I’ve had numerous emails, phone calls and questions at events from folks wondering why Sammamish decided to opt-up to 3A, when its numbers would have made it a 2A school for the next two years. Many people have pointed out the success (and some say, school pride) that Interlake has found while playing in Class 2A the past two years, including two-straight trips to the football state playoffs.

Sammamish athletic director Pat McCarthy cleared things up today, explaining just why the Totems elected to opt-up to 3A. Mostly, it has to do with the uncertainty regarding playoff opportunities for the Totems.

Interlake, McCarthy said, is the only 2A school currently in District 2. If the Totems were to become a 2A school, playoff berths would have to be worked out with District 3 – which is currently in the process of adding multiple new teams. That uncertainty is part of the reason Sammamish decided to opt-up.

“We’re talking about a question of, if we make the playoffs, what is that going to look like?,” McCarthy said. “When you ask that question, there is no answer yet. We elected to, instead of not knowing what’s going to happen, not knowing what it’s going to look like, we elected to not go that way.”

McCarthy noted that it was a “really difficult decision” but said the Totems are happy to be in 3A.

“We at Sammamish have always been a 3A school,” McCarthy said. “We’ve always wanted to be a 3A school and that is where we have decided we fit best.”