Something unprecedented

Every year since 2009, it’s been the Colton girls lifting the gold-ball trophy for the 1B state basketball championship. It’s a Washington record for all levels, both boys and girls.

And like a great song that gets played over and over, it’s a testament to the song.

Because the reasons for Colton’s constant presence at the top were particularly evident in their seventh consecutive title run. Even if 1B high school basketball games were seen only in black and white cardboard cutouts, the Colton girls would be identifiable. How they run to the huddle at every timeout or quarter-break; their crouch-down, arms-out wide stance on defense; the strong, top-to-corner-to-corner overhead passes; the catch-and-shoot-in-an-instant three-pointers. It’s as if they are 10 to 20 percent better than every other team at every single piece of the game.

"Fundamentals are a big part of our program," said 10th-year coach Clark Vining. "Just trying to focus on the little things. We definitely practice the same way we play in the game."

Vining works with Colton-Uniontown youth programs every year as the elementary school girls grow into the Wildcats’ system.

"If you start young enough, by the time they get to the high school level you can refine them," he said.

Each summer, the coach leads the high school team in about 40 games.

So the work and the time certainly goes into Colton girls basketball. But that in itself is not so different than many other programs, certainly in higher classifications – teams which the Wildcats often beat in non-league games during the year. It’s the way, however, that the time is spent.

Simply put, Vining’s achievement seems built on a smarter application of that time and effort: if his team proves better at every little thing, it might add up to something big, or in this case, unprecedented.

Garth Meyer

Gazette Reporter