The basketball postseason is quickly looming, so I began to hunt down the schedule for the 4A district tournaments.
But I had a hard time finding them, and there’s a reason for that.
It hasn’t been set yet.
That might sound odd, considering that league play ends this week. But there are a lot of issues at play, so I’ll try to explain them.
When the schedule was originally made, league play in the 4A GSHL was supposed to end this week with games on Tuesday and Friday, as they have been played for most of the league season.
But about a month ago, the schedule for this week was altered with games now being played on Monday and Wednesday.
That adjustment was made when the West-Central District tournament schedule was announced. The 16-team tournament will be played over two weeks with games on Feb. 13, 15, 20 and 22.
That didn’t leave a lot of time for the 4A GSHL to play its district tournament. It was scheduled for Friday, Saturday and next Monday (Feb. 10) with the No. 4 team in the league playing No. 3, with the winner facing the No. 2 team, then that winner facing the No. 1 team for the district championship.
But then coaches asked “What if there are tiebreaker games needed?”
Good question. If a tiebreaker game is needed, it could set up a situation in which a team might have to play Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week.
That’s a lot of games.
An easy fix is to just push the district tournament to Saturday and next Monday and Tuesday. The drawback to that is it would create a situation in which 4A GSHL teams might have to play four games next week, while leaving little preparation time between the district title game on Feb. 11 and the bi-district opener on Feb. 13.
Another solution has been offered, and that would be to scrap the normal district playoff format.
Instead, as a solution goes, the district playoff would be reduced to a one-day event in which the Nos. 3 and 4 teams would meet in a loser-out game, with the winner getting the No. 3 seed to bi-district. On the same day, the Nos. 1 and 2 teams would meet for the district title and top two seeds to bi-district.
That solution seems to make the most sense.
But the 4A GSHL is holding out hope of keeping its normal district playoff format. And that hinges on no tiebreaker games, which is a possibility.
In the 4A GSHL, Union is 7-1, Evergreen 6-2, Battle Ground 6-2, Camas 3-5 and Skyview 2-6.
If Union wins twice this week and Battle Ground beats Evergreen Monday, then it’s Union, Battle Ground, Evergreen, Camas. No tiebreakers. (assuming the unlikely possibility of a Heritage win over Camas).
On the girls side, Skyview is No. 1 and Camas is No. 2. The only issue remaining is the final two spots with Union (4-4), Evergreen (3-5) and Battle Ground (3-5) in the mix.
If Evergreen beats Battle Ground tonight, then loses to Union on Wednesday, things are settled. Union is No. 3 and Evergreen is No. 4.
But there are other scenarios that would require a tiebreaker game (or two).
So I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Districts
The postseason march to state begins for wrestlers and gymnasts this week.
Wrestling district and sub-regional tournaments will be held Saturday: 4A at Camas, 3A at Hudson’s Bay, 2A at R.A. Long, 1A at La Center and girls at Kalama.
The 3A/2A district meet for gymnastics will be Saturday at Naydenov with athletes competing for berths to state. The 4A district meet is Saturday at Northpointe with berths to regionals at stake.
