Five-Division Wiaa Taking Shape Most Issues Have Been Resolved For Reclassification For Prep Sports

It would seem appropriate if somehow, some way, Shadle Park and Mercer Island match up in the boys State AAA basketball tournament this week.

It could be the last time.

The two schools that produced one of the most exciting and controversial endings in tournament history - Shadle Park’s last-second victory (66-65) in the 1981 AAA championship game against Mercer Island - are going to be in different divisions next year when Washington’s high schools are divided into five classifications instead of the current four.

Shadle Park and the rest of the Greater Spokane League schools are sticking together at the new 4A level, enrollment of 1,201-and-up. The KingCo is splitting up into 4A and 3A (601-1,200) leagues and Mercer Island is staying down.

Although only football, baseball and soccer leagues have been sorted out by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, the basketball league will be very similar to the football league.

The other divisions are 2A (301-600), 1A (151-300) and B (150-and-below).

The current classifications are AAA (1,001-up), AA (451-1,000), A (151-450) and B (150-and-below).

Ironically, establishing a new classification increased the disparity in divisions. At the present time there are 89 AAA schools, 82 in AA, 78 in A and 122 in B. Next year the breakup is about 80 schools in 4A and 3A, and 50 in 2A and 1A. B drops to 113.

“The first plan we put out there was to (balance the classifications),” WIAA executive director Mike Colbrese said. “The membership didn’t want that. They didn’t care how many were in each classification, they only wanted schools at a certain size in each classification. It wasn’t equity in numbers, it was equity in size.”

According to WIAA assistant executive director Pat Hoonan, who is the reclassification expert in the office, 17 schools “opted up” from 3A to 4A. That is, they chose to play in a higher level than their enrollment would suggest. Eight went from 2A to 3A and four from B to 1A.

Meanwhile, at least seven new schools are opening next fall, including Mount Spokane-Mead. Other new schools are Southridge in Kennewick, Kentlake in Kent, and Skyview in Vancouver at the 4A level. Mount Spokane and Southridge are 4A in all sports except football the first year. Skyview is not playing any varsity sports its first year. Skyline is a new 3A school in Issaquah. Klahowya in Silverdale and A.G. West in Tumwater are opening at the 2A level but are expected to move up quickly.

Other items related to reclassification:

The new 2A league in this area, a combination of the current small AA Frontier League schools and big Northeast A schools, is going to be the Great Northern League.

The fifth basketball tournament will be in the Kingdome next year. The state tournament breakdown is B in Spokane, 1A in Tacoma and 3A in Seattle the first week, 2A in Tacoma and 4A in Seattle the second week. That is set for two years.

The six championship football games (Class B has 8-man and 11-man divisions) will be split over two days the first weekend in December, two games on Friday and four on Saturday.

The first (1998) 4A Springfest is going to be in Vancouver and the 3A in Tacoma, with the combined track meets in Tacoma. A decision will be made in early April to place the 2A, 1A and B Springfests in Spokane, Tri-Cities and Yakima.

One classification is going to have no history, no record book, no past. Colbrese said Don Davison, a longtime sportswriter in Tacoma and high school sports historian, is working with the various coaches associations to determine which group that will be - probably the 2A.

Even though there are barely 50 schools in 1A and 2A, those teams will still have 16-team state tournaments. A recent WIAA amendment stipulated that if there are 48 or more schools in a classification, then a 16-team tournament is to be held.

Wrestling will be decided once it is established how many schools have wrestling. It is hoped state wrestling championships will remain in the Tacoma Dome.

, DataTimes