YAKIMA – The banquets and community celebrations haven’t been held yet, but the prospects of next year’s season are already being considered.

On the boys side, Zillah was unbeaten until the Class 1A state championship game, with SCAC rival Royal coming in third.

The Knights’ roster was made up predominantly of juniors, and again should be a factor at the state level.

West Valley, too, had a core of underclassmen and likely will be the favorite in the CBBN.

Preps reporter extraordinaire Todd Milles of VarsityWA polled coaches about whom they see as favorites for next season.

Matt Evans of Evans Rankings put together a formula that accounted for returning and graduating players, and added a ‘growth’ factor to the players scheduled to be back.

He also projected the number of berths each district will receive. The allocations have not been set for the 2026-27 school year.

Here are their prognostications, as well as comments from Stat Hound, which will look at the area’s three conferences beginning Saturday.

Are these guesses? Sure, but pretty darn good educated guesses, and will help fuel the offseason discussion.

CBBN

2026 QUALIFIERS: 8. West Valley, 16. Sunnyside.

IN VARSITYWA 2026-27 TOP THREE: 1. West Valley.

IN EVANS RANKINGS 2026-27 16-TEAM BRACKET: 6. West Valley, 15. Sunnyside.

THE SKINNY: Sophomore Austin Birley made a big leap from his freshman season, and is considered one of the top 10th-graders in the state, and if wings Jett Bremerman and Jrayden Whitfield make similar jumps, the VarsityWA prediction could be spot on.

CWAC

2026 QUALIFIERS: 3. Selah, 7. Grandview.

IN VARSITYWA 2026-27 TOP THREE: None.

IN EVANS RANKINGS 2026-27 16-TEAM BRACKET: 9. Selah, 11. Grandview.

THE SKINNY: It was a down year for the CWAC, but the returning backcourt of Oliver Pepper and JR Depell for the Vikings could start the back the other way. Grandview’s Braden Santos also should be a force next year.

SCAC

2026 QUALIFIERS: 1. Zillah, 3. Royal, 12. Wapato.

IN VARSITYWA 2026-27 TOP THREE:  2. Royal.

IN EVANS RANKINGS 2026-27 16-TEAM BRACKET: 2. Royal, 3. Zillah, 16. Cashmere.

THE SKINNY: The Knights transitioned from football to basketball seamlessly, with their only losses to top-ranked Zillah and King’s, which Royal avenged in the trophy round. A junior-heavy lineup could again have Royal making a deep run in the 1A tournament.

Graduation will take its toll, but there is still plenty left for the Leopards, who are used to reloading not rebuilding.