The Class 4A, 1A and 2B state high school basketball playoffs begin on Wednesday; Northwest Yeshiva forfeits out of state tournament.
1. Federal Way drops first in-state game: The Federal Way Eagles have been nationally ranked all season and untouched in games played against state opponents.
Federal Way (23-2), the defending Class 4A state champs, only lost to Jefferson of Portland at the King Holiday Hoopfest in January.
The Lincoln Abes (18-7) of Tacoma stunned Federal Way 59-56 in the championships game of the Class 4A West Central District boys basketball tournament.
Unranked Lincoln was down 21 points in the fourth quarter. The Abes put together a 22-2 run. Jordan Russell, who scored 10 in the quarter, tied the game with 28 seconds remaining. Carlos Anderson's three-point play (he was fouled on a drive to the hoop) with 1.3 seconds left clinched it.
"It's a miracle. We came back from 21 points down," Anderson told the Seattle Times. Federal Way beat Lincoln to open the season 110-85.
The district's other top-ranked team, the 25-0 Auburn Riverside girls, rolled to the West Central title, beating Bellarmine Prep of Tacoma 72-65.
2. Class 4A state tournament tips off: The state's biggest schools start their run on Wednesday at the Tacoma Dome. Top-ranked Federal Way boys (23-2) and Auburn-Riverside girls (25-0) are the favorites. The boys bracket is
here. The girls bracket is here.
3. Class 1A state tournament heads to SunDome: Top-ranked Chelan (23-1) and No. 2 Granger (28-0) are the favorites at the Class 1A state boys tournament at Yakima's SunDome. Chelan starts the tournament against defending champion Vashon Island (20-3), another team that could take the title. Among the girls, Seattle Christian (21-2), Granger (21-1) and Freeman (Rockford) (22-1) are the favorites. The boys bracket is
here. The girls bracket is here.
4. Class 2B ready to rock Spokane Arena: One of the state's most popular state tournaments, Class 2B, opens at the Spokane Arena on Wednesday. Entire towns head to Spokane to watch their teams play. No. 2 Colfax (22-3) returns to defend its girls title. The boys will have a new champion for the first time in four years as Northwest Christian failed to make the state field. The boys bracket is
here. The girls bracket is here.
5. Familiar faces win small-school titles: The Sunnyside Christian boys beat St. John-Endicott 49-43 to win the Class 1B state title for the third time in four years. The Class 1B, the state's smallest schools, held their state tournament at the Yakima SunDome. Colton won its second straight girls title, blowing out Almia/Coulee-Hartline 64-34.
6. Northwest Yeshiva picks religion over state: Northwest Yeshiva, a small Jewish school on Mercer Island, became the first team to forfeit out of a state tournament last week at Class 1B. The 613s, named after the number of Jewish commandments, are the first Jewish school in Washington to make it to state. They forfeited a second-round, loser-out game rather than break a Jewish fast (Fast of Esther), which doesn't allow even drinking water. The school decided playing without being able to hydrate was "an unacceptable risk."
Top performers
* Michael Russo (Eastlake boys basketball): The 6-foot-5 senior scored 35 points as the Wolves held off Juanita 68-49 in a district tournament game.
* Warren Miller (Sunnyside Christian boys basketball): Miller had 23 points and nine rebounds to earn Class 1A boys basketball tourney MVP.
* Haley Moser (Colton girls basketball): She had 15 points in the title game and was named Class 1A state tourney MVP.
Upcoming events
There are three state basketball tournaments this week, but that's not all for high school hoops fans. The Class 3A and Class 2A schools are still holding their district tournaments across the state. The highlight? Check out the Class 3A SeaKing District tournament. The state champ usually emerges from that tournament.
Nate's notes
The WIAA can't seem to avoid controversy. You may remember the WIAA, the state's governing body of high school sports, getting ripped nationally a few years ago after Archbishop Murphy was forced to forfeit its season before the playoffs began over an ineligible player who had an expired physical form. The form was overlooked because its beloved coach Terry Ennis was dying.
Now they find themselves involved in a religious controversy with Northwest Yeshiva. You can find the details above. Say this for the WIAA: It sticks to its guns and is not afraid of making an unpopular decision. Personally, it seems some small concession could be made so the 613s could play. An off-site game and rescheduling until later in the day seems like a reasonable solution.
Nathan Joyce has been a sportswriter in Washington for 12 years. He currently works at the Kitsap Sun in Bremerton.
