As usual, the SCAC made plenty of noise last march at the Class 1A state tournament in the Yakima Valley SunDome.

Seven teams – three boys and four girls – advanced to the tournament and two teams on each side earned top-six trophies.

Zillah’s boys were third, and already have been ranked No. 1 with Dekker Van de Graaf looking to star for a fourth straight year.

Royal, fifth last year, will be led by junior Grant Wardenaar, who just quarterbacked the Knights to a fifth football championship in a row.

The teams split four meetings last winter with Royal winning the district title and Zillah winning the placing game at state.

Cashmere, which also advanced to state, and Wapato figure to be in contention for state berths.

On the girls side, Zillah placed fourth and is ranked second with the 1-2 scoring duo of Makenna 

Klitzke and Bella Valadez back.

Naches Valley was sixth at state, and graduation took its toll.

Wapato and Cashmere earned state berths and should contend again.

District 5, which includes the Caribou Trail League, will get two berths. The third- and fourth-place teams at district will meet the Northeast 1A’s top teams for two more berths.

It’s one berth less than a year ago.

PREDICTIONS

STATE QUALIFIERS

BOYS: Zillah, Royal. Crossover contenders: Wapato, Cashmere.

Zillah has its sights on a fourth state championship in nine seasons, while Royal will continue to prove its more than a football power.

GIRLS: Zillah, Wapato. Crossover contenders: Royal, Naches Valley.

The Leopards could make it a title game twofer for the school, and sophomores Jordyn Bobb and Brook Alvarado have the Wolves thinking big.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

BOYS: Dekker Van de Graaf, Zillah.

The Leopards standout makes it three years in a row if he wins again this winter.

GIRLS: Makenna Klitzke, Zillah.

The junior’s top competition for the award could come from teammate Bella Valadez.

BOYS TEAM-BY-TEAM

Cashmere Bulldogs

Coach: Levi Heyen.

2024-25 Record: 11-5 SCAC, 19-9 overall.

Postseason: State qualifier.

Top returners: Tobie Larson, sr., 11.3 ppg; Mac Carlson, so., 9.9 ppg; Tom McDevitt, sr., 9.6 ppg.

Outlook: The Bulldogs are getting a late start after several players were part of the state runner-up football team. They should also have success this winter after earning a trip to the Yakima Valley SunDome last march, and nearly advancing to the quarterfinals.

College Place Hawks

Coach: Curtis Pumphrey.

2024-25 Record: 0-16 SCAC, 1-19 overall.

Postseason: Did not qualify.

Top returners: Kaiden Kirschbaum, jr., 16.9 ppg; John Perkes, jr., 12.3 ppg; Zeke Hartwell, jr., 3.7 ppg.

Outlook: There’s no direction but up for the Hawks, and the 1-2 scoring punch of Kirschbaum and Perkes has them off to a 1-2 start with an overtime loss and another defeat that was within 10 on the road.

Connell Eagles

Coach: Devin O’Brien.

2024-25 Record: 6-10 SCAC, 10-12 overall.

Postseason: Did not qualify.

Top returners: Hunter Vanhollebeke, sr., 16.0 ppg; Adam Mauia, so., 9.1 ppg; Dalston Schwendiman, jr., 3.1 ppg.

Outlook: Vanhollebeke quarterbacked the Eagles to the play-in round of the 1A state playoffs in the rugged conference, and could them to the top half of the basketball standings, too.

Kiona-Benton Bears

Coach: Brian Arroyo.

2024-25 Record: 7-9 SCAC, 11-14 overall.

Postseason: District qualifier.

Top returners: Hayden Flores, jr., 3.2 ppg; Jorge Lepez, jr., 1.9 ppg; Micah Moore, jr., 1.0X ppg.

Outlook: Arroyo, a former assistant at Kennewick and Pasco, takes over needing to fill the hole left by the graduation of Spencer Hansen and the transfer of younger brother, Spencer Hansen.

Naches Valley Rangers

Coach: Rick Hartman.

2024-25 Record: 2-14 SCAC, 3-17 overall.

Postseason: Did not qualify.

Top returners: Dayne Brownlow, sr., 10.5 ppg; Owen Zimmerman, jr., 10.2 ppg; Koben Clark, jr., 9.3 ppg.

Outlook: Brownlow quarterbacked the Rangers football team on a turnaround that took them to the round of 32, and already has helped the basketball team match last year’s win total.

Royal Knights

Coach: Tim Ravet.

2024-25 Record: 15-1 SCAC, 25-3 overall.

Postseason: District champion and fifth at state.

Top returners: Grant Wardenaar, jr., 19.6 ppg; Manny Ruvalcaba, jr., 7.0 ppg; Dax Jenks, jr., 6.8 ppg.

Outlook: Ravet begins his Royal tenure with his top players coming off their sixth straight Class 1A state championship with the football team. They proved much more than footballers playing hoops, winning the district tournament and advancing to the state semifinals.

Wahluke Warriors

Coach: Anfernee Cortez.

2024-25 Record: 6-10 SCAC, 9-15 overall.

Postseason: District qualifier.

Top returners: Kobe Corrales, so., 16.0 ppg; Keaton Zirker, sr., 10.8 ppg; Rex Buck, jr., 6.4 ppg.

Outlook: The Warriors have a good group of returning players, who will try to climb the standings in the always tough conference.

Wapato Wolves

Coach: Adolfo Garza.

