Those are four words that are generally used to describe cross-town rivalry games.
It was no surprise then that the Capital-Olympia boys basketball game ended up being a tale of two halves, a battle between the smaller and perimeter-shooting Cougars and the much bigger and inside-dominant Bears.
In front of a spirited and rowdy crowd at Chick Rockey Gym, the Bears overcame an early 11-point deficit to knock off the Cougars, 69-49, in a non-league contest Friday night.
“This will always be an incredible rivalry. These kids have played against each other since second, third and fourth grade,” Olympia assistant coach Mark Wells said. “There are always bragging rights on the line.”
Capital raced out to an 18-7 lead behind guard Keenan Williams’ six 3-pointers in the first quarter, but Olympia used a balanced attack and a strong and resilient defense to come back against the Cougars.
The Bears took the lead for good midway through the second quarter.
Olympia’s duo of Alex Johnson, a 6-foot-5 guard, and Louis Johnson, a 6-5 forward, led the Bears with 14 points and six rebounds apiece.
“This is a strong Olympia team out there and they are well coached,” Capital coach Dave Mastin said. “These are two tough, hard-working teams with good attitudes … They are warriors.”
The Bears used solid defense and a fundamentally sound offense to pull away from the Cougars for a 20-point victory.
“We worked well as a team together,” Louis Johnson said. “It feels good to win this one.
“It was a big rivalry and everyone gets hyped up for it.”
Capital’s Williams, a 6-2 guard, finished the contest with 20 points.
Justin Rudd, a 6-2 wing, added 17 points and five rebounds for the Cougars .
The Bears next play on Tuesday at River Ridge.
Capital’s next game is Wednesday at White River. preps.theolympian.com
