Prep basketball weekly update: Storylines from around the area

With league play wrapping up and district tournaments about to begin, here’s a look at some of the top high school basketball highlights and storylines from around the area over the past week:

ARLINGTON BOYS SECURE WESCO 3A/2A CROWN

The Wesco 3A/2A boys race was a wild ride, filled with plenty of twists and turns and upsets.

When all the dust settled, Arlington was sitting alone atop the 16-team league.

The Eagles secured the Wesco 3A/2A crown last week, finishing as the lone one-loss team in conference play. Arlington (14-4, 12-1 Wesco 3A/2A) beat Shorecrest (17-2, 12-2) and Mountlake Terrace (13-2, 10-2) for the top spot.

It marks the Eagles’ first league title since they won back-to-back Wesco 4A North championships in 2012-13 and 2013-14.

“It’s nice to get that league championship back,” Arlington coach Nick Brown said. “It’s been a while.”

The Eagles did some heavy lifting early in the season, beating Mountlake Terrace in their Dec. 10 league opener and then prevailing for a wild 83-80 overtime win over Shorecrest a few nights later.

Arlington’s lone conference setback came in early January, when it fell to archrival Stanwood. But the Eagles bounced back, winning each of their final eight league games to capture their first conference title in eight years.

“Our league is tough and obviously there’s some teams at the top that are really hard,” Brown said. “… But this group’s really mentally tough. They’re a good group, they’re fun to be around and they’re really competitive.”

Standout senior Ethan Martin leads the way for Arlington, averaging around 25 points per game. The sharp-shooting guard broke a school record with 42 points in a Jan. 25 win over Marysville Pilchuck, surpassing the previous mark of 41 points set by Willy Wampler in 1995. Martin also netted 37 points in the overtime victory over Shorecrest.

“He makes me (look) a lot smarter on many nights,” Brown said. “… He’s one of the best shooters I’ve ever seen in high school — not just coached, but seen. (He’s) phenomenal.”

Martin is complemented by a deep supporting cast.

Junior post David Zachman, who Brown said is probably the team’s most improved player, averages double-figure scoring. Senior point guard Grayson Falk is a steadying force who also hovers around the double-digit scoring mark. And a number of others have bought into their roles and made key contributions.

“We have really good depth this year from one through 12 or 13,” Brown said. “We’re pretty solid.”

Arlington opens postseason play Tuesday as the top seed in the Class 3A District 1 Tournament’s 16-team bracket. The Eagles are seeking their third state berth in the past four full-length seasons.

“We get (other teams’) best shots, and so we know that any night we’re gonna see a team’s best that they have,” Brown said. “We have learned to not take things for granted.”

MARINER BOYS CLINCH 1ST LEAGUE TITLE IN 19 YEARS

The Mariner boys have checked off another milestone in their program’s resurgence.

The Marauders clinched their first league title since the 2002-03 season on Friday night, beating Kamiak 60-51 to secure the Wesco 4A crown. The victory gave Mariner (13-6, 7-0 Wesco 4A) a two-game lead atop the conference standings over second-place Glacier Peak heading into the teams’ regular-season finale Tuesday night.

For the Marauders, it marks the latest in a series of accomplishments for their once-struggling program.

After back-to-back three-win campaigns in 2016-17 and 2017-18, Mariner reached the 4A state regionals in 2019 and finished with its first winning season in a decade. The following year, the Marauders posted 16 wins and finished second in Wesco 4A. And last spring, they went a perfect 10-0 during the condensed season.

But after its most recent accomplishment, Mariner isn’t about to rest on its laurels.

“We set these goals at the beginning of the year that we want to go to state, and we want to place as high as we can possibly place at state and win a state championship,” sixth-year Marauders coach Tevin Dillon said. “… So the Wesco championship is just another piece to our year of what we’re wanting to work for.”

Mariner took some lumps earlier in the season, going 6-6 during a challenging non-league slate. The Marauders lost four of those games by a combined 14 points and were dealing with players in and out of the lineup due to COVID-19 protocols.

But once conference play began, Mariner found its stride. The Marauders have won six of their seven league games by at least nine points, with the lone exception being a two-point overtime victory over Kamiak.

After closing its regular season Tuesday night, Mariner begins postseason play Saturday as the No. 2 seed in the the 4A Wes-King Bi-District Tournament.

