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By SCOTT SPRUILL
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

When East Valley's girls basketball team says it's entirely different from last year's championship crew, the Red Devils mean every word of it.

There might be a little expectation-defusing going on here, but for the most part it's the plain truth.

And yet there's only so much camouflage to be found behind a 22-2 season that contains a 19-game win streak.
These East Valley girls are headed back to the SunDome on Wednesday without six seniors who were the heart of last year's memorable championship run. But, like all locked-in programs, they are contenders once again.|

"Last year was the ideal team in the ideal year ‹ it all came together perfectly," says senior guard Angie Ibach. "Yes we're defending that state title, but we're a totally different team. It's a whole different season and it's been a very good one. I can't wait to get on that court again."

While four starters exited, including state tournament MVP and 2A Player of the Year Elyse Mengarelli, there were six players coming back and a bunch of junior-varsity kids that motivated coach Jack Cleveland to return.

"One of the reasons I came back was because those younger kids worked so hard and they were a huge part of last year's success," says Cleveland, who has a 32-year coaching career. "These kids practiced and scrimmaged all last year against a great team and helped put them in position to win it all. My biggest hope was to get them back to state this season so they could enjoy the experience. They earned it."

The Red Devils were scooting along nicely with their two-month win streak when a flu wave left them listless at the end of a CWAC district semifinal loss to Ephrata.

That left East Valley in a precarious loser-out situation and Cleveland had to call on his bench to get his weakened team through it. Rotating players early and often, EV ousted Quincy to assure a state berth and then rallied from a 16-point deficit last Saturday to beat Connell.

"We weren't feeling well, especially me -- I may have had the worst of it, but I think we were also a little overconfident," Ibach says. "We underestimated Ephrata because we beat them (71-33) by a lot earlier. But we'll be fine.

"One thing that happened last week is we showed we have a better bench than most teams," she adds. "Saturday was a perfect example. We were down 16 and it was our bench that got us back in the game."

Playing his full roster liberally against Connell was not only a way to help get his starters rested and healthier, it was a reward for the reserves.

"I told everybody Friday (before playing the loser-out game) that the young kids had to play hard and if they got us through it we'd play them again on Saturday," Cleveland explains. "They did the job, and I sure like what I saw Saturday down 16. I thought if they didn't try to get it back all at once we'd eventually win the game. The kids did exactly that."

Having survived their district difficulties, East Valley can now settle down and get back to the tenacious defense the program is known for and what led to a 19-game win streak.

With 6-foot-3 La Donna Downs, a state veteran and CWAC South MVP, the Red Devils have the ability to shut down the inside. And their quick and relentless man defense can give perimeter-shooting teams fits.

Ibach and junior Angie Mullen give EV a lot of active energy to surround Downs, and the backcourt of Danielle Ducre and Jennifer Newland has track-speed quickness.
"The pressure's different this season because I think everybody thought last year was when we had to do it," Ibach points out. "This year we're happy to be in the tournament and have that hard work pay off. Now we can have some fun."

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