QUINCY — The Quincy Jackrabbits fifth-grade team finished third in the state tournament in Spokane to conclude their basketball season. The young team worked hard since October, and those efforts were rewarded as they finished as one of the top three teams in the state. 

“The girls are extremely proud of what they accomplished,” said the fifth-grade Jacks Head Coach Jeremy McCreary. “Finishing third in a state tournament is a huge deal especially considering how competitive the field is and to take third out of 32 teams is a big accomplishment.”  

The Jacks opened the tournament against Freeman, where they earned a 28-12 victory to make their way to the next round against a strong Ellensburg team that beat them in multiple matchups throughout the season. The Jacks proved dominant in their state game against Ellensburg, winning 33-7 to move on to the elite eight.  

“(Ellensburg) had their full team too, and we just came ready to play and had a surprise zone trapping press for them that we didn’t use in previous games,” said McCreary.  

Their next matchup was against another solid squad from Colfax, where the Jacks had a close game and came out on top 29-21 to reach the Final Four. The semifinals matchup was against the defending state champion, Cashmere. 

The coach said it was a tight game and he felt Quincy had Cashmere within striking distance, but they were unable to stop the turnovers against their opponent’s scrappy defense and came just short, falling 21-26.  

“They’re coached well, and he had those girls super aggressive,” he said. “It just feels like there’s 10 of them out there sometimes, and our girls just don’t see that level of speed a lot.” 

Quincy was ready to bounce back for their third-place matchup against Mountlake Terrace, where they earned an impressive 33-16 win to conclude their successful 2025/26 season. McCreary said the way that the Jacks competed in the tournament showed that this team can compete with anyone in the state. 

When comparing themselves to the top two teams in the state, with Cashmere taking second and White River taking first after a tight 21-16 championship game, McCreary said. He knows that in the future, the Jacks can pull out wins against these teams. 

Their strong defensive identity, which the fifth-grade team developed, and their strong team bonds are what contributed to their accomplishments this season, said the coach. 

“They are a very scrappy group and really win with their defense, that’s for sure,” said McCreary. “I would say they’re one of the closest teams I’ve coached in 20 years of coaching, especially with kids these days... they seem to be really close off the court.” 

The Quincy team’s success this season, he said, gives them the chance to be the group that inspires other athletes in the community to push themselves further and set a new standard for future athletics in Quincy.  

Each of these players have been playing together since first and second grade and watched the high school teams compete throughout the years, which helped boost their love for the sport and is expected to continue once this fifth-grade team reaches the high school level themselves.  

Coming off their state finish, McCreary said the Jacks are thinking about their goals for next season and one of them is to shoot for that first or second place finish. With a group of dedicated players and parents behind them, this team has high expectations for what they can accomplish in the future. 

“Most of them have a deep love for the game, so expectations are high, which is pretty foreign when you talk about Quincy girls basketball,” he said. “Hopefully, this group can inspire younger girls to play at a high level, like my four-year-old daughter, who is the ball girl for us.” 

5th Grade Jacks Roster 

Janessa Flores
Grace Keller
Maizie Diaz
Eva Buckley
Addison Baerlocher
Brooke Brown
Emma Flores
Sophia Reyes
Miiah Nuno 

    The Jacks fifth-grade players listen to Head Coach Jeremy McCreary on the sideline as they discuss their game plan during the state tourney.