Napavine earns top-four finish at Hub City Classic

When it took the floor at the Hub City Classic in Centralia over the weekend, the Napavine girls basketball team looked a little different than it has in recent memory.

Gone are five seniors, Napavine's entire starting lineup, including Hayden Kaut and Taylen Evander, the C2BL's 2026 Co-MVPs, all of which graduated only a few weeks ago.

Instead, taking the floor was a younger bunch that had some time at the varsity level, but naturally not nearly as much as the group that departed.

"It's about experience, because we lost a lot," Napavine coach Shane Schutz said.

That lack of experience didn't keep them from impressing at times in the tournament, though, as the Tigers went 3-2 to finish fourth in the tournament.

The Tigers won each of their first three games, beating Yelm, Centralia, and Fife, before losing to White River and Forks by a combined six points in their final two games.

Schutz was pleased with the way his team competed, and more importantly, the steps he felt they took together as a group.

"They're learning to play with (different) kids," Schutz said. "They're learning to play through fatigue. They're learning to play through everything, and that's where you learn to grow and come together as a team."

Among the expected returners who suited up on Saturday were Ava Ondong, Briley Fay, and Aubrey Williams, but Schultz said nothing is set in stone before November.

"Nobody's spot in the lineup is guaranteed," Schutz said. "We're shifting kids all around. If your kids are used to moving around all the time and used to or not used to being in the starting lineup, then it's not a big deal once the season comes."

W.F. West youth dip their toes in the varsity waters

Different obligations can lead to some kids missing out on the summer ball tournaments, which was the case for the W.F. West girls.

The Bearcats were down multiple regulars across the two-day tournament, but W.F. West coach Kyle Karnofski took the chance to get eight incoming freshmen onto the court in their six games, where the Bearcats went 3-3.

W.F. West beat Shelton, Black Hills, and Sedro-Woolley while losing against to White River, Forks, and Mark Morris.

"That's a good experience for them," Karnofski said. "They get to play with some of the returning varsity, they get to learn some of the terminology, and they get to see what it's like. So then in season, it's not as nerve-wracking."

That time on the court could pay dividends in the winter, when some may find themselves on the court in varsity action, whether with the returning starters or with other young players who are also on the floor.

"It's all about chemistry," Karnofski said. "You got every gamut of whatever it could be, and you're just trying to build some chemistry going into the season so they have some confidence in what they're doing."

'Undersized' Onalaska shows plenty of fight

Onalaska was without its two seniors, Emalie Jacoby and Kiley Talley, and Onalaska coach Alana Olson admitted that the Loggers were "undersized."

That didn't stop them from going 2-1 on Saturday before battling with Black Hills and Tumwater on Sunday. Onalaska lost both of those games, but only by a combined 12 points.

"I was happy with our fight," Olson said. "I'm really happy with their effort."

Both of Sunday's games were close in the final minutes, and though Onalaska didn't make enough plays down the stretch to come out on top, those scenarios are exactly the type of things Olson was hoping her team would face coming into the tournament.

"There's so much learning that comes from that," Olson said. "That's why we're here. To get to those situations and be able to learn from our mistakes and do it better the next time we get out there."

While the two seniors weren't able to suit up, the group's two juniors, Leighton Underhill and Leah Hamilton, were on the floor leading the way for the underclassmen.

Olson said that they have done well stepping into leadership roles, something that will be needed alongside Talley and Jacoby as the rest of the group grows into their varsity roles.

"Their mindset is just being out here ready to battle," Olson said. "The mentality is exactly what it needs to be. We're improving and we're getting more used to playing with each other out there."

Other area teams

Six other area teams competed at the Hub City Classic, including Black Hills, which had multiple returners, including Tyler Venable and Natalie Buchanan, two first-team all-league honorees last winter.

The Wolves went 4-1 across the two days, beating Toutle Lake, Sedro-Woolley, Onalaska, and Fife, while losing only to W.F. West.

Tumwater and Morton both picked up two wins in five games, Mossyrock and Centralia both went 1-4, and Rainier went 0-3 in three games on Sunday.

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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 11:30 AM.