One very good team will be left behind.
With only one week to go in the Western Conference North Division boys basketball season, that is the only certainty.
Five North squads have won at least 60 percent of their league games, but only one of them — 13-1 Snohomish (15-3 overall) — has clinched a Class 4A District 1 tournament berth.
The final three tourney North slots are sought by four equally worthy teams: Lake Stevens (9-5 in division), Monroe (9-5), Marysville-Pilchuck (9-5) and Stanwood (9-6). By Thursday night one of the them could be out.
Three of the teams (Lake Stevens, Monroe and M-P) have two games remaining, but Stanwood plays its final league game tonight. The Spartans, who upset Snohomish Friday in Stanwood, travel to take on Everett (4-10, 4-14 overall), which has lost its last four games and nine of its last 10.
Lake Stevens plays at Snohomish tonight and plays host to Everett Thursday. Monroe finishes against Oak Harbor (3-11, 4-15) and Snohomish. M-P, 4-1 in its last five contests, concludes its regular season versus Arlington (5-9, 6-12) and Oak Harbor.
M-P, which holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Stanwood and Lake Stevens, and Stanwood seem to have the most favorable remaining schedules, but Stanwood can’t win more than 10 league games.
If all four teams win out, Stanwood would miss the playoffs despite going 10-6 in division games. But if Stanwood wins tonight and the other contenders all finish 0-2, Stanwood would leap from potential exclusion to a No. 2 seed and a first-round home game.
The possible tiebreaker scenarios are dizzying. For example, Monroe, Lake Stevens and Stanwood could all finish 10-6, creating a three-way tie for the final two playoff berths. The first two tiebreakers, in order, are head-to-head records and records against common opponents, starting with the division champion (Snohomish).
A loser-out, winner-to-district game might be needed to settle it all. The tiebreaker game would probably happen Friday or Saturday, Marysville School District athletic director Greg Erickson said. The team that received a lower number in a preseason tiebreaker draw would host the clash.
Time to sign
Starting at 7 a.m. Wednesday student-athletes in football and several other sports can sign a binding NCAA National Letter of Intent to accept athletic financial aid. Local seniors expected to sign include Kamiak football teammates Justin Glenn (University of Washington) and Skylar Stormo (Washington State University). Soccer players and track/cross country athletes can also sign. Check The Herald Thursday for a rundown of the area’s recruits.
Girls wrestlers advance
Joemae Alewine (103 pounds) and Natasha Grow (130) won their respective weight divisions to help Lake Stevens place second Saturday at the subregional girls wrestling tourney at Juanita High. Monroe’s Julia Perry was the 119-pound champion. Arlington placed third as a team. Ten local wrestlers placed in the top four to qualify for the Region 1 tourney Saturday at Arlington High.
Midfielder wins second Gatorade state honor
Kate Deines, an Issaquah High senior, was named the 2007-2008 Gatorade Washington Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Deines scored 22 goals and had five assists while leading Issaquah to its second consecutive 3A state title. She verbally committed to play for Washington this fall.
Mike Cane, Herald Writer
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