Editorial: B’s return will benefit tournament, Spokane

If Washington state’s Class B high schools are reunited in Spokane for next year’s state basketball tournament – as it appears they will be – it will benefit the city. And, if we do say so, it will benefit the young players and their families, friends and fans.

For half a century, winter’s passage into spring was marked in Spokane by the influx of thousands of excited young athletes and their faithful followers. They collected from all over the state, predominantly from rural communities, to compete with Hoosiers-like intensity for the title as Washington’s best basketball team in their class. An elite few went home elated and victorious, more went home disappointed, but lifelong memories were forged, and traditions were built.

But let’s face it: People don’t travel to such tournaments just for the basketball. Spokane streets took on added energy during those days. Motel rooms and restaurant tables filled. Retail cash registers jingled.

Then, three years ago, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association deconstructed the familiar tournament structure and split the B classification in two. Half of the tournament (2B) stayed in Spokane, while the other half (1B) went to Yakima.

Now that the WIAA has decided that both B tournaments should be held in the same city, most observers expect that city to be Spokane.

We realize it won’t be quite the same tournament we remember. It will be three days instead of four, because an earlier round of playoffs will be held at regional sites to narrow the field. Both boys and girls will have separate 1B and 2B tournaments. And, if recent trends in high school sports hold, attendance is likely to be somewhat lower.

Nevertheless, the B tournament lost some of its critical mass, and thus some of its excitement, when it was parceled out to separate sites. That worked to the disadvantage of both the city and the visitors.

Spokane has a tradition to uphold as a regional gathering place for that half of the Class B schools that lie on this side of the Cascades – much like the tradition that surrounds the forthcoming Lilac Festival Torchlight Parade. But as the state’s second largest city, Spokane offers attractions, both cultural and commercial, that go beyond the built-in electricity of the tournament setting.

The B’s belong here, all of them. It will be good to have them back.