Tacoma Dome Plan Brings Up Questions About Sites Of Semis

Last month’s vote by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association executive board to move the state championship football games from the Kingdome to the Tacoma Dome doesn’t mean the hard decisions are over.

In fact, before the executive board made its decision, the phones started ringing in the WIAA offices and they haven’t stopped yet.

It’s not really the decision that callers are questioning. After all, because the Tacoma Dome was offered rent-free for the first couple of years, the WIAA passes on a savings of about $250,000 to member schools over five years.

It is the semifinals that have almost everyone east of the Cascades concerned.

Basically, all of the West Side semis are played in the Tacoma Dome, definitely giving the winners a home-field advantage entering the championship games.

“I told the board if they decided to use the Tacoma Dome, they were going to have to come up with a more equitable way for the East Side semifinals,” WIAA executive director Mike Colbrese said.

Colbrese said a number of options are under consideration.

One, according to Colbrese, would be to move the West Side semifinals outside.

Another, he said, would be to alter practice sessions the day before the championships. Currently, each team for the five games has 90 minutes, but that could be changed to give East Side teams 2 or 2 hours while the teams with experience in the Tacoma Dome could be cut to 30 minutes.

Two less likely options, Colbrese said, include putting the West Side semifinals in the Kingdome and having East Side teams go to Tacoma for their semifinals, turning the semis into a two-day extravaganza.

It’s not too late to put in your two cents worth. The options will be discussed at the next board meeting around the end of July and a decision should be made at the September meeting.

Harvest

High school football players are following in the footsteps of college players. The first Reebok preseason combine in Washington was held two weeks ago Saturday.

About 250 seniors-to-be, with permission from their high school coaches, attended the daylong combine at Juanita High School in Kirkland. They went through agility drills, ran the 40-yard dash, had their vertical leap measured and bench pressed 185 pounds.

Results are available to NCAA Division I recruiters. Division II and NAIA coaches were allowed to attend the combine.

Juanita athletic director Mike Thomas said those connected with the combine were pleased, including Reebok, and he expects it to become an annual event.

“I think it’s another exploitation of kids,” he said. “I think what it does is it continues to drive home this belief high school kids have to be like college kids and that’s the furthest thing from what we’re trying to do.” Washington is the 21st state to put on the combine.

Prime time stars

Friday’s Eastern Washington-North Idaho Girls AAU All-Star Basketball Classic at 7:30 p.m. at Lake City in Coeur d’Alene is the first of a summer full of games.

On Saturday, it’s the Whitman County vs. Bi-County senior boys all-star game at St. John. Game time is 6 p.m.

The Coach’s Association boys basketball all-state doubleheader will be played next Wednesday. The 6 p.m. game will match teams of Class A and B players. The AA and AAA players will follow at 8.

Kelly Bartleson of Shadle Park is

on the Washington roster. Jennifer Stinson of Davenport declined an invitation to play. Takiya Jackson of Franklin, who split most of the state player of the year awards with Stinson, had to pass up the inaugural game because she has reached the limit of two all-star games.

Al Aldridge of Prairie and Sandy Schneider of Lakeside in Seattle will coach the Washington team.Four players already are com mitted to the boys team, including Will Hutchens of State B champion Dayton, Tarik Brown of Mercer Island, Jason Perry of O’Dea and Jason Terry of Franklin.

, DataTimes