All East Teams Figure To Be In Hunt Kamiakin Girls Favored; Others Should Bring Home Hardware

FROM SPORTS SECTION page C2 (Wednesday, March 12, 1997): Replay Shadle Park made its last appearance at the State AAA boys basketball tournament in 1992. The year was reported incorrectly in Tuesday’s editions.

There’s reason to believe, after enough time on the telephone to make a teenager jealous, the Eastern AAA regional tournament can live up the reputation it has built.

The regional bills itself as the “Tournament of Champions” because in the last nine years, 45 of 66 survivors of the Greater Spokane League-Big Nine free-for-all have returned from state basketball tournaments a week later with trophies.

This year, only one of the six teams out of the east - the Kamiakin girls - is considered a favorite, but the four GSL teams and Richland boys are considered contenders when the State AAA tournaments begin Wednesday in the Kingdome.

On the boys’ side, top-ranked Mount Vernon (25-0) and No. 6 Prairie (20-2) are the favorites.

For the girls, No. 3 Bothell (24-2) is favored on the opposite side of top-ranked Kamiakin (24-0).

Those road blocks for GSL teams come at various times. For the boys, Shadle Park (19-7) could face Prairie in the second round and Ferris (22-2) could meet Mount Vernon in the semifinals. For the girls, Gonzaga Prep (20-6) could meet Bothell in the semi, No. 4 Central Valley (21-5) could get Kamiakin for the third time this year in the second round.

“The tournament is designed to find the one best team in the state,” CV girls coach Dale Poffenroth said. “It doesn’t matter when you play those best teams.”

Girls

G-Prep is the first GSL team to see action, meeting second-ranked Mountain View (22-2) at noon. CV gets Marysville (15-9) at 5 p.m.

In the game Marysville won to qualify for state, team leader and point guard Julie Walker tore up a knee with 13 seconds left.

That should mean CV can focus on a second-round game with Kamiakin, which has two four-point wins over the Bears this year.

Favored to be waiting for the winner is No. 6 Tumwater (22-1), which has one of the best players in the state in 6-foot-2 LeAnn Sheets, who has signed with Washington.

In the other half of the bracket, Bothell is favored. All but one key player returns from a team that took eventual champion Mead to overtime in last year’s second round.

Last year’s leading scorer, Jennifer Babin, is now No. 3 behind two juniors, standout point guard Becki Ashbaugh (16 points per game) and 5-9 guard Jennae Krell (15.5).

Other than that, 6-3 Oregon signee Angela Wolvert (18 ppg) would make Mountain View the favorite.

Gonzaga Prep has the size to battle Wolvert inside. The bigger question is whether Prep can deal with 5-8 senior guard Briana Abrahamsen, another high scorer.

Mountain View became a second-seed by losing to Tumwater in overtime in a qualifying game.

Boys

Ferris drew defending state champion Sehome (17-8) for its 8 p.m. opener and Shadle Park has No. 10 Lincoln (19-4) at 1:30.

Lincoln is short and quick and the Abes like to play at full speed.

Jawan Cureton, a thin 6-4 senior, leads the Abes at 13 ppg, but Anthony Washington, a 6-0 guard, drives the attack and averages 11.

Prairie is considered the heavyweight over Richland and Mercer Island in that half the bracket because 6-8 Zach Gorde is considered one of the best juniors in the state and 6-0 senior guard Dan Dickout, who averages 20 ppg, has already signed with Washington.

The difference could be experience. The Falcons haven’t been to state since 1986 as AA school.

Even though Sehome graduated all five of its starters off the championship team, the Mariners have experience because they won by such large margins last year.

Kyle Felmley, a 6-1 senior, is the leader at 13.3 points, with 6-1 junior Jacob Stevenson at 12.3. And 6-2 Corbin Stratton averages 11.4.

Ferris would be favored in the lower half of the bracket if not for Mount Vernon.

Almost everyone returns from a state qualifying team, led by 6-6 junior Grant Leep, who averages 17.5 points and 8.4 rebounds. The Bulldogs also start 6-7 sophomore Bryan Whitehead and three short sharp-shooting guards.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: State AAA Dates: Wednesday-Saturday Site: Kingdome Defending champs: Boys - Sehome. Girls - Mead. Returning placers: Boys - Sehome, Decatur (second), Mercer Island (sixth). Girls - Kamiakin (second), Mountain View (fourth), Eastlake (fifth), Foss (sixth), Lake Washington (seventh), Sehome (eighth). Other returning teams: Boys - Mount Vernon. Girls - Bothell, Federal Way, Enumclaw. Local participants, last appearance: Boys - Ferris (1994), Shadle Park (1972). Girls - Gonzaga Prep (1983), Central Valley (1994). Fast fact: After the first day, all winners’ bracket games, boys and girls, are on the championship court.