A pair of dominant posts from the CBL 4A and a pair of SCAC East coaches who led their teams to the 1A state finals received top All-Area basketball honors from the Herald sports staff.
Pasco senior Gavin Gilmore was named the boys All-Area MVP after winning the CBL 4A Player of the Year award, averaging 18.8 points and 10.7 rebounds. He has signed with Seattle University.
"It's kind of a shock to me. There are a lot of good players out there," Gilmore said. "I'm very flattered."
As dominant as Gilmore was this season, including scoring a school-record 40 points in an early-season win over West Valley, he was named his team's Most Improved Player in a vote of his teammates.
"He's a great example for his teammates," said Bulldogs coach Chad Herron, whose school single-game scoring record Gilmore broke. "I don't think there could be a more deserving player than Gavin. He's definitely earned it."
While Pasco was bounced early in the postseason, falling to Eisenhower in the district tournament, the River View boys went farther than they ever had, reaching the state championship game before falling to Charles Wright 53-48.
Panthers coach Roger Sonderland was named the All-Area Coach of the Year for leading the team to a No. 1 state ranking for much of the year and culminating with its state tournament run.
"From the first day of practice, our first meeting, they made it our goal to play in the state championship," Sonderland said.
It wouldn't have seemed likely with a team comprised mostly of 6-foot-and-under players, but the Panthers (23-4) maximized their potential, playing a scrappy zone defense and living off dribble penetration and 3-point shooting.
"My players just took it one step farther this year," Sonderland said. "It was primarily that experience of being there before. This wasn't a surprise. We knew we could compete at that level."
It wasn't known if the Moses Lake girls could compete at the highest level, but led by All-Area MVP Carly Noyes, the Chiefs won the CBL 4A title, captured their first district title ever and reached the finals in their inaugural state tournament appearance.
Noyes played a big part. The 6-foot-5 junior won her second league MVP award in a row and also was named the league's Defensive MVP. She averaged 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game, and scored in double figures in all but one game this season.
"It's an honor, but I couldn't have done it without all the support from my teammates," Noyes said. "I expected us to do well, but it's just been an amazing experience, going to state, making it that far."
Noyes will be playing a lot of basketball during the offseason to improve her stock with college coaches, starting with a tournament this weekend in Spokane.
"The sky's the limit for her," said Chiefs coach Matt Strophy. "She's very deserving of this award, but there are always areas to improve for her, and being a senior next year, that will be more responsibility she'll have to take upon her shoulders."
First-year Columbia (Burbank) girls coach John Muchlinski was named All-Area Coach of the Year for leading the Coyotes to their first-ever state championship game after they repeated as SCAC East champs and won their first district title since 2005.
Burbank was making its eighth consecutive state appearance but had won its first-round game only twice in that span and never reached the semifinals.
"What I think I brought to the program was I really went with a strong defensive mentality, where I told the girls we're going to sit down and play as hard on defense as we can," said Muchlinski, whose team allowed only 36 points per game in finishing 23-4.
"If you look at the state tournament, I think it showed. In the Nooksack Valley game, they went 10 minutes without scoring. Granger went 6 or 7 minutes. Even Lynden Christian (in the state final) had a 4- or 5-minute stretch. We had a great team this year, and I owe this award to them."
Gilmore is joined on the All-Area first team by Prosser senior Kellen Crawford, the only area big-school player selected for the coaches association all-state games, Richland senior Ryan McKinney, Kennewick senior Robbie Mitchell (who finished his career with 974 points) and Hermiston senior JJ Ross.
While the boys team was all seniors, the girls team had an underclassman feel. Only Hanford post Brittany Quick, the CBL 3A MVP, is a senior.
Besides Noyes, Hermiston guard Shoni Schimmel, the Oregon 5A state scoring champion, is a sophomore; Moses Lake guard Jordan Loera is a freshman; and Othello post Allison Walker, who posted four 20-point/20-rebound games and reached 1,000 points for her career this season, is a junior.
* Rene Ferran: 582-1526; rferran@tricityherald.com.
Boys squad
MVP – Gavin Gilmore, Post -- Sr., Pasco: CBL 4A Player of the Year and Seattle University signee was a McDonald's All-American nominee; averaged 18.8 ppg, 10.7 rebounds.
Kellen Crawford, Post -- Sr., Prosser; First-team All-CWAC selection; led Mustangs to league title, 2A state trip; averaged 18.1 points, 13.3 rebounds, shot 67% from field.
Ryan McKinney, Guard -- Sr., Richland; First-team All-CBL 4A selection; averaged 15 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals; led Bombers to district title, eighth place at state.
Robbie Mitchell, Guard -- Sr., Kennewick; First-team All-CBL 3A selection and all-defensive team honoree; averaged 14.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.1 steals.
JJ Ross, Guard -- Sr., Hermiston; Intermountain Conference Player of the Year and McDonald's All-America nominee; averaging 16.6 points, 5.7 assists, 3.1 steals.
Coach -- Roger Sonderland, River View; In his 23rd season, he led the Panthers farther than they have ever gone -- a runner-up finish at the 1A state tournament.
Second team: Cody Bruns, G -- Sr., Prosser; Cody Meeks, F -- Jr., Hermiston; Tom Sanford, F -- Sr., Richland; Greg Stapleton, P -- Sr., Kamiakin; Gary Winston, G -- Soph., Walla Walla
Third team: Brett Clyde, G -- Sr., Connell; Levi Davis, G -- Sr., River View; Kody Fullerton, P -- Sr., Southridge; Jake Haworth, G -- Sr., Richland; Josh Loera, G -- Jr., Moses Lake; Andrew Mendenhall, G -- Jr., Southridge.
Girls squad
MVP – Carly Noyes, Post -- Jr., Moses Lake; Two-time CBL 4A Player of the Year and league Defensive MVP; averaged 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.9 blocks for 4A state runner-up.
Jordan Loera, Guard -- Fr., Moses Lake; First-team All-CBL 4A selection and all-defensive team honoree; averaged 13.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.4 steals.
Brittany Quick, Post -- Sr., Hanford; CBL 3A Player of the Year scored in double figures in 27 of 29 games; averaged 13.6 points, 9.5 rebounds as Falcons placed third at state.
Shoni Schimmel, Guard -- Soph., Hermiston; Two-time Intermountain Player of the Year; led Bulldogs to Oregon 5A title game; averaged 22.6 points, 4.5 boards, 4.3 assists, 3.4 steals.
Allison Walker, Post -- Jr., Othello; First-team All-CWAC selection; led Huskies to regular-season title and first state trip; averaged 19 points, 16.4 rebounds, shot 61% from field.
Coach -- John Muchlinski, Columbia (Burbank); First-year coach led Coyotes to share of SCAC East title, district crown and first-ever 1A state final in school's 11th all-time appearance.
Second team: Melissa Eastman, P -- Sr., Walla Walla; Tamara Jones, P -- Fr., Prosser; Tina Miller, G -- Jr., Kamiakin; Brianna Smith, G -- Sr., Burbank, Danielle Walter, G -- Soph., Pasco
Third team: Jordan Brown, G -- Sr., Prosser; Chelsey DePeel, G -- Sr., Hanford; Marcy Hjellum, F -- Jr., Kamiakin; Courtney Kirkwood, F -- Sr., Othello; Kelsie Ramsey, F -- Sr., Pasco; Kelly Sutherland, G -- Jr., Moses Lake.