Parity is the buzzword
in 1B tournament
 
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

Coaches like to say there's no easy road to winning a championship, and that really seems to be the case with this year's Class 1B state tournaments.

There are title contenders awaiting both boys and girls regardless of which bracket a team is in, with several contenders set to square off as soon as things get started Wednesday in the SunDome.

"There's definitely more parity and the field is pretty balanced," Almira-Coulee-Hartline boys coach Scott Isaak said.

Just consider that the two-time defending champion Sunnyside Christian boys, while a threat again, really aren't being mentioned among the top contenders.

"It's a very competitive field," Sunnyside Christian coach Dean Wagenaar acknowledged. "There may be a couple of teams above everyone else, but it's hard to tell."

That's what makes this year's boys tournament intriguing -- and quite a change of pace after the Knights dominated the past two tournaments.

Moses Lake Christian, which was third last season and top-ranked most of this season, heads the list of contenders. But the Lions have a tough opener against fourth-ranked Oakville.

The other half of the bracket is headed by second-ranked
Almira/Coulee-Hartline and third-ranked Wellpinit, who could meet in the semifinals, but Wellpinit faces a potential second-round road block in Tri-Cities Prep, while ACH would have to get through either Pateros or
Tulalip in order to reach the semifinals.

Don't count out the defending champs, who open against Lummi at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, but a return trip to the championship game would be impressive because to get there, Sunnyside Christian could have to go through
fifth-ranked Cusick in the second round, with Moses Lake Christian or Oakville looming in the semifinals.

There's similar parity on the girls side, particularly with the absence of defending champ Garfield-Palouse and third-place finisher Touchet, although top-ranked Colton, last year's runner-up, appears to be the favorite, particularly since its in the bracket opposite second-ranked ACH and
third-ranked St. John-Endicott -- who meet in the first round.

"There's three really strong teams and several others capable of playing just as well," ACH girls coach Ben Addink said.

Fourth-ranked Sunnyside Christian opens at 12:30 p.m. against Mary M. Knight, and then could face fifth-ranked Hunters in the second round before a potential semifinal matchup with Colton.