Camas and Skyview boys to play each other Friday in an winner-to-state game; Union and Skyview girls could both get to state and one is guaranteed to make it to state

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

The Class 4A Greater St. Helens League is looking really strong in the the girls basketball postseason.

No surprise, the Camas Papermakers have cruised into the Class 4A bi-district championship game. They clinched a state playoff berth last week, in fact.

But two more 4A GSHL squads are still alive in the consolation bracket, and both can still qualify for state, and one is guaranteed to make it to state.

A year ago, Camas was the lone representative at state for the 4A GSHL in girls basketball.

This weekend is a big one for Washington Interscholastic Activities Association sports. Bi-distict and district basketball finals will determine all state-qualifying teams. Plus there is state swimming in Federal Way and state wrestling — Mat Classic — at the Tacoma Dome.

Here is what’s going on, heading into Thursday night, Feb. 15:

Class 4A girls basketball:

Camas topped Sumner in a semifinal Wednesday, 49-41, to advance to the championship game of the bi-district tourney. The Papermakers have not lost to a Washington team this season and are looking for a strong finish — a victory in the title game — to show the seeding committee its potential. The Papermakers do have six losses this season, but all out of state, against some of the best teams in the country. The Papermakers still expect a strong seed going into state. A bi-district championship would help their cause.

Union, the second-place team from the 4A GSHL, crushed Kentridge 70-40 on Tuesday in an elimination game to reach the final four of the consolation bracket. Skyview, the third-place team from the 4A GSHL, also won its elimination game, 48-43 over Bethel.

Three of the final four teams in the consolation bracket will qualify for state.

Skyview and Union will play in back-to-back games Thursday night (Feb. 15) at Stadium High School in Tacoma. Skyview will play Kentwood at 5 p.m. Union faces Emerald Ridge at 7 p.m. The winners go to state. The losers will play each other Saturday in a winner-to-state, loser-out situation. Yes, it’s possible Skyview and Union could play in that final game to state.

Class 4A boys basketball:

Camas and Skview will go at it again. 

For the fourth time this season, Camas and Skyview will play each other. This time, it will be a berth to state. The good news for both teams: Whoever loses will still have another shot to make it to state.

Camas beat Rogers of Puyallup 77-55 on Wednesday in one elimination game. Skyview topped Sumner 63-46 in another. 

The two will face each other at 6 p.m. Friday at Battle Ground High School.  

They split the regular-season games, and then Camas won in a tiebreaker game. This fourth one is to go to state. The loser will play Saturday in a winner-to-state, loser-out game.

Class 3A girls basketball:

Evergreen fell in the semifinals of the bi-district tournament on Wednesday, losing to North Thurston 70-43. The Plainsmen have already clinched a trip to state. 

Mountain View lost to Peninsula earlier in the week in an elimination game.

Class 3A boys basketball:

The Evergreen Plainsmen fell just shy of getting a chance to make it to state. Gig Harbor got past Evergreen 64-62 Wednesday night in an elimination game.

Class 2A girls basketball:

The Ridgefield Spudders are going to the state tournament. That’s a sentence that has not been written in girls basketball since 2007. 

Ridgefield had a huge final three quarters to beat Washougal in an elimination game in the Class 2A District 4 tournament on Wednesday. Final score: 63-35.

Ridgefield will join Columbia River at state, representing Clark County schools. 

Columbia River made it to state on Monday when the Rapids dispatched Black Hills 47-33 in the championship semifinals. River will take on W.F. West in the district finals Friday night at Kelso High School.

Class 2A boys basketball:

The Columbia River boys clinched a trip to state with a semifinal win over W.F. West on Tuesday. The Rapids will face Mark Morris in the title game Friday at Kelso High School. Both teams are going to state.

Ridgefield is still alive, too. The Spudders take on R.A. Long at 6 p.m. Thursday at Woodland High School in a winner-to-state, loser-out game.

Class 1A girls basketball:

Seton Catholic, already qualified for state, will face Montesano in the championship game of the District 4 tournament at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Hoquiam High School. King’s Way Christian is still alive but must win two games to make it to state. The Knights face Eatonville on Thursday at Montesano High School. The winner will play Saturday in a final elimination game.

Class 1A boys basketball:

Seton Catholic has already made it to state. The Cougars will play Tenino in the district championship game at 6 p.m. Saturday at Hoquiam High School. Seton will be the only Trico League team at state. Montesano defeated La Center on Wednesday in a consolation game, eliminating the Wildcats. 

State Boys Swimming:

The Class 4A, 3A, and 2A/1A state swimming and diving championships are this weekend in Federal Way.

Owen Robertson of Union is seeded second in the Class 4A 200-yard freestyle. He is also seeded fifth in the 500-yard freestyle.

In Class 2A/1A, Fort Vancouver’s Tarik Kurta is seeded second in the 50 freestyle. He is seeded fifth in the 100 freestyle. 

For all entries, go to the WIAA’s swimming page: https://www.wiaa.com/tournament-bsw/?sport_id=5

Mat Classic

The state championships for boys and girls wrestling, all under one roof in the Tacoma Dome, are Friday and Saturday. 

For a list of the more than 100 Clark County (and Woodland) wrestlers in the brackets, go to our story posted earlier this week: https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/sports/mat-classic-advance-more-than-100-wrestlers-from-clark-county-heading-to-state/