Prairie High School’s boys basketball team pulled out a close home win against the 4A Camas Papermakers on December 18, finishing strong in the final moments.The matchup tipped off at 7 p.m. and stayed close throughout, with both teams trading momentum. Prairie relied on strong defensive focus and steady offense late in the game to pull ahead and seal the victory on their home court.

Senior Ben Nkansah, who has played basketball his entire life and has been at Prairie throughout high school after attending Lauren Middle said he stayed focused by “tuning everything out” and entered the game with a simple mentality “Won’t lose.”  Following up with what that win meant to him and the team and Nkansah’s response was “ It means a lot, shows we are about that”. 

Fellow Prairie varsity player Payton Poppe also played a key role in the team’s success. Poppe, a Prairie student-athlete who transferred from Hockinson High School and has over four years of basketball experience, spoke about the team’s preparation and confidence. “Yes, I knew we wanted it as a whole,” Poppe said when asked about the team’s mindset going into the game. Poppe spoke on something he still wanted to improve on “maintaining composure” expressing things got stressful but was able to push through it when it mattered. Poppe prepared for the game by “listening to Rod Wave” , an artist to get him motivated for the big game.  

The Falcons secured the win in the final moments of the game, showing composure, teamwork, and determination when it was needed. Both players agreed that the win against Camas means more than just another win, “It means a lot, shows we are about that,” Nkansah said, reflecting on what the victory represents for the team moving forward. The Falcons will look to build off this momentum and keep pushing toward their ultimate goal.