When the 3A state bracket came out, there were not many people more upset at where their school was placed than Auburn Mountainview.

Rightfully so — the Lions were co-league champions and district finalists, falling to Lincoln in the championship.

Given the 11th seed, the Lions were placed in a loser out game and took on Federal Way for the third time this season. In the two previous matchups, both sides split the series, with each team winning on the road.

Federal Way downed the Lions for the second time this season, 49-41, at Auburn Mountainview on March 1.

“We talk a lot after games about learning a lesson. Unfortunately we had to learn a tough one tonight. Everybody saw we were a different team in the second half than we were in the first half,” Head Coach Kendall White said.

Auburn Mountainview struggled early and couldn’t climb out the hole in the second half, ending their season one game shy of the Tacoma Dome for the second time in the past three years.

To say the Lions struggled early would be an understatement. In the first two quarters, the Lions totaled single digit points — eight in the first and nine in the second. Starting that poorly was just not in the cards for White, especially with the way the Lincoln game ended just a week before.

“You gotta be you for 32 (minutes). We were only us for 16,” White said.

Federal Way took a 15-8 lead after the first quarter and stayed in front the rest of the game.

Auburn Mountainview just seemed to look for a spark that just never came. Sebastian Arius, the Western Oregon University commit, had five of the nine points in the second quarter, but just couldn’t get in a rhythm on offense.

Arius and Spencer Evenson were the only sophomores on varsity the last time the Lions were in this position against Bellevue in 2023.

“This is the most special group I have ever played with. I got guys that were willing to do it all for the team. It’s really sad that it came to an end,” Arius said.

Arius is the basketball player by trade, and Evenson’s natural habitat is a soccer pitch. The other seniors are Beckett Jones and Lucas McClendon, who ended the year as consistent starters.

“For them to get to leave an impact here is special, and I hope they feel that. Our program is completely different than when they showed up. That is a credit to them and not anybody else,” White said.

White has been coaching and watching Arius play since he was a young player. White has coached three Arius brothers, and now “Bash” has played his last minutes in the orange and blue.

“Bash turned himself into the standard. He was some goofy, short, lanky kid that eventually just sprouted. He put in hours and hours in the gym and showed everybody here it is possible to chase a dream,” White said.

“Seeing him sign a letter of intent, getting money to go to school and all that. He doesn’t know it yet, but he is an all-state basketball player. Nobody would have thought he would have been that,” White added.

It was a surreal moment for both of them.

“That’s my family man. That’s literally like my older brother. Without him I don’t even know what I would be. He pushed me like nobody else. There are a lot of emotions in this game that me and him went through,” Arius said.

Auburn Mountainview gave Federal Way a scare late in the second half, cutting the nine-point lead to four at two different in the half. But the Eagles always had an answer, even when the Lions held Federal Way to just five points in the third quarter. Their offense could only score 10.

The Lions are set up for future success with Kolven Posey, Sudan Luok and Cody Bennion ready in the wings to take over the Lions.

“I think this one is good for us. We lost our only three games the same way. I hope they understand, feel and embrace it and show up in the summer and hold the standard,” White said.

Sudan Luok spins with the ball in his hand for the Lions. Ben Ray / The Reporter