When a new season begins, the first thing we generally ask coaches is “How does the postseason work this year.”
It’s something that often changes, especially after a new reclassification cycle.
Usually the answer we get from coaches is “I don’t know.” That’s because they aren’t focused on the postseason right now. They are worry about getting their teams ready for league season. Let the athletic directors worry about the postseason.
But there’s one difference this year. Not even the athletic directors know, at least not in the Class 4A Greater St. Helens League.
For years, the 4A GSHL has partnered with Tacoma-based District 3 to determine state berths. But this year, the two districts have not agreed on a format for a bi-district tournament, and it’s left teams in the 4A GSHL in limbo as league play begins this week for volleyball and girls soccer.
The WIAA allocates its 16 berths to state tournaments to each district based on the number schools playing a sport in that district.
District 4 includes Southwest Washington from the Olympic Peninsula and Olympia to the Columbia River, all the way east out to White Salmon. The 4A teams in District 4 consist solely of the seven-team 4A Greater St. Helens League.
Every district is entitled to at least one state berth, no matter few teams are in a given district.
However, if a district is only given one berth to state, the WIAA has a stipulation that allows that district to partner with a neighboring district to provide an opportunity for a district to get multiple state berths.
In the past several years, that has meant 4A teams in District 4 worked with District 3 to form a bi-district tournament that often sent as many as half of the teams to the 16-team state tournament. A few years ago, District 4 partnered with the Seattle-based District 2.
Officials are not sure what will happen this year. The issue may not be resolved for a couple of weeks. In the meantime, officials from District 4 are coming up with alternate plans.
It’s possible that teams from the 4A GSHL will not have a bi-district tournament this year, or next. Teams from the 4A GSHL would hold a district tournament, then advance directly to state. Because the 4A GSHL consists of seven teams, this year District 4 would send two teams to state. However, next year, that number would fall to one.
It’s not the most terrible thing in the world. It would save on a lot of travel for Southwest Washington teams and fans, not having to go up to Tacoma, Kent or Puyallup for bi-district events. But it also could limit opportunities for teams and athletes to reach state from Southwest Washington.
And this would apply not only to fall sports, but winter and spring as well. The only sports that wouldn’t be impacted by this issue would be football, swimming, wrestling, bowling and gymnastics.
This only applies for 4A teams. Teams from the 3A GSHL will have a bi-district tournament with District 3. And there are enough 2A and 1A teams in District 4 that allow the district to receive three to four berths to state.
Again, nothing is settled. This could be resolved and the postseason will go on as it has in years past. Or it could look very different.
It’s something we’ll continue to keep an eye on.
