So just why, exactly, was the Chelan boys basketball team not considered to be state championship contender this year?

In hindsight, it’s kind of hard to figure out.

Now, we’re not saying that the Goats are the favorite to win it all at this point. Even though they won their state quarterfinal game against Vashon Island on Thursday at Yakima’s SunDome with relative ease, they still have to take on a tough Zillah team tonight in a semifinal game, and if they win that one, they might have to play perennial power and tournament favorite Cascade Christian in the final.

However, it’s now evident that the Goats are a better team that a lot of people thought they were going to be this year. Teams don’t go on 17-game winning streaks, like the one Chelan is on now, unless they are well-coached and possess an abundance of talent.

Last season, the Goats, led by the University of Virginia-bound Joe Harris, was favored to win the title, but lose their first state tournament game (to Vashon Island) and ended up taking fifth place. This year, it was automatically assumed that the Goats would fall off without the services of Harris.

As it turns out, though, this year’s team has advanced further than last year’s team.

“The underdog role has grown on the players, honestly,” said Chelan coach Joe Harris. “They like the fact that whether we get respect or not or whether we’re at the top of the heap, they are definitely a group of guys that work extremely hard, and there is no quit in them. That’s why we’ve put together this nice run. Guys aren’t backing down.”

While nobody would argue that the team doesn’t miss the services of the younger Harris, it’s easy to forget that he was surrounded by several other talented players that have assumed crucial roles on this year’s team.

The Goats have also been buoyed by the rise of sophomore guard Michael Amsel Jr., who has become one of the best players in the Caribou Trail League over the past couple of months. They have a unique player in senior Aaron McQuaid, a 6-foot-5 forward who is equally adept at banging inside for rebounds as he is draining 3-pointers. Fellow big man Tyler James, a junior, emerged as one of the league’s most improved players early in the season. Senior Evan Reister and junior Matt Robinson provide steady presences on both ends of the floor.

And perhaps most importantly, the Goats have three players (McQuaid, Reister and Bronson Louie) that have now played in the state tournament for three straight years.

“(Postseason experience is) invaluable,” Harris said. “Anytime you have guys feel comfortable out there, the confidence starts to rise, and they start making plays. We’ve got a couple of younger guys who give us a lot of energy, and when you throw them in there with the older guys, it’s a good mix.”