CTL wants to end challenges with NEA

By Brent Stecker
World sports writer
Posted May 15, 2009

CHELAN — The Caribou Trail League thinks it’s time to end its postseason challenges against teams from the Northeast A League.

Now it’s just trying to convince the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.

The Lake Chelan School District has sent a letter to the WIAA requesting that it rescind the NEA’s ability to challenge the CTL for an extra state playoff berth in many sports, and the CTL’s athletic directors are also drafting a letter of their own that will be sent to the WIAA.

Chelan athletic director Scott Raab said on Thursday that the WIAA has responded, and the letter will be on the agenda for its July meeting. He added that the CTL hopes to be granted an audience at the WIAA’s September meeting.

According to rule 25.2.6 in the WIAA handbook, if a district has only one state allocation — such as the NEA (District 7) — the WIAA allows it to petition to combine with another to gain an additional allocation. The closest district geographically to the one with just one allocation is considered first for the combination, as is the case with the CTL (District 6).

Raab, who signed Chelan’s letter along with superintendent Jim Busey and board of directors member Ken Brunner, said the school district drafted the letter after hearing complaints from Chelan parents and community members that didn’t understand why its teams were being forced to play more postseason games.

Raab said that the arrangement, which creates the need for extra bi-district or regional games, is unfair to districts like the CTL.

"It’s another layer of playoffs that we have to pay for, and another game that our kids have to come home late from," Raab said.

The eight-team CTL currently has two allocations, compared to just one for the five-team NEA. With the current challenge system, the NEA puts its top seed on the line against a No. 4 seed from the CTL for the right to have a second team challenge the CTL’s No. 3 team.

In the Lake Chelan School District’s letter, it questions the fact that the CTL cannot move up and challenge a district with more allocations than it has been allotted.

"The challenge policy unfairly forces the 1A schools of District 6 into playing more games without our consent or even at the least providing us with an equal opportunity," the letter states. "If the WIAA truly believes in the challenge system, why wouldn’t District 6 with two allocations be allowed to challenge District 5 with three allocations. What is special about one allocation?"

"The neglected fact is the other district. Why don’t we get a say?" Raab said. "Our main basis is, the WIAA has a formula, so let’s just follow it."