Shake up in store for prep leagues as Timberline, North Thurston apply to join 3A SPSL
Next to nothing is official, and plenty of pieces are still moving.
But preliminary enrollment figures (grades 9-11) for 2016-2020 suggest athletic realignments for many high schools in the Olympia area.
It is possible that both classifications of the Narrows League — currently the home to six area schools: Olympia, Timberline, Yelm, Capital, North Thurston and Shelton — could disband.
North Thurston Public Schools athletic director Rich Yelenich said Timberline and North Thurston already have applied to join the 3A South Puget Sound League.
“Our goal is to get all of our schools under the same league umbrella,” Yelenich said.
North Thurston currently competes in the 3A Narrows and applied for realignment Wednesday.
Timberline, a current member of the 4A Narrows, applied to join the 3A SPSL on Thursday. It projects as the largest school in the 3A classification due to 19 schools opting up to play in 4A. Each classification is allowed no more than 65 schools.
The deadline for schools to opt up, or rescind opt-ups, is Wednesday. If Timberline is bounced back to 4A before the deadline, Yelenich said that applying for the 4A SPSL could be an option.
“We’re at the mercy of how the wind blows,” he said.
Yelenich said one of the district’s eventual goals is for all three high schools — River Ridge is the third and will remain in the 2A SPSL — to play in the same classification and league.
The school board voted unanimously on Nov. 17 to implement a new set of boundaries that is intended to correct the enrollment imbalance between Timberline, North Thurston and River Ridge.
“That’s the intent of the boundary changes — to level out our school enrollments,” Yelenich said. “Then our goal would be to be in a situation where we can get our schools in the same league and, ideally, down the road, it would be great to have all of our schools in the same classification within that league.”
Because of opt-ups, Yelm, which competes in the 4A Narrows, is currently listed as the fifth-largest school in the 3A classification.
The five Tacoma public high schools — Foss, Lincoln, Mount Tahoma, Stadium and Wilson — competing in the Narrows League also have applied to the SPSL, Tacoma School District athletic director Sam Reed told The News Tribune. Multiple ADs have said Gig Harbor also has applied.
Under those parameters, the three teams remaining in the 4A Narrows are Bellarmine Prep, Olympia and South Kitsap.
Bellarmine athletic director Ed Ploof told The News Tribune that the school is in the process of applying for the SPSL. Olympia is currently nearing the bubble as the fifth-smallest school currently listed in 4A.
Capital, Shelton and Central Kitsap would be the schools left in the 3A Narrows if the Tacoma schools move, but the SPSL can approve or deny any team that has applied.
Because of the way classifications could shift by next week, many schools are waiting to see how the dust settles.
“We still believe you’ve got to play and compete no matter where you’re at,” Capital athletic director Steve Bellande said. “We’re looking at all the options.”
The core of the 2A Evergreen Conference — Black Hills, Centralia, Tumwater and W.F. West — will remain the same. Rochester, which has competed independently as a 2A school in the 1A EvCo for the last two years, will join that league. Aberdeen is likely to do the same.
“We’re looking forward to the challenge and know what’s in front of us is pretty rough,” Rochester athletic director Jerry Striegel said. “Two years in the (2A/1A EvCo) has allowed us to get our feet underneath us.”
CLASSIFICATION CRAZINESS
South Sound leagues could change drastically with the upcoming four-year classification cycle, newly implemented by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association and slated to begin for the 2016-17 school year. The 4A North Puget Sound League is one that appears to be on its way, with 14 teams split into two still undecided divisions.
But that could spark a domino effect of change throughout the remaining 4A South Puget Sound League teams, as well as the 4A Narrows, 3A Narrows and the 3A SPSL. While much deliberation is expected until the Jan. 13 opt-up deadline and even beyond, here are a few potential scenarios:
4A NORTH PUGET SOUND LEAGUE
(Proposed league would be split into two seven-team divisions)
Auburn
Auburn Mountainview
Auburn Riverside
Decatur
Federal Way
Kennedy Catholic
Kent-Meridian
Kentlake
Kentridge
Kentwood
Mt. Rainier
Tahoma
Thomas Jefferson
Todd Beamer
SCENARIO 1
4A SOUTH PUGET SOUND LEAGUE
Bellarmine Prep**
Curtis
Emerald Ridge
Graham-Kapowsin
Olympia**
Rogers
Puyallup
South Kitsap**
Sumner***
*Has indicated it would not opt up to 4A and join 3A SPSL, citing travel purposes, if Bellarmine Prep, Olympia and South Kitsap joined 4A SPSL.
