Oakesdale, Gar/Pal boys to regionals

The Oakesdale and Garfield/Palouse boys advance to regionals this weekend, both playing at West Valley High School in Spokane. They are now one win away from the state brackets at Spokane Arena.

On Saturday at 10 a.m., no. 9-seeded Garfield/Palouse matches up against a no. 16 seed that will cross the Strait of Juan De Fuca on the “road” to state, the Lopez (Island) High School Lobos, which lists ferry times on its season schedule for each away game.

From its home in the San Juan Islands, the Lopez team bus will board a ferry for Seattle, then cross 300 miles of snow-covered Washington state to meet Gar/Pal.

Later that night, at 8 p.m. Oakesdale, a No. 12-seed, will tip-off against no. 13 Concordia Christian Academy, the Lutheran school in Tacoma, with a roster of nine seniors.

Last year, when the school was known as Mt. Rainier Lutheran, they beat Garfield/Palouse in regionals by a basket to advance to state.