“We went through some ups and downs coming into the league,” Dillon said. “… It was tough, but I don’t think there was ever a panic moment for us. For me, it was like, ‘This can be the perfect moment for us. We need to settle down. We need to take some of these losses on the chin and get better and prove that we belong and keep going.’

“So I think the adversity ended up being really good for us,” he added. “… The best thing that can happen during the season is overcoming adversity. We did a really good job of that, and we’re hitting our stride right at the perfect time.”

LAKE STEVENS BOYS SAVE THEIR SEASON WITH LATE SURGE

The Lake Stevens boys entered last week with their backs against the wall.

The Vikings were 0-4 in Wesco 4A play. They were sitting in last place of the five-team league. And they were mired in a five-game losing streak, including three losses of more than 20 points during that span.

With the season slipping away, Mark Hein and his fellow Lake Stevens coaches challenged their players.

“We just said that (this) week could make or break your season — your high school career, so to speak, for you seniors,” Hein said.

The Vikings responded in a major way.

This past week, Lake Stevens (9-9, 3-4 Wesco 4A) rattled off three straight wins to save its season and secure a playoff berth. The Vikings beat Jackson 81-65 last Monday, upset 4A eighth-ranked Glacier Peak 65-61 in overtime Wednesday and then defeated Jackson again 67-61 on Saturday.

The victory over Glacier Peak marked a massive turnaround from just two weeks prior, when the Grizzlies thrashed Lake Stevens 72-41.

“(This week) was extremely gratifying — obviously the wins, but even more seeing how our group is coming together,” Hein said.

According to Hein, COVID-related issues and “off-the-court stuff” were among a variety of factors that contributed to the Vikings’ slow start in league play.

So was the absence of 6-foot-5 senior forward Grayson Murren, a standout quarterback who’d been sidelined with a broken collarbone he suffered during the Lake Stevens football team’s state playoff run. Murren made his season debut two weeks ago and has had a significant impact on both ends of the court.

But Hein said the biggest difference in his team’s turnaround has been “trust.”

“If I really had to just pinpoint one thing, it’s these guys really learning to trust each other, trust us as a staff, trust what we’re doing,” he said. “And the more and more they’ve done that, they’re seeing success (and) they’re having more fun together.”

Hein also said the Vikings have done a much better job of living up to their school motto of being “relentless.” That was evident Saturday night, when they rallied from a 17-point first-half deficit to beat Jackson.

“If I were to be perfectly honest, we were not very relentless the earlier part of the season,” Hein said. “We would let a 10-point swing turn into 20. And it’s completely different now. … (It’s) just a whole different mindset when faced with adversity.”

With its late-season surge, Lake Stevens has clinched a third-place finish in Wesco 4A. That means after closing their regular season on Tuesday, the Vikings have a do-or-die 4A Wes-King Bi-District Tournament play-in game on Thursday. With a win, they’d advance to the double-elimination portion of the tournament.

“Early on, we were playing closer to our floor than our ceiling,” Hein said. “And we’re still not there. Even though I feel like we’re making a ton of strides, … we believe we still have room to grow as a group.

“But I think just the confidence (and) belief that these guys gained this week really hopefully serves us well moving into playoffs.”

SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE POSTSEASON

With district tournaments either starting this week or already underway, here’s a level-by-level look at where things stand.

4A boys: Wesco 4A play concludes Tuesday, but the league’s seeding is already set for the 4A Wes-King Bi-District Tournament, which begins Thursday. Mariner is the No. 2 seed in the 10-team tournament with KingCo 4A, followed by No. 5 seed Glacier Peak, No. 8 seed Lake Stevens and No. 10 seed Jackson. Lake Stevens and Jackson need to win play-in games to join Mariner and Glacier Peak in the eight-team double-elimination portion of the tournament. The tournament’s top five finishers advance to the state regionals.

4A girls: Lake Stevens can secure an outright Wesco 4A title by beating Kamiak in their regular-season finale Monday. The Vikings hold a one-game lead over Kamiak in the league standings and beat the Knights in their first matchup. Lake Stevens and Kamiak will be Wesco 4A’s top two seeds in the 4A Wes-King Bi-District Tournament, which begins Wednesday. Glacier Peak and Jackson will be the league’s third and fourth seeds, meaning they’ll need to win play-in games to join Lake Stevens and Kamiak in the eight-team double-elimination portion of the tournament. The tournament’s top five finishers advance to the state regionals.

