Holiday Games Help to Tell the Future

 The SunDome Shootout is a major event in my world.  It’s the best chance in the state to see the most teams in one spot.  You can see a team play two consecutive days, so if that team struggled on day one, you could get a second read on them next day.

It caters mainly to the 1A and 2A classifications that will be a part of the state tournaments in the Yakima SunDome in March.  There were 28 teams this year.  Most are from the boys 1A and 2A classifications.  There were also five 4A boys teams from the Yakima area, plus four highly ranked girls teams.

For the 1A and 2A teams, it’s a chance to play under the SunDome lights and shoot into the backdrops before things get serious in March.  For me, it’s a chance to see as many teams as possible and compare teams and leagues from around the state.  Specifically, for this season, I wanted to be able to compare the 2A CWAC with the 2A teams in the Northwest Conference.  Upon completion of their respective district tournaments, the third-place team from our District 1 tournament will play the third-place team from the District 5 tournament, for a single state tournament berth.

It’s also an opportunity to see some of the best 1A teams from the Yakima area (Zillah) and compare them to any potential championship caliber teams from our area (Lynden Christian).

Both missions, accomplished. 

This two-day event, which my research indicates has been around since 2001, helped me formulate my Top 10 lists for 1A and 2A boys and girls.  However, my lists have a twist.  They include who I think are the top 10 teams in the state, minus any teams from the Northwest Conference.  That takes any “homerism” out of the equation.  They are teams that may have to be reconned with by the NWC in the post-season. 

For 3A boys and girls, my focus was more on what to expect leading up to this year’s District Tournament.  Teams that the NWC will have to deal with to move to the state tournament level.

First, a little bit on the Lakewood and Lynden boys teams, the only representatives in the SDSO this year.

On Monday, Lakewood (4-0) was matched up against one of the top teams in the CWAC, the Grandview Greyhounds (4-4). 

The Greyhounds used their 6-6 junior forwards to do most of the damage against the much smaller Cougars, in their 71-53 win.

Neeko Garza and Braden Santos, both 6-6 juniors, played a great high-low offensive game against the Cougars 2-3 zone, working the ball from the high post to the low post several times for inside scores.

And, for good measure, the pinpoint passing of point guard, senior Fernando Medina.  Medina, in his first game back from injury, fired a few lasers from outside the arc into the hands of Garza, for more easy scores. 

At 5-9, Medina also showed off an effective jump-shot, maneuvering off the dribble for 13 points.  Santos finished with 17, with Garza adding 14. 

Senior Caleb Greenland and sophomore Carter Langum scored 16 points each for the Cougars, who were down by double digits the entire game.

Grandview has played a tough schedule so far, and several games without Medina.  Two of their four losses were to Zillah and Selah.  The Greyhounds are my #2 choice in the CWAC behind Selah.  The Greyhounds defeated Bainbridge in the SunDome on Tuesday, 67-57, to improve to 6-4 on the season.

The Cougars fared much better on Tuesday, in their 82-43 win over East Valley-Yakima. 

The teams matched up well size-wise and played an extremely fast game.  By fast, I mean end-to-end. 

In the first half, both teams fed turnovers to each other which created fast break opportunities going the opposite direction.  But the Cougars were the first to turn off the turnover spicket. 

Trailing 11-7 with 2:10 left in the opening quarter, the Cougars went on 17-0 run over that 2:10 plus the first 39 seconds of the second period and never looked back.

Junior guard Drew Egger converted lay-up after lay-up on his way to a 26-point game.  Greenland, along with junior guard Derek Willson added 15 points each.  The Cougars start the 2026 portion of the season with a 5-1 record.  The Red Devils also lost to King’s Way Christian on Monday and fell to 1-8.

The Cougars have played in the SunDome Shootout for eight consecutive years, since their second year in the Northwest Conference.

Lynden just made their ninth trip to the SunDome Shootout, the first being in December of 2015.  The 2020 Shootout was cancelled for pandemic reasons, and local weather kept the Lions home in December of 2021. 

