Count the bleary-eyed Enterprise sports department among the jubilant camp of high school hoops enthusiasts who can’t get enough playoff action.
In the last 14 days, we’ve sat courtside — or thereabouts — at more than 20 games scattered throughout the region.
And we would have gladly covered a few more had we not been temporarily sidetracked by Mat Classic XV and the state swimming and diving championships.
We’ve traveled up and down Interstate 5 to venues as far south as Tacoma and as far north as Mount Vernon with several stops in between.
One of the most striking spots to watch basketball is Mount Vernon High School, site of the Northwest District 3A boys and girls tournaments.
The storied fieldhouse dates back to 1921 and topped a local newspaper’s recent rundown of Washington’s top high school gymnasiums.
Even at half full during a pair of girls games last week, the noise bounced off the wooden bleachers and white and green walls, creating a frenzied atmosphere.
One can only imagine how boisterous the place gets when the Bulldogs are in town. It’s no wonder Mount Vernon’s boys team stormed to 27-0 seasons in 1992 and 2001.
The Bulldogs’ gym is easily one of the most intimate in the area. Pity the visiting player who has to shoot free throws while being verbally harangued by the home team’s band, which sits along the baseline on the south end of the floor.
The planners back in 1920s definitely knew what they were doing when they built this hallowed hall.
More modern gyms just don’t seem to convey the same ambiance of their predecessors.
Edmonds-Woodway’s gym, the newest facility in the 10-school Western Conference 4A South Division, comes off as sterile as a doctor’s office. A pair of binoculars are a necessary accessory at E-Dub since the officials are about the only ones with an up-close view of the shots and swats.
While the winner’s brackets attract most of the attention during the playoffs, often the more interesting matchups are in the loser’s bracket.
Last week’s Class 1A Tri-district girls championship game featured two of the top teams in the state — King’s and Archbishop Murphy. Though it was a tight contest from start to finish, the sense of urgency that envelops loser-out games was sorely missed.
A more interesting Northwest District 4A loser-out clash that same weekend featuring Edmonds-Woodway and Mountlake Terrace was played before a sparse crowd at Marysville-Pilchuck High School.
Yet, the fourth quarter was riveting, as the Hawks unsuccessfully tried to chip away at what was a four-point deficit. The importance of every Mountlake Terrace possession increased tenfold as the quarter wound down.
As the Class B, 1A and 3A state tournaments draw to a close this weekend and the 4A championships take shape, our weary eyes will remain focused up to the final buzzer.
David Pan and Charlie Laughtland cover sports for The Enterprise Newspapers. Questions and comments may be sent via e-mail to entsports@heraldnet.com, by fax to 425-774-8622 or by mail to: Sports editor, The Enterprise, 4303 198th St. SW., Lynnwood, WA 98036.
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