Girls Preview

Wahkiakum Mules

Record: 17-6

Coach: Ed Bate

First-round opponent: Darrington

Route to state: Defeated Mossyrock 63-44 at District 4 tournament

Top players: Sarah Buehler, 6-3, jr., center, 11.6 ppg; Samantha Elven, 5-11, sr., forward, 7.5 ppg; Kara Hendrickson, 5-5, sr., guard, 5.8 ppg.

Fast fact: The 1980 champs, absent from the tourney since ‘86, have won nine of their last 11 games at state.

Outlook: Unlike many years, District 4 teams will have a rough road.

Darrington Loggers

Record: 20-5

Coach: Ken Schutz, second year, 34-13

First-round opponent: Wahkiakum

Route to state: Defeated Shoreline Christian 41-35 at District 1-2-3 tournament

Top players: Angie Meece, 5-10, sr., forward, 18.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 3.3 spg, 3.2 apg; Laura Green, 5-9, jr., forward, 8.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg; Keely Rankin, 5-7, jr., post, 7.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.5 spg; Kelly Holz, 5-4, jr., point guard, 5.5 ppg, 4.5 apg.

Fast fact: The Loggers are on an 11-game winning streak and have allowed less than 35 ppg.

Outlook: Darrington is 3-18 at state since ‘85, but Meece’s presence should mean one win this time.

Shoreline Christian Crusaders

Record: 20-6

Coach: Stan De Yager

First-round opponent: Wilbur-Creston

Route to state: Defeated Cedar Park Christian 44-36 at District 1-2-3 tournament

Top players: Karen Glover, 5-6, sr., guard, 14.1 ppg; Cara Prins, 5-8, jr., forward, 12.4 ppg; Joy Vander Linden, 5-9, soph., guard, 9.5 ppg; Tracy Paris, 5-6, jr., guard, 6.3 ppg.

Fast fact: Shoreline, formerly Watson Groen, shook off 10 years of poor tourney performances to earn its first trophy (eighth) last year.

Outlook: A second consecutive trophy doesn’t appear in the forecast.

Wilbur-Creston Wildcats

Record: 17-7

Coach: Bethany Hopkins, first year

First-round opponent: Shoreline Christian

Route to state: Defeated Selkirk 53-51 at District 7 tournament

Top players: Alyssa Erickson, 5-8, jr., guard, 13.6 ppg; Lisa Arden, 5-8, sr., guard, 8.1 ppg; Cherie Dreger, 5-10, fr., forward, 9.2 ppg.; Nicole Nelson, 5-9, sr., center, 6.1 ppg; Ronee Deahl, 5-6, sr., guard, 4.1 ppg.

Fast fact: Arden and Deahl are making their fourth consecutive state appearances, playing for teams that placed second, fourth and fifth.

Outlook: More success for the Wildcats, who have earned five trophies since ‘90.

St. George’s Dragons

Record: 21-5

Coach: Ross Thomas, 14th year, 280-85

First-round opponent: Waitsburg Route to state: Defeated Northport 53-48 at District 7 tournament

Top players: Miranda Routh-Corker, 5-10, sr., forward, 19.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 4.8 spg; Wenchi Liu, 5-4, soph., guard, 12.3 ppg, 6.6 apg, 5.2 spg; Alyssa Henley, 5-11, soph., center, 11.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg; Samantha Clarke, 5-5, fr., guard, 6.8 ppg, 4.3 apg.

Fast fact: The Dragons, who have qualified for seven tourneys this decade, boast a junior varsity with a 97-game league winning streak.

Outlook: The best days are ahead for a young team that should place for the first time in three tourneys.

Waitsburg Cardinals

Record: 18-6

Coach: Jerry Baker, first year

First-round opponent: St. George’s

Route to state: Defeated LaCrosse-Washtucna 60-44 at District 9 tournament

Top players: Anne Bickelhaupt, 6-2, jr., post, 11.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 3.1 bpg; Wendy Jones, 5-4, jr., guard, 10.5 ppg, 3.8 apg, 5.6 spg; Kynde Kiefel, 6-0, sr., forward, 10.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg; Kelly McCaw, 5-7, jr., forward, 7.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg; Cara Hulce, 5-5, sr., guard, 9.7 ppg, 2.9 apg, 3.3 spg.

