South Sound schools roll onto state basketball tournament. 24 of them, to be exact
More than 70 percent of the South Sound high school basketball teams that played in state regionals games Friday and Saturday are still alive.
There were 34 teams from the area that qualified for regionals through their districts, and 24 of them will play into the final week of the season — many after winning loser-out games.
The South Sound will be represented by at least one team in all six of the girls classifications, and five of the boys classifications — with 1A boys being the only bracket that will lack a local team.
Each of the three tournament sites will host several local teams — 14 will play at the Tacoma Dome, six at the Yakima Valley SunDome, and four at the Spokane Arena.
In 4A boys, state favorite Federal Way (24-2), which is seeded third, earned a first-round bye after routing No. 6 Jackson, 69-49, on Saturday night in Puyallup.
All-American forward Jaden McDaniels, a five-star recruit who has narrowed his college choices to Kentucky, San Diego State, Texas UCLA and Washington, completed a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds in the win.
Standout junior Tari Eason, another Division I prospect, added 15 points, four rebounds and two blocks.
“We tried to apply a lot of pressure and then when the score started to run up, we just kind of slowed down at halftime and after that,” McDaniels said.
Federal Way will host the winner of Mount Rainier-Richland in the quarterfinals at 12:15 p.m. Thursday in the Tacoma Dome.
“We just have to practice, scout the teams and follow what coach tells us to do,” McDaniels said.
Four more South Sound teams will join the Eagles — who won the 4A SPSL and 4A West Central/Southwest bidistrict titles, and haven’t lost to a team in state this season — in Tacoma.
Though, the other four bidistrict qualifiers will have to win loser-out games Wednesday to reach the double-elimination portion of the bracket.
No. 11 Puyallup (20-7) will play Jackson (18-5) at 9 a.m., followed by 4A SPSL champion and No. 7 Curtis (19-6), which plays No. 10 Glacier Peak (15-7) at 10:30 a.m.
No. 13 Mount Rainier (18-8) then meets No. 5 Richland (20-4) at 12:15 p.m., and No. 9 Kentridge (20-7) plays No. 8 Battle Ground (18-9) at 2 p.m.
In 4A girls, second-seeded Kentridge (24-2) is the only other local to earn a first-round bye in the Tacoma Dome.
The Chargers, who are considered a tournament favorite, continued their dominant run with a 64-49 regionals win over No. 7 Inglemoor on Saturday afternoon in Auburn.
Washington signee JaQuaya Miller scored a game-high 24 pounds and pulled down 20 rebounds, while standout junior Jordyn Jenkins had 18 points and 13 boards.
“Heading where we want to be, we are right on track,” first-year Kentridge coach Brad McDowell said.
Kentridge won the 4A tournament in 2017 before being upended by Woodinville in the 2018 quarterfinals — a scenario that could play out again if the Falcons, who were upset by Eastlake in the regional round, win their loser-out game Wednesday.
The Chargers — whose last 23 wins have been by double digits — play the winner of Sunnyside-Woodinville at 9 p.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals.
“Teams are coming for us,” Miller said. “The more ready we get, the better we will be.”
Two more South Sound teams in the 4A girls tournament — No. 14 Hazen (18-9) and No. 6 Bellarmine Prep (20-5) — will meet each other in a loser-out game at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday.
No. 15 Rogers (18-8) will play Inglemoor (20-6) directly following that game at 5:30 p.m.
Each of the five local qualifiers in the 3A boys and girls tournaments will play loser-out games Wednesday in the Tacoma Dome.
In the boys bracket, two Tacoma public schools teams will play with their seasons on the line. No. 6 Lincoln (19-5) will play No. 11 O’Dea (16-8) at 3:45 p.m. and No. 12 Wilson (18-9) will play No. 5 Kelso (20-4) at 7:15 p.m.
No. 9 Capital (20-4) will play No. 8 West Seattle (17-8) in the final game of the night at 9 p.m.
On the girls side, No. 7 Bethel (20-4) plays No. 15 Edmonds-Woodway (14-9) at 10:30 a.m., and No. 5 Peninsula (18-5) plays No. 12 Roosevelt (18-7) at 12:15 p.m.
Nearly every local headed to Yakima will play a loser-out game Wednesday, with the No. 4 White River girls (24-3) being the only exception, after earning a first-round bye with a win over No. 5 Archbishop Murphy on Saturday afternoon in Puyallup.
The Hornets will meet the winner of Sequim-Port Angeles in the quarterfinals at 3:45 p.m. Thursday.
In 2A, the No. 8 Franklin Pierce boys (23-4), No. 9 Fife boys (20-7), No. 13 Renton boys (18-9) and No. 13 Black Hills girls (17-8) all play in loser-out games, as do the No. 6 Annie Wright girls (20-4) in 1A.
In 2B, the No. 7 Life Christian boys (19-4) have a first-round bye in Spokane. They’ll play the winner of Liberty of Spangle-Lake Roosevelt at 2 p.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals.
The No. 7 Auburn Adventist girls (20-2) play in a loser-out game Wednesday.
In 1B, the No. 5 Muckleshoot Tribal boys (22-3) have a first-round bye and play the winner of Riverside Christian-Lummi a t 3:45 p.m. Thursday.
The No. 8 Concordia Christian girls (21-5) play in a loser-out game Wednesday.
Contributing writer Todd Milles contributed to this report.
This story was originally published February 24, 2019 at 5:14 PM.
