Thursday Prep Page
Click here to read a feature on Central Valley ace Scott Simon (pictured above).
Click here to read Greg Lee's column.
Click here to read a notebook feature an item on Mead standout sophomore wrestler Jordan Rogers.
ALSO: Click the tab below to read a story by Rene Ferran from the Tri-City Herald about the WIAA considering eliminating consolation basketball games at state tournaments.
WHAT DO YOU think about the possibility?
By Rene Ferran
Tri-City Herald
Could change be coming to the state high school basketball championships?
Another year of disappointing turnout for consolation bracket games has the WIAA Executive Board thinking about eliminating them from future tournaments.
The board will have a work session
next Wednesday ahead of its regularly scheduled April 23 meeting that precedes
the annual Rep Assembly in
WIAA Executive Director Mike Colbrese emphasized nothing has been decided, nor is there a specific proposal on the table.
“At this point, the board has just said we need to have this discussion,” Colbrese said. “We’re looking at what’s happening with attendance, especially with consolation games. People haven’t followed them for a number of years, so the board is saying, ’Let’s find out if we can gather momentum to change the format of the state tournament.’ ”
So far, any change would affect only basketball and not volleyball or softball, the other 16-team tournaments where all teams gather at one site. Colbrese also said any changes may not be for all classifications.
The Oregon State Activities Association floated the idea of eliminating consolation games from its eight-team volleyball and basketball state tournaments but apparently is leaning against doing so.
OSAA Executive Director Tom Welter explained to the Portland Tribune that since teams have already paid the expense of traveling, it didn’t make sense for them to play one-and-done games, and teams also wanted the chance to end their season with a victory -- even if it’s for the fourth-place trophy.
