Back at state

There are a few things I look forward to each year but the state B basketball tournament has to be the one that I plan for weeks in advance. The tournament has been in Spokane since 1958 starting at the old coliseum on Boone Avenue. For now it looks like the 2024 tournament will be the last one in Spokane. Costs for the tournament are escalating with arena rental being the biggest reason. So the future looks like it may end up in Yakima. Now I heard some stories as to the whys and wherefores but it looks like the community support in Yakima will be the downfall of Spokane’s lock on the tournament.

I can remember back in the 1960s and 70s when we would go to Spokane in February you would see posters in businesses of the State B tournament and when it would be held. I was watching the morning news on Tuesday and the anchors were talking and saying that the tournament was coming but they didn’t know when. After the break they said that it would start the next morning. There was a time that Spokane really embraced the B tournament but I wonder now.

It was a really good tournament this year with some great games. LRS would play the 2:00 game on March 1 against Adna. The Broncos came in as a 9 seed defeated Dayton-Waitsburg to go on to play a loser out game on Wednesday. The Pirates played Davenport in a protected game meaning winner gets a bye while the loser would still get at least one more game.

The Broncos has been playing really good defense for several weeks. The Broncos played great defense against Adna and would defeat the Pirates. On Thursday the 2nd seeded Morton White Pass Timberwolves would be the opponent. The T-Wolves were one of the favorites to win it all. They were big and athletic but the Bronco defense would prevail holding the MWP to a season low of 44 points.

In the semi-final game against Brewster LRS played great defense throughout the game and kept the Bears close. Brewster would rally in the second half and win by a score of 55-50. Shots just didn’t fall in the second half as they had been earlier in the game and unfortunately knocked the Broncos out of title contention.

Playing four days in a row took its toll on LRS in a game against Columbia Burbank. Burbank was on its third day of games and it seemed to be the difference in the game. LRS would come home with a fifth place trophy for all of the hard work that they put in. After upsetting Adna and MWP the Broncos were the lowest seed to place in the 2B ranks girls or boys. It was an interesting season and Coach Dustan Arlt and his assistants Gary Kelly and Trevor Jantz did a great job adjusting on the go.

Congratulations to the five Bronco senior who played their last game in a Bronco basketball uniform: Chase Galbreath, Hunter Dinkins, Hayden Melcher, Nick Labes and Cooper Miller. These young men came up just short of a tournament berth a year ago after enduring a shortened Covid spring season as sophomores. We really can’t say enough about how hard they worked to earn this state tournament trophy. You are appreciated and you will be missed.

The Broncos will have a good nucleus returning next year and having played at the state level should be incentive enough to work hard and make a return trip to the Spokane Veterans Arena to play basketball against the rest of the state. Since the NE 2B appears to be the top dog again competition should help the Broncos improve throughout the season.

The NE 2B Davenport Gorillas won the boys’ bracket by outlasting Brewster in a very entertaining and physical game for their first basketball title. The senior laden squad from Lincoln County follows another NE 2B (or Bi-County) team the Liberty Lancers who took home the state title trophy last year. A couple of league teams will be in the hunt next season as they are returning a lot of talented, experienced players.

The Colfax girls also won state topping Okanogan in the final. Colfax should be ready to defend the title again next year and the year after that.

In the 1B girls’ final 1 seed Neah Bay edged out 2 seed Mossyrock rallying from a halftime deficit to knock off the Vikings in an exciting game. And the 1B boys’ title went to the 1 seed Wellpinit Redskins who held off the Sunnyside Christian Knights. That makes back to back NE 1B championships. Cusick won it all last year.

It was another fun tournament and also quite memorable. I hope you had as much fun as I did watching great high school basketball.

— Dale Anderson is a sports columnist from Ritzville. To contact him, email [email protected].