State 2B boys: Colfax one of three teams vying to be first undefeated state champion in seven years

It has been seven years since a 2B boys basketball team went unbeaten, but if there was a season it could happen again, this is it.

Three of the 12 boys teams at the Arena this week sport an unbeaten record, including No. 1 Napavine (23-0), No. 2 Columbia of Burbank (24-0) and No. 3 Colfax (26-0).

“There are some really good teams,” Colfax coach Reece Jenkin said. “It’s going to be an extremely competitive tournament.”

Colfax, which awaits the winner of Wednesday’s game between No. 5 Tri-Cities Prep (18-4) and No. 12 Wahkiakum (19-6), is back in the tournament two years after its last appearance.

“We had quite a few sophomores on that team, and so we have a couple kids that have had some experience in that setting,” Jenkin said, “and a couple younger kids who weren’t in high school yet. They get to grow up real quick.”

Seeking its first state championship since 2012, Colfax’s path could cross with two Northeast 2B rivals – and experienced programs in their own right – in ninth-seeded Northwest Christian (17-9) and seventh-seeded St. George’s (19-7).

St. George’s, 8-2 in its past 10 games, opens against No. 10 Adna (19-7) in the top half of the bracket at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Columbia awaits the winner.

NWC, which has won nine of its past 11, faces No. 8 Chief Leschi (19-7) at 9 p.m. Wednesday; the winner gets Napavine in a quarterfinal.

“Our league does a great job every year preparing us for the state tournament,” Jenkin said.

“We see some great competition and different styles of play. I think we’ve all helped each other get better all year.”

While both teams from the 2023 championship game – when Davenport beat Brewster 65-58 – are not in this year’s field, nine of the 12 teams are back from last year.

St. George’s, which lost to Kittitas in the state title game in 2018 and 2019, is seeking its first championship since 2013, when it defeated Colfax 50-28.

Northwest Christian’s most recent state championship came in 2016. It also won five of the six titles from 2006 to 2011.