Prep basketball: Five local teams prepare for postseason play this week – My Edmonds News
There will be plenty of activity inside the gyms of the four Edmonds School District high schools this week as five local basketball teams prepare for postseason play with hopes of earning spots to the state tournaments later this month.
First stop for the teams from Mountlake Terrace, Meadowdale, Lynnwood and Edmonds-Woodway High Schools will be the District 1 3A boys and girls tournaments that get underway on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
Leading the local teams into tourney action are the Mountlake Terrace boys, as the Nalin Sood-coached squad will be the No. 1 seed in their district tournament. Joining the Hawks in the boys’ tournament will be the Edmonds-Woodway Warriors as the No. 9 seed.
In the girls’ tourney, the Meadowdale Mavericks earned the No. 2 seed, followed by the Lynnwood Royals at the No. 4 seed and the Edmonds-Woodway Warriors as the No. 12 seed.
The top four teams to emerge from each of the district tournaments will punch their tickets to the regional round of the 3A state basketball tournaments with hopes of qualifying for play during the last week of state tournament play at the Tacoma Dome.
Terrace enters the postseason as the No. 1-ranked 3A team in the state, according to the WIAA 3A boys RPI rankings. For the Hawks to win their third straight District 1 tournament title, they will have to overcome the trappings and attention that comes with being at the top of everyone’s hit list.
Hawks coach Nalin Sood knows that as his squad is this year’s 2A/3A Wesco League champion and the two-time defending District 1 champs — in addition to program’s history of success — then they will be a high-flying target that everyone else will want to bring down.
“We just had 15 league games where everybody was going to give us their best shot; we knew that because of last year’s guys and the ghosts of the past,” Sood said. “You put on a Terrace jersey, you’re going to get that. Whoever is the top dog or one of the better teams, you’re going to get that from everybody.”
Despite the pressure that comes with increased attention — and perhaps a more adrenaline-fueled effort from opposing squads — Sood said believes his team has faced their opponents with grit and determination this year and will continue to do so throughout the postseason.
“They have big goals — like any team that had some success last year and wants to be better the next year,” Sood said. “Hopefully that’s what they’re going to be focused on and that’s why you come coach guys like this, because they’re pretty driven.”
Last year, both the Mountlake Terrace boys and the Meadowdale girls teams finished their runs at their respective state tournaments one game short from playing for a top-six state trophy.
Mavericks senior Gia Powell said she and her teammates are going to resist the temptation of looking ahead to any later postseason action this year and instead concentrate on what lies directly in front of them.
“I think it’s just all about what we do in practice,” Powell said. “Our RPI is what it is; wins and losses, I think we’re at a good place. I think it will just be about focusing. Like our coach always says, ‘go 1-0 today,’ that means get the ‘dub’ today and don’t worry about the next one.”
As the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in their respective tournaments, the Hawks and the Mavericsk are among the favorites to challenge for district titles and qualify for the next round of the postseason. For the remaining three Edmonds School District teams, the climb may be somewhat steeper.
The Lynnwood girls are the No. 4 seed in their district tournament, but the team will have to play the tourney without leading scorer Kayla Lorenz, who is still recovering from a broken left thumb suffered Dec. 28. The Royals have gone 6-5 without Lorenz in the lineup this season.
Even with Lorenz’s absence, the Royals have enough playmakers on their roster to push for a top-four finish in their district tournament and move on to regionals.
The Mountlake Terrace boys and the girs’ squads of Meadowdale and Lynnwood will all enter district tournament action this week after earning byes from play in the treacherous opening-round loser-out games being played on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Edmonds-Woodway boys and girls teams aren’t so lucky. The No. 9-seed Edmonds-Woodway boys will face the No. 8 seed Shorewood in a loser-out contest Wednesday after finishing the regular season at 10-10, 8-7 in 2A/3A Wesco League play. The Warriors will hope their balanced scoring attack will be enough to get a win at Shorewood and with it a matchup against Mountlake Terrace on Friday.
The E-W girls sneak into their district tourney as the 12th and final seed, even though they finished 13th in the District 1 RPI rankings. The Warriors benefitted from a pre-established rule that only allows two teams from the Northwest Conference to play in the district tournament.
Ferndale and Oak Harbor are filling those slots, leaving No. 12-ranked Mount Vernon out of the mix and sliding E-W into the No. 12 seed. The Warriors will face No. 5-seed Everett in a opening-round loser-out contest Thursday.
To view the entire District 1 3A Boys Basketball Tournament bracket, click www.wpanetwork.com/wiaa/brackets/tournament.php?act=view&tournament_id=4236.
To view the entire District 1 3A Girls Basketball Tournament bracket, click www.wpanetwork.com/wiaa/brackets/tournament.php?act=view&tournament_id=4235.
2024 District 1 3A Boys Basketball Tournament (Edmonds School District teams)
Mountlake Terrace Hawks
Coach: Nalin Sood (23rd season)
Records: 15-0 in 2A/3A Wesco League, 19-1 overall
3A District 1 RPI ranking: 1
3A WIAA state RPI ranking: 1
First District 1 tourney game: versus the winner of Edmonds-Woodway vs. Shorewood game; Friday, Feb. 9; 7 p.m. at Mountlake Terrace High School (District 1 tournament quarterfinal game)
Players to watch: Zaveon Jones (senior), Jaxon Dubiel (senior), Gabe Towne (senior)
Edmonds-Woodway Warriors
Coach: Robert Brown (10th season)
Records: 8-7 in 2A/3A Wesco League, 10-10 overall
3A District 1 RPI ranking: 9
3A WIAA state RPI ranking: 42
First District 1 tourney game: against No. 8-seed Shorewood; Wednesday, Feb. 7; 7 p.m. at Shorewood High School (District 1 tournament first round loser-out game)
Players to watch: Aiden Johansen (senior), DJ Karl (sophomore), Julian Gray (sophomore),
2024 District 1 3A Girls Basketball Tournament (Edmonds School District teams)
Meadowdale Mavericks
Coach: Kevin Thompson (2nd season)
Records: 11-2 in 2A/3A Wesco League, 18-3 overall
3A District 1 RPI ranking: 2
3A WIAA state RPI ranking: 4
First District 1 tourney game: versus the winner of No. 10 Stanwood vs. No. 7 Oak Harbor game; Saturday, Feb. 10; 7 p.m. at Meadowdale High School (District 1 tournament quarterfinal game)
Players to watch: Gia Powell (senior), Audrey Lucas (junior), Samantha Medina (junior)
Lynnwood Royals
Coach: Eddie Mcferrin (4th season)
Records: 9-4 in 2A/3A Wesco League, 13-7 overall
3A District 1 RPI ranking: 4
3A WIAA state RPI ranking: 15
First District 1 tourney game: versus the winner of No. 12 Edmonds-Woodway vs. No. 5 Everett game; Saturday, Feb. 10; 7 p.m. at Lynnwood High School
Players to watch: Aniya Hooker (senior), Teyah Clark (senior), Jocelyn Tamayo (junior)
Edmonds-Woodway Warriors
Coach: Quinn Manning (1st season)
Records: 3-10 in 2A/3A Wesco League, 7-13 overall
3A District 1 RPI ranking: 13
3A WIAA state RPI ranking: 56
First District 1 tourney game: versus No. 5 Everett; Thursday, Feb. 8; 7 p.m. at Everett High School (District 1 tournament first round loser-out game)
Players to watch: Natalie Durbin (senior), Naomi Limb (senior)
— Story and photos by Doug Petrowski
