The 2017-18 high school sports year comes to a close this week, and it will be a busy week for athletes from Southwest Washington.
In the other seasons — fall and winter — the prep sports season championships are held over different weekends spread over three to four different weeks.
But not the spring, it all ends in a flurry.
It all starts with golf, both girls and boys, on Tuesday and Wednesday at courses in Spokane and the Tri-Cities.
Track and field kicks off a very busy weekend with state meets for the 4A-3A-2A teams at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma. The 1A-2B-1B teams will compete at Eastern Washington University in Cheney.
State tennis, both girls and boys, are at sites in the Tri-Cities, Seattle and Yakima.
And then come the team sports of baseball, softball and boys soccer.
Clark County still has seven teams alive in those sports, if you include Woodland, which is just across the county line.
In baseball, Skyview and King’s Way Christian are back in the state semifinals for a second consecutive year.
King’s Way Christian will be looking to defend its 1A state championship in Yakima.
The Knights used pitching to post back-to-back shutouts in the regional round. The formula, fueled by aces Damon Casetta-Stubbs and Sam Lauderdale, figures to put the Knights in good position when they face Cashmere in the semifinals at 4 p.m. Friday at County Stadium in Yakima. Cedar Park Christian and Freeman play the other semifinal.
Skyview also returns to the 4A semifinals, although this year the Storm will play in Pasco not Safeco.
While that might not seem quite as exciting, Storm fans should consider this: The last time Skyview won the baseball state championship, it came at Gesa Stadium in Pasco in 2013.
On Friday, Skyview will face Wenatchee at 1 p.m. in the semifinals. Federal Way plays Richland in the other semi.
The Columbia River boys soccer team will hope to continue its perfect season when the Chieftains face Franklin Pierce at 8 p.m. Friday at Sunset Chev Stadium in Sumner in the 2A state semifinals. Highline faces Burlington-Edison in the other semifinal.
The Camas Papermakers return to the Merkel Sports Complex in Spokane for the 4A state softball tournament. Camas takes on Moses Lake in the first round at 10 a.m. Friday.
Prairie is back at the Regional Athletic Complex in Lacey for the 3A state softball tournament. The Falcons open at noon Friday against Marysville-Pilchuck.
Woodland and Ridgefield survived what might have been one of the toughest district softball fields in Class 2A to reach the state tournament at Carlon Park in Selah.
Woodland will open against Cheney at 10 a.m. Friday. On the opposite side of the bracket, Ridgefield faces Olympic of Bremerton at noon.
Tim Martinez is the assistant sports editor/prep editor for The Columbian. He can be reached at 360-735-4538, tim.martinez@columbian.com or follow his Twitter handle @360TMart.
