Time To Prove Skeptics Wrong
For different reasons, Frontier League teams at this week’s State AA basketball tournaments are prompting people to ask, “Are they for real?”
The Cheney girls (23-0) are the only undefeated AA team left, boys or girls. Yet traditional Class AA powers wonder if the Blackhawks prospered with an easy schedule.
Colville (13-10) has the worst record in the boys field. But a 26-point, District 7-AA title win over ninth-ranked West Valley may have showed the Indians’ true colors.
So Cheney heads to the Tacoma Dome to defend its record, while the Indians attempt to disassociate themselves from theirs.
When the four-day, double-elimination tournaments begin today, Colville has drawn a 5 p.m. game against Capital of Olympia (16-7), while Cheney closes the first day, at 9:30 p.m., against defending champion Lakeside of Seattle (15-12).
Cheney: Maybe the Frontier was weak, but the Blackhawks’ non-league schedule wasn’t. Cheney stepped up to defeat Shadle Park, Post Falls and Lake City of Coeur d’Alene. Shadle made the State AAA tourney.
Still, the Western majority wouldn’t know Cheney from Cheyenne. “We’re unbeaten and that’s all they know,” said first-year coach Marty Jessett, who played at state with the Blackhawks boys. “We like that.”
Cheney relies on balanced scoring, pressure defense and the presence of 6-foot-3 Jenny Hoots. The senior center averaged 12.5 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks.
Seniors Erin Soliday (13 ppg) and Melissa Krogh (7.5 rpg), junior Lisa Anderson (5.5 steals per game) and freshman Anna Getz (4.0 assists per game) are the other starters lining up against Lakeside.
Since the transfer of UCLA-bound Takiya Jackson to Franklin, Lakeside has counted on youth. Sophomore point guard Meghan Gould (10 ppg) and sophomore forward Theresa Wagner (10 ppg, 8 rpg) have melded with the main holdover, senior guard Faye Hutchison (13 ppg), to erase a poor start.
Colville: The Indians began the year 1-5, stumbling without senior starters Mike Mostek (11 ppg) and Joe Wilson (9.5 ppg).
A Mostek family vacation kept the guard from attending enough practices to start the year. Wilson was ineligible because of a check forgery incident last spring.
Senior forward Matt Smith kept Colville clicking during the dark days. Smith has averaged 24 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
“The turning point was beating West Valley at home (during the league season),” said Colville second-year coach Bill Pilgeram. “That was the team we measured ourselves with.”
Colville has won its last six, and eight of 11.
Capital starts two 6-5 senior posts, Travis Lindstrom (13.2 ppg) and Scott Taylor (12.4 ppg), and junior guard Jared Sandberg, nephew of Ryne. The Cougars bring two double-figure scorers off the bench - senior guard Jimmy Smith and sophomore guard Ryan Jones.
xxxx CLASS AA TOURNAMENT Site: Tacoma Dome Days: Wednesday through Saturday Defending champions: Boys - Franklin. Girls - Lakeside. Other returning placers: Boys - O’Dea, third; Garfield, fourth; Shorecrest, fifth. Girls - Mount Vernon, fifth; W.F. West (Chehalis), seventh; Eastmont, eighth. Ranked teams: Boys - The top eight teams qualified. Girls - Eight of the top 10 qualified; No. 6 Kennedy and No. 10 Lynnwood are the exceptions. Favorites: Boys - O’Dea, Garfield, Franklin. Girls - Blanchet, Stanwood, Cheney, Prosser. Best openers: Boys - No. 2 Garfield vs. No. 6 Sehome (9:30 p.m.). Girls - No. 5 Mount Vernon vs. No. 7 Chief Sealth (8 p.m.).