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KENNEWICK -- Only a few hours had passed since the Kamiakin girls soccer team lost 1-0 in the consolation game of the 4A state finals Saturday in Lakewood.
The mood was dour, and there wasn't much to celebrate after the Braves ended an otherwise stellar season with two straight losses to Issaquah and Kentwood.
Then coach Chris Erikson, who had been diagnosed four months earlier with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, stood up in front of the team and broke the news that she was cancer free.
The resulting cheers might have led the neighboring Red Robin patrons to believe that this was the team that had won the state championship. But this celebration meant much, much more for the Braves.
"How special is a season like that when you can put the focus on more than just winning?" said Erikson, who will continue working with doctors to monitor for any sign of the cancer's return, but for now is in complete remission.
When senior forward Jori Skorpik heard the news, the emotions that had built up during a season of concern for her beloved coach broke like a dam. The CBBN co-MVP, who just hours earlier was crying tears of frustration, overflowed with joy.
"Me and all the seniors were crying, because she's been with most of us since our freshman year," said Skorpik, the Herald's All-Area MVP. "We have a close bond with Coach. She's seen me grow up."
Skorpik finished the year with 21 goals and eight assists, helping Kamiakin finish 18-3-1 in one of the Braves' most memorable seasons. It meant a lot to Skorpik, too, after returning from matching ACL surgeries in her left and right knees. But the three-sport standout's bionic knees held up.
"It was our team goal to go to state and to do it for coach," Skorpik said. "I didn't set many personal goals for myself, just for the team to do really good."
Kamiakin escaped with a 2-1 overtime win against Moses Lake in the regional round and then slipped by University 1-0 in overtime in the first round of the 4A state tournament. In the quarterfinals, things got even tighter, as the Braves pulled out a 2-1 shootout victory over Lewis & Clark.
"It was a little nerve-wracking, but you've just got to keep believing and making things happen," Skorpik said. "Getting a corner kick or a foul close to the box. You just keep trying and hoping."
Erikson picked up her third Herald Coach of the Year nod after sweeping the league, district and regional titles for just the third time in her 23-year coaching career, earning her fifth trophy finish at state. She now has eight league titles, 11 district titles and 325 career victories -- a Washington state record, according to the NSCAA/adidas website.
The Braves' season was a perfect confluence of senior maturity, young talent and a strong sense of purpose. Erikson's inspiration didn't hurt, either.
"The beauty of it was seeing everybody come together so much, probably for many reasons," she said. "This was very special for me. I was more involved in coaching this season, because I needed it. The distraction was pretty nurturing for me."
Skorpik is one of four repeat selections to the first team along with La'Quilla Upton of Southridge, Helen Peterson of Prosser and Kaylie Winston of Pasco, a three-time first-team selection. Winston ended her career with 56 goals, second only to teammate Shawna Anderson (57) in school history.
Rounding out the list are nine players making their first-team debut -- Olivia Diaz, Sam Lee and Kenzie Lubeck of Richland; Brianna Brannan and Kristyn Bohlander of Kamiakin; Kala Koelzer and Rachel Taylor of Connell; Anderson of Pasco; and Heather Johnson of Southridge.