Their first game was on Monday against Yakima’s Eisenhower, from the 4A Big 9.  While still without senior big’s Spencer Adams and Ty Jorgenson, the Lions defense was up to the challenge as they led from start to finish in a 59-41 win.  The Cadets had only three players in the scoring column against the Lions, and lost again on Tuesday to Ridgefield, 54-51, and are now 1-7 on the season.

The Lions got 12 points each from senior guard Brody Price and junior guard Gordy Bedlington.  Junior guard Malachi Koenen added ten points for the Lions.

On Tuesday, the Lions took on undefeated Selah, who comes in second or third in any of the state polls of 2A teams.  They are definitely a title contender.  The Vikings were coming off of a 63-49 win over Ridgefield on Monday, in a game where they trailed 9-2 out of the gate.  The Vikings defeated the Lions 68-62.

They didn’t answer the opening bell any better against Lynden, as the Lions ran out to a 10-0 lead at the midpoint of opening quarter. 

While the Vikings gained some traction, the Lions still led 17-11 at the end of the quarter, and got the lead back to ten points, 23-13, early in the second quarter. 

About that time, the Lions lost another big guy, 6-6 junior Lewis Whitney, had to leave the game with a hand injury, and did not return. 

Without their rim protector, the Lions were transformed into a nine-man roster of 5-9 to 6-3.  They shuttled players in and out as the Vikings crawled back, and took their first lead, 27-26, with 1:50 left in the half. 

After trailing 32-30 at halftime, the Lions took a brief 33-32 lead at the start of the half, but the Lions could not handle the Vikings special spice the rest of the way.

For years, Selah has had lots of Pepper as the main ingredient in their winning recipe.  This year is no different.  Their latest Pepper is 6-3 junior Oliver, who, like his cousins, is another scoring machine.  After a slow start, he recovered to score 12 points in each half.  In spite of constant defensive pressure, he also dished out ten assists.

The Vikings turned a six-point lead at the end of the third quarter into a nine-pointer with 4:36 left. 

At that point, senior guard James Ellis was a big part of a 11-2 run for the Lions as he came up with a steal for an uncontested lay-in and followed that just seconds later with a 3-point shot.  When Malachi Koenen drained a three from the left wing, the Lions were down by just two points, 61-59, with 1:25 left.

Pepper nailed a 3-pointer for the Vikings, but Koenen answered that one as well, and it was a two-point game again with 50 seconds left.

With 27 seconds to go, the Lions still trailed by two, and had limited the Vikings to just nine points in the quarter.  But they added four more in the final 27 to take the six-point win.

The Vikings are a state title contender.  The only thing that could hold them back is their depth.  In this game, they played only six players.  They certainly are in shape to play a lot of minutes, and all six were in the scoring column.  The Vikings had four in double figures, led by Pepper’s 24. 

They also shot 61 percent for the game to the Lions 41 percent.  What kept the game close was the Vikings 15 turnovers the just six for the Lions.

The Lions, now playing small ball, got 14 points from Ellis, off the bench.  Sophomore Jayden Navarre added 13, Malachi Koenen had 12, on 4-8 from 3-point land.

The Vikings are now 8-0, while the Lions dropped to 6-4.

I said that I was looking for comparisons between teams and leagues that may match up in the post-season.  I saw perennial 1A power, Zillah, and concluded that, while they are still really good, I think Lynden Christian is a little better.  Of course, right now, that doesn’t matter.  If they were to match up in the SunDome in March, I like LC’s chances.

In the 2A’s, I was looking to place the CWAC teams.  I think Selah is the CWAC’s best, followed by Grandview.  The Vikings already have a 17-point win over the Greyhounds, but that was the Greyhounds playing without their point guard, Francisco Medina. 

After those two, Toppenish (6-2), Prosser (4-5), and Ellensburg (3-5), are next in line.  And one of those three would be the potential third place team from their district tournament.  That would be the opponent of our District’s third place team.  And that game would be at the home site of the CWAC’s #3 team. 

