With regionals due up this Friday and Saturday and state basketball tournaments the following weekend, this is probably the most enjoyable two-week stretch on Washington’s prep sporting calendar. In honor, during the next five days I’m going to briefly analyze and make a pick for every single one of the 96 regional games across all six classifications.
I obviously haven’t ever seen the vast majority of these teams play, so some of these opinions may be (definitely are) extremely wrong. Please forgive me, parents and/or fans. This is supposed to be fun.
We’ll start things off tonight with a bonanza of info, going through the boys and girls matchups in both Class 2B and Class 1B. Tomorrow we’ll do the boys and girls in Class 1A, on Tuesday we’ll tackle Class 2A, on Wednesday it’ll be Class 3A, and on Thursday the big guys in Class 4A. So check back later in the week if you’re so inclined.
Onward and upward:
(Note: All rankings are from the Feb. 10 AP poll. All records are the best info I could find.)
CLASS 2B BOYS
DeSales (15-8) vs. Mossyrock (17-7)
Time: Noon Saturday at W.F. West High School
The pick: Mossyrock, 63-56
Mossyrock took advantage of a short-handed Morton-White Pass team to make the District Four title game and earn this winnable matchup. No matter the result, bet on Jaron Kirkley scoring lots of points.
Adna (13-12) vs. No. 1 Brewster (22-0)
Time: 2 p.m. Saturday at Ellensburg High School
The pick: Brewster, 81-43
Brewster is really good, the clear-cut favorite to win state. Adna is, well, Adna is 13-12.
Mabton (16-7) vs. St. George’s (17-9)
Time: 2 p.m. Saturday at Mt. Spokane High School
The pick: St. George’s, 66-48
Great nickname matchup here between the Vikings and Dragons. There’s little hope for humanity in such a showdown. The Dragons take it running away.
No. 5 Ocosta (23-3) vs. No 9 Friday Harbor (18-5)
Time: 2 p.m. Saturday at Mt. Vernon High School
The pick: Friday Harbor, 56-53
Both squads lost in the regional round last year, and one of them is doomed for a painful redux. Friday Harbor is rolling, coming off a 16-point win over regular season Northwest 2B League champion La Conner.
Lind-Ritzville/Sprague (17-10) vs. No. 7 Warden (19-4)
Time: 10 a.m. Saturday at Mt. Spokane High School
The pick: LRS, 63-55
The Broncos’ have played a stacked schedule, with plenty of impressive wins mixed in with all those losses. Recent conquests include Asotin and defending state runner-up Liberty.
Napavine (17-8) vs. No. 4 Life Christian (23-2)
Time: 10 a.m. Saturday at Mt. Tahoma High School
The pick: Life Christian, 73-59
Should be lots of good post play in this one, but the Eagles are bigger, and better. They beat Napavine 60-52 when the two teams played in the district tournament.
Lake Roosevelt (14-6) vs. No. 2 Morton-White Pass (23-2)
Time: 2 p.m. Saturday at W.F. West High School
The pick: MWP, 70-49
As long as guard Kaleb Poquette is healthy after a scare during districts, the Timberwolves have a real chance to win a third straight state title.
Asotin (18-4) vs. No. 3 Northwest Christian (Colbert) (21-2)
Time: 2 p.m. Saturday at West Valley High School (Spokane)
The pick: Northwest Christian, 68-46
The Crusaders cruised (sorry) at districts, winning their three games by an average of 25 points. They could approach a similar margin against the Panthers.
AP top 10 teams already eliminated: No. 6 Liberty, No. 8 La Conner, No. 10 Toledo
CLASS 2B GIRLS
No. 9 Davenport (20-7) vs. No. 3 Napavine (20-3)
Time: Noon Saturday at Mt. Tahoma High School
The pick: Napavine, 66-50
The Tigers have a strong recent track record against teams from the east side of the state. Sophomore guard Mollie Olson is one of the best young players in the classification.