**4A Narrows school that has not applied to 4A SPSL
***3A SPSL accepted into 4A SPSL, according to district athletic director
3A SUPER SOUTH PUGET SOUND LEAGUE
(League would likely split into East and West divisions)
Bethel*
Bonney Lake
Capital**
Central Kitsap**
Enumclaw
Gig Harbor***
Lakes
Lincoln***
Mount Tahoma***
North Thurston***
Peninsula
Shelton**
Spanaway Lake*
Stadium***
Timberline***
Wilson***
Yelm**
*Has indicated it would not opt up to 4A and join 3A SPSL, citing travel purposes, if Bellarmine Prep, Olympia and South Kitsap join 4A SPSL.
**3A Narrows League school that has not applied to 3A SPSL
***3A Narrows League school that has applied to 3A SPSL
SCENARIO 2
3A SOUTH PUGET SOUND LEAGUE
(If league were to deny Tacoma and North Thurston teams, add Gig Harbor, Bethel and Spanaway Lake)
Bethel*
Bonney Lake
Enumclaw
Gig Harbor***
Lakes
Peninsula
Spanaway Lake*
*Has indicated it would not opt up to 4A and join 3A SPSL, citing travel purposes, if Bellarmine Prep, Olympia and South Kitsap joined 4A SPSL.
***3A Narrows League school that has applied to 3A SPSL
3A NARROWS LEAGUE
Capital
Central Kitsap
Lincoln
Mount Tahoma
North Thurston
Shelton
Stadium*
Timberline*
Wilson
Yelm*
*Currently member of 4A Narrows, but based on most recent enrollment and opt-up figures would join 3A classification for 2015-16 school year
SCENARIO 4
3A SOUTH PUGET SOUND LEAGUE
(If league were to accept North Thurston schools, deny Tacoma schools and add Gig Harbor, Bethel and Spanaway Lake)
Bethel*
Bonney Lake
Enumclaw
Gig Harbor***
Lakes
North Thurston***
Peninsula
Spanaway Lake*
Timberline***
*Has indicated it would not opt up to 4A and join 3A SPSL, citing travel purposes, if Bellarmine Prep, Olympia and South Kitsap joined 4A SPSL.
***3A Narrows League school that has applied to 3A SPSL
3A NARROWS LEAGUE
Capital
Central Kitsap
Lincoln
Mount Tahoma
North Thurston
Shelton
Stadium*
Timberline*
Wilson
Yelm*
*Currently member of 4A Narrows, but based on most recent enrollment and opt-up figures would join 3A classification for 2015-16 school year
SCENARIO 5
3A SOUTH PUGET SOUND LEAGUE
(If league were to accept Tacoma schools and deny North Thurston schools)
Bethel*
Bonney Lake
Enumclaw
Gig Harbor***
Lakes
Lincoln***
Mount Tahoma***
Peninsula
Spanaway Lake*
Stadium***
Wilson***
*Has indicated it would not opt up to 4A and join 3A SPSL, citing travel purposes, if Bellarmine Prep, Olympia and South Kitsap joined 4A SPSL.
***3A Narrows League school that has applied to 3A SPSL
3A NARROWS LEAGUE
Capital
Central Kitsap
North Thurston
Shelton
Timberline*
Yelm*
*Currently member of 4A Narrows, but based on most recent enrollment and opt-up figures would join 3A classification for 2015-16 school year
TJ Cotterill: 253-597-8677, @tjcotterill
This story was originally published January 7, 2016 at 8:11 PM with the headline "Shake up in store for prep leagues as Timberline, North Thurston apply to join 3A SPSL."