By Declan O’Malley

Sounder contributor

The Orcas Island High School Vikings boys basketball team split its final two regular-season games against two of their biggest league rivals, Friday Harbor High School and Mount Vernon Christian.

The Vikings battled the Wolverines to an overtime victory on Feb. 3, adding another classic chapter to the two schools’ inter-island rivalry.

“That’s the fun of a rivalry game. No matter how good or bad a season one team or the other is having, you know they’re going to be up for this head-to-head, and the crowd will be lively. It feels like a playoff game every time,” said Orcas head coach Corey Wiscomb.

He added, “We would have liked to end the game in regulation, but made a couple of errors at the end, and FH took advantage. They had a look to win the game in regulation, but thankfully, we were able to send it to overtime. The team really locked in during overtime and came out with heart and hunger. The result was an emotional win in a packed house full of electric fans. The team was so proud to give that experience to the community.”

Joe Stephens led Orcas with 40 points and contributed as a full-court defender, while Tom Malop added 20 points, including eight in overtime.

On Feb. 6, in a game with league championship implications, the Vikings fell short against powerhouse MVC. Despite the loss, Orcas finished the season 13-7 overall and 8-2 in Northwest 1B/2B League play, securing second place.

The Lady Vikings have also secured a spot in postseason play.

Orcas Island is hosting the first round of games in the district tournament this Thursday, Feb. 12. Boys vs. Summit Atlas will be at 5 p.m. Come out to cheer on and support the athletes.

The girls were originally scheduled to play Auburn Adventist, but the team forfeited. The Lady Vikings will advance to play on Saturday, time TBD.