After having one area team raise a state championship trophy and a multitude of others reaching the elusive state tournament in boys and girls basketball this winter, there's still one game left to go.
Hosted by Centralia College, the Class 2A/Class 2B SW Washington senior all-star game will put a bow on the 2023-24 season by showcasing the best of the best talent in the surrounding area. The girls game will kick off the night with a 5 p.m. tip and the boys will follow with an expected tip of 7 p.m.
At the door, prices will be $5 for adults, $3 for students who show a school ID as well as seniors and kids ages 12 and under. The most valuable players of each game will receive a commemorative ball following the final buzzer.
Napavine, the 2B girls state champs, will have its head coach Shane Schutz watch three of his stalwarts — Kiera O'Neill, Dakota Hamilton and Grace Gall — wear the Tigers' jerseys one final time. The B's squad also features Rainier's Haleigh Hanson, Onalaska's Cierra Berg, Winlock's Kindyl Kelly, Toledo's Stephanie Hanson plus Morton-White Pass duo of Kenzee Mays and Natalia Armstrong.
The A's squad for girls features the duo of Ava Klovas and Claire Johnson of Black Hills and the pair from Rochester of Mandy Andree-Cordell and Sara Haury. The Wolves' Herb Guscott will coach the team.
For the boys, it is area-heavy on the court and sidelines as Adna's Luke Salme and W.F. West's Chris White will coach the B and A units, respectively. All-area players Braeden Salme and Luke Johnson (Adna), James Gross (Napavine), Tyler Klatush (W.F. West) and Clay Morgan (Tumwater) will share the court once again.
Gross will get to play with his teammates and high school buddies Cael Stanley and Jarin Prather in a Tigers jersey. There are two players from Class 1B in Oakville's Courtney Price and Mossyrock star Zack Munoz.
White will get to call plays for Parker Eiswald and Lucas Hoff of W.F. West while Centralia and Black Hills each will have two seniors take the court. Cohen Ballard and Landon Jenkins represent the Tigers while Jack Ellison and Simon Nysted will play for the Wolves.
