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This season hasn't been without its challenges, but Kamiakin continues to show why it is a perennial contender for the league title.
Coach Chris Erikson, who last season collected her 300th coaching victory with the Braves, was quite pleased with her team's returning depth after falling one win short of the 4A state playoffs in 2008.
But injuries to key players have forced Erikson to shift her lineup a bit and force some young players to the forefront. As the season has worn on, however, those changes have yielded some positive results.
"It gave us an opportunity to try some different things," Erikson said of the injuries to defenders Shelby Bigness, Emily Meyer and Emily Smith as well as forward Shelby Gunion.
In spite of the setbacks, the Braves have still positioned themselves again for the CBBN title. Jori Skorpik has come back from two knee surgeries to lead the league in goals (15) and assists (8), while teammates Kristyn Bohlander (7g, 6a) and Macy Brannan (6a) are among the top playmakers.
With five games left -- and three of those at home -- Kamiakin (9-2, 8-1) leads the CBBN, maintaining a half-game lead over Richland (9-1, 7-1) and West Valley (9-1, 7-1).
Granted, three of those games are against Pasco, Southridge and West Valley, and as Erikson said, there are virtually no gimmes in the CBBN this season.
"It's a very interesting league. It's 10 teams deep," she said. "There are a lot of good defenders and a bunch of good forwards. It makes for some good games."
-- One team that has fallen on especially hard times is the Kennewick Lions, which lost its 13th straight game with a 7-0 loss to Kamiakin at Lampson Stadium. The Lions' last victory came almost a year ago on Oct. 11, 2008: a 1-0 shootout win over Davis.
Actually, the loss to the Braves was one of the kinder ones for the young team under first-year coach Dwight Brayton. The Lions have been outscored 82-1 this season, including three double-digit losses to Eastmont, Prosser and Richland.
But believe it or not, things are looking up for Kennewick under Brayton, who led the boys program to a rare regional playoff appearance last spring and a shocking near-upset of top-ranked Pasco.
"One thing you've got to do is get their trust up, and I think I'm starting to get there," Brayton said. "Another thing is to start getting them to play more than just during the high school season."
Brayton said that the 44 players who came out this season was a 50 percent increase over last year. Plus, he's got a good young base to start with in freshman defenders April Williams, Stephanie Wilson and Megan Young -- all club players.
"Megan is our best player. She's got a lot of charisma," Brayton said. "Right now we're just setting small goals we can meet."
