State 1B girls: Wellpinit sets itself up well with bye into quarterfinals

Unlike their most recent – and second – trip to the State 1B Tournament, the Wellpinit girls made their path a little bit easier this week by winning their seeding game over the weekend.

But the path ahead is hardly simple.

“I think we learned (in 2023) there are no second chances,” Wellpinit coach Tracy LeBret said. “When we get there, we have to take care of business and do all the little things correct.”

Fifth-seeded Wellpinit (22-2) awaits the winner of Wednesday’s matchup between No. 11 Sunnyside Christian (20-5) and No. 6 Inchelium (19-2), the latter of which beat Wellpinit 59-43 on Dec. 7, Wellpinit’s second game of the season.

If Wellpinit gets past that game Thursday, it may play No. 1 Neah Bay (21-1), the two-time defending state champions whose only loss this season came by two points to Rainier on Jan. 25.

Also in the bracket are No. 10 Oakesdale (19-5) – which faces No. 7 Pe Ell (21-1) on Wednesday before a potential quarterfinal against Neah Bay – and No. 3 Garfield-Palouse (22-2), which awaits either No. 4 Yakama Tribal (19-3) or No. 13 Wilbur-Creston-Keller (15-6) – on Thursday.

This year’s Wellpinit team is young. Rayah Hill and Danea Norman are the team’s lone seniors, and four eighth-graders contribute.

But LeBret said the key has been Hill and Norman’s leadership, plus the willingness for everyone on the roster to be coached.

“They are comfortable playing,” LeBret said, “and I am comfortable coaching.”

This is LeBret’s third season with Wellpinit after serving as an assistant at Reardan. In 2023, Wellpinit lost a state Round-of-12 game on Wednesday to Oakesdale, and its tournament appearance was over. But over the past few years, LeBret has worked to teach a structure to the team, which he said now aligns with their talent.

“We have multiple ways to win,” he said. “We can press, we can sit back and play half-court ball, just about anything. I can just about draw anything up and they can run it.”