2024-25 Record: 10-6 SCAC, 15-10.

Postseason: Lost in winner-to-state.

Top returners: Jacob Bobb, sr., 11.1 ppg; AJ Garza, sr., 10.8 ppg; T Fiander, sr., 6.5 ppg.

Outlook: The Wolves fell a win away from the state tournaments, and have a strong base from which to launch another strong campaign geared toward a return to the SunDome in the first week of March.

Zillah Leopards

Coach: Mario Mengarelli.

2024-25 Record: 15-1 SCAC, 22-5 overall.

Postseason: District runner-up and third at state.

Top returners: Dekker Van De Graaf, sr., 21.7 ppg; Memphis Jones, sr., 13.3 ppg; Jayden Saenz, sr., 11.3 ppg.

Outlook: The Leopards already have been anointed the 1A favorite after giving eventual champion Annie Wright a go in the semifinals, and returning most of their offense, led by Van de Graaf, the reigning conference player of the year.

GIRLS TEAM BY TEAM

Cashmere Bulldogs

Coach: Brandon Eygabroad.

2024-25 Record: 12-4 SCAC, 18-10 overall.

Postseason: District runner-up and state quarterfinalist.

Top returners: Addie Talley, yr., 7.0 ppg; Kinsley Miller, so., 3.3 ppg; Gwen Ledesma, jr., 1.3ppg.

Outlook: Eygabroad takes over the program after leading Rainier to five state tournament berths in six seasons. One of his first duties will be replacing a strong senior class that took the Bulldogs to the SunDome.

College Place Hawks

Coach: Julie Hill.

2024-25 Record: 5-11 SCAC, 6-19 overall.

Postseason: Did not qualify.

Top returners: Lucinda Weaver, sr., 9.8 ppg; Charley Amick, sr., 4.6 ppg; Elli Andrews, sr., 3.0 ppg.

Outlook: Weaver gives the Hawks a solid scoring threat. If there’s support around her, College Place could start moving up the standings.

Connell Eagles

Coach: Darbi Pink.

2024-25 Record: 2-14 SCAC, 6-15 overall.

Postseason: Did not qualify.

Top returners: Marli Curtis, so., 9.0 ppg; Monserrat Tayabas Caro, jr., 5.2 ppg; Charlotte Zimmer, sr., 3.8 ppg.

Outlook: Pink, a former standout at Chiawana, takes the reins of the programs, with Curtis giving her a strong offensive threat against a tough schedule.

Kiona-Benton Bears

Coach: Tim Craven.

2024-25 Record: 6-10 SCAC, 9-14 overall.

Postseason: District qualifier.

Top returners: Addie Messner, sr., 8.2 ppg; Shelby Messner, so., 8.2 ppg; Keilah Franco, sr., 5.0 ppg.

Outlook: The Bears return several players and a good chunk of scoring from last year’s team as they try to make headway in traditionally one of 1A’s top conferences.

Naches Valley Rangers

Coach: LeVonte Allen.

2024-25 Record: 14-2 SCAC, 22-8 overall.

Postseason: District third place and state sixth place.

Top returners: Emmaria Mendoza, so., 4.7 ppg; Finley Hahn-Keenan, jr., 2.9 ppg; Mia Staggs, jr., 1.8 ppg.

Outlook: The Rangers graduated several players from last year’s team that advanced to the state tournament for the first time since 2007, knocked off two-time defending champion Nooksack Valley and medaled. But they’re off to a quick start with Staggs leading the way.

Royal Knights

Coach: Farrah Wardenaar.

2024-25 Record: 8-8 SCAC, 11-12 overall.

Postseason: District qualifier.

Top returners: Maggie Frank, so., 7.4 ppg; Avarie Hill, jr., 7.2 ppg; Briana Cedillo, jr., 6.6 ppg.

Outlook: The Knights return a good core and could be in position to move up the standings after finishing fifth behind four state qualifiers.

Wahluke Warriors

Coach: Makai Hirai.

2024-25 Record: 0-16, 0-21 overall.

Postseason: Did not qualify.

Top returners: Yohary Magana, jr., 6.9 ppg; Mia Morales, so., 4.2 ppg; Alexandra Rodriguez, so., 2.7 ppg.

Outlook: With just one senior on the roster a season ago, the Warriors return most of their roster as they aim to break into the win column.

Wapato Wolves

Coach: Shae Schimmel.

2024-25 Record: 11-5 SCAC, 15-11 overall.

Postseason: District fourth place and state qualifier.

Top returners: Jordyn Bobb, so., 13.2 ppg; Erilynn Greybull, jr., 7.1 ppg; Brook Alvarado, so., 6.8 ppg.

Outlook: The Wolves look to be the top candidate to slip into the second spot behind Zillah in the standings with plenty returning, although there is a sizable hole with the graduation of Trin Wheeler.

Zillah Leopards

Coach: Joel Yellow Owl.

2024-25 Record: 14-2 SCAC, 23-5 overall.

Postseason: District champion and state fourth place.

Top returners: Makenna Klitzke, jr., 18.7 ppg; Bella Valadez, so., 15.5 ppg; Angelina Buck, jr., 12.3 ppg.

Outlook: Yellow Owl takes over after longtime coach and Zillah legend Brandie Valadez succumbed to a lengthy battle with cancer. The Leopards are not only the clear favorite in the SCAC, but are likely to be playing for a placing trophy on the final Saturday of the season.