Over 7,000 middle-schoolers flood Spokane in two-weekend basketball championship tournament

Seattle-area middle- schooler Liam Marroquin’s favorite part of playing basketball is the satisfying noise each time he makes a basket.

“The sound of the swish is music to my ears,” the 13-year-old said.

That “swish” was abundant the past two weekends in Spokane as a pint- sized version of March Madness took over Hooptown USA. While many were clutching their NCAA Tournament brackets, more than 7,000 middle- school athletes from qualifying school and club basketball teams flocked to Spokane in the second year the city has hosted the Washington State Middle School Basketball Championship.

Both weekends of the championship brought an estimated 1,400 coaches and more than 17,500 spectators to the city from all corners of the state.

Saturday and Sunday, boys teams across Washington took to the courts to earn the championship. They played games at indoor facilities scattered around Spokane and Spokane Valley, including school gyms, the Podium and the Warehouse sports venues.

The event offers out-of-town athletes to play teams they aren’t usually grouped with, spurring intense competition, said players from the Seattle-team Reapers. On the sidelines before their final game of the weekend, teammates plotted their strategy, centered around the defensive prowess of 12-year-old triplets Rafael, Emmanuel and Surafel Desta.

Asked what they liked most about playing basketball as a trio, “It’s fun,” Rafael said before the three brothers pointed fingers over who among them is the loudest at talking trash.

Reaper teammate AJ Alenu, 13, said he loved getting the chance to meet kids from other schools.

“It’s a team sport, and you meet a lot of new people when you play it,” he said.

The kids said getting to hit the road was a highlight of the event; none had been to Spokane before the tournament. AJ said Spokane was like a small town compared to where he lives in Seattle, which he noted has “a lot more buildings.”

“It’s different from Seattle,” he said. “It’s like, there’s not as much people here.”

Asked about their highlights from time spent in Spokane, the kids said roaming their hotels, full with fellow teammates and tweenaged competitors were among their favorite parts during the tournament after back-to-back games of basketball.

At the tail end of the weary weekend, Surafel knew exactly what he most enjoyed in the Lilac City.

“Dave’s Hot Chicken,” he said as his teammates emphatically agreed.