Arlington teams look to hold on to titles at Tulalip tourney

ARLINGTON — If you’re in the 10th grade bracket of the Snohomish County Boys & Girls Club I-5 Extravaganza, you’re likely to run into a team from Arlington.

A pair of Arlington teams have been dominating their age group around the state for four years now, and this year teams Geeks in Sneaks and Stiflers Mom will challenge sophomores from all over.

The two teams will each be going for their third straight title Aug. 14 and 15 at the Tulalip Resort Casino.

Geeks in Sneaks, which will be trying to make its fourth consecutive title game, also won the same age group at the world’s largest 3-on-3 tournament, Hoopfest in Spokane two months ago. The team is made up of Lindsay Brown, Taylor Graham, Krista Showalter and Marissa Swegle, who have been friends since elementary school.

“We just kind of see each other and know what we’re going to do,” said Showalter. “We don’t have positions set, we just know what we’re all good at. Lindsay and I are the posts and Taylor and Krista handle the ball more.”

The foursome has been practicing in Showalter’s backyard for the last couple of weeks, along with Stiflers Mom members Dan Boyden, Terry Dawn, Skylor Elgarico and A.J. Passalacqua.

“We mix up the teams sometimes, but pretty much just play pick-up games,” said Showalter.

While Geeks in Sneaks relies on their teamwork and years of playing style familiarity to be successful, Stiflers Mom has a more immediately discernible advantage over most. With Boyden being the tallest at 6-5, the Arlington boys don’t have a single player shorter than six feet.

That kind of size has wreaked havoc in 3-on-3 basketball tournaments for three years, and recently earned the group the championship in the high school elite division.

“It was a lot of fun at Hoopfest because we don’t get challenged very often, but there were good teams over there,” Boyden said. “Usually I’m the tallest guy there, and how fun is that?”

Playing against boys over the years has helped Geeks in Sneaks to become one of the more physical teams in any tournament they enter, a trait that they take pride in.

“You can’t be a girlie girl,” Showalter said. “It’s funny when we play teams that whine and can’t handle it.”

Geeks in Sneaks is bracing for another rematch with Tacoma based Lady Blues, which it has faced in the championship game every year, losing just once — four years ago.

After four years of title games, Tulalip’s parking lot feels like their own backyard, even if it is only five miles away.

Contact Marysville Globe Sports Reporter Travis Sherer at tsherer@marysvilleglobe.com or 360 659-1300 Ext. 5054.

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