Holiday tournaments are over, along with the bulk on the non-league schedule.
As the calendar turns to January, high school basketball teams now enter the heart of the schedules, full with pivotal league games.
So let’s take a look at some key basketball games coming up on the schedule, league by league.
4A GSHL boys
This league is shaping up to be an interesting battle, with Union, Camas and Skyview all looking to be in the mix for the title.
League play begins on Friday with teams playing three rounds of league games.
Union (8-2) enters January having won six straight, including all three in earning the title at the Mountain View Holiday Invite. Camas and Skyview both posted 7-3 marks in their first 10 games.
Union vs. Camas part I will be played Friday at Camas. Skyview has games against Camas and Union next week.
4A GSHL girls
Union (10-1) and Camas (9-2) both look like state-tournament teams through their first 11 games.
Union’s lone loss came on Dec. 19 in a 74-73 overtime loss to A.C. Davis of Yakima. The next day, Davis beat Camas 63-49.
Camas has held the upper hand in the Camas-Union rivalry in recent years. But Friday will be Union’s first chance to reverse that trend.
Camas High School should be a good place to be on Friday night, as the Union-Camas girls play in the second of a Union-Camas doubleheader at 7:15 p.m. The boys game tips off at 5:30 p.m.
3A GSHL boys
The league title race looks to be wide open in this league with every team putting up good wins and tough losses in non-league.
Next week’s schedule brings some big games for Mountain View, which takes a 7-3 record into January. The Thunder have two big home games against Evergreen (4-6) on Jan. 14 and Prairie (5-5) on Jan. 17.
3A GSHL girls
The girls race in the 3A GSHL looks just as wide open as the boys. Prairie (5-5) has the best non-league mark, but Kelso (4-5), Heritage (4-5), Mountain View (5-6) and Evergreen (4-7) aren’t far off.
League play starts Tuesday with Kelso at Prairie, followed Wednesday with Mountain View at Heritage.
2A GSHL boys
Mark Morris, R.A. Long, Columbia River and Ridgefield all resume league play with 3-1 league records.
R.A. Long and Ridgefield have not met in the first round of league play. That matchup is scheduled for Thursday at Longview.
After that, River faces a pivotal second-round of league games on Jan. 22 (Ridgefield), Jan 24 (at R.A. Long) and Jan. 29 (Mark Morris).
2A GSHL girls
Columbia River (9-1, 4-0) and Woodland (7-3, 3-0) were the lone league unbeaten teams as league play resumed on Monday.
The Beavers host the Rapids for the first time on Jan. 14.
1A Trico boys
Kalama (6-1, 2-0) and Seton Catholic (3-5, 2-0) are the lone unbeatens in the Trico.
The Chinooks play at Seton Catholic on Tuesday.
1A Trico girls
Columbia-White Salmon (5-2, 2-0) and Seton Catholic (2-6, 2-0) are the lone two league unbeatens.
The Bruins play at Seton Catholic on Wednesday.
