One week, one game to get to the Yakima Valley SunDome.

The build-up for the the WIAA’s 2025-26 regional boys basketball playoffs is here as games will take place Friday and Saturday in all six classifications.

What’s at stake is one of next week’s 12 Class 1A state-tournament berths to Yakima.

The top eight WIAA seeds in each regional bracket are protected, which means they have guaranteed trips March 4-7 to the Yakima Valley SunDome.

But the lower seeds (Nos. 9-16) play in a winner-moves-on, loser-out format — with the winners also advancing to Wednesday’s state first-round games in the SunDome.

Here is a Class 1A overview — with players to watch, this week’s intriguing matchups and game predictions:

ONE-ON-ONE SHOWDOWN

If Chelan point guard Luca Faletto wanted to score 30 points per game, he could. But he prefers his facilitator role. Against Lynden Christian, the senior might need to hunt his shot more against the scoring duo of Dawson Hintz and Gunnar Dykstra.

POINTS POTENTIAL

Everyone knows defending state champion Annie Wright can put points on the board. Question is, how will an underclassman-heavy Gators group handle facing such an efficient offense, led by guard Conner Jensen, the 1A Emerald Sound MVP?

BORED SCOREBOARD

For sure, bodies will be banging into each other in the Zillah-Seattle Christian game, especially when Warriors big man Sam Althoff comes into the key as the team’s best source for offense. Leopards’ physicality wins out in a big way in this one.

DOUBLE-DIGIT DANGER

District 3 runner-up and No. 10 seed Cascade Christian is all about connectivity under alumnus Cody Shackett. And that really shows up in its team defense. If guard Cole Theiste and company can find enough offense, Cougars could be a trophy team.

LONGEST ROAD TRIP

For a change, this trek isn’t over the Cascades - it is from Canadian border to the Columbia River. Nooksack Valley, the last seed in the tournament, has to travel 285 miles to Camas High School for a Friday game against No. 9 seed Fort Vancouver.

10 PLAYERS TO WATCH

C Sam Althoff, Seattle Christian, sr.

G Jaxen Appelt, Fort Vancouver, sr.

G Dozie Asinobi, King’s, sr.

F Austin Collins, Annie Wright, soph.

G Luca Faletto, Chelan, sr.

G Dawson Hintz, Lynden Christian, jr.

G Conner Jensen, Bear Creek, jr.

G Cole Theiste, Cascade Christian, sr.

G Dekker Van De Graaf, Zillah, sr.

G Grant Wardenaar, Royal, jr.

GAME PREDICTIONS

No. 8 Seattle Christian vs. No. 1 Zillah

6 p.m. Saturday, Davis High School

For the Warriors to have a chance, they need season-best showings from their overmatched guards. Dekker Van De Graaf goes off for Zillah in this one.

VarsityWA pick: Zillah, 62-45

No. 7 Chelan vs. No. 2 Lynden Christian

4 p.m. Saturday, Lynden High School

Chelan has one elite guard in Luca Faletto. Lynden Christian has two all-state backcourt stars in Dawson Hintz and Gunnar Dykstra. Lyncs have more firepower.

VarsityWA pick: Lynden Christian, 76-57

No. 6 King’s vs. No. 3 Royal

2 p.m. Saturday, Davis High School

Royal is playing the Tim Ravet way, winning with ball pressure and physicality. And while King’s has had a late-season surge, it hasn’t handled those two traits well at all.

VarsityWA pick: Royal, 68-53

No. 5 Annie Wright vs. No. 4 Bear Creek

6 p.m. Saturday, Issaquah High School

Up-and-down Gators back on a high after winning District 3 title. But Bear Creek will do everything it can to confound new-cast 1A champions, who are still quite young.

VarsityWA pick: Annie Wright, 71-66

No. 16 Nooksack Valley vs. No. 9 Fort Vancouver

6 p.m. Friday, Camas High School

Pioneers are the lone losing-record entrant, and need to keep this game in the 50s. 1A Trico co-MVPs Jaxen Appelt and Leighton Livengood won’t let that happen.

VarsityWA pick: Fort Vancouver, 69-49

No. 15 King’s Way Christian vs. No. 10 Cascade Christian

6 p.m. Friday, Mount Tahoma High School, Tacoma

The Knights rely on Jackson Lovato and Patrick Carney for nearly all of their scoring, which plays right into Cascade Christian’s tidy and efficient halfcourt defense.

VarsityWA pick: Cascade Christian, 63-54

No. 14 Elma vs. No. 11 Overlake

2 p.m. Saturday, Issaquah High School

Should be a tasty matchup between Elma’s Isaac McGaffey and Overlake’s Xander Gregush, two high-motor wings who score. Guard play should be the difference.

VarsityWA pick: Overlake, 61-56

No. 13 Montesano vs. No. 12 Wapato

6 p.m. Friday, Davis High School

Talk about contrasting styles - the Bulldogs feature interior pair Caden Grubb and Mason Fry while Wapato lets it fly from anywhere on the perimeter, led by AJ Garza.

VarsityWA pick: Montesano, 58-55