Historically, programs like Toppenish have experienced periods of dominance fueled by a willingness to do whatever it takes to appear at the top. These cycles often last around three years before shifting. For example, Curtis High School was recently a top program with strong coaching. When their successful coach left, they hired someone with a controversial track record, and the team quickly declined, becoming one of the weakest in 4A within a few years. Similarly, Chiawana went from being 4-time state champions to having just one placer at Tri-State after losing their top coach.

The distinction with Toppenish is that their success wasn’t rooted in exceptional coaching but rather in having resources and individuals who were willing to push and break boundaries to maintain their status.