2/6/2026

TACOMA, WASH

The SPSL Boys Basketball Championship is set following semifinal action Thursday night.

For the second consecutive season, the Puyallup Vikings and Emerald Ridge Jaguars will meet with the league title on the line. Puyallup claimed last year’s SPSL Championship with a 53–48 victory over Emerald Ridge, a matchup that has quickly become one of the league’s premier postseason rivalries.

Puyallup punched its ticket back to the championship by delivering an emphatic response to one of its regular-season losses, rolling past Bonney Lake 67–39 in Thursday night’s semifinal. Emerald Ridge advanced with a 66–51 win over Olympia in the other semifinal.

The two teams met again six days later in the District Playoffs, where Puyallup pulled away for a 67–47 win and went on to finish as a finalist in the 4A State Tournament.

This season, Emerald Ridge held the upper hand during the regular season. The Jaguars swept the Vikings in SPSL play, earning a 57–51 win on December 9 and a dramatic 54–53 victory on January 27 when Darius Alexander knocked down a go-ahead three-pointer in the closing seconds. Despite the sweep, Puyallup finished 13–3 in SPSL play.

The SPSL Boys Basketball Championship Game between Puyallup and Emerald Ridge is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. at Tacoma Community College.

Earlier in the day, Sumner and Graham-Kapowsin—who both finished third in their respective divisions—will meet at 12 p.m. at Tacoma Community College. Sumner won the teams’ most recent meeting, defeating Graham-Kapowsin 66–56 on January 6.

Stay tuned to ESN for continuing coverage of the SPSL Playoffs.

www.elisportsnetwork.com