YAKIMA – Zillah baseball coach Matt Brown had last Saturday’s Class 1A championship victory by the Leopards pegged perfectly.

“That was a movie,” Brown said as the celebration engulfed the girls court in the Yakima Valley SunDome.

So, anybody for a sequel?

While it would be impossible to replicate the emotion and storybook finish Zillah had in winning its first championship, the big gold ball could be getting company next march.

The Leopards already have been labeled the favorite by VarsityWA and Evans Rankings.

On the boys side, Zillah and Royal finished second and third in state after placing third and fifth in 2025.

The Knights are set to return nearly its entire roster, including four of their five starters. If they’re again able to transition from football to basketball so seamlessly, a spot in the championship round could be in the offing.

Here is how Stat Hound sees next season unfolding, pending transfers and coaching changes.

BOYS

2025-25 CONFERENCE STANDINGS (COMPLETE STANDINGS HERE): Zillah 16-0, Royal 14-2, Cashmere 10-6, Connell 10-6, Wapato 9-7, Wahluke 7-9, Naches Valley 4-12, College Place 2-14, Kiona Benton 0-16.

TOP RETURNING SCORERS (REGULAR SEASON): Grant Wardenaar, Royal, 30.86 ppg; Kobe Corrales, Wahluke, 17.68; Kaiden Kirschbaum, College Place, 15.15; Mac Carlson, Cashmere, 14.57; Graham Palmer, Royal, 12.86.

RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE PICKS: First team – Mac Carlson, Cashmere, so.; Grant Wardenaar, Royal, jr.; Kobe Corrales, Wahluke, so. Second team – X Castilleja, Royal, Royal, jr.; Manny Ruvalcaba, Royal, jr.; Budda Aranda, Zillah, jr.; Adam Mauia, Connell, so.; Graham Palmer, Royal, fr. Third team – Dax Jenks, Royal, jr.; John Perkes, College Place, jr.

TEAMS ON THE RISE: Cashmere, Wahluke. ‘On the rise’ is relative in a conference that had two of the top three finishers at the state tournament, but the Bulldogs (Carlson, Colton Stendera) and the Warriors (Corrales, Rex Buck) both have scoring punches that could deliver their schools a state berth 50 weeks from now.

TEAMS WITH HOLES TO PLUG: Wapato, Zillah. After a midseason swoon, the Wolves found their stride and a berth to the state tournament. But now they are set to graduate six of their top seven scorers, including all-conference selections AJ Garza and T Fiander. Zillah graduates three of its starters – Dekker Van De Graaf, Memphis Jones and Jayden Saenz – and will need younger players to take on bigger roles next season. Under coach Mario Mengarelli, the Leopards always have had players ready to step up.

2026-27 FAVORITE: Royal. The Knights have finished third and fifth in the last two tournaments. This year, Royal was on the short end against Zillah four times in the conference’s newest and best rivalry, with two of the contests decided in the final seconds. With reigning SCAC MVP Grant Wardenaar leading the way, the perennial football power keeps adding to basketball history.

TEAMS WITH THE SUNDOME IN SITE: Royal, Zillah, Cashmere, Wahluke. The Leopards aren’t going away under Mengarelli, while Cashmere and Wahluke look to make the leap. The Warriors have never medaled in the state tournament, and only appeared in two regional-round games. They are coached, however, by Anfernee Cortez, who was a member of Zillah’s 2014 championship team.

GIRLS

2025-25 CONFERENCE STANDINGS (COMPLETE STANDINGS HERE): Zillah 16-0, Royal 13-3, Wapato 13-3, Cashmere 10-6, Naches Valley 7-9, Kiona Benton 6-11, Connell 5-12, College Place 3-13, Wahluke 0-16.

TOP RETURNING SCORERS (REGULAR SEASON): Makenna Klitzke, Zillah, 19.29 ppg; Graycie Kast, Royal, 16.49; Lauren Wardenaar, Royal, 16.19; Mia Staggs, Naches Valley, 15.70; Bella Valadez, Zillah, 14.00; Jordyn Bobb, Wapato, 13.75; Addie Talley, Cashmere, 12.90.

RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE PICKS: First team – Addie Talley, Cashmere, jr.; Mia Staggs, Naches Valley, jr.; Graycie Kast, Royal, jr.; Lauren Wardenaar, Royal, fr.; Jordyn Bobb, Wapato, so.; Makenna Klitzke, Zillah, jr.; Bella Valadez, Zillah, so. Second team: Marli Curtis, Connell, so.; Shelby Messner, Kiona-Benton, so.;  Brook Alvarado, Wapato, so.; June Fiander, Zillah, jr.; Lucinda Weaver, College Place, sr.; Angelina Buck, Zillah, jr. Third team – Faith Kenoras, Wapato, sr.; Gwen Ledesma, Cashmere, jr.; Keila Mondragon, Kiona-Benton, fr.; Maggie Frank, Royal, jr.; Erilynn Greybull, Wapato, jr.; Emmaria Mendoza, Naches Valley, so.

TEAMS ON THE RISE: Cashmere, Naches Valley. Figuring the teams who earned state berths remain on the path back to the SunDome, the Bulldogs and Rangers will try to claw their way to the tournament.

TEAMS WITH HOLES TO PLUG: None? There were just three seniors on the all-conference teams. A new starter here, a supporting role there, but no huge hits by graduation.

2026-27 FAVORITE: Zillah. In a loaded conference, the Leopards are jam-packed with talent and state experience. Royal and Wapato figure to get protected seeds next year at state. Cashmere and Naches Valley will try to pull some of its soccer success onto the basketball court again.

TEAMS WITH THE SUNDOME IN SITE: Zillah, Royal, Wapato, Cashmere, Naches Valley. Barring an extra berth, these four could be battling for four sports – with the Caribou Trail League and Northeast 1A.