Another fall sports season filed away

MOSES LAKE — Another fall sports schedule is in the books, with winter sports well in swing around the area.

A return to glory for Royal football capped off the season schedule in early December, with the Knights adding another State championship trophy to their case. After a heartbreaking end last year, Royal kept a punishing pace on the way to a fourth title in five seasons and another undefeated year.

Sticking with the SCAC-East, the Warden Cougars found themselves in a three-way tie at the end of the year with Kiona Benton and River View. After coming out on top in the Kansas City Tiebreaker, the Cougars’ season was cut short with a loss to Zillah for a chance at a 1A State tournament berth.

Wahluke football struggled to find footing this fall, finishing the year at sixth in the SCAC-East, at 4-5 overall and 1-5 in league play.

Caleb Christensen, of Royal, received Offensive Player of the Year honors, while Michael Perez took the Defensive award. Knights head coach Wiley Allred was named Coach of the Year.

The Warriors of Almira/Coulee-Hartline made another deep run into the postseason themselves this year, finishing the regular season with just one loss to the eventual champion, Odessa. ACH’s chance at a rematch was cut short, as the Warriors’ season ended in a 70-44 defeat to Naselle in the semifinals of the 1B tournament.

In the CWAC-North, Othello finished the regular season behind just Ellensburg, at 6-5 overall and 3-1 in conference play. The Huskies’ playoff run ended in the first round, however, as they fell to Lynden, 41-14. Ephrata and Quincy finished fourth and fifth respectively in the CWAC at 1-3 and 0-4 in league play.

Othello’s Isaiah Perez received Defensive Player of the Year recognition in his final season with the Huskies.

In the Big 9 Conference, Moses Lake was left without a tally in the win column on the season, finishing at 0-10 overall.

The lone slow-pitch program in the area, the Chiefs softball team strung together another strong season, taking an undefeated record into the State tournament. Moses Lake took fourth in the tournament in Yakima after falling to the eventual champion, Central Valley, in a quarterfinal matchup. Harley Raymond was named Offensive Player of the Year, while Coach Hofheins and his staff received Coach of the Year recognition.

Wahluke girls soccer had a standout season, taking the top spot in the league. Junior Ana Andrade received Co-Player of the Year honors for the Warriors, while Cele Lopez was named Coach of the Year. The Warriors’ postseason run was cut short, coming up against a powerhouse of Cascade in the first round of the 1A tournament. Royal and Warden both had strong showings in the SCAC-East as well, finishing second and third respectively.

In the CWAC, Ephrata, under head coach Gary Klepec, was the only other team in the area that was able to earn a berth in the State tournament. The Tigers finished the regular season in third place, a half-game up on Othello. Much like Wahluke, the Ephrata season came to an end in the opening round of the 2A bracket, falling 5-0 to Liberty.

In the CBBN, Moses Lake had a strong season under first-year head coach Liz Bigger. The Chiefs were neck-and-neck with the top teams in the league right down to the end of the season, finishing the regular season in third place and just missing a State tournament berth. Sophomore forward Natalie Bunch was a standout on a very young team, receiving Offensive Player of the Year honors.

In 1B volleyball, after a strong season ACH made a deep run into the State tournament, taking third place after falling in the semifinals to the eventual champions. For CBBN volleyball, Moses Lake took fourth this season, finishing at .500 in league play, and 9-7 overall.

In the CWAC-North, the Tigers finished in third place, with Ephrata coach Britney MacLeod being named Coach of the Year. Quincy and Othello nabbed fifth and sixth in the conference.

In the SCAC-East, Wahluke took third place, finishing the season at 8-6. Warden and Royal both finished below .500, with the Cougars taking fifth and the Knights seventh.