There were celebrations on the floor and a few tears outside the locker room for the Tekoa-Oakesdale boys.

Josiah Tampien drew the tough task of slowing Moses Lake Christian star Adrian Moffet in the semifinals of the 1B state tourney Friday. After doing all he could to keep Moffet to 20 points and hold on for the 42-37 T-O victory, he found another Lion to hug.

Josiah Tampien embraced Taylor Sandberg, his cousin, outside their locker rooms in the SunDome and the two shed a few tears. Because Josiah Tampien grew up cheering his dad/coach Russ Tampien when he was the coach for 19 years at Day Star Christian Academy before it merged with MLC to form the current school — the family left a year later for T-O.

"He's like my brother," Josiah Tampien said. "It stinks he had to lose like that."

His main concern at
7 p.m. today in the SunDome might be Joel Koopmans, the top scorer for Sunnyside Christian. While the defending champions and their deliberate offensive style provide a tough matchup for run-and-shoot T-O, the Nighthawks obviously are jelling at the right time.

T-O made state even though it lost two of its last five. The Knights have won their last eight, and the two losses before the run came against a 1A squad and league rival Riverside Christian, a threat for the state 2B title next week in Spokane.

What the Nighthawks have that SC doesn't is plenty of offensive weapons. Four players' averages were in double figures for scoring this season, and the Knights had only one. But that lone soul is Koopmans, and he's been averaging 20.3 points per game in the SunDome — about the same average SC's opponents have scored at state, 23 ppg.

"The key is nobody has the key," said T-O coach Russ Tampien of the Knights. "If somebody has the key, I'd like to borrow it."