Regionals may become thing of past
Columbia Basin schools continue to hammer out details of their new 4A league and the 3A schools down there have made their decisions. Now the Greater Spokane League will face repercussions.
But it’s the 4A schools, not the 3A, that must worry.
Despite conjecture to the contrary, Hanford has said it will remain a 3A school, assuring at least three (West Valley-Yakima and Sunnyside are the others) in the Columbia Basin.
East Valley confirmed it is staying 3A, said activities coordinator Joe Kostecka.
“My recommendation (to the school board) was that the best thing for our community, school and kids is to stay 3A,” Kostecka said.
Mt. Spokane is recommending the same, said activities coordinator John Miller.
Miller said Mt. Spokane is still 200 students away from the 4A/3A cutoff and will remain 3A with district approval.
Along with North Central and Rogers – and potentially Shadle Park – that means seven to eight 3A schools would be in eastern Washington.
Miller said Jim Meyerhoff of the WIAA told him that having that many 3A schools would assure this side of the Cascade Mountains two state berths annually, and they can live with that.
But matters get more complicated for GSL 4A schools. Three Kennewick schools – Kamiakin, Kennewick and Southridge – are opting up to 4A. Miller said he received an e-mail from Southridge athletic director Steve Biehn that read, “It’s official. We are 4A.”
That poses a dilemma. One of the fears was brought forth by Mead activities coordinator Dick Cullen. He said that the regional concept, so successful dating as far back as wrestling 30 years ago, could be in jeopardy for sports, particularly football and basketball.
The Columbia Basin will be an 11-team league and the number will eventually be 12 when new Pasco school Chiawana is added.
Theoretically, with an almost 2-to-1 advantage over the GSL 4As, it could alter or maybe end the regional concept as it stands.
“We’re very concerned that it could hurt our 4A schools,” Kostecka said. “If they get three berths and us one, they could say we’ll meet you at state.”
“I don’t know if they’ll want to risk it when there’s that discrepancy,” Miller said. “They could say, ‘What’s in it for us?’ “
GSL secretary Randy Ryan said that it appears the regional concept would continue, but like last year’s 3A setup, participation advantage would likely go to the new league, whatever it is called.
Kostecka and Miller were part of a 3A administrative gathering in Moses Lake following the bombshell announcement that the CBL 4A schools were forming their own league, dictating the schedule, and if the rest wanted to join in with no say so be it.
“After our meeting our decision became clearer than ever, even though things were muddier than ever,” Kostecka said.
A viable 3A region is good news for those schools.
For the GSL’s 4A schools, the future may not be so rosy.
The WIAA Executive Board meets this weekend to finalize the classification cycle of the next two years and the representative assembly meets on Monday.
That is when GSL schools learn more about what’s in store for their regional future.
Gymnastics finale
A meet on the final night of GSL gymnastics will shape the standings.
University, which two weeks ago handed three-time champion Mead its first setback since the last meet of the 2004 season, is at North Central on Friday.
U-Hi’s Titans, with a win, would win their first title since dominating the sport in the 1990s. NC’s Indians, who beat them in a non-league meet, would force a three-way title tie with a repeat victory.