The Columbia River Chieftains have Class 2A numbers but their hearts and minds still reside in Class 3A.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association on Friday finalized the classification ranges for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years, and Columbia River initially ended up in the 2A ranks. The Chieftains, however, opted up to remain a 3A program.
“We wanted to make sure we were able to maintain three teams if we had the (athlete) numbers,” Columbia River athletic director Dana Newsom said. “I’d hate to have kids not have the opportunity to play, just practice.”
Columbia River usually has varsity, junior varsity and C squads in each of its teams sports. Not all Class 2A schools have three squads.
“It’s really tough to get a full schedule of extra games,” Newsom said.
Plus, there is tradition. She said she received calls from parents asking what the school’s intentions were in regards to classification.
“They like the idea of us playing 3A because that’s what we’ve been forever,” Newsom said, regarding the theme of those calls.
A couple weeks ago, when the WIAA released its first count of numbers, Columbia River was securely in the 3A ranks. But enough other schools opted up, which changed the classification range. Columbia River has an average count of 1,078.73 student in grades 10 through 12. The smallest 3A school now, before opt-ups, is White River 1,086.88.
“I don’t see us as a small school,” Newsom said. “Numbers-wise, prior to all the opt-ups, we were a 3A school.”
As expected, there are five Class 4A Greater St. Helens League teams: Battle Ground, Skyview, Heritage, Evergreen, and Union, with the Titans moving up from 3A.
Columbia River’s opt up makes for a seven-team 3A GSHL: Kelso, down from 4A, Camas, Mountain View, down from 4A, Hudson’s Bay, Prairie, Fort Vancouver, and River.
The 2A GSHL will have five teams: Mark Morris, R.A. Long, Washougal, Woodland, and Hockinson.
And the Trico League, with the area’s 1A schools, will welcome Ridgefield. The WIAA District 4 has 16 Class 1A schools, up from 14 the past two years. The Trico League was a six-team league and the Evergreen League had eight teams. District officials will determine whether to go with nine- and seven-team leagues or make two eight-team leagues.
Athletic directors will also be trying to figure out the 4A and 3A league and non-league schedules. In football, for example, there will only be four league games for the 4A schools. In basketball, officials will have determine if the 4A teams will play each other twice for eight league games or three times for 12 league games.
The 3A GSHL will also have holes to fill during its league football play because of the odd numbers of teams. That will allow for a bye or a non-league game.
“We’ll probably start working on it after Christmas now that we’ve seen how it’s all shaken out,” Newsom said.
Reclassification is not final, though, but the ranges have been finalized. Schools can still try to opt-up through an appeals process in January.
If no school makes a change, there will be 66 schools each in Class 4A and 3A, 65 schools each in 2A and 1A, and 62 schools each in 2B and 1B.
