WIAA finalizes Emerald City Kickoff Classic matchups
RENTON — The WIAA is pleased to announce the 2014 WIAA Emerald City Kickoff Classic (ECKC) schedule hosted at Seattle Memorial Stadium, Saturday, Sept. 6. The 12th annual event features seven in-state schools including, Bridgeport, Darrington, Emerald Ridge, Mt. Spokane, Prosser, Roosevelt and West Valley (Yakima) as well as Benson from Oregon.
The four-game event begins at 10 a.m. with a 2B showdown between the Bridgeport Mustangs and the Darrington Loggers. Bridgeport will be making its first appearance at the annual classic, while Darrington looks to continue its recent success with back-to-back State Playoffs berths, they have not achieved since the 1997-98 seasons.
The second game on the slate pairs up two eastern Washington schools. The 3A Mt. Spokane Wildcats square off against the 4A West Valley (Yakima) Rams at 1 p.m. In 2013, the Wildcats finished 8-3 and qualified for the first round of the State Playoffs where they fell to Shadle Park. The Rams finished 2013 with an 8-2 record and in a three-way tie for second in the 2A CWAC Standings, but were eliminated from postseason play in a Kansas City Tiebreaker.
The 4 p.m. battle features a cross-classification game between the 4A Emerald Ridge Jaguars and the 2A Prosser Mustangs. The Jaguars are looking to return to the State Playoffs for the first time since 2010 when they reached the quarterfinals. Emerald Ridge ended the 2013 season on a four game winning streak and has expectations to expand on last year’s late season success. The Mustangs qualified for the State Semifinals the last three seasons.
The 7 p.m. showcase pits the Roosevelt Roughriders against the Benson Techmen of Portland, Ore. The Roughriders missed the State Playoffs last year, but were quarterfinalists in 2012. Roosevelt is 1-0 at the ECKC as they defeated Seattle Prep, 7-0 in 2013. Benson struggled in 2013 capturing just one win in the Portland Interscholastic League. But the Techmen, who play in the 6A classification (Oregon’s largest classification), look to rebound in 2014 and return to the State Playoffs for the first time since 2009.
Tickets for the Kickoff Classic are $15 for adults, $10 for students (with valid ASB card) and seniors (62 and over), and children under the age of five are free. Details on the Emerald City Volleyball Invitational will be released at a later date.
