The opening round games of the Washington high school basketball tournaments will remain at regional sites throughout the state, but all brackets will be single-elimination.
Win and advance to the elite eight site — the Tacoma Dome for Class 4A and 3A teams, for example — but lose and the season is over.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association announced its decision Monday.
The press release did not specify how the brackets would be determined.
This past winter four teams played at a pre-determined site for the opening round games. The bottom two seeds would played each other Friday in a survivor game. The top two seeds also played Friday, with the winner advancing to the elite eight. The loser of that game then played Saturday against the winner of the survivor game for the other berth to state.
Prairie girls basketball coach Al Aldridge had just received the news when he was reached Monday afternoon. He said he is not sure he likes the idea that a No. 1 seed could have one off night and never make it to the championship site.
“A team can go 24-0, lose a game in the regional site, and not go to the state tournament (site). I’m not sure that’s better than what we had this year,” he said.
Under the format prior to this past season, that 24-0 team could lose its first-round game, but then would get a chance to win the consolation bracket — and the players would still feel part of the state tournament at the championship site.
The WIAA still called the opening round games the state tournament, but many players and coaches said it did not have the same appeal.
The Evergreen boys and girls basketball teams played in Richland for the opening round site. Both teams had to play in the survivor game Friday for an opportunity to play Saturday’s play-in game to the elite eight. Both squads lost on Friday.
“I was an assistant on two teams that went to state (the Tacoma Dome) at Evergreen, and we got two games,” Evergreen boys head coach Kelly Blankenship said. “Even though those two games didn’t go as we wanted, it was a state experience. We stayed in a hotel. We got to walk around. We still had a state experience.”
Blankenship said this past season was nothing like playing at the dome.
“It wasn’t fair to my kids,” he said.
Blankenship also was not a fan of having to win two games in order to advance to the elite eight, so if the opening rounds are going to continue to be at regional sites, he said he would prefer a single-elimination format.
There were 12 championships won this year with a boys and girls bracket in six classifications. Of the 12, three were won by teams that lost those first opening round games, then won the play-in games and ran the table at the championship sites.
Under the format for next year, no team that loses in the opening round game will win a state championship. If fact, all of those opening round losing squads will be done for the season.
Skyview hires basketball coach
Adam Horn, who led the Hockinson Hawks to the Class 2A state boys basketball tournament in 2009 and 2010, will be trying to one day lead the Skyview Storm to the Class 4A state tournament.
Horn was officially announced as the Storm’s new boys basketball coach Monday, according to Skyview’s athletic director, Jim Condon.
“No. 1, he had been a successful high school varsity coach, and No. 2, his passion for basketball,” Condon said of the decision to go with Horn. “We’re always looking for people who are passionate about their sports. He impressed the selection committee with how he handled himself in the interview. He did a great job.”
Horn said he had a great experience with Skyview when he was a student-teacher there four years ago.
“A good emphasis on academics and athletics,” Horn said. “It’s a great place to teach and coach.”
Horn went 28-22 in his two seasons as the head coach at Hockinson, leading the Hawks to the state tournament both seasons. Horn is not afraid of a challenge. The winning record included several non-league games against Class 3A and 4A opponents.
“It’s a great opportunity to come in and hopefully have some success and continue on what has been built here,” Horn said of the Skyview job.
Condon said the school is excited to get Horn on board.
“The goal for all of our teams is to produce good student athletes,” Condon said. “Teach the game the right way and the results will take care of themselves.”
Horn replaces Bob Benson, who coached the Storm for the past nine seasons and was a head coach in Vancouver for 18 seasons. Benson announced his retirement from coaching in February.
Boggs memorial is Saturday at FVHS
A memorial service for longtime Fort Vancouver football coach Gary Boggs is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Fort Vancouver High School.
Boggs, who coached the Trappers for 34 years before retiring after the 2000 season, died Thursday. He was 69.
The family is encouraging former players and students to attend the celebration of life.
