It’s twice the fun for White River High School this week, as both the Hornet boys’ and girls’ basketball teams will be competing in Yakima as part of the Class 2A state tournaments.
The state festivities actually began last weekend with 16 teams competing in a regional round – at a variety of sites – with everyone gunning for a chance to play in the Yakima Valley SunDome. A dozen of those 16 earned a Dome berth.
White River’s boys carry the No. 6 seed to Yakima, where they will square off against the No. 14 Prosser Mustangs at 3:45 this afternoon (Wednesday). It’s a loser-out affair with the winner advancing to play again at 3:45 Thursday against the No. 4 Pullman Greyhounds.
White River enters today’s contest with an overall record of 19-4, which includes a perfect 14-0 mark in South Puget Sound League 2A play and the accompanying league title.
Prosser heads into today’s game with a 13-10 record that includes a 7-5 slate in the Central Washington Athletic Conference.
In the regional round, the White River boys were seeded high enough to be assured a Yakima berth despite the outcome. That came in handy, as the Hornets fell 72-58 to the No. 3 bunch from Longview’s R.A. Long High School.
The White River girls take the No. 10 seed into a contest against No. 7 Washougal slated for 10:30 this morning (Wednesday). The loser will be done for the season but the winner advances to a quarterfinal game at 10:30 Thursday morning against the No. 8 squad from Burlington-Edison.
White River enters today’s game with a season record of 20-4, including a 13-1 in league play and a share of the SPSL 2A title. Washougal, of the Greater St. Helens League, takes the court in Yakima with a 14-3 overall record (12-2 in league).
The Hornet girls entered the regional round of the state’s Sweet 16 with a Feb. 25 game against Sammamish High. Playing at Tacoma’s Mount Tahoma High, White River employed a stifling defense that limited the Totems to a measly eight points during the first three quarters. White River coasted late in the game on the way to a 39-20 win.
ENUMCLAW HIGH TEAMS OUSTED
Both the boys’ and girls’ teams from Enumclaw High had advanced to the state’s final 16, but were bounced during the regional round.
With the No. 13 seed, Enumclaw’s boys were paired against No. 12 Grandview. In a game played Feb. 26 at Yakima’s Davis High School, EHS was defeated 68-46.
The EHS squad finished with an overall record of 14-9, including a 10-4 mark in SPSL 2A play.
A night earlier, the No. 14 Enumclaw girls had traveled to Richland High to challenge the No. 11 Prosser squad. The Hornets’ season came to a close with a 75-55 loss.
The final season tally showed the EHS girls with an overall record of 16-5. That included a 13-1 mark in league play that was good for a share of the SPSL 2A championship.
