The high school basketball season in the state of Washington can be confusing.
For many of us, the notion of the playoffs comes with this simple understanding: If you win, you advance; if you lose, you’re done.
But around here, things don’t quite work that way.
Twice last week I saw tweets from confused supporters. After one local team lost last week, I saw a tweet saying “Tough loss, but it was a great season.”
And I wanted to respond: “The season is not quite over yet.”
Another time, a local team won, and the response was: “Woohoo! We’re going to state.”
No, not quite. Still got to win one more.
So this week, we’ll go through the local teams still alive in the postseason, and what they need to do to advance to the state tournament.
We’ll start with the teams that have already wrapped up berths to the regional round of the state tournament — the Union boys (4A), Camas girls (4A) and Prairie girls (3A). Regardless of what happens this week, those three teams will be playing in the regional round of state on Feb. 24 or 25.
All three teams still have games to play this week in their bi-district tournaments. But as far as their standing in the state tournament goes, those games don’t mean much.
Remember this year, the WIAA is using a rating system to seed teams into the state tournament, and not their finish in district and bi-district tournament. And that rating system is based off regular season results, so those rankings are already locked in.
The next group of teams are ones that will clinch a state berth with a win in their next game, but won’t be eliminated if they lose their next game.
Those teams include the Woodland boys (2A), Washougal girls (2A), King’s Way Christian boys (1A), La Center boys (1A) and La Center girls (1A).
If all six of these win their next game, they’re headed to state. If they lose their next game, they will have to win two elimination games later this week to reach state.
The next teams are ones that will clinch a state berth with a win in their next game, but be eliminated if they lose — Camas boys (4A) and Skyview girls (4A).
These crucial games will be Tuesday (Skyview) and Wednesday (Camas). And if either team wins, they will have to play another game later in the week that means absolutely nothing.
That’s right. These games are not for fifth place in the bi-district or seventh place. They are just games.
Postseason games that mean nothing are actually against WIAA rules. But because of confusion around the new RPI ranking system, the WIAA will turn a blind eye to these games this year.
The big question here is whether a team that has already had to make three trips north to the South Sound area for bi-district games will want to make another trip north for a game that means nothing, particularly on a school night. But I’ll let those teams make that call.
The final group of teams are teams that will be eliminated with their next loss, but have to win multiple games this week to advance to state.
Local teams in the 3A bi-district tournaments that have to win three games this week to advance include the Prairie, Fort Vancouver and Evergreen boys, and the Mountain View girls.
Local 2A teams that also have to win three loser-out games this week to advance to state include the Columbia River boys and the Woodland and Columbia River girls.
Local 1A teams that have to win three games this week to advance include the Stevenson and Seton Catholic boys, and King’s Way Christian, Seton Catholic and Stevenson girls.
And let’s not forget about the 1B boys. Columbia Adventist plays Oakville on Wednesday in Adna in a game that will seed them (win or lose) into a bi-district playoff on Friday or Saturday. That second game is the one the Kodiaks will need to win to reach state.
I hope that clears things up.
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.
