For Teade, eight state titles would be enough

If they awarded rings for every state championship, Megan Teade would have her hands almost full. But there’s always room for one more.

The Colfax senior already has more state championships to her credit than most high schools. She’s played on four consecutive state volleyball championship teams and started on three straight basketball title-winners going into this week’s state Class 1A tournament in Yakima.

She and her teammates begin their quest for her eighth state title – and a fifth-straight girls basketball championship – with a tough, opening-round game against Zillah Wednesday in Yakima’s SunDome.

“It’s really incredible that I’ve been able to do this and to have the chance to be on eight championship teams,” Teade said. “In some ways, I don’t want to think about it until it actually happens, but of course it crosses my mind. I’m really pushing hard to make it happen. I want it more than anything right now and so does our whole team.

“Right now, I’m a little nervous, but it’s a good nervous. We always get a little nervous this time of year. Looking at the bracket, we have a really tough game with Zillah Wednesday, and if we get through that one, we’re looking right at Lynden Christian and they’re ranked No. 1. But if we play our game, we can play with anybody.”

Colfax was the first school to win four straight basketball titles, eclipsing Brewster’s State B boys three-peat in 1975, ‘76 and ‘77, and Lynden Christian’s three consecutive Class 1A titles in 1990, ‘91 and ‘92. A fifth consecutive championship will match the record set by Mead’s volleyball team in November.

Before the simultaneous run of state volleyball/basketball championships by the Bulldogs, only four schools had accomplished the feat. Shadle Park’s legendary Linda Sheridan coached both Highlanders teams to titles in 1988-89. Seattle Prep turned the trick in 2001-02 and Lakeside brought both titles home to Nine Mile Falls in 2001-02. Colfax first turned the trick in 2001-02 also.

Only Colfax has accomplished the feat in successive years.

“The amazing thing about this run is that so many of our kids play on both teams,” basketball coach Corey Baerlocher said. “Last year 9 of my 11 players were also on the volleyball team. In fact, two of my players last year, Abby Bruya and Lauren Mellor, were playing on the Spokane Splash volleyball team that won a national championship last summer. After we got done with practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays, they would get in a car, drive to Spokane and go through a three-hour volleyball workout.”

Bruya, like Teade, played on seven championship teams. But she’s suspended her club volleyball play for the playoffs.

“During the season, Abby was still going to Spokane two nights a week,” Teade said. “She never let on about how tough that was. Those are some really long days, especially when you figure she still had to get homework done, but she never missed a practice.

“But once we got into the postseason, she talked to her volleyball coaches and has been putting all her energy into playing basketball.”

Colfax girls grow up steeped in a championship culture.

Sue Doering, the national volleyball coach of the year, has guided the Bulldogs to nine state championships and a dozen championship-game appearances since 1982 and has had her team in eight of the past nine title games. The girls basketball team, too, has been a title-game regular – reaching the SunDome’s final game seven times since 1999, winning five of the past six championship games, including last year’s 31-28 victory over King’s, in which the Bulldogs never led until the final half minute of the game.

“I grew up with older siblings playing sports and going off to state, and so have a lot of my teammates,” Teade said. “Kinsey Doering has been going to state volleyball tournaments her whole life because her mom is the coach. We know what it’s all about and we grow up knowing what you have to do to succeed.

“My sister is the oldest and she went to state in volleyball. Kinsey and I were both managers on that team. We were in the fourth grade. It was so cool to be a part of that and I was so happy for them when they won.”

Both programs are mindful of the future.

“We know we have young kids looking up to us and wanting to be like us,” Teade said. “They’re just as much a part of this as we are. They’re always there, watching us. They have our names on the backs of their shirts and they’re just so into every game we play. The drive to succeed starts with them.

“We do clinics for them and work with them. We’re always conscious of the fact that we’re leading by example.”