The Eastlake Wolves girls basketball team won three loser-out games en route to a berth at the Class 4A state tournament at the Tacoma Dome.

The Wolves, who lost 44-36 to the Camas Papermakers in the first round of the state tournament on March 1, finished the 2016-17 season with an overall record of 19-7.

The Wolves displayed grittiness and mental toughness during their unforgettable playoff run to the Tacoma Dome. The Wolves are a youthful team and will return 11 of their 12 varsity players from this year’s squad next season.

Eastlake’s run during the 2016-17 campaign is reminiscent of the 2012 Seattle Seahawks. The 2012 Seahawks picked up steam toward the end of the season before narrowly losing to the Atlanta Falcons 30-28 in the NFC Divisional playoff round.

In 2013, the Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII courtesy of a 43-8 victory against the Denver Broncos.

Next year, I expect the Wolves to go deep into the Class 4A state playoffs. I wouldn’t be surprised in the least bit of they hoisted the state championship trophy in March 2018.

The Wolves will return 2016 Class 4A KingCo co-MVP Gina Marxen to the starting lineup. The left-handed floor general is proficient at making clutch shots from the perimeter, driving to the hoop and unleashing pinpoint passes to teammates. Also back on next year’s roster will be post player Keeli Burton. Burton, who captured 2017 Class 4A KingCo first-team all-league honors as a freshman, absolutely dominated the paint for the Wolves. Burton has a wide array of post moves on the block and possesses a formidable mid-range jump-shot.

Cameron Edward, who captured 2017 Class 4A second-team all-league honors, is a deadly shooter from beyond the arc. Every time I watched an Eastlake game this past season it seemed like Edward would hit a critical 3-pointer in a pressure-packed moment. Elizabeth Chen and Stacie Keck earned 2017 Class 4A KingCo honorable mention nominations this past season as well. Keck was a solid shooter from the perimeter and Chen was the ultimate hustle player that every team needs. Chen had a knack for coming up with timely rebounds, steals and loose balls.

The starting five is fully intact and will return as an experienced group during the 2017-18 season. The Wolves are a selfless basketball team. They always make the extra pass, play incredible team defense and play as a complete unit. Eastlake head coach Sara Goldie, who champions the importance of team camaraderie, is the kind of coach who gets the most out of her players. Following Eastlake’s 83-50 victory against the Curtis Vikings in a winner-to-state, loser-out regional playoff game, Goldie spoke about her team’s chemistry.

“The girls love each other and love this game. They love to compete. They believed and this is what this is all about,” Goldie said. “We knew coming into this year we had a young team with a lot of ability and talent. We just had to find our way and stay strong with what we believed. We have a system in place and the girls believe in it. There is a lot of trust on the floor. This is a huge win and a huge milestone for us.”

I have the feeling more milestones are on the horizon for this talented basketball squad.