It will be a weekend of remembrance, celebration and basketball in Zillah.

The district will host a celebration of life for longtime teacher, coach, tournament organizer and perpetual smile Louise Adams at 1 p.m. Saturday at Zillah Alumni Gymnasium. Adams, who graduated from the high school in 1964 before returning to help lead the growth of girls sports, died July 14 at the age of 80 shortly after suffering a stroke.

At the same time and about a mile away, the B-Strong 3-on-3 Tournament will be revving up on a few blocks of downtown Zillah.

The two-day tournament is in its third year, and will be in memory of Brandie (Bounds) Valadez, another Zillah legend who lost a yearslong battle with cancer last August.

“This is to honor Brandie for her love for the sport and the community,” said her husband Armando Valadez, who was busy Friday setting up for the tourney which will span Fifth to Seventh Streets, and First Avenue to Second Avenue.

There are 91 teams set to play over 10 age groups from second grade to adult, and both male and female. Food trucks, a dunk tank and car show and shine also are scheduled for the event, which should enjoy mild weather for the season.

These proceeds benefit Zillah Parks and Recreation, the girls basketball program and Zillah Legacy youth basketball program.

It’s been a whirlwind year for the girls basketball program. Following Valadez’s passing, Zillah hired alum Joel Yellow Owl to guide the program.

With a lineup heavy on returners from the 2025 squad which finished fourth at the Class 1A state tournament in the Yakima Valley SunDome, the Leopards raced through their SCAC schedule. They entered this year’s tourney seeded second, their only losses to eventual 4A repeat champion Davis, and 2A runner-up Prosser.

Zillah knocked off third-seeded Lynden Christian in the semifinals and No. 1 King’s and top recruit Kaleo Anderson in the championship for the program’s first championship in just their second berth in the final. Adams coached the Leopards to the title tilt in 1976.

In May, Valadez was inducted into the Washington Girls Basketball Coaches Association in Spokane, with the couple’s eldest daughter and all-SCAC guard Bella giving the acceptance speech.

“It’s been a lot of firsts without her – first birthdays, first holidays,” Armando Valadez said. “But there have been a lot of firsts that have been good things – first championship, first scholarship offer for Bella.”

Adams was there for the Leopards championship, having been one of the public-address announcers for many years at the SunDome.

Her passing saddened the Yakima Valley, and also helped some learn that she was a pioneer for girls sports.

“She was the epitome of, 'Once a Leopard, Always a Leopard,'” said Hall of Fame coach Cheryl Holden, a sophomore on the 1976 runner-up team. “We’re going to miss her and the entire Valley is going to miss her.”

The year of losses and victories demonstrates the community’s mettle.

“The city of Zillah has put through the ringer,” said Armando Valadez, himself a two-time state champion wrestler and standout running back at Zillah. “The basketball community has had a lot of adversity, but they’re rallying around.

“That’s what a small town does.”