OK, it’s official. We are knee-deep into the winter prep postseason in Clark County.
By later this week, every prep team — except the ones that have already seen their seasons end — will be participating in district or regional action.
The only regular-season games still on the schedule will be held Monday and Tuesday. And there are still spots in the district basketball brackets that are yet unresolved.
So let’s sort those out, and we’ll start with the easy one first.
4A GIRLS BASKETBALL: Skyview’s win over Union last Thursday gave the Storm the No. 1 seed to district. Union is No. 2 and Camas is No. 3. All three of those teams will host district playoff games later this week. The lone spot left unsettled is No. 4.
Evergreen and Battle Ground head into their regular-season finals with 3-6 league records. If the two teams remain tied after Tuesday — Evergreen faces Union, and Battle Ground meets Camas on Tuesday — then a tiebreaker of some sort will need to happen on Wednesday so that the district tournament could start on Thursday.
The net result of that is either Evergreen or Battle Ground could play games on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday — and if their lucky enough to survive that gauntlet and win Thursday — Friday and Saturday.
Whoever survives between Evergreen and Battle Ground would open district on Thursday at Camas, with that winner playing Friday at Union, and that winner playing Saturday at Skyview.
4A BOYS BASKETBALL: If only the boys side of things were so easy.
As the week opens, there is a chance that Union and Evergreen can finish tied for first, Evergreen and Battle Ground could tie for second and Skyview and Camas could tie for fourth.
The easiest solution would be for Union to beat Evergreen, Camas to beat Battle Ground and Skyview to beat Heritage. That way Union would be No. 1, Evergreen No. 2, Battle Ground No. 3 and Skyview No. 4.
It’s doubtful things will work out that cleanly.
2A GSHL BOYS: Mark Morris is No. 1 to district. We know that. And either Washougal or Hockinson will fill the Nos. 2 and 3 spots.
The No. 2 spot is Washougal’s if the Panthers beat last-place R.A. Long on Tuesday. Then Washougal will host a district playoff game on Friday, and it will be the first district playoff that Washougal has hosted in school history. (There have been a lot of first-evers this year with Washougal basketball.)
2A GSHL GIRLS: Mark Morris is No. 1. We know that.
Hockinson can secure the No. 2 seed with a win Monday at last-place Ridgefield. But a loss could thrust the Hawks into a tie with Washougal for second place.
If the Panthers are lucky enough to be tied with Hockinson after Monday’s game, that will be a bonus for Washougal.
But what’s foremost on the Panthers’ mind is beating R.A. Long at home Monday. If Washougal does that, the Panthers will be, at worst, the No. 3 seed to district. However, if R.A. Long wins, R.A. Long takes the No. 3 seed, and Washougal is done.
Tim Martinez is the assistant sports editor/prep coordinator for The Columbian. He can be reached at 360-735-4538, tim.martinez@columbian.com or follow his Twitter handle @360TMart.
