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Opinion: Jim Riley | |||||||||||
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Important playoff seeding still on the line at Edgar Brown tonight It's unfortunate, but because of the behemoth the 11-team Big Nine has become, tonight's matchup between undefeated Kamiakin at playoff-bound Pasco has lost a little of its luster. While the drama of which four teams will make the playoffs has evaporated - Kamiakin, Walla Walla, Moses Lake and Pasco will represent the Big Nine - how they are seeded, and the all-important homefield advantage that goes with it, is still on the line. Conceivably, Kamiakin (6-0, 7-0) could drop as low as third. Pasco (5-2) could jump up as high as third. Neither scenario is likely and a lot of this late season confusion stems from the fact that Kamiakin doesn't play Moses Lake (5-1, 6-1) this year. Kamiakin still has the opportunity to win the Big Nine title, but that means little more than accumulating hardware for its trophy case because teams now are ultimately judged by how far they advance in the state playoffs. Pasco knows all about that, having been to the 4A state title game three times in the last four years with a pair of state championships. The reason that Pasco is assured a postseason spot is because even if the Bulldogs lose to Kamiakin and finish at 5-3, they've already beaten Southridge, Richland and Wenatchee - the three teams that could also finish with that same record. But Pasco coach Steve Graff will still have plenty of pregame ammunition to use as motivation. The Bulldogs schedule was the most difficult in the Big Nine because it did not include Eisenhower (3-4) or Eastmont (0-6), included trips to both Walla Walla and Moses Lake, and ends next week with a bye. Also, because Pasco will likely end up the No. 4 seed and spend most of its playoff life on the road, tonight will probably be the last chance for the Bulldogs seniors to play at Edgar Brown Stadium. Add in that Pasco is coming off a 41-14 shellacking by Moses Lake and needs to rebuild its shattered confidence before the playoffs begin, and it might be easy to think the Bulldogs will be the more motivated team. That's unlikely because Pasco has beaten Kamiakin four straight times in the last two years, knocking the Braves out of the playoffs each of the last two years. "If our guys can't get motivated to play Kamiakin, then they're in the wrong sport," Graff said. It says something about the quality of the program at Pasco that the Bulldogs can still make the playoffs even in what many would consider to be a rebuilding year. "Our main goal every year is to make the playoffs because once you get there anything can happen," Graff said. "Win or lose this week, we want to get better and get ready to play against a GSL (Greater Spokane League) team." Under Graff, who has a record of 58-10, Pasco has done well in big games. "We always tell our kids that they aren't big games until the outcome determines whether you get to play anymore," Graff said. "It's going to be an uphill battle for us because Kamiakin has so many weapons. We'll have to play really, really well to beat them. Kamiakin is trying to get healthy and through road games at Pasco and Wenatchee without any more injuries. Coach Craig Beverlin, who is 134-48-1 at Kamiakin, also knows how important it is for his speedy team to play on the slick turf at Lampson Stadium in the postseason. "This is a huge game in terms of us keeping the homefield advantage," Beverlin said. "We've had a great week of practice and we're going to bring a team that is very focused and excited about playing Pasco. The way we're thinking about it is that we still control our own destiny." | ||||||||||
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