Fast fact: The Cardinals qualified for their first state tourney despite a season-ending knee injury to starting guard Justina Ryckman.

Outlook: The proper balance of size and speed could mean a title appearance, despite a wicked draw.

Cedar Park Christian Cougars

Record: 21-8

Coach: Judy Raynor

First-round opponent: Manson

Route to state: Defeated King’s West 59-57 at District 1-2-3 tournament

Top players: Amy Taylor, 5-7, fr., guard, 20 ppg; April Raynor, 5-10, fr., forward, 7 ppg; Harmonie Vallerand, 5-4, sr., guard, 6 ppg

Fast fact: Taylor averaged 23 ppg as an eighth-grader.

Outlook: The first-timers are in too deep.

Manson Trojans

Record: 18-5

Coach: Frank Phelps, second year, 34-11

First-round opponent: Cedar Park Christian

Route to state: Defeated Wilson Creek 70-39 at District 6 tournament Top players: Katie Davis, 6-2, sr., post, 17.7 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 4 bpg, 3 apg; Shayla Gaytan, 5-10, sr., post, 11.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4 spg; Leslie Johnson, 6-0, soph., post, 7.5 ppg, 8 rpg.; Megan Foster, 5-7, jr., guard, 7.6 ppg.

Fast fact: The Trojans have won 17 consecutive games, allowing slightly more than 30 ppg during that stretch.

Outlook: Davis, returning from a knee injury, should lead this bunch into the top four.

Orcas Island Vikings

Record: 18-5

Coach: LeAnn Blackert, first year

First-round opponent: Sunnyside Christian

Route to state: Defeated King’s West 51-36 at District 1-2-3 tournament

Top players: Marcy Grossman, 5-8, jr., point guard, 17.8 ppg; Lisa Hutchison, 5-11, sr., post, 3 bpg; Kendra Taylor, 5-7, sr., guard.

Fast fact: The Vikings lost one of their best, senior guard Bethany Carroll, to a broken foot in the league-tourney consolation game against Shoreline Christian.

Outlook: Orcas, 1-10 in past tourneys, would be fortunate to leave anything but 1-12.

Sunnyside Christian Knights

Record: 18-4

Coach: Al Smeenk, 285-99

First-round opponent: Orcas Island

Route to state: Defeated Klickitat 71-38 at District 5 tournament

Top players: Colleen De Groot, 6-2, soph., center, 10.4 ppg; Heather Den Boer, 5-11, soph., forward, 10.4 ppg; Brenda Elenbaas, 6-2, sr., center, 10 ppg; Sara Den Hoed, 5-9, jr., guard, 9.7 ppg.; Rachelle Martin, 5-6, sr., point guard, 6.1 ppg.

Fast fact: Den Hoed, Elenbaas and Martin contributed to the team that finished second to St. John-Endicott in ‘96.

Outlook: Size makes the Knights a scary proposition. Top six likely.

Sprague-Harrington Falcons

Record: 17-10

Coach: Stacia Soliday, second year, 32-21

First-round opponent: Napavine

Route to state: Defeated Selkirk 55-53 at District 7 tournament

Top players: Mandi Walters, 5-10, jr., forward, 15.1 ppg; Kristy Engles, 5-10, sr., post, 12.4 ppg; Stacey Whipple, 5-3, soph., guard, 8 ppg; Noel Hatten, 5-1, fr., point guard, 6.4 ppg.

Fast fact: Soliday, formerly Marriott, who helped Davenport to back-to-back state titles in ‘92 and ‘93, wasted no time in leading the Falcons to their first state trip.

Outlook: Banging it out against Ritzville and W-C all year should provide a trophy payoff.

Napavine Tigers

Record: 20-3

Coach: John Foulkes, first year

First-round opponent: Sprague-Harrington

Route to state: Defeated Morton 49-48 at District 4 tournament

Top players: Carrie Spencer, 6-2, soph., forward, 25.5 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 3 apg; Faith Winslow, 5-11, soph., forward, 7.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 4.3 apg; Joey Russell, 5-10, soph., forward, 8 ppg, 5.6 rpg; Marielle Voie, 5-9, jr., guard, 5.3 ppg, 3.5 apg, 2.5 spg.

