Regional round of state matchups set; District 8 champion Central Valley boys, girls play locally

After a busy weekend of district tournament action, the state’s governing board for high school sports – the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) – released state basketball tournament brackets for all classifications on Sunday.

Teams in all classifications finishing among the top eight eligible teams in the final RPI rankings receive protected status through regionals and qualify for play at state tournament venues.

The top eight will play against each other during the regional round (No. 1 vs. No. 8, etc.), with the winners receiving a bye into the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Teams that placed in the bottom eight of qualified teams will face each other in loser-out games during the regional round, with the winners facing the losers from the protected round in first-round action on Wednesday.

4A

Boys: By virtue of Central Valley’s 68-53 win over Gonzaga Prep Friday night in the District 8 title game at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, the Bears (21-2) earned protected status, placing No. 4 in the final RPI rankings behind Union, Glacier Peak and Mount Si. The fourth-seeded Bears face fifth-seeded Federal Way at University HS in a regional round game on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Defending 4A champion No. 9 Gonzaga Prep eliminated No. 6 Chiawana 61-59 in the district second-place game and not only qualified for the state tourney, but also secured a protected slot. The eighth-seeded Bullpups (18-6) travel to Battle Ground HS to take on top-seeded Union in a regional matchup.

Girls: No. 3 Central Valley edged Mead 55-53 in overtime in the district championship Friday to lock in protected status. The third-seeded Bears (19-3) face sixth-seeded Glacier Peak at University on Friday at 6.

Mead was eliminated by No. 4 Chiawana and nationally-ranked prosepct Talia Von Oelhoffen 65-50 in the second-place game on Saturday. The fourth-seeded Riverhawks (22-3) face fifth-seeded Kentridge on Saturday at Richland HS at 6.

3A

Boys: Mt. Spokane fell to No. 5 Kamiakin 55-52 in the district title game on Friday, but rebounded to rout Kennewick 88-41 in the second-place game on Saturday.

That allowed the Wildcats (19-4) to get back into the top 8 and avoid a loser-out game in the regional round. They’ll face top-seeded Eastside Catholic at Sammamish HS on Saturday at 2 for seeding to the Tacoma Dome.

Girls: Mt. Spokane hit 12 3-pointers and beat Kennewick 73-54 in the title game on Friday and finished No. 4. The Cats (18-3) will take on fifth-seeded Shorecrest at University on Friday at 8.

2A

Boys: Great Northern League and District 7 champion Clarkston (17-5) beat East Valley (Yakima) 72-56 in a crossover Saturday to get through to the field of 16. They earned the seventh seed and face second-seeded Toppenish at Eisenhower HS on Saturday at 6.

Girls: GNL regular-season champ West Valley (18-4) topped Prosser 63-49 in a crossover on Saturday and nab the No. 8 seed. The Eagles take on top-seeded Lynden at Mount Vernon HS on Saturday at 2.

District 7 tourney winner Clarkston (17-5) beat Toppenish 69-60 in a crossover Saturday. They earn the 11th seed and face 14th seeded Franklin Pierce at West Valley HS on Friday at 4 in an elimination game.

1A

Boys: District 7 champ Deer Park (16-6) earns the 11th seed and battles 14th-seeded King’s on Friday at West Valley HS at 6.

Girls: District 7 champ Freeman (20-2) takes the fourth seed and faces fifth-seeded LaSalle at West Valley HS on Friday at 8. Runner-up Deer Park (18-6) is the 13th seed and faces 12th-seeded Elma at Tumwater HS on Saturday at noon in an elimination game.

2B

Boys: Undefeated District 7 champ and No. 1 ranked Liberty (23-0) takes on eighth-seeded White Swan at West Valley HS on Saturday at 6. Second-seeded St. George’s (19-4) plays seventh-seeded Onalaska at Mt. Spokane HS on Saturday at 2.

Third-place Colfax (18-7) is the ninth seed and faces 16th-seeded Oroville in an elimination game at University HS on Saturday at 2, while 12th-seeded Kettle Falls (16-9) faces 13th-seeded Darrington at Mt. Spokane HS on Saturday at 4 in a loser-out.

Girls: District 7 champion Liberty (22-1) earned the top seed and faces eighth-seeded Tri-Cities Prep at West Valley HS on Saturday at 4 in a seeding game. Runner-up Colfax (16-8) takes the 12th seed and faces 13th-seeded Brewster at University on Saturday at noon.

Third-place St. George’s (20-5) is the ninth seed and plays 16th-seeded Orcas Island at Mt. Spokane on Saturday at 12, while 14th-seeded Northwest Christian (16-10) faces 11th-seeded Watersville-Mansfield in an elimination game on Saturday at noon at Wenatchee HS.

1B

Boys: Undefeated District 7 champ and No. 1 Odessa (23-0) plays District 9 champion and eighth-seeded Oakesdale (18-4) at West Valley on Saturday at noon. 13th-seeded Selkirk (15-8) faces 12th-seeded Tacoma Baptist at Rogers (Puyallup) HS on Saturday at 4 in an elimination game.

Almira/Coulee-Hartline (15-8) is the 10th seed and battles 15th-seeded Sunnyside Christian on Friday at 8 at Wenatchee in a loser-out. Garfield-Palouse (16-7) took the 11th seed and takes on 14th-seeded Chief Kitsap at University on Saturday at 4.

Girls: District 9 champion Pomeroy (20-1) is the top seed and plays eighth-seeded Wellpinit (16-6) on Saturday at 2 at Wenatchee. District 7 champion Inchelium (21-2) is the second seed and faces seventh-seeded Curlew (19-6) at West Valley on Saturday at 8.

Third-seeded Oakesdale (16-6) takes on sixth-seeded Yakama Nation on Saturday at West Valley at 2.