WIAA 3A boys basketball championship game: Rainier Beach roars to 10th career WIAA basketball championship

Vikings handle newcomer finalist Edmonds-Woodway in the title game behind Jaylen Petty's 26 points

Dre Morris and Rainier Beach won a 10th WIAA basketball champions Saturday in a win over Edmonds-Woodway. / Photo by Todd Milles

TACOMA, Wash.- Mission accomplished.

Now let the debate begin.

The top-seeded Rainier Beach Vikings won their 10th state championship in school history Saturday, defeating No. 5 seed Edmonds-Woodway, 68-48, in the Class 3A championship game.

The Vikings (24-2), won all three of their state tournament games at the Tacoma Dome by at least 20 points, leading to questions as to where this team ranks historically among the great Rainier Beach teams of all-time.

Senior guard Jaylen Petty, who led the Vikings with 26 points in the championship game, has his own opinion.

“I think it’s the best team,” Petty said after the game.

Petty might be biased. Coach Mike Bethea, who won his ninth championship as the team’s head coach, offered a broader perspective.

“You come by our gym one night this summer and you figure it out with them,” Bethea said. “They’ll all be in their arguing. They rank right up there. They’re one of the most unselfish teams I’ve ever had.”

The Vikings got to the championship game last year, but fell to Eastside Catholic. With Petty returning to Rainier Beach for his senior season after two years at Auburn and the nucleus already in place, the Vikings were the favorite to win the title this season from day one.

“I knew we were on the right track,” Bethea said. “I knew I had a three to four year window with the group of guys I had. This is the result of it. It paid off.”

Bethea nearly died from Covid three years ago, but recovered and returned to the bench when healthy. This was his first championship win since surviving the ordeal.

“My faith is strong,” Bethea said. “I believe in God. God had my back, and he told me he wasn’t done with me yet, so here I am.”

The Warriors got to the title game behind senior star Cameron Hiatt, who got his team there in his only year at Edmonds-Woodway. Hiatt was pleased with what his team had accomplished, but understood they ran into a juggernaut in the championship.

“It didn’t pan out the way we wanted it to,” Hiatt said. “You’re going to win some and you’re going to lose some. We played a great team today. A lot of guys I’m really happy for that they won it. Obviously not how we wanted it, but to do something like this as a community and show out and bring so many people around the game of basketball is really a victory.”

Hiatt led the Warriors (26-3) with 15 points in his final high-school game.

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