Five teams sports, traditionally from two seasons, will be holding tournaments at the same time
As the end of the 2020-21 academic year approaches, the high school sports region is getting ready for another first-of-its-kind event.
Call it Sportsmania.
Or Tourney Tsunami.
How about Sports-a-Palooza?
The nine schools that make up the Class 4A and 3A Greater St. Helens Leagues will have tournaments (or tier events) for all of their winter and spring sports team sports, going on during the same week.
Safe to say that has never before happened.
Boys basketball and girls basketball are traditionally played the same week. But basketball along with baseball and softball? And boys soccer, too?
It is happening. Throughout Southwest Washington.
There will be a play-in contest for basketball, softball and baseball teams. Then on Wednesday, the quarterfinals start in each sport.
For basketball, it will go from Wednesday’s quarterfinals to semifinals on Thursday, and then championship games on Fri., June 4.
Softball and baseball will hold quarterfinal games on Wednesday, then hold off for semifinals and finals on Sat., June 5.
“It’s a neat way to finish what’s been a very abnormal season for kids and coaches,” said Cale Piland, athletic director for Evergreen Public Schools, which has four of the nine schools in the 4A/3A GSHL. “It’s nice to have a culminating event and a culminating week for everything that they’ve been through this year.”
Boys soccer will conclude its season just as the girls soccer season did in the “fall” season that started in February. The nine teams were divided into three tiers, so there will be three tier champions.
Many of the individual sports have, or have had, culminating events as well.
“I just think we’re doing everything we possibly can to give our kids the opportunity to play,” said Rory Oster, Camas’ athletic director and president of the league. “I’m excited about that.”
The 4A and 3A schools opted to have spring and winter sports at the same time. The small schools separated the seasons. The Class 2A basketball teams will have their district tournaments, which includes the District 4 teams from the Olympia area, during the week of June 7.
As far as the 4A/3A culminating events, the basketball championship games will be played at the home of the top remaining seeds.
The softball semis and finals will be held at Camas High School. The baseball semis and finals will be held at Propstra Stadium at Hudson’s Bay High School.
Fans who attend outdoor events are asked to maintain social distancing. For basketball games, the protocols used all season remain in place. Fans are allowed by invitation only, determined by each school district.
