Granger coach Andy Affholter talks to his team during their first-round game in the 2009 Class 1A state tournament in the SunDome.   SARA GETTYS/Yakima Herald-Republic file

Teams to beat

Two of the best 1A girls teams in the state highlight
the SunDome Showdown on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

By SCOTT SANDSBERRY
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

Prior to Freeman's upset loss to league rival (and perennial state contender) Lakeside last week, Seattle Christian coach Bob Kickner considered this year's Class 1A state girls contenders and called Granger and Freeman "the teams to beat."

En route to its first state basketball title last March, of course, Kickner's team did just that -- edging Freeman 43-42 on a free throw with no time remaining in the semifinals, and rallying from 14 points behind in the championship game to edge Granger 55-53 in overtime.

Suffice it to say Kickner would love to be in Yakima today, when Granger and Freeman will be playing in the SunDome Showdown-- though, unfortunately for those who would like a state-tournament preview, not against one another.

"Freeman, they're a team that has a lot of talent and experience," said Kickner, whose 10-2 team is ranked first ahead of No. 3 Granger and No. 2 Freeman (13-1). "It was a fantastic semifinal and we were fortunate it went our way."

Freeman coach Ashlee Taylor was a senior on the Scotties' 2005 state runner-up and now mentors a team led by her younger sister MacKenzie, a 5-8 junior who is one of three returning starters from last year's 26-1 team. The Scotties have six players capable of scoring in double figures and, the coach noted, "When we're on defensively, we are a force to be reckoned with."

The Scotties will have their hands full at 2 p.m. today against 2A power Ellensburg (8-1), which suffered its first loss of the season Friday at East Valley.

Granger (11-0), which will face Lake Roosevelt at 10:30 a.m., nearly lost its unbeaten status last Tuesday. An hour before game time, Spartans coach Andy Affholter found out his team would be playing without 2009 state-tournament MVP Janae Klarich, who was ill. That wreaked havoc with Affholter's rotation, since four of his top 10 players typically play two quarters of JV ball and two of varsity.

Another Spartan issue has been junior standout Italia Mengarelli's lingering back injury, which has kept her from practicing for a month and leaves her conditioning, said Affholter, to "basically, her games."

Still, the Spartans keep winning and, said their coach, "This is a special group."

REMATCH TIME: Another of today's girls matchups at the SunDome will be watched with great interest by Class 2B fans around the state, provided they can get up early enough to enjoy it: It's a 9 a.m. rematch of last year's state semifinal between top-ranked La Salle and No. 2 Napavine.

Napavine won that semi by 11 points, but that La Salle team was young. Now, led by junior guard Savannah Bonny's 16 points a game, the Lightning (10-1) own victories over No. 6 Entiat, 1A No. 9 Vashon and 1B No. 5 Sunnyside Christian, and have lost only to 1A No. 7 Burbank by two points.

Napavine (12-2), though, proved itself right out of the chute this season, albeit in a loss -- by 12 points on the road at Elma, which has pretty much run roughshod through its schedule this season and is ranked No. 2 ... in Class 2A.

2A'S TOP TWOSOME: The top two Class 2A boys teams in the year's first Associated Press prep basketball poll of the year are the last two champions -- Squalicum (9-1), which drubbed its 2009 state-tournament foes by 16, 25, 26 and 11 points, and Ephrata (10-0), led by 6-foot-8 Washington State University recruit Patrick Simon.

Asked if the 2008 winners could hang with the reigning champs, Greyhounds coach Roy Garcia responded quickly, "Yes, they can."

Garcia has an insight into both teams no other coach in the state can claim, having faced both this year. Grandview fell 61-39 to Squalicum in its season opener at the SunDome, and a month later dropped a 61-47 decision to Ephrata.

"They both bring different dimension to the game," Garcia said. "Squalicum's tough even all the way down to their bench players -- not that Ephrata's not, but Squalicum's got more depth. And with execution, Squalicum's is pinpoint; they're well-coached, and from one to 12 any of them can come in and the talent level doesn't fall off.

"Ephrata has eight or nine solid guys, and in my opinion they've got one of the better players in the state (Simon). Both are well-coached, and I think each would have a struggle with the other."

Garcia went so far as to say it would be a high-scoring game, but wouldn't pick a winner. "You're not going to get me to answer that," he said, laughing. "But it would be a fun game to watch."

1A'S TOP PLAYER: Ephrata's boys very nearly lost their season opener to a Class 1A team, but not just any 1A team -- Chelan, ranked No. 2 behind reigning champion Vashon and led by the reigning Class 1A state player of the year, Joe Harris.

The 6-6 junior guard-forward, signed to play at the University of Virginia in the oh-so-elite Atlantic Coast Conference, scored the Goats' final seven points in regulation, including a basket with five seconds remaining to force overtime. Chelan ultimately lost 73-69, but Harris finished with 27 points -- right on par with his season average of 26.9 -- despite sitting out nearly the entire third quarter in foul trouble.

Chelan is also playing in today's SunDome Showdown, facing Highland at 7:30 p.m. -- immediately following a boys game pitting West Valley against Walla Walla and before the Mabton-Riverside Christian finale.

SHORT JUMPERS: The team to beat in this year's 1B boys tournament at the SunDome will almost certainly be top-ranked and unbeaten Rosalia, led by relentless 6-foot-4 forward Jim Maley (18.3 points per game) and 6-5 center Nate Richards (14.2). ... The girls tourney that week could end up being another coronation march for defending champion Colton, ranked No. 1 and led by the 2009 1B player of the year, Kelsey Moser.