Basketball season starts tonight | Prep sports news

The prep basketball season begins Dec. 4, with local prep squads beginning conference play Friday.

The Gridiron Classic marks the end of the fall sports season Saturday night with the 4A game, but winter sports will already be underway when the final state champ is crowned.

Here is a quick rundown of the first week of prep sports action.

Issaquah opens the girls basketball season under new head coach Bob Richey against Edmonds-Woodway at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The Eagles open 4A KingCo play at home against Garfield Friday.

Eastlake hosts last year’s third-place state finisher, Mount Rainier, in the season-opener in Sammamish. The Lady Wolves last made the state tournament in 2011.

Skyline and head coach Greg Bruns begin the 2013-14 campaign off a state tournament trip last year, their second in three seasons.

The Spartans fell to eventual state champion Mead in the second round. They open this season against 3A foe Mount Si in Snoqualmie Wednesday night before beginning conference play at Roosevelt on Friday.

The Eastlake boys begin the season on the road against Central Kitsap on Wednesday, looking to get back to state for the first time since 2009-10.

Skyline and second year head coach Maui Borden host Olympia in the season opener before meeting Roosevelt Friday on the road in a quad with the girls teams.

Issaquah’s boys team will also play in a quad with its girls program, Friday against Garfield.