Winning a state basketball championship is hard enough for any high school team.
But it’s even harder to sweep both the boys and girls Class 4A state titles.
It’s only been done twice in the history of big-school basketball in Washington, and the last time was 22 years ago. The only school to accomplish the state title sweep is Seattle’s Garfield High. The Bulldogs won both titles in 1980 and again in ‘87.
Could this be the year that the same school wins both the Class 4A boys and girls state basketball championships? And could it be the hometown Federal Way Eagles that accomplish the very rare “double” state title?
Both the Federal Way boys and girls enter the high school basketball season as the No. 1-ranked teams in most every poll around the state. The Eagle boys return two starters and several players from their 2009 state title winning team, including a pair of Division I recruits in guard Isiah Umipig and Cole Dickerson.
The Federal Way girls made a somewhat surprising run to third place at last year’s state tournament and bring back three starters. Leading the list of returners are 6-2 Talia Walton, 6-0 TyShana Burgess and point guard Chantel Dixon. Walton will be one of the most highly recruited players next year after averaging eight points and 11.2 rebounds a game. Burgess was the Eagles’ leading scorer a season ago at 14.1 points and also averaged 10.7 rebounds, and Dixon was Federal Way’s best defender.
But the Eagles suffered a huge loss last spring, when junior guard Brittany Barrington tore the ACL in her knee. It’s still up in the air whether Barrington will be able to play later in the season.
Practices started Monday around the state, and the first games will be played during the first week of December.
The Jefferson girls should make a return trip to the postseason again this year. The Raiders return three starters from a team that was one win from the state tournament.
Back are guards Hannah Kiyohara and Karen Carpenter and forward Unique Taufa’asau.
The Decatur and Beamer girls are hoping to get into the postseason out of the SPSL South. The Gators bring back Abby McFaul and Kayla Lipston, and Beamer returns Shyla Akins and Meghan Graf, among others.
On the boys’ side, last year was historic in Federal Way. Not only did the Eagles win their first Class 4A state championship, but three of the four Federal Way School District program’s advanced into the state tournament for the first time in history.
Upstart Beamer made a late-season push to qualify for the school’s first-ever state basketball tournament, and Decatur just kept doing what they’ve been doing for years — winning basketball games.
But it might get even better this season. First-year Jefferson head coach Kyle Templeton inherits plenty of talented shooters in guards Justin Lanier, Scott Sanford and Eric Radford, along with 6-foot-7 forward Spencer Hicks.
Templeton is trying to lead the Raiders back into the West Central District Tournament for the first time since 1985.
Expectations are sky-high at Beamer. After finishing fourth in the SPSL South, the Titans rolled to three straight wins at districts to earn the state bid, all while flying under the radar.
Beamer won’t have a chance to fly under the proverbial radar this season. The Titans will be ranked in the top five in every publication’s state rankings in the preseason, and rightfully so. Second-year head coach Brent Brilhante brings back 6-foot-8 fifth-year senior Kevin Davis, all-league guard Napa Mefi (15 points a game), point guard Vlad Aficiuc and transfer Terelle Loggins.
Davis averaged 16.3 points, 15.3 rebounds and 4.1 blocks a game last year and Loggins was a second-team, All-SPSL South pick for Spanaway Lake after scoring nearly 20 points a game as a junior.
The Gators also enter the 2009-10 season as one of the top 10 teams in the state and will be after their fourth straight state berth. Coach Kevin Olson returns three starters from a team that won the SPSL South title. Back are 6-5 Jordan McCloud (14 points, 9 rebounds), 6-3 Jerron Smith (16 points, 4 rebounds) and 6-0 point guard Terrell Williams (6 points, 2.4 assists).
It’s going to be a fun season on the basketball courts for all the Federal Way teams. The SPSL season kicks off Dec. 4.