Raymond (18-8) vs. No. 1 Okanogan (22-0)
Time: 2 p.m. Saturday at Wenatchee High School
The pick: Okanogan, 82-40
Well Seagulls, you’ve had a nice season, but it’s about to end. The Bulldogs are absolutely destroying people and seem like a clear favorite to repeat as state champs.
No. 10 Waterville (18-4) vs. Colfax (18-7)
Time: Noon Saturday at West Valley High School (Spokane)
The pick: Colfax, 47-42
Colfax has played a pretty tough schedule and is probably better than its schedule indicates. And if there’s much overlap with the school’s state-title-winning volleyball team, the Bulldogs should have plenty of size down low.
Wahkiakum (17-8) vs. No. 6 Friday Harbor (18-4)
Time: 4 p.m. Saturday at Mt. Vernon High School
The pick: Wahkiakum, 38-36
As a 29-24 win over La Conner in the district title game indicates, Friday Harbor isn’t afraid to muck it up. But nobody handles muck like a Mule.
Dayton (20-5) vs. No. 4 Mabton (20-3)
Time: 6 p.m. Friday at Eisenhower High School
The pick: Mabton, 57-47
Mabton only lost by 13 to Okanogan in the district championship game, which is essentially a major victory. They seem like one of the three or four teams with a real shot to finish in the top two.
No. 2 Ilwaco (22-4) vs. No. 5 Toutle Lake (21-2)
Time: 6 p.m. Friday at W.F. West High School
The pick: Toutle Lake, 54-45
The rankings are a bit misleading here, as the Ducks are coming off a district title while the Fishermen took fifth in the same tournament. The Central 2B will continue to have the Pacific 2B’s number.
Tonasket (10-12) vs. Adna (18-7)
Time: Noon Saturday at Ellensburg High School
The pick: Adna, 61-38
Tonasket won two straight loser-out games to get here, but the run seems likely to end. The Pirates are too explosive. We’re picking all four Central 2B teams to qualify for Spokane, by the way.
Lind-Ritzville/Sprague (19-8) vs. No. 8 St. George’s (20-5)
Time: Noon Saturday at Mt. Spokane High School
The pick: St. George’s, 43-31
The Dragons have won all three meetings this season: the first by 16 points, the second by 2, and the third by 21. We’ll split the difference on this fourth matchup between the two league rivals.
AP top 10 teams already eliminated: No. 7 La Conner
CLASS 1B BOYS
Columbia Adventist (14-3) vs. No. 2 Seattle Lutheran (21-1)
Time: 8 p.m. Saturday at Renton High School
The pick: Seattle Lutheran, 61-36
Seattle Lutheran is by all accounts one of the couple best teams in the classification. Against common opponent Auburn Adventist, they won 57-32, and Columbia Adventist lost 53-30.
T-No. 10 Lummi Nation (16-8) vs. Sunnyside Christian (20-5)
Time: 2 p.m. Saturday at Richland High School
The pick: Lummi, 54-48
No real idea about either of these teams, but the Blackhawks are the defending state champs, so let’s go with them.
No. 7 Wellpinit (18-5) vs. No. 3 Garfield-Palouse (19-2)
Time: 8 p.m. Saturday at Mt. Spokane High School
The pick: Wellpinit, 65-62
The Vikings are probably the favorite here, but Wellpinit’s been improving as the season goes on, coming within a point of knocking of top-ranked Almira/Coulee-Hartline in late January. A minor upset pick.
Yakama Tribal (11-8) vs. Entiat (17-5)
Time: 6 p.m. Saturday at Eastmont High School
The pick: Entiat, 70-61
That record for Yakama Tribal may not even be close to correct, by the way, because it includes a couple scheduled dates with no result given, as well as a game against what I think might be a community college.
Riverside Christian (15-9) vs. No. 4 Neah Bay (18-3)
Time: 4 p.m. Saturday at W.F. West High School
The pick: Neah Bay, 73-51
The Red Devils are the defending state runners-up and seem to be good in every single sport, while Riverside Christiain is coming off a 13-point loss to Entiat in the district title game.
