After a decorated basketball-playing career, and a brief high-school boys coaching stint, Joel Yellow Owl was ready to focus on his growing family.

His oldest daughter was starting youth basketball in the Leopards Legacy program in Zillah. He was fine just overseeing that.

But then the shocking news hit town in August: Longtime high school girls basketball coach Brandie Valadez died from breast cancer. She was 41.

“I did not plan on her passing,” Yellow Owl said. “Nobody did. She was a fighter.”

But as the community grieved the loss of Valadez before attempting to find her replacement, something kept gnawing at Yellow Owl.

It was his own past personal-loss circumstances, and how they led him to Zillah in the first place.

“I was on the verge of dropping out at White Swan after a buddy of mine committed suicide the day before graduation,” Yellow Owl said. “But I transferred to Zillah, and (former boys coach) Doug Birge and the team welcomed me with open arms.”

Yellow Owl flourished as a guard in his one season at Zillah before graduating in 2011, then played in college at Yakima Valley College (NWAC) and Oregon Tech (NAIA) before becoming a coach and school counselor at Toppenish.

“It came full circle,” Yellow Owl said. “What those girls were going through then (after Valadez’s death), they needed somebody to step up for them now.”

So, Yellow Owl applied for the girls coaching position, and was hired in September to lead the program.

One of the first topics Yellow Owl addressed with the team was grief. He even suggested the idea of a “memory box” during tryouts where players could bring in a personalized item to honor their coach.

Bella Valadez, the late coach’s daughter, was one of the first players to participate, bringing in the wig worn by her mother during chemotherapy sessions.

“Bella said (the wig) reminded her of when they won districts over Cashmere,” Yellow Owl said.

“It was a way to remind us we are playing for a purpose, and it has been helpful.”

With its core of returning talent, and the transfer of top Kennewick guard June Fiander, who becomes eligible shortly, the Leopards are also managing high expectations. They are ranked No. 2 in Class 1A.

Zillah (6-1) will play West Valley on Monday in the SunDome Shootout and follow that with a Tuesday matchup with Deer Park, which is unbeaten and ranked second in 2A.

“We have to attack expectations,” Yellow Owl said. “That is something we have all agreed on.”