No Room For Mercy In State Playoffs

By Ted Escobar

With the score 20-0 halfway through first quarter one Friday a few years ago, I was near the Royal 30-yard line on the Charles Wright Academy sideline when CWA Athletic Director Bill White started moving toward me.

We had spoken Monday morning when I asked him to send me a picture of the Harriers' quarterback. “You must be Ted,” he said as we shook hands. We chatted briefly and stepped back to watch the game.

The next time I was near Bill, the score was 41-0 at the top of the second quarter. He had a sad look on his face, understandably. His team's players' shoulders were drooping. Their heads were down.

Don't worry Bill, I said. This will be over at halftime.

“Can't he take his starters out now?” Bill asked.

I really felt sorry for mild-mannered Bill and his boys. To travel all the way from Tacoma just to run into this. And to start the game weak-legged from a cross state drive.

Blame the WIAA. It decided to take some entries away from eastern Washington, give them to the west and mix up the east and west teams. Saturday, Eatonville had to play at Colville. Speaking of long trips.

The answer to Bill's question was: No. In this playoff era you can't take your starters out of the game before the half for two reasons. First: you need to be in the second half and be 100 percent certain you've won.

The other reason is that coaches need to keep developing their offenses and defenses on the drive to and through the playoffs. The starters need at least half a game of action to keep the team sharp.

You can't tell players who practice in spring, late summer and all during the season to slow down or ease up. That's asking for carelessness and, potentially, injury.

I suggested to Bill that, perhaps, the tournament should be cut to 12 or maybe even eight teams. He gave it some thought and said CWA (3-6) really shouldn't have been in the tournament.

Asking a question, he suggested another solution. He wondered why the running clock hadn't been started at 41-0. That's because, by rule, the running clock isn't triggered until the second half, if there is a 40-point margin or wider.

Blowouts are the same predicament for Connell, Zillah, Colville and a few teams west of the mountains. Competing for a state championship, they can't feel sorry for the opposition. Zillah won a playoff game that year, 69-31.

This type of outcome will continue in the future as the haves are forced to face the have-nots. Cut the field. It’s better for kids to go on to basketball and wrestling than endure what happened to CWA that weekend.

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