3A boys: The 3A District 1 Tournament begins Tuesday. Due to a slew of canceled games that resulted in uneven league schedules, the tournament was expanded to 16 teams and seeded by a committee that took into account win-loss records, head-to-head results, cancellations and other factors. The seeding is: No. 1 Arlington, No. 2 Shorecrest, No. 3 Stanwood, No. 4 Mountlake Terrace, No. 5 Mount Vernon, No. 6 Everett, No. 7 Ferndale, No. 8 Marysville Pilchuck, No. 9 Cascade, No. 10 Edmonds-Woodway, No. 11 Marysville Getchell, No. 12 Oak Harbor, No. 13 Monroe, No. 14 Shorewood and No. 15 Snohomish. Seed No. 16 is to be determined. In the opening round, seeds 1-8 square off in non-elimination games and seeds 9-16 face off in loser-out games. The winners of the seed 1-8 games advance to the eight-team double-elimination portion of the bracket. The losers of the seed 1-8 games then face the winners of the seed 9-16 games, with the winners of those contests advancing to the eight-team double-elimination bracket. The tournament’s top four finishers advance to the state regionals.

3A girls: The 3A District 1 Tournament begins Monday and takes on the same 16-team format as explained above for the 3A boys. The seeding is: No. 1 Arlington, No. 2 Snohomish, No. 3 Stanwood, No. 4 Everett, No. 5 Lynnwood, No. 6 Mountlake Terrace, No. 7 Ferndale, No. 8 Meadowdale, No. 9 Mount Vernon, No. 10 Shorewood, No. 11 Edmonds-Woodway, No. 12 Shorecrest, No. 13 Oak Harbor, No. 14 Monroe and No. 15 Marysville Getchell. Seed No. 16 is to be determined. The tournament’s top four finishers advance to the state regionals.

2A boys: No. 4 seed Lakewood, No. 6 seed Archbishop Murphy and No. 7 seed Cedarcrest are among the 10 teams in the 2A District 1 Tournament, which begins Wednesday. Cedarcrest has to win a play-in game to join Lakewood and Archbishop Murphy in the eight-team double-elimination portion of the bracket. The tournament’s top three finishers advance to the state regionals.

2A girls: No. 2 seed Archbishop Murphy, No. 7 seed Cedarcrest and No. 9 seed Lakewood are among the 10 teams in the 2A District 1 Tournament, which begins Thursday. Cedarcrest and Lakewood have to win play-in games to join Archbishop Murphy in the eight-team double-elimination portion of the bracket. The tournament’s top three finishers advance to the state regionals.

1A boys: No. 9 seed Sultan lost to No. 8 seed University Prep in the opening round of the Emerald Sound Conference Tournament. With the loss, Sultan dropped to the consolation bracket of the 12-team tournament. The tournament’s top three finishers advance to the state regionals, while the fourth-place and fifth-place finishers face powerhouse District 1’s top two finishers in crossover winner-to-state contests.

1A girls: No. 7 seed Sultan beat No. 10 seed Granite Falls in the opening round of the Emerald Sound Conference Tournament. Sultan advanced to face No. 2 seed King’s in a pivotal quarterfinal game on Wednesday, while Granite Falls dropped to the consolation bracket of the 12-team tournament. The tournament’s top three finishers advance to the state regionals, while the fourth-place and fifth-place finishers face powerhouse District 1’s top two finishers in crossover winner-to-state contests.

1B boys: Grace Academy has advanced to the 1B District 1 Tournament semifinals and clinched a spot in the upcoming 1B District 1/2/3 Tri-District Tournament. Cedar Park Christian-Lynnwood needs to win a district elimination game to advance to the tri-district tournament. The top six finishers in the 12-team tri-district tournament advance to the state regionals.

1B girls: Grace Academy has advanced to the 1B District 1 Tournament semifinals and clinched a spot in the upcoming 1B District 1/2/3 Tri-District Tournament. Darrington needs to win a district elimination game to advance to the tri-district tournament. The top five finishers in the 12-team tri-district tournament advance to the state regionals.