Final Elite Eleven for 2006-07

We review the Washington State 2A tournament and crown our Elite Eleven champion in this, our final report of the high-school season.

Now that we've taken a few days to recover, we wanted to tie up some of the ends still loose after the Washington state championship tournaments:

The 2A championships: We went to the first day and, of course, followed this classification all season. So it was no surprise that River Ridge claimed the championship. If everything that comes around, truly went around, Issaquah would have won 3A. Then both direct victims of Chief Sealth's recruiting scandal would have been squared.

2A Placings

1. River Ridge (25-2)
2. Tumwater (20-7)
3. East Valley (23-4)
4. Sehome (21-7)
5. Ellensburg (22-6)
6. Black Hills (20-7)
7. Prosser (21-6)
8. Lyden (13-16)

With no team really having a dominant inside player, the Hawks were best positioned because of their experience - Sophie Russell was a starter on the 2005 3A finalist and Courtney Blume was a key reserve - and athleticism - in the form of Keisha McDonald, Santia Sanders and Krystal Smith. The other finalist, Tumwater, also was not a surprise as the T-Bird surged down the homestretch behind point guard Ashley Andrews and forward Morgan Schwegler.

In fact, the Evergreen Conference, which also had Black Hills place sixth, proved itself the dominant 2A league in the state.

The CWAC also had three placings, with East Valley third, Ellensburg fifth and Prosser seventh. With Prosser's Gonzaga-bound Claire Raap and Ellensburg's Kayla Standish, the tournament MVP, the CWAC also had the biggest stars. Standish, in fact, was the focus of several Pac-10 scouts during the tournament.

Actually, the entire power of the 2A classification lies in just three leagues with the Northwest Conference claiming the other two placings with Sehome at fourth and Lyden a suprising, 13-16 eighth-place finisher. An even bigger surprise than Lynden's success was Anacortes' letdown. After steaming along undefeated until an upset by Sehome in districts, the Seahawks were an impressive team with their pace and unselfishness.

The final Elite Eleven: It is without hesitation that we crown Lewis and Clark as queens of Washington state for a second straight year. The Tigers had more than enough in their tank (only my generation will get that reference), with Division I recruits Katelan Redmond and Lyndi Seidensticker, along with athleticism galore from their underclassmen, with Kiki January and Brittany Kennedy stepping up, big time, in the championship game.

Stephanie Wilber (left) of Riverside

Lewis and Clark also played defense that was as impressive as any we've seen in the entire country. Though Auburn Riverside is the feel-good story of the postseason, and also had defense as its foundation, L&C's was nasty, in-your-face pressure that likely can only be produced by a 4A school because of the depth required. That is why the top of our rankings is dominated by 4A schools.

It was very clear that the re-classification produced a dominant top level and essentially split the old 3A into the new 3A and 2A, at least among the elite teams. It will take an extraordinary 3A (or 2A) team to top this list.

The Vandersloot-Wilber conundrum: As we did with Kentwood's Courtney Vandersloot the week before, we received some feedback about our national ranking of Auburn Riverside's Stephanie Wilber. Both are extremely fine players, about whom we've written reams of material. Both also are among the best players in the country.

However, rankings, in our view, are as much about being defendable as they are an accurate reflection of reality. Maybe in 10 years, we'd have the experience and credibility to say, "this is the way it is, trust us" - though it's doubtful we ever would. At this point, we cannot even say, "well, didn't you see them at (name an event)?" Chances are, many did not.

This is a pig-headed, wrong-headed region that has allowed ego-maniacal and/or controlling and/or money-driven - and therefore possessive - coaches to keep the club programs far too abundant and popcicle-stand level. Players such as Vandersloot and Wilber will be continue to be underexposed, under-ranked and, sometimes, under-committed as long as there is not a regionalized club team in this area.

Finally, HoopGurlz.com thanks KING-TV's Sports Blitz and The Seattle Times for featuring the Elite Eleven Rankings each week during the high-school season.

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HoopGurlz.com Elite Eleven

Washington State's Top Teams Without Regard to Classification
Final Ranking

1. Lewis and Clark (4A) Record: 26-3 Last: 1
Comment: Kiki January, Brittany Kennedy provide three-peat foundation.

2. Kentwood (4A) Record: 28-1 Last: 2
Comment: Lindsey Moore will keep the Conks among the state's best.

3. Auburn Riverside (3A) Record: 25-2 Last: 6
Comment: The Ravens lose a big piece in Stephanie Wilber, but that's it.

4. University (4A) Record: 26-3 Last: 4
Comment: Losing Angie Bjorklund and Dara Zack will be insurmountable.

5. Mead (4A) Record: 24-7 Last: 5
Comment: Alexis Olgard and Jazmine Redmon will keep Mead a force.

6. Chief Sealth (3A) Record: 25-4 Last: 7
Comment: The cupboard will be bare and things back to "normal."

7. Meadowdale (3A) Record: 26-2 Last: 3
Comment: Mavs lose toughness in Marelle Moehrle, but have everything else.

8. Prairie (4A) Record: 20-5 Last: 8
Comment: Ashley Corra, better supporting cast can restore Falcons' glory.

9. Mount Tahoma (4A) Record: 27-2 Last: 9
Comment: Shauneice Samms can make her records unbreakable.

10. Jackson (4A) Record: 23-4 Last: 10
Comment: The T-Wolves lose Brittany Eskridge but have Kristi Kingma back.

11. River Ridge (2A) Record: 25-2 Last: NR
Comment: The Hawks have just about everyone back for a 2A title defense.

The Wait List
Anacortes (2A) 25-3; Auburn Moutainview (3A) 18-11; Black Hills (2A) 20-6; Brewster (1A) 21-2; Burlington-Edison (2A) 19-7; Colfax (1A) 29-2; Columbia (1A) 19-2; Curlew (1B) 24-3; East Valley (2A) 22-4; Ellensburg (2A) 22-6; Evergreen Lutheran (2B) 21-2; Issaquah (3A) 21-7; King's (1A) 25-4; LaSalle (2B) 23-3; Lynden Christian (1A) 26-2; Moses Lake (4A) 22-4; Mossyrock (2B) 24-2; Napavine (2B) 25-1; Pasco (4A) 22-3; Prosser (2A) 21-6; Pullman (2A) 21-2; Seattle Prep (3A) 23-5; Sehome (2A) 20-7; Skyline (3A) 23-5; Skyview (4A) 19-7; Sprague-Harrington (1B) 25-4; Tumwater (2A) 20-7; West Valley (3A) 17-13.

More Elite Eleven Rankings:
Dec. 4: No Satisfaction for Issy
Dec. 11: Sealth or Riverside?
Jan. 8: Stuff Happened
Jan. 17: Week with Buzz
Jan. 23: Cream Has Risen
Jan. 29: Second Time Around
Feb. 5: Any More Questions?
Feb. 12: Aura of Invincibility
Feb. 18: Twists & Turns
Feb. 27: Those Left Behind
March 5: Final Thoughts on 4A

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