The list of contenders for the boys 2A State Championship in 2025 is a lengthy one. The power in 2A boys this year has circled the Seattle-Tacoma metro area. The Northwest Conference, GSHL 2A, the CWAC, and the Olympic League all have state title contenders.
The only team missing from the top 2A list of contenders is Grandview (21-4). The Greyhounds ran second to Lynden in every poll all season long, but were knocked off by Prosser in their district semifinals. They rebounded with a win over East Valley-Yakima, which sent them to the Crossover Game against West Valley-Spokane, on the Eagles floor, in a winner to state, loser out game.
West Valley (20-3) used the first two minutes of the second quarter to go on a 12-0 run to open the game up. They eventually led by 23 points in the third quarter. However, the Greyhounds fought back to trail by only three points with one minute to play, eventually losing 75-70. Add West Valley-Spokane to the list of title contenders. The Eagles won the Greater Spokane 2A League with an 11-1 record. They are 20-3 on the season.
RA Long emerged as the #2 seed with a 22-1 record, which includes three wins over cross-town rival, #8 Mark Morris (21-4), including the district championship game. The Greater St. Helens League swept the Evergreen 2A League, and captured all four allocations for District 4. The Lumberjacks and Monarchs will be accompanied by #11 Columbia River (18-5) and #15 Ridgefield (15-8).
After three straight losses in late December, including two in the SunDome Shootout to West Valley-Yakima and Grandview, Bremerton emerged as the district title holder out of District 3.
The 18-5 Knights were the Cinderella team during last year’s state tournament and were at the top of the polls at the start of this season. They entered last year’s tournament as the #11 seed and proceeded to oust #6 Mark Morris on the first day. After that, they upended #4 Renton in the quarterfinals, before coming up one shot short against #1 Lynden in the semis. They took fifth place after a loss to North Kitsap on the final day.
Sequim (19-4) tied the Knights for the Olympic League title this year, splitting two head-to-head matchups. Both teams were 12-2 in league. They played on the final day of the regular season, a game won by Sequim. Two days later, the teams played a tiebreaker game for district tournament seeding, won by the Knights.
Bainbridge (18-5) gave the Olympic League three of the four allocations to state. Franklin Pierce (19-4) of the SPSL 2A League, lost in the title game to Bremerton, 66-34, is the fourth entrant from District 3.
District 2 has nine teams scattered around the Seattle metro area. They include Sultan, plus five teams from the Kingco 2A League, and three from the Metro League, that are mixed in with 3A Metro teams. On paper, this is not a very competitive group this year, that receives three allocations. Next year, District 1 will have three allocations, and District 2 will drop to two.
#7 seed Foster (18-7) won the District 3 tournament by a point over #14 Renton (7-18). The RedHawks not only lost last year’s seniors, but also some underclassman starters from last year’s team that finished sixth. It’s tough to get a read on Foster (#14 in RPI), as their schedule lacked games against top teams.
Lindbergh (14-10 & #25 RPI) is the third qualifier from District 2.
And in District 1, #1 Lynden (24-1) and #6 Lakewood (18-6) are getting ready for their Saturday regional matchups.
The Cougars will travel to the University of Puget Sound, home of the boys 1A state tournament until 1986, will take on Bremerton at 6:00pm.
This could be a good matchup for the Cougars. The Knights start two seniors, two sophomores and a freshman. They will see a 2-3 zone, with the Knights tallest starter, 6-6 senior Frank Allen. They list 6-10 freshman Jay Beahan, and 6-8 junior Mark Lomuda, but they don’t appear to be part of their regular rotation.
The Knights player to watch is sophomore Jalen Davis. He’s the coach’s son and made a name for himself at the state tournament last year, as he carried the Knights into the semifinals and a near upset of Lynden. Davis was voted to the All-Tournament First Team.
Even though they lost their Hall of Fame Coach, and three starters, including two sharp-shooting guards, the Mark Morris Monarchs have, again, reloaded and take their #8 seed to Mount Vernon High School, to take on the Lynden Lions, with a 6:00pm start time on Saturday.
Their Hall of Fame coach for 32 seasons, Bill Bakamus, has moved on, but things remain the same in Longview. Well, mostly the same. The Monarchs lost to rival RA Long three times, which doesn’t sit well with the Monarchs, or Bakamus, I’m sure.
Former assistant, Ken Kelly, took over for Bakamus and boasts a roster of ten seniors. The only other loss suffered by the Monarchs was to league foe, Ridgefield. On the Monarchs bench is long time assistant to Bakamus, Steve Kloke, formerly of Anacortes, and a Hall of Famer himself.
The Lions and Monarchs have a history, as the Lions have beaten the Monarchs in two state title games, 2007 and 2023. They also played in the regional round in Mount Vernon in 2015. That was won by the Monarchs, 65-62 and was the last time the Lions did not make the trip to Yakima.
