Graham Kapouchin's Jonathan Haas, 66, after stopping one of Gonzaga Prep's final offensive drives during the 4A quarterfinal state championship game Saturday, Nov. 18, at Art Crate Field. Graham Kapouchin's players celebrate their 20-14 victory. 2023 in Spanaway, Washington.
bhayes@thenewstribune.com
The west side vs. east side debate could be settled a week earlier next fall. District directors have approved a “Round of 32” high school football playoff system for the 2024-25 school year for the WIAA’s 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A classifications, the Washington State Football Coaches Association announced on Friday.
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Programs east of the mountains, in places like Yakima, the Tri-Cities and Spokane, always feel a chip on their shoulder coming over to play teams from the Seattle-Tacoma area, which occupy more of the spotlight. Teams on the west side have long felt the spotlight is deserved. Now some of these teams will have a chance to let their pads do the talking, a week earlier than usual.
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In the past, teams on the west side of the state have played each other in district crossover games in Week 10 playoff matchups. Now, all districts will be included in Week 10 playoff games a week ahead of the state tournament Round of 16. That means there will be some east side teams traveling west before the state tournament and vice versa.
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The Round of 32 won’t have official seeding by committee like the state tournament Round of 16, but seeding committees’ and district directors’ recommendations will be taken into consideration by Lake Washington School District athletic director John Applegate, who will determine the Week 10 pairings. Preference for home games will be given to teams that win their respective leagues.
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“The WSFCA is grateful to the District Directors for their creation of the Week 10 Agreements and for listening to the feedback from the football coaches of WA,” reads a WSFCA statement on Friday. “We are excited to see the positive impact this has on football in our state.”
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Like before, teams that lose in Week 10 will be eliminated from the postseason. The teams will then be re-seeded into the state tournament Round of 16 by committees.
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“I don’t think it’s a bad thing,” Sumner coach Keith Ross told The News Tribune on Friday. “I think it’s different.”
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Graham-Kapowsin coach Jeff Logan, who had his Eagles in last year’s 4A state championship game, shared similar sentiments.
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“I like it,” he said. “I just hope there’s transparency moving forward.”
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For most programs, the changes are likely inconsequential. The top-tier programs with a legitimate shot at winning state titles generally win their Week 10 matchups in blowout fashion. Even the Round of 16, the opening round of the state tournament, has its fair share of lopsided results every year.
This story was first published May 3, 2024, 2:17 PM.
John Manley covers high school sports for the News Tribune. Manley, a McClatchy Presidential Award winner and Gonzaga University graduate, has been covering the South Sound sports scene since 2013. He was born and raised in Tacoma.
