Weather forces District 8 basketball tournaments to finish on Monday

Weather has impacted district basketball tournaments the past week as a series of winter storms dumped snow and sent bracing winds across the Evergreen State.

Eastern Washington – including the District 8 4A and 3A tourneys – has struggled as much as any region in trying to fit in games. The Mt. Spokane boys and girls teams, which received first-round byes as Greater Spokane League champions, haven’t played since Jan. 31.

The Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association has allowed leagues and districts until Monday at 5 p.m. to determine berths to state before the regional round takes place on Feb. 22-23.

District 8 officials will have to take advantage of the opportunity.

With four rounds to be played, district officials have scheduled the 3A boys and girls second-place games for Monday – hosted by the higher seed – to have all seeds to state settled on the court.

There are 12 games scheduled Thursday at higher seeds: eight semifinals and four loser-outs.

There are four 3A loser-out games and the boys and girls 3A championship games scheduled Friday at the Arena.

Saturday has two 3A loser-out games, plus the 4A championships and third-place games.

Of course, this is all weather permitting.

Mt. Spokane athletic director Paul Kautzman, the GSL basketball coordinator, said if games can’t be played on Thursday the schedule moves back a day, with the games hosted at higher seeds and no games played at the Arena.

In that scenario, the two remaining teams in the 3A losers bracket would play each other Monday, then play the loser of the championship game for the second seed at that school’s gym. In addition, the 4A third-place games would take place and higher seeds host.

Kautzman said officials haven’t come to an agreement on what to do if games can’t be played on Thursday or Friday.

Tri-Cities school districts have strict policies of no after-school activities when school is canceled by weather.