Zach Hatch
Glacier Peak | Guard
Hatch, a senior, burst onto the scene as a junior, earning second-team All-Wesco 3A South honors and helping the Grizzlies advance to the 3A state regionals, where they were eliminated by Garfield. Hatch averaged 13 points per game and shot 33 percent from 3-point range.
“He has confidence,” Glacier Peak head coach Brian Hunter said. “For us, it’s one thing to want to take the big shot and it’s another thing to make the big shot and he does have a knack and a tendency to make big shots. … He keeps teams honest. You have to pay attention to him because of what we do in our sets. He requires teams to adjust what they do and maintain their focus on him, which frees up other guys to do some of the things we want them to be able to do from a scoring standpoint.”
Kevin Villalobos
Mariner | Guard
Villalobos, a senior, was a first-team All-Wesco 4A selection last season when he averaged 21 points per game.
He’s one of the reasons several coaches in the league say the Marauders are capable of making a playoff run this season.
“He’s a great scorer and a tremendous leader for us,” Mariner coach Dexter Griffen said. “He is dangerous off the dribble and is a legit 3-point shooter. Our goal remains the same as it always has been: to make the playoffs and win championships.“
“Kevin is a player that can help us reach our goals.”
Corey Kispert
King’s | Guard-Forward
Kispert, a junior, is just halfway through his career at King’s and already he’s accomplished much. He led the Knights to the Class 1A state championship last season, averaging 18.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and two assists per game. He shot 48 percent from 3-point range and 61 percent on shots inside the 3-point arc.
“Corey is a special talent,” King’s head coach Rick Skeen said. “He’s such a pleasure to coach and he’s our most talented player and hardest-working player. He is a tremendous student and tremendous teammate. He’s extremely humble and prefers to stay out of the spotlight. He’s a tremendous leader who leads by example, but is also starting to become more vocal. With our team losing eight seniors from last year, this is his time to step up and take over.”
Bryce Juneau
Marysville Pilchuck | Guard
Juneau, a senior, is entering his third season as the starting point guard for the Tomahawks. He averaged 12 points and 4.5 assists per game last season, earned second-team All-Wesco 3A North honors and helped the Tomahawks advance to the 3A state tournament.
“He is a one-man press breaker with great court vision and seems to always come up big when we need a shot, though he is constantly looking for his teammates above his own scoring,” Marysville Pilchuck head coach Bary Gould said. “His free-throw shooting has improved immensely from his sophomore to his junior years, which was very good for him, and us, due to his incredible ability to get to the rim and draw fouls. We’re looking for him to be one of our leaders this year.”
Sam Saufferer
Jackson | Guard
Saufferer, a senior, averaged 16 points and shot better than 45 percent from 3-point range last season when he helped lead the Timberwolves to the Class 4A state regionals. A first-team All-Wesco 4A selection last season, Saufferer provides instant offense for a team that has its sights set on reaching the state quarterfinals in Tacoma.
“One of the best shooters around, without question,” Jackson coach Steve Johnson said. “This year he’s added some strength and muscle, which will go nicely with the areas of his game that he strives to improve in. Sam is capable of increasing his scoring load, in part by his improved ability to drive and take contact near the rim. He’s also gotten quicker, which should lead to more scoring opportunities in space during transition.”
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