Dayton Eighth Graders Play Up For Basketball

DAYTON - The Dayton boys basketball squad got a little larger and a bit younger thanks to a school board decision during the Dec. 19 board meeting that allows eighth-grade students to play junior varsity basketball. The proposal, agreed to by Southeast 2B members and granted under Washington Interscholastic Athletic As­sociation (WIAA) rules for schools with low turn-out, will also allow eighth-grade girls to practice with the high school, though not play.

Only 15 boys and 17 girls turned-out for basketball from Dayton high school's student body of 127, ac­cording to the WIAA. That left the boys junior varsity squad in particular short on players.

"We just don't have the numbers that allow our JVs to play full games," Dayton boys varsity head coach Roy Ramirez said. "We've already played a number of two quarter games and three quarter games."

The new plan will allow eighth-grade boys, who completed their short sea­son back in mid-December, the opportunity to continue hooping it up for two more months against higher level competition with some ca­veats. For instance, all play­ers may only play 20 games per year. The junior-high students have already played in 10.

"Right now we have 15 players and the WIAA cut- off is 16," JV boys coach Jason Mings said. "You can invite all the eighth-graders up to play, but only one could go and suit down (to play in a game) to fill that 16th spot. But if someone goes down with an injury or grades, you can fill two or three or whatever (number of spots) with those eighth- grade kids."

Mings has operated this season with just seven play­ers, two of whom swing up for a few quarters of varsity ball each night. Mings said that number will soon drop to six players as one of his swingers will be moving to varsity full time.

So far only two eighth grade boys have plans to play: Cal Martin and Zach Bryan. Another, Ben Kleck said he would have if not for an injury.

Martin said he hopes to learn the high school squad's offensive plays and press breaks, among other plays, when he plays with the high school squad.

"I first heard about it last summer when I was playing with the high school basket- ball team," Martin said. "They were thinking about how they weren't going to have the numbers to play with a full squad. As the (high school) season progressed I didn't think that we were going to get the chance, but we did, so I'm happy."

According to WIAA rules, once a junior high player plays in a high school basketball game, that player forfeits his or her junior high eligibility. This rule has no effect on the boys whose season is already over. For the girls, whose season runs for two months starting January 3, the rule has major implications - a fact Dayton girls varsity coach Clayton Strong acknowledges.

"I will give (the eighth-grad- ers) the opportunity to practice with us after they finish their (junior high) practice," Strong said. "I have 17 out so num- bers really aren't an issue. I've already told my eighth-grade girls it doesn't benefit you any- way, because you'd only get to play in maybe one game. I told them, I'd rather you play in 10 middle school games than in one JV basketball game."

Eighth grade players may begin practicing with the high school squads when school resumes Jan. 3.