The Vikings come into today's matchup with an 11-1 record. Their only loss this season was to Reserve Christian (La.) in a holiday tournament game. Otherwise, it's been smooth sailing again for No. 1-ranked Beach.
Cleveland comes in ranked No. 11 with a 9-3 overall record. It's going to be a tough go for the Eagles, but they were the only in-state team to beat the Vikings last year, who took home the state championship in 2003.
That could work for or against Cleveland. Rainier Beach head coach Mike Bethea knows that his team hasn't forgotten last year's upset:
"There are still a lot of memories of last year's game," Bethea said. "Cleveland knocked us off ... The kids who were part of the team last year haven't lost sight of that." (see full story here.)
The biggest test for Cleveland is if they can find a way to shut down Vikings center C.J. Giles. At 6-11, Giles knows how to dominate the paint, scoring almost 17 points a game. Cleveland's Sexton Brown (6-4) is the tallest one on the Cleveland roster.
You have to wonder if Cleveland is going to forget trying to stop Giles and try to halt the Vikings on the perimeter. The Eagles have their work cut out for them either way.
Tipoff coming up at 4:30, stay tuned!
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