Since 2001, the La Center football team has made the playoffs every year. At least in years when there was a postseason (there was no postseason during the 2021 spring coronavirus season).
Week 10 has meant playing the District 4 crossover playoffs since 2007, when the Wildcats played at the Class 1A level.
In the past 16 Week 10 postseason games, the Wildcats have faced Elma five times, Forks three times, Tenino, Montesano and Hoquiam twice each, and Eatonville once. In 2014, La Center received a bye in the Week 10 crossover.
But come Week 10 of 2024, the Wildcats could face a completely different opponent if they continue their postseason winning streak.
The Washington State Football Coaches Association announced last week that a new statewide Week 10 crossover for Class 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A football has been adopted and will go into effect this fall.
“WSFCA is grateful to the district directors (of all nine WIAA districts) for developing the Week 10 agreement and listening to feedback from (Washington) football coaches,” the WSFCA board of directors said in a statement. Stated. “We are excited about the positive impact this will have on soccer in our state.”
Week 10 will be no different for the Class 3A teams. 3A teams have played Week 10 crossovers across the state for several seasons, and that format was left as a roadmap for this new format for other classes. It was promoted by WSFCA.
The WIAA awards berths to the 16-team football state tournament to each WIAA district on a pro rata basis based on the number of teams playing that sport in that district.
For the past decade, all districts in the state pooled their spots in 3A football. The state's 32 teams will then compete in Week 10 to determine which of the 16 teams will play in the state playoffs.
Teams in 4A follow a similar format, but only teams from District 4 west of the Cascades participated in the Week 10 crossover. Starting next fall, the entire state will participate in the crossover.
Previously in 2A and 1A, state playoff berths were determined by Week 10 playoffs played strictly within the same district.
For 2A GSHL teams, that meant playing teams like Tumwater, WF West, or Aberdeen. In 1A Trico, that meant playing against the likes of Montesano, Hoquiam and Elma.
Now, in the playoffs in Week 10, they could potentially face someone in the state.
Lake Washington School District Athletic Director John Applegate will coordinate the Week 10 brackets with the assistance of district directors and each class' WIAA seeding committee.
To be clear, these Week 10 games are not part of the expansion of the WIAA state tournament from 16 teams to 32 teams. Instead, 32 teams will play 16 games in Week 10 for a spot in the 16-team state tournament.
The winners of the Week 10 playoffs will be reseeded into their respective 16-team state playoff brackets after Week 10.
Class 2B and 1B playoffs will continue as before.
This is an exciting change to the landscape of football's postseason. This will give teams as well as fans the opportunity to see teams from other parts of the state that were previously not possible.
For example, a Week 10 matchup between La Center and Colville or Meridian feels a little more appealing than a Week 10 matchup against Elma.
At the very least, once a 16-team state tournament field is set, the teams in that field are more likely to better reflect the best 16 teams in the state.
Who can argue with that?
