Wahkiakum boys, Naselle girls ready for hooping season

It's basketball season for the Mules boys and the Comets girls and, before either program gets into the jam-packed December schedule, let's hear from the teams' head coaches about what they hope this season has in store and what they expect from their teams.

Wahkiakum boys basketball

After making the playoffs last season and graduating just one senior, the Mules boys basketball team holds plenty of promise for this season. Head Coach Rob Garrett and the Mules have high hopes, and the focus is on maintaining a positive approach and prioritizing the team over individuals.

"We think this is going to be a great season," said Garrett. "We have a lot of talent and kids who are willing to put in the work. If we can focus on celebrating each other and keeping the team goals first, we are going to have a lot of fun this year."

As the season gets rolling in earnest, the Mules opened with a big win against Ocosta on Dec. 4, beating the Wildcats 75-40. It was the first of seven December games for Wahkiakum, all of which will be played within two weeks. The last of these will be against the Washington School for the Deaf on Dec. 18.

In the early stages, Garrett said he wants to focus on three main areas this season: rebounding, pushing the ball with pace, and defense. With a deep team, Garrett hopes the Mules will stay fresh and play at a tempo beyond what other teams can match. In line with the three areas of focus, the Mules will implement strategies to maximize their advantages.

"Offensively, we want to get out and run," said Garrett. "This creates more offensive possessions, which leads to more shots for everyone. Defensively, we run a lot of match-up zone, but we will put different looks out there with similar concepts once we feel comfortable with our base defense."

Garrett wants to get back to the basics this season. If they can improve their fundamentals, the coach believes the talents can really shine through. As much as success is about talent, it's probably more dependent on hard work.

Garrett wants his teams to outwork opponents and have fun doing it. "We are always looking for our teams to celebrate one another and be great teammates on and off the court," he said. "We want our kids to hold themselves accountable and put in the work so they can truly enjoy the results they have hopefully earned the right to compete for come the end of the season. This group has a high ceiling, and if they put each other first, they will reach great heights this year."

Garrett is preparing for a couple of "huge games" coming up next week. Wahkiakum will travel east to play Sunnyside Christian on Dec. 13, and then they will play Willapa Valley at home on Dec. 15. Garrett said there is "unfinished business" between the Mules and Willapa Valley dating back to a defeat last season. The Sunnyside game will be a vital fixture later in the season, as it is a crossover game for the seeding committee to assess.

After that, Wahkiakum will have their Taste of State Tournament at Mount Vernon Christian over Christmas break, where they will see a good amount of high-quality competition.

"This will be challenging, but also a tournament we hope to represent well at," Garrett said. "After that, our goals are to have as much fun as possible! Win a league title, district title, and compete for the state title."

Naselle girls basketball

The Comets will dive headlong into league play in the coming weeks; but, in the early days of the season, Head Coach Marie Green has been putting her team through the paces, focusing on conditioning and fundamental skills.

The Comets split their first two games of the season. Naselle won in style against Tenino, 68-32, on Dec. 2, and then fell 53-38 to Toledo on Dec. 4. Green is hoping to keep ramping up this season, and the overall goal this year would be to make it to Spokane and place at state.

"Wouldn't that be telling you a secret," he said jokingly. "In all honesty, we are looking to push tempo as much as possible. We don't blame her. It's best to keep the treasure map a secret and show off the gold when you have it.

Regarding the team this season, Green was quick to express her affection for the group. She coached the Comets last season as well and was fortunate not to graduate anyone from the program. "We have 16 very talented high school athletes and just added five talented eighth graders to round out our group," Green said. "All of these girls have been playing together for me for the last handful of years and have really built a great dynamic."

That familiarity with her players has helped mold Green's approach to coaching this season. At the outset of each season, Green assesses what the team needs from the personnel that will be playing. With so many familiar faces in the locker room, this season already has a solid foundation in place.

"This year, with everyone returning, I wanted to continue building on where we left off," Green said. "Last season ended in heartbreak for the girls, missing out one game shy of making it to state. I know they are hungry to get there, so, really, I looked at where we left off and just picked up the pieces."

Green said her team knows what to expect in terms of pushing themselves and working hard at practice. Preparing her team means pushing them in practice so that when game time comes, Green's Comets are ready to dig in and out-grind their opponents. Green said the conditioning-first approach paid dividends last year, especially down the stretch.

While hard work and effort are expected, Green said the main thing she looks for in a team that she coaches is "respect."

"I myself love the game of basketball," she said. "I know that not all the girls who play love the game, but I ask them to respect the game. If they can do that, we can accomplish a lot. Without that, you can have team members on totally different pages, and that is not good for a program. From there, we build on the respect of the game and build on it with our teammates and trusting each other."

If the Comets can develop their trust in each other, there's no reason they can't continue to build and grow off a successful season last year to accomplish their goals.