If you want to go watch two of the bigger boys basketball games in Clark County this week, you might need to get off from work early.
On Tuesday, Columbia River will travel to play Mountain View for first place in the Class 3A Greater St. Helens League. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
This is one of the rare boys-girls doubleheaders in the 3A GSHL. The boys game was originally scheduled for 7 p.m., but it has been moved to the 5:30 p.m. slot because Tuesday’s River-Mountain View girls game is the Thunder’s “Shoot for a Cure” fundraiser game. So the girls will start at 7 p.m., and the boys start at 5:30 p.m.
The Columbia River boys made it through the first round of league play with a 5-0 league record. Mountain View (4-1) is the only other 3A GSHL team with a league record above .500.
Mountain View’s lone league loss came in the league opener on Dec. 11, a 62-54 loss to the Chieftains at River.
Since then, the Thunder have won seven of eight games. If Mountain View can knock off Columbia River, then there figures to be a compelling race for the 3A GSHL title. But if River wins, it all but gives the Chieftains the league title. River would have to lose three of its final four league games to not claim the league championship.
A big game for sure. And remember, it’s a 5:30 p.m. tip-off.
But if you can’t get to Mountain View by 5:30 p.m., the game also will be broadcast live on Comcast Cable Channel 29. Evergreen Public Schools will air both the boys and girls games live from Mountain View on Tuesday.
The week’s other big boys basketball contest will be Friday when Union and Evergreen could meet in a battle of unbeatens, depending on what happens on Tuesday.
Evergreen (3-0 in 4A GSHL) plays at Battle Ground on Tuesday, while Union (3-0) plays at Skyview. If both teams can maintain their perfect records after Tuesday, the Plainsmen and Titans will play at Union on Friday to wrap up the first half of the 4A GSHL schedule. The tip-off for that game also is 5:30 p.m.
That’s a change from the original posted league schedules. Most 4A GSHL schools decided to play girls-boys doubleheaders for its league games. Skyview was the lone detractor to this plan, opting to have its boys and girls home games played on different nights.
In the original league schedule, Battle Ground, Heritage, Evergreen and Union scheduled doubleheaders with 5:30 p.m. girls games and 7 p.m. boys games. Last week, the Evergreen Public Schools teams modified their schedules so the boys and girls share 7 p.m. tip-offs, as Camas does. Battle Ground is sticking with the 5:30 p.m. start for girls and 7 p.m. for boys.
So that’s why Friday’s Union-Evergreen boys game will tip off at 5:30 p.m. When the two teams meet in the regular-season finale on Feb. 5, they will tip off at 7 p.m.
Other events
MONDAY: The Washougal boys, coming off a huge win on Thursday over Mark Morris, need to make sure they keep their focus when they travel to play Hockinson.
WEDNESDAY: Basketball is not the only sport in which we can see an unbeaten showdown between Evergreen and Union. The Plainsmen and Titans will meet in a wrestling dual that will likely determine the 4A GSHL regular season champion. Also, Evergreen, Heritage, Union and Mountain View will swim at Camas.
FRIDAY: Columbia River will travel to Mountain View in a rare Friday night wrestling league dual. And girls bowling teams will cap their regular season.
SATURDAY: Camas, Hudson’s Bay, Washougal and Ridgefield are the Clark County squads scheduled to compete in the Columbia Gorge Invitational wrestling meet at Stevenson.
Tim Martinez is the assistant sports editor/preps coordinator for The Columbian. He can be reached at (360) 735-4538, tim.martinez@columbian.com or follow his Twitter handle @360TMart
