Sports in Community Education
The Fish Bowl, the annual football game between Peninsula and Gig Harbor high schools, is open for 2024. But it’s in Tacoma.
The Peninsula School District announced on Thursday, Feb. 22, that the 2024 Fish Bowl will be played at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma. The game is at 2 pm on Saturday, September 7.
Increased seating capacity
Mount Tahoma Stadium has a capacity for 5,000 spectators. The seating capacity at the district’s own stadium, Roy Anderson Field near Peninsula High, is less than 2,000.
“We are excited about the possibility of our district hosting the Fish Bowl in a place that accommodates everyone who wants to cheer on their team,” Superintendent Krestin Bahr said in a statement. “The popularity of the Fish Bowl extends beyond Roy Anderson Field, and we want to honor this important tradition with a facility that allows our entire community to participate.”
Mount Tahoma Stadium is 13 miles from Gig Harbor High School and 26 miles from Peninsula High School. But it could be a longer drive for Key Peninsula families whose children attend Peninsula High.
Coaches concerns
Controversy marred the 2023 Fish Bowl, a 21-20 Gig Harbor win. The scene after the game was very tense, with one assistant coach describing it as close to a “riot atmosphere.”
The school district investigated the actions of coaches, players and fans at the 2023 Fish Bowl. Documents related to that investigation indicated that coaches from both the Tides and Seahawks believed Roy Anderson Field was inadequate to handle a game that draws as many fans as the Fish Bowl.
The school district did not respond to questions from Gig Harbor Now, sent Tuesday, Feb. 20, asking how much is being paid to rent Mount Tahoma Stadium.
The statement sent out Thursday night praised the virtues of Tacoma’s stadium, including covered seating on both sides of the stadium, locker rooms for both teams and ample parking. It did not respond to Gig Harbor Now’s question about how the district balanced the need for a better venue for the game against the inconvenience to families and fans of having to cross Tacoma to attend it.
Separate divisions of the new league
Thursday’s release also confirmed that Gig Harbor and Peninsula will play in separate divisions of a new league for all sports beginning in 2024-25. The league shall be known as the Puget Sound League. Gig Harbor will play in the Narrows Division and Peninsula in the Nisqually Division.
The new league reportedly combines most members of the South Sound conference with some from the Pierce County League.
Tacoma’s News Tribune newspaper reported in late January that the two divisions would likely form Central Kitsap, Silas, Bellarmine, Mount Tahoma, Lincoln and Gig Harbor into one; and Timberline, Capital, River Ridge, North Thurston, Peninsula and Lakes on the other.