The two programs are tied with the most 2A state tournament appearances at 16, including this year. One thing is for sure, no official will have to catch a ball tossed by a player.
The top contenders in the 1A boys tournament may be a bit shorter, but you never know. Annie Wright (20-2) seems to be on a level of their own. They beat the 3A’s #1 state tournament seed, Rainier Beach in their first game of the season. Their two losses came, one at a tournament in Portland in December, and a late season loss to 3A #4 seed, Bellevue.
The Gators lost on a last second shot to Zillah in the state championship game last year. It won’t be easy for the Gators to win the title this year. The only champions in the last ten tournaments have been Lynden Christian, Kings, and Zillah. And, of course, those three teams are among the top five seeds.
Annie Wright has been building for this season as the boys varsity team is in it's fourth year of existance, and has six seniors who were on their first varsity roster as freshmen.
#5 Kings is still King of District 2. They will travel to Yakima a few days early to take on #4 Zillah at Davis High School, on Saturday. Also from District 2 are #8 Bear Creek, and #15 Overlake.
Mostly known for their gridiron prowess, having won the past five state football championships, the Royal Knights are the #2 seed in the 1A tournament with a basketball record of 23-1. They are 2-1 against Zillah (19-4) this season.
Royal will host the Meridian Trojans (17-7) at Ellensburg High School, Friday at 8:00pm.
The Trojans are playing their best basketball of the season, and they need to continue that theme. The Knights have won 11 straight games. They were the #6 seed in last year’s tournament, and lost their regional game to Annie Wright, then lost on the first day of the State Tournament to #11 Riverside.
Lynden Christian (21-2) has the talent, the coaching, and certainly the legacy, but do they have the health? The Lyncs have been bitten by the injury bug late in the season but hope to have the intangibles to pull through. They are a quick team that forces the issue with their offense and can score in bunches. And bunches. And bunches. They certainly have been tested, so there should be nothing that surprises them.
The Lyncs will take on Seton Catholic (18-5), Saturday at 4:00pm, at Mount Vernon High School.
Last year, as the #7 seed, the Seton Catholic Cougars lost to the #2 seed Lyncs, 71-39, in their regional game at Lynden High School. This year, they are a notch closer, as the Cougars are #6, while the Lyncs are #3. The Cougars finished sixth in the state last year, while the Lyncs took third.
Kaiden Wilson, the Cougars 6-6 sophomore, averages 21 points per game. The Cougars went undefeated (14-0) in the Trico League and are on a 15-game winning streak.
All the games mentioned so far are not “survival” games. All the 2A and 1A boys’ teams mentioned are in the top eight seeds where the losing team then plays a loser out game in the SunDome on Wednesday of the State Tournament. The winners advance to Thursday’s quarter finals.
The 2A girls tournament starts at Lynden and ends in Ellensburg. The top seeded Lions (24-0) have won 44 straight games, while #2 Ellensburg is undefeated since last year’s loss to the Lions in the championship game. The Lions broke the Bulldogs 75-game winning streak in that game, but the Bulldogs have another streak going, having won all 24 games this season.
Anyone other than the Lions versus the Bulldogs at 7:00pm, Saturday, March 8, would be the owner of a tremendous upset. However, Deer Park (23-0), who last year lost to Nooksack Valley in the 1A championship game, moved up to 2A this year, and just may be nipping at the heels of the Lions and Bulldogs.
The Lions will host #8 Bainbridge (19-5), Saturday at 8:00pm, at Mount Vernon High School.
In the 1A girls tournament, Lynden Christian (20-3) grabbed the #1 seed over #2 Bellevue Christian (21-2). This sets up to be another very competitive tournament, with likes of Zillah (20-3), Kings (17-7), and Annie Wright (19-5) filling out the top five seeds.
The Lyncs will host Naches Valley (20-5), Saturday at 2:00pm, at Mount Vernon High School.
The two-time defending champion, Nooksack Valley (16-8), returns as the #9 seed, and will host #16 Hoquiam (15-8), Saturday at 12:00pm, at Mount Vernon High School. This is the only loser out game for Northwest Conference teams this weekend. A win will send the Pioneers to the SunDome.
Here is the schedule for Northwest Conference teams in regional play this weekend:
Friday at Ellensburg High School
1A Boys: Meridian vs Royal, 8:00pm
Saturday at University of Puget Sound
2A Boys: Lakewood vs Bremerton, 6:00pm
Saturday at Mount Vernon High School
1A Girls: Hoquiam vs Nooksack Valley, 12:00pm
1A Girls: Naches Valley vs Lynden Christian, 2:00pm
1A Boys: Seton Catholic vs Lynden Christian, 4:00pm
2A Boys: Mark Morris vs Lynden, 6:00pm
2A Girls: Bainbridge vs Lynden, 8:00pm
Looks like a full day at “The Palace.”
~ Ted House
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