The chases for league titles and district seedings are heating up across boys and girls basketball leagues in the area with just three weeks remaining in the regular season.
There’s a logjam at the top of the Wesco 3A/2A boys standings. The Wesco 4A boys race is proving to be as wide open as it appeared entering the season. The Arlington girls are once again in the driver’s seat of the Wesco 3A/2A girls race. And Glacier Peak and Kamiak have emerged as the top contenders in Wesco 4A girls.
After Mountlake Terrace bested previously unbeaten and Class 3A 10th-ranked Monroe on Friday, three Wesco 3A/2A boys squads entered Monday with one loss in league play and three more with just two. Arlington (8-1 league), Monroe (8-1) and Terrace (7-1) sit atop the standings. The Hawks handed Arlington its only league loss back in late December. As a result, Terrace holds the tiebreaker over both and can’t be overtaken if it wins out. Stanwood (7-2), Everett (7-2) and preseason favorite Shorecrest (6-2) are still firmly in the mix, as well. A trio of big matchups this week could bring more clarity to the conference pecking order, or it could create more chaos. Terrace hosts Everett on Tuesday. Monroe visits Shorecrest on Tuesday. And Arlington hosts Shorecrest on Thursday.
The Wesco 4A boys picture is just as crowded. No team in the conference has played more than four of its eight league games, but all five have at least one loss and one win. Mariner and Lake Stevens are currently tied for first at 2-1. The Wesco 4A leaders meet for the first of two matchups Tuesday in Lake Stevens with a chance to take the inside track on a league championship at the midpoint of conference play. Preseason favorite Jackson, ranked eighth in 4A, is coming off a victory over Lake Stevens and is just behind at 2-2. Kamiak (1-2) and Glacier Peak (1-2) meet Wednesday with the winner keeping itself squarely in contention.
Defending league champion Arlington is the only remaining Wesco 3A/2A girls unbeaten. The Eagles, ranked fourth in 3A, are outscoring opponents by a whopping 35.1 points per game during a 9-0 start to league play. The trio of Everett (8-1), Stanwood (7-1) and Lynnwood (7-1) sit just behind the Eagles with one loss, and both Everett and 3A sixth-ranked Stanwood still have matchups with Arlington on the horizon. The Eagles, who already hold the tiebreaker over Lynnwood, host rival Stanwood on Jan. 25 and Everett two nights later.
A midseason leader will emerge in the Wesco 4A girls race Wednesday when Glacier Peak hosts Kamiak for the first of two contests. The Grizzlies and Knights are both 3-0, have won all their league games by double digits and are averaging over 60 points per game in conference play. The squads meet again in their regular season finale on Feb. 1.
Villa, Lincoln nominated for McDonald’s All-American Games
Arlington senior Jenna Villa and Monroe senior Adria Lincoln are among the nominees for the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Games.
Villa, a 6-foot-2 guard and Washington State University signee, and Lincoln, a 6-foot-1 guard and University of Montana signee, are among five girls nominees from the state of Washington. The others are Garfield’s Malia Samuels, Wapato’s KK Bass and Kamiakin’s Nikole Thomas. Over 300 players were nominated for the girls teams nationwide.
A selection committee will choose 24 players to compete in the girls game. The rosters will be revealed Tuesday, Jan. 24.
The last Snohomish County girls basketball product to be selected to the McDonald’s All-American Games was Monroe’s Kirsten Thompson in 2005.
Lakewood cheer team to compete at nationals
The Lakewood High School cheer team is heading back to nationals.
The Cougars were invited to compete in the National Cheerleaders Association Senior & Junior High School Nationals, which take place Jan. 22-23 in Dallas. Lakewood received its invitation based off its performance at the NCA Summer Camp held at Central Washington University in July, 2022. This is the second time the Cougars have sent a squad to compete in a national competition.
Lakewood will compete in the Coed Varsity Game Day Division, where it will perform a band dance, crowd-involvement cheer and the school’s fight song.
The team is comprised of Nicole Lesh, Landon Howe, Layton Howe, Patience Seeley, Kaylin Fitzpatrick, Carissa Merwede, Helena Burroughs, Payton Castle, Keely Coyle, Peyton King, Reislyn Peterson, Mabel Hunt, Jade Jones and Sofia Barrio. It’s coached by Kaytie Klinck.
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