TACOMA--Foster made history last week.

Yes, the Bulldogs have survived longer in previous Class 2A state basketball appearances. But the 2008 Foster team that took two losses for a quick exit at state was probably the last to play at the 2A level, with a move up to 3A scheduled for next year.

The Bulldogs will switch to the 3A Seamount League starting in the fall, joining such geographic rivals as Evergreen, Highline, Tyee, Mount Rainier and Kennedy. The three Renton schools will also stay in the fray.

"We were voted into 3A with those guys," said Foster head coach John Barbee. "It's going to be a huge challenge for the community, the school and our teams."

But most of this year's boys basketball players will be back to play the Seamount League foes, losing only four to graduation. The only starter of the graduating group is senior guard Reuben Donaldson. The others are forward Bradley Jenkins, senior center Peter Malath and senior center CJ Manago.

Foster returned only three players prior to this year.

"I'm so proud of our team," said Barbee, whose current team finished with an 11-11 record but enjoyed the playoff ride to state that so many teams long for and only a few obtain.

The Bulldogs opened this year's state tournament with a 52-49 loss in overtime to perennial title threat Lynden last Wednesday, then took a 69-37 beating at the hands of W.F. West of Chehalis to bow out of the tournament Thursday.

"W.F. West is definitely tough," Barbee said.

Foster was plagued by 16 turnovers in the Lynden game but almost caught the Lions.

"That's a tough game," Barbee said. "They're a tough team. They didn't make mistakes and when we made one they were all over to capitalize on it."

The problems presented by Lynden led to a quick 8-2 hole for the Bulldogs to try to dig out of. They were still down by a 16-9 score at halftime, but used a tough man-to-man defense in the third quarter and caught the Lions at 31-31 on an outside basket by Donaldson.

Refugio Soto-Lopez kept the string going and helped Foster to a 36-31 lead with a pair of free throws and a three-point shot.

But Lyden blew past the Bulldogs again for a 37-36 lead on a pair of three-point shots and went up 39-36 to end the third quarter on a pair of free throws.

The fourth quarter featured back-and-forth action, until it ended with the two teams tied, 44-44, after a pair of free throws by Darius Page at 2:24 to go. The scoring then went dead until the buzzer, with Adam Chisholm of Foster missing a shot from underneath and Lynden's Adam DeLange missing a shot at the buzzer.

The game was also tied during the overtime at 46-46 and Foster slipped ahead by a 47-46 score on a free throw by Donaldson with 2:07 to play in the four-minute overtime period.

Lynden then took control at 52-47 by 11.1 seconds remaining on pairs of free throws by Brady Bomber and Trenton McKee. Donaldson got the last word in with 0.6 to go with a score, but it only clipped the lead to the 52-49 final.

Donaldson led the Bulldogs with 22 points as Soto-Lopez scored 13 and Page 12. Page also led with six rebounds.

Bomber led Lynden with 22 points and McKee threw in 18.

Foster fell into a second 9 a.m. game in the action at the Tacoma Dome Thursday.

The game started off like it would be a second barn burner, with the Bulldogs and WF West Bearcats tied at 2-2, 4-4 and 11-11.

Foster was last within striking distance at 19-15 and 3:17 to play in the third quarter, when Donaldson made a layup.

But the Bearcats came right back to score 14 unanswered points and they were gone from there.

Barbee still felt good about some aspects of the game even though the final score read 69-27.

"I think what sums up our season was when were down 27 to 30 points, we still had kids diving onto the floor and going after the ball," said Barbee.

Donaldson led with 14 points as Soto-Lopez hit eight and Chisholm and Jenkins six each. Norman Moi Moi hit threw and Dale Griffith one.

This year's Foster players were Dale Griffith, Allen Graves, Refugio Soto-Lopez, Bradley Jenkins, Reuben Donaldson, Ali Cortez, Adam Chisholm, Norman Moi Moi, Peter Malath, Jamal Johnson, Darius Page and CJ Manago. Barbee was assisted by Michael Bloom, Charles Fears, LaCharles Massingale and John Langer.