MILL CREEK After defeating Jackson, the M-P boys faced a tough road to the end of their season.
It takes just two losses to fall out of districts and ultimately losses to state-qualifying teams Edmonds-Woodway and Mariner befell them.
Despite sustaining a 6-1 record to finish the season and earn a home playoff opener, Marysville couldnt quite overcome challenging postseason opposition. A 61-54 loss to Edmonds-Woodway set up a meeting Feb. 20 between Wesco North and Souths number-two seeds.
At halftime, M-P trailed by just one, and the Tomahawks and Marauders kept it close until Mariner put the game away in the fourth quarter at the free-throw line. M-P seniors Taylor Stevens and Colin Thomason led the Marysville offense against Mariner with 13 and 11 points respectively, while the next two leading scorers were senior Joey Kelly and junior Nick Soriano, who contributed nine and eight points off the bench.
Offensively, the Tomahawks struggled to match the output of Mariner Joey Dillons 23 points.
With the win, Mariner went on to face and defeat Stanwood in a loser-out, winner-to-state game.
Marysville graduates six seniors from the 2007-08 squad Stevens, Thomason, Kelly, guard Blake Scheller and forwards Blake Lovell and Brandon Greene. Five underclassmen will return to help M-P rally next season, including guards Soriano, Ryan Lanphere, Troy Toler, forward Nick Forsythe and big man Spencer Elwell.

At Jackson H.S.

Marysville-Pilchuck 16 9 11 16 52
Mariner 17 9 16 22 64

Marysville-Pilchuck Elwell 2, Kelly 9, Lanphere 3, Lovell 2, Scheller 4, Soriano 8, Stevens 13, Thomason 11. Mariner Chhann 8, Doerscher 9, J. Dillon 23, Malysheff 2, Minor 6, Purnell 9, T. Dillon 7. 3-point goals Soriano 2, Kelly 1, Thomason 1, Stevens 1, J. Dillon 2, Doerscher 1, T. Dillon 1.