What a game by the Federal Way boys basketball team, holding off a determined, tough, fast Bellarmine Prep squad, 57-53, in a West Central District semifinal game that meant the defending 4A state champ Eagles stay unbeaten in this state after intense, mind-drilling action versus the Lions at Foss High School Friday night.

"Yeah, yeah, we expected a battle," said Eagles head coach Jerome Collins, 26 years coaching this team to the state playoffs the majority of those years, including this win over traditionally solid B-Prep that sends the Eagles that direction -- to state -- yet again. "Just proud of our kids. They didn't hang their head, and made plays when they had to."

But let's rewind the action a little farther back than the barn-burning final 120 or so seconds on the clock.

It was a sizable Eagles lead, 50-41, with 6:41 left in the fourth quarter. Then, B-Prep called a timeout, and came back onto the court. Bam!

An immediate three-pointer, 50-44.

Then Robert Christopher, for the Eagles, a 6-5 guard/forward, drove the lane next, got fouled, and made the free throws to make it 52-44, Eagles with 5:30 left.

B-Prep's amazingly quick point guard, Donald Gaddy, the little sophomore brother of current starting UW point guard, Abdul Gaddy, made a driving lay up to make it 52-46 with 5:15 left. He was the definition of havoc all game long, much like Eagles' guard Isiah Umipig, even more causing havoc for the foe.

But now the score is a six-point difference, with 5:15 left and, keep in mind, an Eagles star player, besides Umipig. Cole Dickerson, averaging 20 points per game, the league's just-said MVP of the SPSL North, was having to sit on the pine -- from foul trouble.

And, Dickerson had to go to the bench with 4:30 still to go on the third quarter clock. He would not in fact return until the final three minutes of the fourth quarter. But his team did not let him down. B-Prep, surely because of Dickerson out midway through the third, was really feeling the momentum swing their way.

Especially after a Gaddy steal at halfcourt and score to make it 52-48 with 2:45 left in the game.

Then, after two straight lay up misses from the Eagles, it was the Eagles reeling from easy misses and momentum definitely favoring the Lions with time ticking away quickly.

Fueling the Lions' momentum in this one was then another Gaddy hop, skip, jump into the paint with the ball and then a shot off glass that cut the Eagles lead to 52-50 with 2:20 to go.

The Eagles' Umipig, their senior point guard that led them to the championship last year, as the distribution (and scoring) force, put up a three-ball.

But a miss! And the shot missed everything. Airball.

"Airball, airball," came the clanging words of the B-Prep student section next. And those B-Prep fans were mighty sixth men in this tour de force action game, greatly outnumbering the Eagles' student fan section that really missed a great game.

"Our fans were there for us as they have been all year, helping us in games," said Eagles coach Jerome Collins.

Thankfully, next time downcourt, B-Prep's Gaddy missed a shot and Christopher leaped like a super hero and brought that ball down into his clutches with 2:05 left in the game. Christopher was swinging elbows aggressively, but carefully. Any foul at all in this game, especially at this time of Christopher's big board here with 2:05 left, would have probably swung the momentum unswervingly B-Prep's direction with finality. That close of a game!

So, following Christopher's huge defensive rebound, the Eagles flew down court with point guard Umipig, handling the rock with in-his-face double-team pressure. Dribble-dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, pass, to Williams on the wing. Back to Umipig as the B-Prep fans yelled simultaneously as Umipig held the ball...

"Airball, airball," they yelled as Umapig dribbled. "Airball, airball!"

Dribble. Dribble, Umapig.

"Airbal, airball."

Umapig passed the ball in the face of that tremendous negative noise from the B-Prep stands heckling him and the defenders like Gaddy on him. Umipig played with ice in his veins like the clutch player he was in leading the Eagles all the way to the state title last year over Garfield.

Umipig did a nifty little short move on Gaddy. And, by the way, this was a great one-on-one match-up with Gaddy vs Umipig. Umipig crossover dribbled smoothly in front of Gaddy and lost Gaddy a second long enough to get a pass off in the corner to Tyrell Lewis, a 6-5 senior. Lewis lined up behind the three arc and let'er fly.....with 1:09, 1:08, on the clock. 52-20 still. Anyone's game.
Swish!

It was 55-50 Eagles! One minute left in the game.

"It was big, off an offensive set," said Collins. "And Tyrell hit a big ball."

The Eagles fans went wild.

Then B-Prep's Gaddy showed his slipperiness, getting into the interior with another driving lay-up, hop-skipping into the paint and laying it in to cut it to 55-52. Still 52 seconds left on the clock.

Time-out Bellarmine. The Eagles then tried to throw the ball in. Five second call. B-Prep ball! Still 52 seconds left.

Gaddy with ball, charges into the lane... Foul, on Dickerson, and he's fouled out. Gaddy misses the first free throw, makes the second, 55-53. 40 seconds left.

Umipig then showed his major moxy, dribbling the ball quickly but calmly down the court.

"Airball! Airball!"

Umipig was trying to cut through the intense B-prep pressure on him. Then he passed it to Lewis with 25 seconds on the clock, B-prep down two points. One basket ties it for them, or, potentially wins it, with a three.

Lewis, with the rock in his hand, could have shot the ball. After all he was hot, having hit 3-for-3 on three pointers in the second quarter to keep the Eagles' 19-13 lead after the first quarter forwarding their momentum. The Eagles led after the second frame too, 38-29.

So, with the clock ticking down, 25, 24, 23 seconds... Lewis showed great resolve and maturity, passing up the shot in the corner that was there. He was open. Sure, Lewis may make the shot, but if he doesn't then B-Prep's fans go beyond bananas, with a chance to tie or win it, with the next possession and about 20 seconds left.

So, Lewis passed back to Umipig, probably a play designed up by coach Collins.

"Airball, airball," shouted the B-Prep student-section leading fans.

Umipig whipped the ball to Williams on the other flank of him. Williams looked like he might take a shot, like Lewis, but after a short dribble in, stopped, and passed back to Umipig. Umipig, now, in crunch time, 15, 14, 13, seconds on clock, Gaddy on him like a fly on bananas.

And Umapig then made a great move around Gaddy, again and slipped into the paint, to the rack in a flying act. Missed the shot, but was fouled.

Umipig just cooly made the front end of the one and one and then the back end, 57-53. Six seconds left. B-Prep throws it in. Umapig steals the ball, throws it in the air. 4, 3, 2, 1.

"I believe in my team," said Dickerson. "I couldn't pick out a better group of players in the state that goes out and plays like my team. I go and sit on the bench and they fight."

Players like Jerry Duckworth that played extra minutes, doing a great job guarding Gaddy on defense, in his face, hands not just up, but all over the place. Also, Eagles' sophomore guard Roosevelt Jones hit a nice three pointer halfway through the second quarter, making the score 28-20.

Just a great effort all the way around, and it's easy to see why Collins said he was so proud of this No. 22 ranked team in the U.S.A. in high school boys basketball and, of course, not only defending state champ but still carrying the No. 1 rank in the state.