Ella Brubaker leads Curtis girls basketball into playoffs

In every game, in every life, change is inevitable.

The Curtis Vikings girls basketball team knows that, having experienced a successful season one year ago then undergoing a change of coaches before the 2019-20 season.

The Vikings star post player, Ella Brubaker, also gets change.

“I actually liked soccer better,” Brubaker said. “Then I grew six inches as an eighth grader. I went from a being a point guard to a post, and I thought, maybe this is something I can do. Basketball became my thing.”

A year ago, Brubaker and the Vikings came within two points of a trip to the Class 4A state tournament at the Tacoma Dome. A 47-45 regional loss to Hazen ended their season.

Coach Jackie Thomas stepped down, and Gary Viggers got the job.

And the Vikings got off to another solid start in Brubaker’s senior year. There have been a few bumps in the road of late, though, as the Vikings make a run for the next step.

“We’re going through some growing pains,” Viggers said. “Some of the things we’re doing are new. Some are different.”

Curtis raced to a 5-1 start this season, including getting to 4-1 in the SPSL. It was a streak that ended with a 50-41 win over Olympia on Dec. 17 and included a 51-50 win over the Bellarmine Lions, the team currently in second place in league play.

Since then, though, the Vikings slid back, finishing league play with a 9-7 record.

It hasn’t been for lack of trying on Brubaker’s part.

“Ella is a quality player,” Viggers said. “She’s serious about basketball. Just look at what she’s doing for us. She’s had some nights where she’s gone for 30, 40. She’s going to break into college and do great.”

Over the first 10 games of the season, Brubaker averaged 21.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, a steal, a block and an assist a game, filling up the stat sheet on a nightly basis.

College is the next evolutionary step for Brubaker, whose set on where she will play in the fall. Brubaker took her official visit to The Master’s University in Santa Clarita, a program that was ranked No. 1 in the NAIA until a 61-60 loss to No. 5 Vanguard (a Golden State Athletic Conference foe) recently, and just knew.

The Master‘s also is a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association.

“It was a perfect fit,” Brubaker said. “I took my visit at the same time as Liv. She also committed. And, my faith is a big part of my life.”

Liv is point guard Liv Tjoelker, who has led the Lynden Lions to a 14-0 start and a trajectory for that squad’s own state tournament appearance this season.

Brubaker and the Vikings will need to turn things around again if they hope to get back there. But she gets that, too.

“I definitely have a bigger role this year,” Brubaker said. “It’s time for me to step up as a leader and a scorer, also. This year there is kind of a different atmosphere. I’m glad for that.”

Viggers, for his part, is looking for the turnaround.

“When the girls get tired, sometimes they resort back to what they’ve done in the past,” Viggers said. “We have some talented kids. We’re hoping that leadership is going to pay off.”

This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 5:33 AM.