is home,” said Columbia River’s Luca Phillips, who scored 19 points in his team’s victory over Evergreen to open the tournament. 

Phillips said he and his teammates, and many of the opposing players this week, have played at Mountain View’s gym during a big summer league tournament. 

Now they get to compete there in the regular season.

“It feels really fun, especially knowing your friends are out there watching you, cheering you on,” he said of the benefits of playing in the region during the holiday break.

Last year, Columbia River traveled to San Diego.

“It gives you a confidence boost,” Phillips said, having a bigger crowd supporting the team.

Phillips said he got on an adrenaline rush during the third quarter Thursday when he scored 13 of his 19 points. 

Columbia River coach Mark Ganter said the Rapids opted to stay home this year after the southern California trip last December. 

“You’re in your own bed, you’re eating your own food. You go to shootarounds and then go to the game. Everything is familiar. We’re all dialed in,” Ganter said of the benefits of getting a tournament experience without hotel life.

“When Coach Alexander took it over, I was the first one to say, ‘Let’s get us in there,’” Ganter said, referring to Mountain View coach JC Alexander. “My guys don’t care who we play. We just want to play.”

Columbia River, a Class 2A team, will face Class 4A Union in the semifinals of the Mountain View Holiday Invite at 6 p.m. Friday.

Union defeated Benson of Portland in their quarterfinal matchup. If you look at the tournament’s program, you will notice that Mountain View’s logo is there, but so, too, is Union’s logo. 

Alexander and Union coach Garold Howe are partners with the much larger summer ball tournament held in Clark County, the Titanic Clash. It is possible that this winter, regular-season tournament could grow in the future, as well, with Union offering a helping hand.

“JC is a good guy to partner with,” Howe said.

Ganter agreed.

“JC knows what he’s doing,” Ganter said. “He’s a good dude.”

Later Thursday, Ridgefield took down Shelton in a quarterfinal before the host team took to the floor. Snohomish ended up with the victory over Mountain View.

Alas, win or lose, every team in this tournament will play all three days.

Every player in the tournament hopes this will get them prepared for the postseason, with the possibility of games being played on back-to-back days.

“It’s a grind when you have three games in three days,” Phillips said. “You just stay locked in for it. After those three games, you’ll be tired. But during the three days, the whole team is locked in.”

For Clark County teams, they are locked in, and then well rested at home.

Schedule notes: The consolation semifinals are 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Friday, with championship semifinals set for 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. On Saturday, there will be games at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m., and the championship game at 6 p.m.