OLYMPIA — Times, locations and dates have been set for five Olympic Peninsula prep basketball teams playing in state regional games this weekend.
All the games are on Friday and Saturday night in various locations around the state. Some teams have already qualified for their state tournaments and are playing for better seeding positions while others must win to make the state tournament.
Four of the five teams still alive are girls’ teams. All of these games should be broadcast online on www.nfhs.com.
Port Angeles girls
2A regional play begins with the Port Angeles girls facing Renton in a rematch at 6 p.m. Friday at Auburn Mountainview High School
Port Angeles and Renton met in the opening round of the District 2/3 tournament, a game the Redhawks (18-4, No. 9 Ratings Percentage Index) won 44-42. The young Roughriders qualified for regionals by flexing their defense and winning two straight loser-out games against North Mason (67-30) and North Kitsap (41-16).
Port Angeles (13-10 overall, No. 16 RPI) must win to qualify for the 2A state tournament March 1 at the Yakima Valley Sundome.
Sequim girls
Olympic League champion and No. 2 in RPI Sequim girls got a curious No. 8 seed in regionals after losing in the District 2/3 championship game 43-39 to Renton. The Wolves (20-2) have a 210-mile-long road trip to face No. 1-ranked and unbeaten Ellensburg (21-0) in Ellensburg at 8 p.m. Friday.
While this seems like a tough draw, the good news is Sequim will move on to the Yakima SunDome win or lose. If the Wolves win, they earn a first-round bye at the state tournament. If they lose, they move on to a loser-out game March 1 in Yakima.
Forks girls
The Forks girls got a tough draw and a tough road trip despite being the Pacific 2B League co-champion. They have to travel 440 miles and 7½ hours to Cheney to play Northwest Christian out of Colbert north of Spokane.
Forks (18-7, No. 12 RPI), which finished fourth at the District 4 2B tournament, is seeded 14th in the 2B regionals, while Northwest Christian (18-7, No. 14 RPI) is seeded 11th.
The game will be played at 8 p.m. Friday. It’s a loser-out contest. If the Spartans win, they move on to the 2B state tournament that begins March 1 in Spokane.
Neah Bay girls
The No. 1 ranked Neah Bay girls (19-1) got an unsurprising No. 1 seed at regionals. The Red Devils will play No. 8 seed Waterville-Mansfield (19-4, No. 8 RPI) at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Though Neah Bay is technically the home team, the game will be played at Tacoma Community College. Neah Bay moves on to the state 1B tournament at the Spokane Arena win or lose. If the Red Devils win, they get a first-round bye at state.
The Red Devils finished second at state last year, narrowly losing the championship game to Mount Vernon Christian. They haven’t been shy about wanting a state championship this year.
Neah Bay’s lone loss of the year was its first game of the season to 20-2 Sequim. The Red Devils, who were shorthanded in that first game, avenged that loss later in the season, beating the Wolves in a rematch.
Neah Bay boys
The Red Devils are the only boys team still alive.
Neah Bay (14-6) started the season 4-4, but has been hot in the latter part of the season, going 10-1 over its past 11 games. That one loss was in the Tri-District championship to Mount Vernon Christian.
Neah Bay is a high-scoring team that has scored 77 or more points in 11 games. The 1B boys tournament has some play-in games Tuesday, so Neah Bay will learn today who they will play, either Inchelium or Orcas Island, a team the Red Devils beat earlier this year.
No matter the opponent, that game will be played at 6 p.m. Saturday at Tacoma Community College immediately after the Neah Bay girls game. The Red Devils are a No. 9 seed and must win to move on to the state tournament March 1 at the Spokane Arena.
