State B Draw Works Out Fine In End Quick Shuffle Will Keep Gar-Pal Boys, Girls From Time Conflict

The State B tournament draw sounded just fine to Garfield-Palouse until someone spoke up from the back of the room.

Then organizers of the event did some shuffling and - poof! - Gar-Pal had reason to argue.

At least, Gar-Pal had reason to argue until a well-placed phone call following the draw. More on that later.

What disturbed Gar-Pal boys basketball coach Tim Coles on Sunday morning wasn’t his team’s draw. After all, Gar-Pal (21-2) could have been handed worse than its 9 a.m. Wednesday opener against Neah Bay (15-5).

Most of the draw, in fact, was well-balanced. Favorites Gar-Pal, Valley Christian (24-0) and Pateros (21-2) are spread out enough to avoid meeting for the first two days of the four-day run at the Arena.

“I think Valley Christian, with the squad they have, has to be ranked the favorite,” said Pateros coach Mike Hull. “But it looks wide open, with a lot of strength in the top bracket.”

The top bracket is where Gar-Pal’s boys started and stayed, and Gar-Pal’s girls ended up after beginning on the bottom.

The change was necessary to keep District 9 qualifiers Gar-Pal and LaCrosse-Washtucna out of the same side of the bracket. That’s what WIAA rules stipulate, and that’s why a spectator spoke up after the draw was apparently finished.

But the switch also meant that Gar-Pal’s boys and girls were scheduled to play at the same time on Thursday if both won on Wednesday.

That didn’t sit well with Coles, who has a long AAU coaching involvement with the Vikings girls.

Problems were later circumvented when tournament coordinator Clayton Dunn called the WIAA and received permission to switch Thursday’s Gar-Pal quarterfinal game times, if necessary.

One possible quarterfinal is Pateros vs. Curlew (25-2), which would feature 2,000-point career scorers Clint Hull of Pateros and Jeremy Groth of Curlew. Curlew defeated Pateros 79-64 to open the 1998 tournament.

Another looming quarterfinal is Valley Christian vs. defending state champion Waterville (18-6).

“Last year when we got here … (‘98 champ) Chief Leschi was our second game out if we won,” said Waterville coach Jim Evans. “But they got beat in their opener, and Valley Christian got beat, so it just shows you that you shouldn’t look ahead.”

“If I were picking, until a team gives up the crown they’re still champions,” said VC coach Steve Altmeyer about Waterville. Altmeyer also tabbed Pateros and Gar-Pal.

Returning placers, besides Waterville, are St. John-Endicott (20-6), third; Valley Christian, fifth; and Pateros, sixth.

SJE drew a 6:30 p.m. game with Seattle Lutheran (21-3), which, like Pateros, enters with an 11-game winning streak. VC has won 27 straight, stretching back to last year, and Gar-Pal has won eight straight.

“The boys (draw) was not too bad, but we’re in the same situation as the girls,” Coles said. “If we get that far, we’d have to face Valley Christian in the semifinals.”

Gar-Pal’s girls, with their move to morning session, could meet St. George’s (26-0) in a semifinal.

This sidebar appeared with the story: State B tournament

Openers for the State B basketball tournament, Wednesday at the Arena:

Boys Girls

Neah Bay (15-5) vs. Garfield-Palouse (21-2) 9 a.m. Davenport (17-9) vs. Napavine (19-4)

Ritzville (18-8) vs. Wahkiakum (21-2) 10:30 Mt. Vernon Chr. (22-4) vs. Garfield-Palouse (21-2)

Waterville (18-6) vs. Quilcene (19-5) noon Willapa Valley (20-4) vs. Neah Bay (14-4)

Mossyrock (17-6) vs. Valley Christian (24-0) 1:30 p.m. Kittitas (19-6) vs. St. George’s (26-0)

Bush (14-13) vs. Pateros (21-2) 3:30 King’s West (19-5) vs. Lyle (20-2)

Curlew (25-2) vs. Sunnyside Christian (20-2) 5 Selkirk (22-5) vs. Waterville (18-4)

St. John-Endicott (20-6) vs. Seattle Lutheran (21-3) 6:30 Mossyrock (15-8) vs. Valley Christian (20-3)

Naselle (16-7) vs. Wilbur-Creston (18-5) 8 LaCrosse-Washtucna (19-7) vs. Clallam Bay (20-3)