Hale Outlasts Beach in Early Season Showcase

Hale Outlasts Beach in Early Season Showcase
By Steve Dion

Nathan Hale Sophomore PJ Fuller

If tonight was a taste of what’s to come this Metro League season, we’re all in for a real treat as a capacity crowd filled the Nathan Hale gym to see the defending champion Rainier Beach Vikings take on the host Raiders.

The frenetic pace of play was present wire-to-wire with Hale leading the majority of the contest. Early foul trouble for Jontay Porter forced Coach Brandon Roy to keep the talented junior on the bench accordingly leaving older brother Michael to pick up the slack en route to his game-high 35 points. Meanwhile the supporting cast of Hale including PJ Fuller and Keegan Crosby recorded 9 & 12 respectively.

The Vikings trailed the majority of the ballgame, but a few second-half spurts made the contest interesting until the final minutes when Hale pulled away. Kevin Porter led RB with 14 tough points while being blanketed all game long. Also in double figures were Jorell Soterfield and N’Keil Nelson who scored 10 and 11 apiece. Some missed opportunities near the rim for the defending champs hindered their ability to pull out a big road victory, but they’ll certainly reload and likely give Nathan Hale a tough test on a bigger stage down the stretch.

The Final Score
Nathan Hale 74, Rainier Beach 61.

Top Performers:
Nathan Hale
Michael Porter Jr.- 35 points

Rainier Beach
Kevin Porter Jr.-14 points