T-No. 10 Liberty Christian (15-8) vs. No. 1 Almira/Coulee-Hartline (22-0)
Time: 6 p.m. Friday at Big Bend Community College
The pick: ACH, 63-32
This ain’t football season, Patriots. ACH is probably the co-favorite along with Seattle Lutheran. And shout-out to Warriors coach Graham Grindy, whose team is surely one of the grittiest around.
Evergreen Lutheran (19-5) vs. Taholah (13-9)
Time: 8 p.m. Saturday at W.F. West High School
The pick: Evergreen Lutheran, 71-55
The Chitwhins are the higher-seeded team as champions of a mediocre district, but the Eagles are better tested against superior competition. They should roll.
Naselle (12-10) vs. T- No. 5 Shorewood Christian (18-3)
Time: 2 p.m. Saturday at Renton High School
The pick: Shorewood Christian, 66-28
Much love to Naselle, in whose school parking lot I’ve written many a story, but the Lions are in a different class. Two of their three losses were against teams from higher classifications.
AP top 10 teams already eliminated: T-No. 5 Republic, No. 8 Orcas Christian, No. 9 Selkirk
CLASS 1B GIRLS
No. 8 Neah Bay (14-6) vs. Taholah (15-7)
Time: 6 p.m. Saturday at W.F. West High School
The pick: Neah Bay, 65-45
It was a 26-point Neah Bay win when the two teams met back in December. A four-game Taholah winning streak seems fated to end.
Lyle-Wishram (14-10) vs. No. 1 Colton (21-1)
Time: 6 p.m. Saturday at Mt. Spokane High School
The pick: Colton, 73-40
If I know only one thing about Washington 1B girls basketball — and one could argue that’s the case — it is to never pick against Colton.
Mary Knight (15-6) vs. No. 3 Tulalip Heritage (22-1)
Time: 2 p.m. Saturday at Everett Community College
The pick: Tulalip Heritage, 61-27
The Owls have had a nice season, but Tulalip Heritage is one of the classification’s best teams. A loss to Mount Vernon Christian in the tri-district championship game has them looking slightly vulnerable, though.
Mount Rainier Lutheran (15-8) vs. No. 4 Republic (22-1)
Time: 4 p.m. Saturday at Mt. Spokane High School
The pick: Republic, 80-47
An easy pick here. The Tigers have been mashing teams, and the Hawks of Mount Rainier Lutheran snuck into regionals by the skin of their teeth.
No. 10 Selkirk (16-7) vs. No. 6 Evergreen Lutheran (19-2)
Time: 2 p.m. Saturday at Mt. Tahoma High School
The pick: Evergreen Lutheran, 51-39
Evergreen Lutheran’s only loss this year against Class 1B competition was a 47-40 setback against Mount Vernon Christian in the tri-district semifinals. They should take care of business.
No. 7 Touchet (18-4) vs. No. 2 Sunnyside Christian (23-0)
Time: Noon Saturday at Richland High School
The pick: Sunnyside Christian, 77-49
A matchup that would work much better as a first-round game in Spokane, this one’s a bad break for the Indians. Sunnyside Christian is a perennial power with a vintage team this season.
Seattle Lutheran (14-9) vs. Mount Vernon Christian (17-9)
Time: Noon Saturday at Mt. Vernon High School
The pick: MVC, 54-33
The Hurricanes stunned Evergreen Lutheran and Tulalip Heritage last week to win the tri-district title and have a good chance to keep it going. They also have what is a severely underutilized nickname in the national sporting landscape.
No. 5 Almira/Coulee-Hartline (20-3) vs. Entiat (15-7)
Time: 4 p.m. Saturday at Eastmont High School
The pick: ACH, 63-46
Not a whole lot of info out there on Entiat, but ACH seems like a potential semifinalist if the chips fall right.
AP top 10 teams already eliminated: No. 9 Moses Lake Christian