Scooter Chapman
New league feels just like home
Published on Wed, Sep 8, 2010 by Scooter ChapmanRead More Chapman
One more week of noncounting football games this Friday then the brand new Olympic League gets under way and, for the first time since back in the 1980s, it's one league for football players and fans.
No longer does Port Angeles have to travel to Olympia twice each season, no longer does
Sequim have to go to far-flung Pierce County locations and the 2A and 3A football divisions are a thing of the past, at least for two years.
Port Angeles, North Kitsap, Olympic, Bremerton, Sequim, North Mason, Klahowya and Kingston make up the new football league. For other sports, from cross country to tennis, the Olympic League remains the same, it's just different in football and different in the fact the larger schools, like P.A., Olympic and North Kitsap are now 2A instead of 3A.
It's not going to be a lopsided league. The bigger schools are not going to dominate. Sequim has been playing even or better than Port Angeles for the past few years in nonleague games, but they will be facing North K, Olympic and Bremerton.
The Knights are the only 3A team. They decided not to join another league but to stay with their friends and neighbors.
Opting up
When the governing body of high schools sports (the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association) decided to assign schools classifications in a new way, schools were advised they had to opt up to a bigger classification before the numbers were set in stone.
Previously officials set a certain number of schools in each class, but often teams would elect to go up in classifiaction and that threw off the balance.
There were 20 schools, according to the WIAA, that went up in classification.
Now, the 2A class includes schools from 513 students to 1,085 (counting students in grades 10-12).
Port Angeles, North Kitsap and Olympic and Bremerton were 4A schools five years ago, but now all but Bremerton are 2A. Olympic is at 1,079 students, P.A. is at 1,066 and NK is at 1,044, three of the largest 2A schools in the state. Bremerton checked in at 1,092 students and just missed the 2A cut.
Redskins stay
Port Townsend remains in the Olympic League except for football. The 1A school goes back to the Nisqually League for football and again will have Chimacum as its archrival.
Sequim and North Mason were 9-1 in football last year. They will more than hold their own against the bigger schools. Olympic was 6-4, North Kitsap was 4-5 and Bremerton 2-7.
Last Friday the Wolves were relentless in a lopsided win at Forks, while the Vikings, Trojans and Knights lost openers.
Yes, Klahowya and Kingston were kicked around by Bremerton and Olympic in nonleague games last year and might be again. Kingston won their opener, but the Eagles were routed.
Port Angeles broke a long, long, losing streak with a large win at Chief Sealth in Seattle, but the Riders faced an easy foe for a change.
Port Angeles had 72 players out this year and will have a freshman/C-team and a junior varsity team for the first time in two years, and that will help the program.
So strap on your helmets, fans, get ready for an interesting Olympic League season.
Reach Scooter Chapman at scooter@olypen.com.
No longer does Port Angeles have to travel to Olympia twice each season, no longer does
Sequim have to go to far-flung Pierce County locations and the 2A and 3A football divisions are a thing of the past, at least for two years.
Port Angeles, North Kitsap, Olympic, Bremerton, Sequim, North Mason, Klahowya and Kingston make up the new football league. For other sports, from cross country to tennis, the Olympic League remains the same, it's just different in football and different in the fact the larger schools, like P.A., Olympic and North Kitsap are now 2A instead of 3A.
It's not going to be a lopsided league. The bigger schools are not going to dominate. Sequim has been playing even or better than Port Angeles for the past few years in nonleague games, but they will be facing North K, Olympic and Bremerton.
The Knights are the only 3A team. They decided not to join another league but to stay with their friends and neighbors.
Opting up
When the governing body of high schools sports (the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association) decided to assign schools classifications in a new way, schools were advised they had to opt up to a bigger classification before the numbers were set in stone.
Previously officials set a certain number of schools in each class, but often teams would elect to go up in classifiaction and that threw off the balance.
There were 20 schools, according to the WIAA, that went up in classification.
Now, the 2A class includes schools from 513 students to 1,085 (counting students in grades 10-12).
Port Angeles, North Kitsap and Olympic and Bremerton were 4A schools five years ago, but now all but Bremerton are 2A. Olympic is at 1,079 students, P.A. is at 1,066 and NK is at 1,044, three of the largest 2A schools in the state. Bremerton checked in at 1,092 students and just missed the 2A cut.
Redskins stay
Port Townsend remains in the Olympic League except for football. The 1A school goes back to the Nisqually League for football and again will have Chimacum as its archrival.
Sequim and North Mason were 9-1 in football last year. They will more than hold their own against the bigger schools. Olympic was 6-4, North Kitsap was 4-5 and Bremerton 2-7.
Last Friday the Wolves were relentless in a lopsided win at Forks, while the Vikings, Trojans and Knights lost openers.
Yes, Klahowya and Kingston were kicked around by Bremerton and Olympic in nonleague games last year and might be again. Kingston won their opener, but the Eagles were routed.
Port Angeles broke a long, long, losing streak with a large win at Chief Sealth in Seattle, but the Riders faced an easy foe for a change.
Port Angeles had 72 players out this year and will have a freshman/C-team and a junior varsity team for the first time in two years, and that will help the program.
So strap on your helmets, fans, get ready for an interesting Olympic League season.
Reach Scooter Chapman at scooter@olypen.com.
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