Peninsula, Gig Harbor temporarily relocate to 4A SPSL

The dire priority for student-athletes has persisted for months: get out and play, however possible.

It looks like that time -- barring further pandemic-related setbacks -- is finally near.

It’s no surprise that athletics this school year have undergone massive change; fall sports would have ended well over a month ago, and winter sports would now be in full swing. But Peninsula and Gig Harbor’s conference found itself in one of the more peculiar situations, given the far-reaching nature of the Class 3A South Sound Conference’s member schools.

Of the eight regions released by the Governor’s Office on Jan. 5, Peninsula and Gig Harbor’s conference makes up three of them, creating additional difficulty to coordinate eligibility for competition with their opponents. It was a likely scenario that one school would be able to compete on any given night, while their opponent would not yet be cleared to play.

Because of that, league shuffles happened, with leagues moving toward a hyper-local model within their own counties. Instead of competing in the 3A SSC, Peninsula and Gig Harbor now find themselves in the 4A South Puget Sound League as interim members.

It’s a change that was only confirmed for season one of the WIAA’s proposed plan -- which stretches through March 20 -- though Peninsula Athletic Director Ross Filkins says the agreement could very well last for the remainder of the school year.

After Olympia High School vacated their spot in the SPSL to join their neighboring Thurston County Schools -- the same goes for South Kitsap High School and the Northwest Region -- two spots opened up for the Seahawks and Tides.

The added convenience for Peninsula and Gig Harbor does not come without compromise; in fact, the move places the Seahawks and Tides in a higher classification, with a tougher schedule. But, as the pandemic continues to worsen regarding case numbers and ICU occupancies, Filkins says their region must reach phase two before any of this comes to fruition.

“I think all of us have to temper our expectations going into this year,” Filkins said, who is also Peninsula’s head football coach. “We know that there won’t be any state championships at all. That’s not going to be anyone’s goal because that’s not a reality this year. Everyone is going to be working regionally.”

Peninsula’s stacked senior class -- one that Filkins argues could be his best ever -- now has the task of playing in a 4A classification. Opposed to the typical schools you’d see Peninsula and Gig Harbor take on over the course of the season (such as Capital, Yelm, or Timberline), the Seahawks and Tides sit in a division accompanied by Curtis, Bellarmine, and Sumner.

It’ll be quite the test for both schools, but Filkins says the hometown 3A programs are up for the challenge.

“For Gig Harbor and Peninsula to have such a strong league with great leadership is a huge benefit to our student-athletes because they really have comprehensive programs,” Filkins said. “For us, the level of play is going to be very high, so it’s going to essentially be championship-caliber competition every night you take the field, or the court, or the pool.”

Filkins says the 4A SPSL is still trying to nail down the specifics of what postseason play may look like, something he says coaches are describing as a “culminating event.” There may be a championship game between the two division winners within the SPSL, but a wider regional championship is another possibility.

But what was most important for the student-athletes was to finally take the field, and it seems like those details have been met.

“I think all of our kids are excited,” Filkins said. “Certainly, we’ve had so many ups and downs and change of plans that they are wise to be somewhat measured. … They’re excited at the prospect of being able to actually have their seasons and to represent their school and community and get out with their friends and have some fun.”

This story was originally published January 18, 2021 at 12:27 PM.