By SCOTT SANDSBERRY
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

Napavine’s Tyson Sturza may not look, at first glance, like much of an athlete. He looks a little soft and hefty, a misperception augmented by the oversized jersey he wears, and much of the time doesn’t look all that quick.

Until he has to be. Then he’s following his own shot faster than you’d believe he could for a follow shot he makes look easy, or he’s coming from the back side to make a clean steal, or sliding into an open spot to draw a charge. And if a defender leaves him alone for a moment, he’s money — like he was in the Tigers’ opening-round victory over Oroville. Sturza’s line: 17 points (6-for-11 from the field), 8 rebounds, 6 assists. Yes, the kid is definitely a basketball player.

Only he’s not, really. He’s even better in baseball, in which he’s a standout left-handed pitcher.

Where are these players last month? Brent Kasselbaum of Seattle Christian shot 5-for-6 (3-for-4 on 3-pointers) against Zillah after averaging all of 2.1 points during the regular season. Mirielle Pixton, the fifth-leading scorer on her Warden team during the regular season
(6.6 ppg), went 6-for-9 for 13 points on Wednesday while the rest of her team shot a frigid 6-for-47.

Overheard from one Burbank player to another during halftime of the the Coyote boys’ first-round loss: “We really have to get after these guys because they really don’t play good defense.” The Coyotes were playing — and getting hammered by — Brewster, which has somehow managed to overcome that apparently mediocre defense for back-to-back state championships.

Almost everything Melissa Reich does for Bellevue Christian girls from here on out sets a record. The 6-1 junior post came into the tournament with in-progress school records for points (301), rebounds (278) and blocks (87), plus field goals and free throws made. She had 14 points and 15 boards in Wednesday’s victory over Ilwaco, but no blocks.

Even had she managed a block or 10, though, she would have a way to go to catch Coupeville’s Lexi Black. Her 262 career blocks include 110 last year as a junior, and she had 104 this year entering the tournament. She has actually had a couple of triple-doubles, with blocks — not assists — as the final part of the triangle.

Weirdest halftime stat of the day: Freeman’s girls 14 steals, Zillah’s girls 14 shot attempts. Guess which team was 12 points ahead at halftime.

Rocky Gipson, a guard on the Brewster boys team, is the brother of Eisenhower guard Nate Gipson.

No, that 35-32 Colfax-over-White Swan girls game wasn’t the lowest scoring girls game in tourney history. Far from it. The record: 24-19 in 1988. Ugh. For that matter, a 2003 two years ago had less offense, a 33-27 win by Charles Wright over River View — on the boys’ court.

The best high school band performance of day one, hands-down -- and this is an impressive distinction, considering that Colfax’s stellar band is also here — Napavine, which did a rendition of “Zoot Suit Riot” that would have done the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies proud.

Forget basketball, let’s have a Battle of the Bands.

Charles Wright's girls team has played with six players all season, but brought up a freshman for the state tournament. On Wednesday, though, the Tarriers had just six players again. J'Nai Bridges, a senior and the team's third-leading scorer, is a talented singer who had earned a part in an opera that was performed on Wednesday. She is expected to be back in uniform Thursday.