State of return

By DAVE THOMAS
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

Forgive Trout Lake-Glenwood's boys and Bickleton's girls if they need some assistance getting around the SunDome this week.

It's been a while since either team has enjoyed the state-tournament experience.

Trout Lake-Glenwood is making just its third state trip and first since Trout Lake qualified for the 2B tournament in 1997 (Glenwood qualified in 1992).

"We're excited to be back down there, and looking forward to seeing what's in front of us," TL-G coach Dan Concienne said of the Class 1B tournament that begins Wednesday in the SunDome.

For Bickleton, the drought is even longer -- 29 years since a 2B trip in 1981.

"It's a pretty big deal for these girls and, really, for the whole town," Bickleton coach Emily Barnhart said. "They're really excited to be going ... and they're working hard."

Bickleton (16-7) won't have to wait to hit the floor as the Pirates face Lummi in the 9 a.m. girls opener Wednesday.

TL-G (10-14) will open against 2009 state runner-up Moses Lake Christian at 12:30 p.m.

For the first half of the season, it sure didn't seem like
TL-G would end its state drought as the Mustangs stumbled to a 1-8 start.

"We had some growing pains, you could say," Concienne said. "But we found a niche and they responded. You could see they started gelling."

Concienne pointed to the January return of sophomore point guard Lucas King (broken finger) and a players-only meeting after a loss to Klickitat as pivotal parts of that turnaround.

"After they lost to Klickitat, the team said it was time to come together," he said. "The players met and they set some goals. They decided it was time to step up."

Lucas certainly did, averaging 16.3 points in four district games, including a 20.6 average in the first three.

Brothers Andy and Jacob Wells, who stand 6-foot-4 and 6-5, respectively, and Tygh Schuster, all averaging in double figures, combining for 33.9 points per game.

"We're a darkhorse, but we're also a team that, if we can put it all together, we'll be OK," Concienne said.

Bickleton went through a similar transformation, with Barnhart saying it was right around midseason that everything started to click.

"Some teams stay on a steady keel all season," she said. "This team just kept improving and improving. You could see they really wanted this."

Barnhart said the strength of her team is their chemistry, adding they "love to play together."

Anchoring that cohesion is the inside-outside tandem of forward Katelynn Clinton (22.2 scoring average) and point guard Star Kibby (10.1).

If Bickleton can get over their initial nerves, Barnhart said there's no telling what they can accomplish.

"When they relax and just play, that's when they do their best," she said. "I think we're going to surprise some people."

Both teams already have surprised some just by getting to this point.