Auburn boys lose out on trophy after impressive first round win

When the Auburn Trojans entered the Tacoma Dome on March 5, there was a different feeling around the team. A feeling that they could compete for a state title accompanied by a quiet confidence. The way their season ended last year, it prepared them for what was to come this season.

After defeating Olympia, Auburn’s state tournament hopes were dashed by the number one seeded Gonzaga Prep in in over time of the quarterfinals, 53-50.

“We battled hard, we were right there. We were just a possession away,” Head Coach Ryan Hansen said.

“We are grateful to be here and we understand how difficult it is to be here… Nothing comes easy in the dome,” Hansen added.

The Auburn Trojans showed a certain resilience and an energy that is akin to the number two seed that they were given in a 56-45 win over Olympia in the round of 12 a day before the Gonzaga Prep loss.

“It’s nice to get a win like that under your belt,” Ryan Hansen said.

Auburn was the number one seed last year and fell to Lincoln, the seventeenth seed in the exact same round. When Olympia cut the Auburn lead to four in the fourth quarter there was a feeling that was similar to the massive upset last year. But Daniel Johnson made a three-point play and put all those worries to bed, capping a 23-point performance.

“We thought DJ really had the advantage to get down hill and create, so we were emphasizing that with him. Getting him some switches and in match ups we like and really told him to be aggressive and attack, he’s a great player,” Coach Hansen said.

One of the driving factors aiding the Olympia comeback was Carter Hansen and Daniel Johnson dealing with foul trouble. Hansen, for the more extensive portion of the second half. He had to sit and watch the Bears get back in, but then saw Auburn get back in front. “I just had to trust my teammates and they did a great job out there,” Carter said.

Hansen admittedly didn’t have his best game, only scoring a single point in the second half. But just to be in the position to get a win and advance to the quarterfinals, after how the previous season went, was all Hansen was about. “I don’t necessarily care about scoring the ball, the win is most important to me. If my teammates are backing me up when I’m not hitting my shots, that’s all that matters to me and they did that,”said Carter Hansen.

As unreal as an upset as it was, the 17th seed beating the number one seed a year prior. That feeling started creeping back, as Olympia was making their run.

“Remembering that feeling last year was not a good feeling at all. We kept that feeling as fuel for the fire,” Carter said.

Under the radar was sophomore Isiah Englund for the Trojans in the win. The 6’ 7” sophomore had eight points and five rebounds for Auburn. He didn’t play in last years debacle against Lincoln, making his Tacoma Dome debut against the Bears.

“He did good, Isiah is just steady for us. He typically doesn’t make a lot of mistakes… He’s a kid that never gets to high or too low, so this moment is not too big for him,” Hansen said.

Johnson was the story in the win over Olympia, when the Trojans needed a bucket, he answered the call.

Auburn was then tasked with the Prep Bullpups, the number one seeded team in the 4A bracket. With a record of 22-2 the Bullpups had every right to be the favorite, but that didn’t phase the Trojans as they got out to an 8-2 lead in the first quarter.

“It felt good, it was really competitive between us and them,” Johnson said.

The Trojans would be in control of the game the entire first half taking a five-point lead into the locker room, 23-18. There was a feeling that Gonzaga Prep was a sleeping giant just waiting to find its groove and take control of the game.

The Bullpups took a 26-25 lead midway through the third quarter which was their first lead and kick started a back and forth game until the final horn. The first half saw one tie from the first second of the game and zero lead changes.

“We just had too many breakdowns defensively that ended up costing us. We let their bigs get to their left hand a few too many times and got beat twice on the backdoors. Those easy baskets they got were kind of the difference, ”Ryan said.

In the second half there were nine lead changes and six times the two sides were level. After a Carter Hansen off balance three pointer tied the game at 44, Auburn got a stop on the defensive side of the floor and had 17.6 seconds to win. “I thought we executed really well at the end of regulation. We couldn’t have gotten a better look than getting Daniel downhill… It wasn’t our day I guess,”

Johnson who had 24 points was going to be the number one option, he drove to the hoop and had an angle but opted for the reverse lay-up rather than go with his right hand. A decision he would approach differently the next time. “When I had the ball it was just go-go. I really should have just went with the right hand. I made the shot tougher,” Johnson said.

In overtime Auburn was chasing the Bullpups as the Trojans were allowing a couple open looks but the dagger came in the form of a prayer. As the shot clock was winding down, Bullpup senior Jackson Mott threw up a shot that found the bottom of the net.

On the ensuing possession, Auburn had 12 seconds to work with and all the Trojans could muster was a desperation three from Hansen that was too strong.

The Trojans weren’t done, they were tasked with Camas in a consolation semifinal to advance to the fourth place game. The Trojans had state title hopes and are feeling the pitfall of not making it to the final goal.

“I’m hurt, I wanted a state championship,” Johnson said.

Despite losing the NPSL MVP in Hanen and a solid starter in Elijah Jones, the Trojans are returning the likes of Johnson, Miles Henry and Isiah Englund.

“It’s going to be very motivating for our guys. We have a young team and we can’t wait to come back here next year. We are going to use this as fuel and come back better,” Johnson said.

In the consolation game against Camas, the Trojans fell 64-40. Auburn suffered its largest loss since 2018 against the Papermakers. A real sour ended to a really sweet season for the Trojans.