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Published Sunday, March 16, 2003
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Chelan Overcomes Saturday Jinx YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC Curse, what curse? Coco Poirier wasn’t going to let Chelan’s SunDome jinx spoil her final high school basketball game. A day after surviving a double overtime win over Tenino, the tireless heart and soul of the Goats scored 20 points in Saturday’s 45-42 victory over Nooksack Valley for fourth and seventh place. In Poirier’s high school years, this was the first time Chelan finished play in state volleyball and basketball tournaments in Yakima with a win. The Goats were state runner-up in volleyball and basketball last year. “People always ask if we’re cursed and that’s a big reason we wanted to win so bad today. We’ve always left here on a downer,” Poirier said. “Our legs were tired from yesterday — we played a whole extra quarter — but this was a game we really wanted to win because of what’s happened before. We’ve had some tough losses and some injuries over the years, but this is a great way to end the season.” For the second year in a row, the 5-foot-9 guard led the state 2A tournament in scoring. In four games here, Poirier accounted for 86 of Chelan’s 202 points, led the team in assists and was second in rebounding. And also for the second year in a row, Poirier lifted her game while injuries tried to pull the team the opposite way. With starters Sarah Schramm and Cassy Pilkinton nursing lower-leg injuries, Poirier played all but 11 seconds in games against Blaine, Tenino and Nooksack Valley. “When something like that happens, we all have to pick it up,” she said. “I concentrate on working harder on defense, stopping shots and getting in the right position — I put a lot into that.” After a well-deserved week off, the three-sport star and 4.0 student will take up track and field and defend her state long jump title this spring. And then it’s off to Eastern Washington University on a volleyball scholarship. “This morning it went through my mind that this would be my last basketball game,” she said. “That’s sort of bittersweet. I had four great years and I’m so glad it ended like this, with a win.” ©
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