Diverging paths

By SCOTT SANDSBERRY
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

To consider the kind of coaching job Mindi Winters did this year at Zillah, one need only look back at the Leopards' season opener.

Playing at Wapato, a good but not dominant Class 2A foe, early in the third quarter Zillah -- a 1A state tourney team last spring -- found itself trailing 40-8.

Consider that for another moment. The Leopards, having lost the linchpin players of their 2009 team to graduation, facing an opponent they had beaten in their season opener 12 months earlier, weren't just being doubled up, or even tripled. Quintupled.

Not long afterward, the Leopards began a three-week stretch in which they lost five straight -- certainly not a mark of a state-caliber team.

Now it's the first week of March, though, and the Leopards are heading back to the state for the seventh straight year, winners of 11 of their last 13 games -- including an upset victory over their SCAC West rival Granger, then the top-ranked team in Class 1A, and a thrilling one-point loss to the Spartans in the district finale.

Now Zillah will open state-tourney play Wednesday at 7:30 against high-powered Freeman (22-1), and Granger coach Andy Affholter knows just how far his rivals have come.

"I think Zillah's done a tremendous job," said Affholter, who has led his team to third- and second-place state finishes the past two seasons. "I look at their kids, and they're kind of like what we had two years ago: They're very hungry, and they play well together. Mindi's done a great job."

The Leopards (15-8) are led by junior forward Alisi Uasike (12.5 points per game), but the biggest reason for their rapid rise from mediocrity may well be a sharpshooting freshman -- 5-foot-9 guard Caitlin Myers, whose 10-game streak of sinking three or more 3-pointers carried right up to the district tournament.

"I've never had a player with that type of (long-range shooting) consistency," Winters said. "Her confidence with shooting is just incredible; she's just not afraid. With that, though, besides giving her the confidence to shoot, it has opened it up in every way for the rest of the team. It's made my other guards more confident in their shooting, it's opened things up inside for Alisi. She's definitely a matchup nightmare."

Granger (21-1), which plays at 12:30 p.m. against towering Vashon Island, a team the Spartans beat 48-28 in midseason, has been a nightmare for opponents for the last three seasons. The Spartans' pinpoint passing, the fluidity of their offense and their fearlessness has made this undersized lineup (no one taller than 5-9) makes them one of the tournament favorites yet again.

But while the Spartans are still winning -- a one-loss season is nothing to scoff at -- the fiery combativeness that has made Granger so good for so long seems to have waned in recent weeks.

"We haven't played well in a while," Affholter admitted. "We've been struggling, trying to find out groove."

Part of that is circumstances. Guard Italia Mengarelli couldn't practice for a month because of a nagging back injury. Forward Ashlee Reddout has been hampered by tendinitis in the foot. Point guard Janae Klarich, last year's 1A tournament MVP, has been dealing with respiratory issues.

"But those are just excuses," Affholter said. "We have to get back our discipline and commitment to play every play
-- to be passionate and play hard for 32 minutes."