Runnin’ through Class 1A WIAA regional boys basketball: Toppenish, Freeman headline compelling slate of 1-8 matchups
With the 16-team field set for regional round of the WIAA Class 1A boys basketball tournament, here is SBLive's weekend overview of the matchups, players to watch — and game score predictions:
(FINAL SBLIVE WA BOYS BASKETBALL RANKINGS)
CLASS 1A BOYS REGIONAL PREVIEW
Riley Mesplie and the Toppenish Wildcats come in to regionals after tripping up Zillah for the district crown.
Photo by Andy Buhler
TOP BILLING
None are loser-outs, but it’s hard to find a classification with better 1 through 8 matchups than 1A.
It’s understandable if 5-seed Toppenish feels slighted having to hit the road after an epic district title win over Zillah — its second over the Leopards in the span of two weeks. The Wildcats' 4-5 showdown with NEA 1A champ Freeman will pit two of the most balanced teams in the state against one another.
BEST BET TO SCORE 30
There’s a shortlist of players across the state who have hit the 50-point threshold in a game — Asjon Anderson, Dylan Darling, Amare Jackson, John Lustig and Jonas La Tour. But only Quincy’s TreyVaughn Bierlink, a 6-foot-4 guard, has done it with his team’s season on the line.
Bierlink hit 13 3-pointers and finished 17-of-28 shooting on his way to 53 points in a district winner-to-state, loser-out matchup with Colville on Saturday night.
RIDE THIS DARKHORSE
There is not a more dangerous nine-loss team in the state, regardless of classification than Seattle Academy. The Cardinals have logged about as many lineup changes as wins with players in and out. After a 1-5 stretch in a January jam-packed with makeup games, Seattle Academy is back to looking like it did in non-league, when it played 2A power R.A. Long and 1A 2-seed Lynden Christian within single digits. Helps to have a player like senior guard Logan Britt in a loser-out.
PROTECTED-GAME PREVIEWS
Maddox Boyce (1) and King's are the tournament's top seed, and play Quincy on Saturday in the regional round
No. 1 King's vs. No. 8 Quincy
Noon Saturday, Jackson High School, Mill Creek
Skinny: The high-scoring Jackrabbits will need to do just that — score — if they want to hang around with the Knights, SBLive’s wire-to-wire No. 1 team in 1A. King’s, led by state player of the year frontrunner Jordan Hansen and freshman phenom Cam Hiatt, hasn’t lost since Dec. 18 to 3A favorite Garfield and will go for its 17th straight Saturday.
Pick: King’s, 81-68.
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No. 2 Lynden Christian vs. No. 7 Annie Wright
8 p.m. Saturday, Mount Vernon High School
Skinny: Who’s up for the Gators’ first crack at a state game in their young program history? A perennial state power. The Lyncs are well-oiled and battle tested in the 1A/2A/3A Northwest Conference. Will standout Annie Wright 6-5 sophomore Hunter Carter (20.8 points, 5.6 boards, 5.1 assists, 3.9 steals per game) arrive on the statewide stage with a bang?
Pick: Lynden Christian, 75-65.
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No. 3 Life Christian Academy vs. No. 6 Zillah
Noon Saturday, Foss High School, Tacoma
Skinny: The Eagles have wanted this matchup ever since Zillah opted not to go to an unofficial COVID season 1A tournament in Bellevue last June. Which steady-handed floor general dictates the tempo — Life Christian’s Brad Swillie or Zillah’s Clay Delp?
Pick: Life Christian Academy, 68-65
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No. 4 Freeman vs. No. 5 Toppenish
10 a.m. Saturday, University High School, Spokane
Skinny: How do you stop a team as balanced as Freeman? The Scotties have four players averaging double-figures scoring, led by Quin Goldsmith (17 points, six boards) and Boen Phelps (14 points, six boards, four assists). Toppenish, recent district champs, are similar. Just ask Jason Grant, Shane Rivera, Josh Perez and Riley Mesplie.
Pick: Freeman, 66-65.
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WINNER-TO-STATE-GAME PREVIEWS
Victory, personified: Castle Rock senior Landon Gardner poses with the 1A District 4 championship trophy.
Photo courtesy Castle Rock Athletics
No. 9 Blaine vs. No. 16 Wahluke
4 p.m. Saturday, Mount Vernon High School
Skinny: Ask both teams what it’s like winning with backs against the wall. Blaine had to Senior Scott Baldwin fueled the Borderites’ district loser-out win over Overlake for its first regional berth since 2004. Wahluke’s path included consecutive loser-out wins over Connel and Wapato.
Pick: Blaine, 65-52.
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No. 10 Seattle Academy vs. No. 15 Eatonville
Noon Saturday, Bellevue College
Skinny: Logan Britt, state semifinalists in 2020, has been there and done that. And the Cruisers know how to play with their backs against a wall — down two starters, Reilly McIlraith had a 40-point, 11-rebound game in districts.
Pick: Seattle Academy, 60-50.
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No. 11 Castle Rock vs. No. 14 Cedar Park Christian
6 p.m. Saturday, Mark Morris High School, Longview
Skinny: The Rockets are rollin’ after overcoming, La Center, King’s Way (twice) on its magical comeback run to its first district title in seven years. Expect a packed, pro-CR home crowd at neighboring Mark Morris. For Cedar Park Christian, Jack Allen (17 points per game) broke the program record for 3-pointers in a season and fast-rising 6-7 junior forward Denis Anischenko is set to return from an ankle sprain.
Pick: Cedar Park Christian, 58-55.
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No. 12 King's Way Christian vs. No. 13 Lakeside of Nine Mile Falls
2 p.m. Saturday, Battle Ground High School
Skinny: Trico MVP Gio Evanson has come into his own as a scorer and leader this season. But will he and the Knights have enough to overcome Kole Hunsaker and the Eagles, who escaped a cutthroat district tournament and are much better than record indicates?
Pick: Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls), 50-45.
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