Notebook: Garfield legend Walker returns to scene of prime

Joyce Walker still has her name in the Class 4A state-tournament program — as a player, not a coach. And her game still seems fresh in some people's minds, though she hasn't played high-school basketball for more than two decades.

Steve Berg, in his 25th year as Lake Stevens coach, remembers watching Walker play for Garfield in the late 1970s and 1980, when she led the Bulldogs to their first state title.

"She was a stallion," he said. "I'm glad she's not playing."

That's because Lake Stevens plays Garfield — the team Walker now coaches — in the quarterfinals today at 5 p.m. Walker, in her third year with Garfield, returned to state yesterday for the first time as a coach. The Seattle school is making its first trip to state in 10 years.

Walker scored 40 points in one game in 1980, a record that still stands. She also has the tournament mark for total points (114), highest average (38.0), field goals made (49) and field goals attempted (96) as well as the game records for field goals made (17) and attempted (33).

She's aware she still owns several records and perused the program in previous trips to the state tournament, when she came as a spectator.

"The last three years I've been reading it, 'cause I haven't had anything else to do when I got here," Walker said. "I'm hoping the Bulldogs can leave some records somewhere along the way."

Some of the players on this year's team are aware of her history. "They're so into themselves, they're not worrying about me," she said. "They're trying to lay their own history."

Much ado about 'do

Two things stood out about Kennewick's Leilani Mitchell when arrived at the 2000 state tournament as a freshman phenom: She was a cut above other 14-year-olds and she had never cut her hair.

Mitchell's mane inched further down her back each return trip to the Tacoma Dome — thanks in part to her mother, who would not allow her to trim it. So, one of the most noticeable things yesterday was the shorter ponytail.

Mom finally relented as Mitchell neared her senior year and Leilani said yesterday she had about 10 inches cut last summer.

"I like it a lot better," she said. "It's a lot easier (to take care of)."

Daugherty scouting trip

June Daugherty, Washington women's coach, was at the tournament yesterday looking at sophomores and juniors.

"Things go in cycles as far as depth," Daugherty said. "We're excited about some of the juniors and sophomores."

NCAA rules prohibit Daugherty from mentioning possible recruits, but it was obvious that two performers in early games she paid attention to were 6-foot-6 sophomore Kirsten Thompson of Monroe and junior point guard Reagan Pariseau of Spokane's Central Valley.

Notes

• Adria Layne, senior forward for Central Kitsap of Silverdale, lost her mother and grandmother to fatal strokes within a two-week span in January. "It was hard," she said. "The team has been a lot of help."

• Kennewick Coach Scott Parker said he considers the quarterfinal game in a tournament to be the most critical for any team. It could be especially true today when Kennewick (23-3) faces defending champion Central Valley (25-1). Parker said the excitement of being in the semifinals or final provides motivation for a team that gets that far.

• Erin Fraser, junior guard for Lake Stevens, is the daughter of Mac Fraser, the former Mount Vernon head coach who stepped down after winning the 2001 3A boys state title. One reason Mac Fraser stepped down was to spend more time watching Erin's games. He is an assistant on this year's Mount Vernon boys staff, but usually was absent for Friday games because he was watching Erin.

"I can't wear anything green (Mount Vernon's color) to Lake Stevens games or she gets mad at me," he said.

• Central Kitsap's leading scorers are two sisters with alphabet-soup last names — Emily and Nicole Zygmontowicz (pronounced "Zig-mon-toe-vich"). Nicole is a senior who will play soccer at Houston. Emily is a sophomore.

• Prairie players have nicknames on their warmups, including Cobra, Mongoose, Big Mac, Downtown, Reign and Gumbie.