Vikings basketball

Published 1:30 am Monday, February 23, 2026

By Declan O’Malley

Sounder contributor

The Lady Vikings basketball team is headed to Wenatchee for the first round of regionals in the State Tournament.

On Feb. 17, the team beat Coupeville, 50-48, in overtime. On Feb. 19, the Lady Vikings played Friday Harbor, beating them 43-33.

The team will play Lake Roosevelt High School at 10 a.m. on Feb. 28 at Wenatchee High School.

The Orcas Island boys basketball team competed in the district tournament with a mix of dominant wins and hard-fought losses. The Vikings opened play Feb. 12 with a commanding 80-23 victory over Summit Atlas School.

They followed with a 78-59 loss to Mount Vernon Christian on Feb. 14 in their second game. Facing elimination, Orcas Island responded Feb. 17 with a 59-45 win over Coupeville in its first consolation matchup, powered by 22 points from Joe Stephens.

“It was a very physical game from the tipoff. We knew it would be, and often is, against Coupeville. We were mentally prepared for it,” coach Corey Wiscomb said. “If we took a push, we answered with a box-out and a rebound. If they were talking, we answered with points on the scoreboard. We let our game speak for us.”

Wiscomb said the team’s cohesion made the difference.

“The team played really well together, trusted in each other and moved the ball effectively in transition,” he said. “In the second quarter, we found our inside-outside game in the half court, which is very difficult to defend when it’s working.”

The Vikings’ coaching staff expressed pride in the team, noting the group set specific goals and worked steadily toward them. Coaches highlighted the players’ teamwork, positive attitude and effort throughout the season.

Orcas Island stayed alive Feb. 19 with a 44-39 win over Friday Harbor in another elimination game.

“We came out strong and took a solid lead into halftime,” Wiscomb said. “We weren’t scoring our average, but our defense held them to low numbers. In the second half, we started playing not to lose instead of playing to win. It took a late surge by Friday Harbor to wake us up, but we finished strong. Our defense really won that game.”

The Vikings’ postseason run ended Feb. 21 with a 66-49 loss to Auburn Adventist in a state qualifier game.

“We opened with an early lead but fell into a stretch where shots wouldn’t fall, while they couldn’t seem to miss,” Wiscomb said. “By the third quarter, we were down by just over 20 and had to adjust. We shifted to a four-out offense and emphasized the 3-point line. The guys never stopped competing. We cut it to 10 in the fourth quarter, but we ran out of time.”

With the season on the line, Orcas Island turned to a full-court press late.

“After weeks of games in a season marked by injuries, fatigue and illness, we put everything we had left into that press,” Wiscomb said. “We gave it our all, but Auburn proved to be too much. We wish them the best at state.”

Following the loss, Wiscomb reflected on the program’s growth.

“Last year’s team didn’t have the strongest season,” he said. “When I committed to coaching, the first priority was building a strong staff. Ryan Carpenter as an assistant, along with Mike Connell and Andrew Stephens, were instrumental. Together, we analyzed what was best for the team and supported the players every step of the way.”

Once the staff was assembled in the spring, the program began a rebuild. The players bought in, setting a goal of reaching the state tournament, with a secondary goal of winning the league. While they fell short of a league title, the Vikings entered the final regular-season game with an 8-1 record and a chance to claim it, a sign of significant progress.

When the final buzzer sounded, Orcas Island was just one game short of a state tournament berth.

“Unless you’re close to the team, you don’t see all the adversity, heart and effort that go into a season,” Wiscomb said. “It’s a lot of work that starts well before the first game. When it comes together, it’s something to celebrate. The coaching staff is proud of what these young men accomplished. They aimed high, and even though they fell short, they achieved something special.”