Now, to those Top 10’s.  Again, these do not include teams from the NWC, on purpose.

1A Boys

1.     Zillah 9-0

2.     Royal 7-0

3.     Annie Wright 6-0

4.     Chelan 9-0

5.     Seattle Christian 7-1

6.     Wapato 7-2

7.     Cascade Christian 7-3

8.     Bear Creek 7-5

9.     Kings Way Christian 7-2

10.  Fort Vancouver 5-3

Others: Kings 6-4, Bellevue Christian 6-2, Kalama 6-3, Lakeside 5-3

1A Girls

1.     Zillah 8-1

2.     Kings 6-3

3.     Bellevue Christian 6-1

4.     Cascade Christian 5-1

5.     Annie Wright 5-3

6.     Wapato 7-1

7.     Royal 8-1

8.     Lakeside 6-2

9.     Cedar Park Christian 6-2

10.  Cashmere 5-2 

Others: Kings Way Christian 5-1, Seattle Christian 6-2, Hoquiam 5-3, Seton Catholic 4-2

2A Boys

1.     Bremerton 9-0

2.     RA Long 9-0

3.     Selah 8-0

4.     Pullman 6-2

5.     Woodland 8-2

6.     Toppenish 6-2

7.     Lindbergh 8-1

8.     Washougal 5-3

9.     Grandview 6-4

10. Renton 6-6

Others: Columbia River 5-3, Tumwater 5-1, Bainbridge 4-4, Ridgefield 6-4, West Valley-Spokane 5-2

2A Girls

1.     Deer Park 7-1

2.     Prosser 8-2

3.     Archbishop Murphy 6-3

4.     Selah 8-1

5.     Clarkston 5-1

6.     WF West 5-2

7.     Grandview 8-2

8.     West Valley-Spokane 6-0

9.     Mark Morris 7-2

10.  Ellensburg 6-2

    Others: Centralia 9-2, Bainbridge 5-4, Renton 9-0, Black Hills 7-2

I’m going a little different route for 3A teams.  I’m going to stick to a more local scene, as the 3A classification is the largest classification in the state, with a 20-team state tournament.

District 1 gets four allocations to state from their 12-team district tournament.  The NWC can qualify three of their four 3A teams to the District Tournament.  The rest are filled in by teams from the Wesco North and Wesco South.

In the Wesco North, the top two teams are currently Monroe (7-1) and Everett (5-3).  The Bearcats own a 68-61 win over Sedro-Woolley, and the Seagulls beat Oak Harbor 65-58.

In the South, Edmonds-Woodway (10-0) is the dominant team.  They have wins over Oak Harbor, 66-50, and Ferndale 66-55.  The Warriors finished second in the state to Rainier Beach last year. 

Meadowdale (8-1) has wins over Blaine 64-37, and Lynden 70-67.  They also have wins over Monroe and Everett of the Wesco North.

Shorewood is 7-2, with a seven-point loss to Meadowdale.  Shorecrest is next with a 6-4 record.  It appears that the Wesco South is the tougher of the Wesco’s two divisions.

On the girls side, Stanwood leads the Wesco North with a 6-1 record.  They have a 49-31 win over Sehome, but lost to Lynden, 67-24.

The Wesco South is led by Edmonds-Woodway (9-1).  They have a 66-33 win over Bellingham, but a 72-40 loss to Archbishop Murphy, also of the Wesco South.  Meadowdale is 5-3.

Shorecrest is 5-5, with losses to Archbishop Murphy, 63-42, and Stanwood, 65-34.  Mountlake Terrace (4-6) lost to Squalicum 40-25.

In recent 3A girls state tournaments, Spokane’s Central Valley is the reigning champion, after Garfield took home four straight state titles.  Before that, championships were won by teams from several different areas of the state. 

On the boy’s side, it’s always been about the Seattle Metro League, which has had a team win the state championship in 12 of the last 13 tournaments.  Rainier Beach is this year’s team to beat.

That’s a wrap.  I got what I needed to get out of the games over the holiday season.  I hope you did too.

~  Ted House