TACOMA — It’s easy to see where Aaron Nations wants to take the North Kitsap basketball program.

Just a few minutes after losing to South Kitsap for the third time this season — this one by a 48-41 count in the quarterfinal round of the Class 4A state playoffs — Nations and South coach John Callaghan exchanged greetings.

“Go get the whole thing would ya?” Nations said. “I want to lose to the state champs.”

“Will do,” Callaghan said back.

That’s where the Viking program sits just one year removed from a 6-14 season that left them in last place in the Narrows League Bridge Division — from worst to not only a state-qualifier but instant contender as well.

“North Kitsap, they are as good as anyone here,” Callaghan said. “The difference in the level of play between the 16th team and the first seeded team in this tournament is a bounce of the ball.”

The loss dropped the Vikings (18-10) into a consolation bracket match up with Eisenhower (24-4) late Friday afternoon.

A loss in that game would end North’s season while a win would propel the Vikings into the fourth/seventh place game at 1:30 p.m. today.

After trailing most of the first half, North shocked the top-ranked Wolves with a stellar third period and held a 38-30 advantage with just 4:45 left in the game.

“We thought we had them rattled a little bit,” Nations said. “But they regrouped and they came out and they played.

“We didn’t finish,” Nations said. “We went what — four and half minutes without scoring there. We didn’t finish the game and you have to finish against South. If you don’t finish against South, they’re going to beat you.”

After taking the 38-30 lead, the Vikings scored just three more points while South ripped off 18. It was a total reversal of the team’s second meeting, one South won by 17 points on Feb. 4.

“When you look at it like that, Aaron has done a great job with those guys,” Callaghan said. “Their performance today, if a couple bounces go their way, they win. They had us on the ropes and they should be really proud of their effort.”

South’s Derrick Webb scored 15 points in the game’s final four minutes to seal the win for the Wolves. Jacob Gonzales paced the Vikings with 18.

Nations, who took the Vikings from 6-14 and dead last in the league last year, to a state berth was disappointed but proud of what his team has accomplished so far.

“I knew the seniors were going to come back and do something special,” Nations said. “I had a feeling we would finish top four in the league. I had a feeling we might win a game or two in the district tournament but I did not know if we could make it all the way to state.

“(We wanted them again) and we know the next place we can get them is the state tournament so let’s go out and see if we can get them,” Nations said. “I knew that we were going to have a shot at doing anything — winning state or place high — I knew we’d have to go through South at some point.”

Gonzales, Vikings

have shot at fourth

The Vikings were fresh off a win versus Kamiak in the first round of state Wednesday. And whereas both teams in the contest had difficulties shooting in the expanded space of the Tacoma Dome, nothing about the arena phased Gonzales, his team beating Kamiak by a 62-52 margin Wednesday.

“I’d say for an all-around game, that was the best I’ve ever played,” said Gonzales, who scored 40 points in the contest.

The Viking senior had experience earlier in the season when North Kitsap and Bainbridge played an exhibition before a Sonics’ game at Key Arena.

“He’s a big game player and a big dome shooter,” said Vikings’ assistant coach Duane Petzoldt.

“That kid — since the sixth grade, he’s been weaving between guys and scoring at will,” said Viking post Ryan Young.

Young added he was extremely impressed with Gonzales’ unselfish play.

“He’s got a shot to score 44, 46 points, and he gives it off in the end to sophomores to give them a chance to score,” Young said. “That really shows his maturity.”

Though the team moves into the back draw, joined by Eisenhower, Snohomish and Curtis, the Vikings still have the feeling it will be underestimated by any team. A fourth place finish at state is still possible for North Kitsap.

“Our role is the underdogs,” Gonzales said. “But we knew we could play and beat anybody here.”

“We think everybody counts us out,” said the Vikings’ Jared Prince. “We have everything to gain and nothing to lose. And we want to put Poulsbo on the map.”

“People counted us out in league, counted us out in districts, and the Tacoma News Tribune and Seattle Times mentioned everybody else and not us (in their state previews),” Prince said. “So we’re playing with chips on our shoulders.”