Fast fact: Foulkes coached Ritzville to last year’s state championship. His losses at Napavine are to state-qualifying Cascade Christian, Morton and Wahkiakum.

Outlook: The first-time Tigers should last until Friday.

Tekoa-Oakesdale Nighthawks

Record: 24-3

Coach: Mark Stinson, second year, 49-7

First-round opponent: Ritzville

Route to state: Defeated LaCrosse-Washtucna 40-28 at District 9 tournament

Top players: Heather Cox, 6-0, jr., forward, 15.5 ppg; Miranda Brown, 5-9, sr., forward, 8 ppg; Christa Graffis, 6-0, jr., forward, 6.9 ppg; Sara Driscoll, 5-7, sr., guard, 6.6 ppg.

Fast fact: Brown and senior guard Jeana Bruce are making their third state appearances for a team that is 30-10 in the tourney since ‘85.

Outlook: If defensive-minded Nighthawks trip Ritzville, watch out.

Ritzville Broncos

Record: 25-0

Coach: Howard Menke, first year with Broncos, 30 years in different positions.

First-round opponent: Tekoa-Oakesdale

Route to state: Defeated St. George’s 53-27 at District 7 tournament

Top players: Shannon Russel, 5-10, sr., forward, 13.8 ppg, 3.1 apg; Megan Yerxa, 6-1, jr., center, 13.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg; Amy Fitch, 5-8, jr., point guard, 8.5 ppg; Jamie Alspach, 5-10, jr., forward, 7 ppg, 5.9 rpg; Erin Weber, 5-5, sr., guard, 6.4 ppg, 3.1 apg.

Fast fact: Yerxa passed 1,000 career points at district and Russel needs 15 to hit 1,000.

Outlook: Nobody has toppled them in the last 35 games, so why figure that will change?

Morton Huskies

Record: 18-7

Coach: Randy Kenny, first year

First-round opponent: Cascade Christian Cougars

Route to state: Defeated Mossyrock 64-58 (OT) at District 4 tournament

Top players: Kristine Finley, 5-11, sr., post, 9.5 ppg, 7 rpg; Krista Kenny, 5-10, jr., guard, 8.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.5 apg, 2.8 spg; Alison Johnson, 8.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg; Jill Coleman, 5-5, sr., point guard, 4.5 apg.

Fast fact: Kenny, a former assistant for the Morton boys, helped coach the ‘87, ‘88 and ‘93 title-game qualifying teams.

Outlook: The Huskies will need one upset to last beyond Friday.

Cascade Christian Cougars

Record: 18-6

Coach: Darrel Shively, fifth year

First-round opponent: Morton

Route to state: Defeated Orcas Island 45-41 at District 1-2-3 tournament

Top players: Jackie Shively, 5-9, jr., wing, 10.7 ppg, 8 rpg, 4.3 apg; Jodi Gerald, 5-9, fr., wing, 11.8 ppg, 1.5 bpg; Kristen List, 5-7, soph., forward, 10.1 ppg; Jessie Overland, 5-3, sr., guard, 9.1 ppg, 4.1 spg.

Fast fact: Cascade Christian, a 5-year-old school, was co-champion with 1A Seattle Christian in the combined 1A-B Chinook League.

Outlook: The Cougars’ first trip will probably last two days.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Players to watch Angie Meece, 5-10, sr., forward, Darrington Kynde Kiefel, 6-0, sr., forward, Waitsburg Katie Davis, 6-2, sr., post, Manson Carrie Spencer, 6-2, soph., forward, Napavine Shannon Russel, 5-10, sr., forward, Ritzville Projected placings 1, Ritzville; 2, Waitsburg; 3, Wilbur-Creston; 4, Manson; 5, Tekoa-Oakesdale; 6, Sunnyside Christian; 7, Sprague-Harrington; 8, St. George’s - Chris Derrick