Man, what a week of sports it was
Man o’ man what a weekend.
Even if you’re not a sports nut like the Perez household, ya gotta love what they’re doing on this postseason run.
Give it up for the Big Dog, woof, woof. Othello junior Isaiah Perez is being recruited to play football by half of the Pac 12 and NCAA D-I schools all the way across the country. But I tell ya what, he’s breaking some college wrestling coaches hearts right now.
Perez pinned Terrell Underwood of Toppenish at 1:56 in the 285-pound championship at the CWAC District tournament. I got ya, Perez wins by pin isn’t anything new. But it was his 100th career victory and 91st by fall, according to momma Mandi, and we all know who runs that household. That brings the defending 2A state champion’s record to 100-15, not bad for someone that’s not even close to 285.
If you want to look at the championship match visit www.facebook.com/mandi.perez.90/videos/2312673098743404.
How about those Royal guys on the hardwood? Probably ought to give some of that kudos love to coach Ray Valle. Last year in his first season as head coach they made it to the Yakima Valley SunDome for the first time in a good long while. Maybe ever. This year, the Knights go into the SCAC District Tournament on a 12-game winning streak, which includes a second-half win over Connell. Owen Ellis is the money man. Sawyer Jenks hovers around the paint like Dikembe Mutombo. He’s not quite as scary as Mount Mutombo, but he’s got that swat down just enough to get in the 1A guys heads. Then there’s the trigger man Gage Christensen running the point.
Yep, the Knights (16-4) have it rolling and if you don’t have anything going Thursday night slip over to the high school when they host Naches Valley in the tournament opener.
It’s kind of funny really. Anytime I ask around how long it’s been since the Royal girls won 10 games. It’s usually the same response, “In the same season?”
Rock ‘n’ roll, hoochie coo, the Knights (15-5) got their own streak going. They’re the winners of 12 of their last 13 games. In fact, other than Warden, they haven’t lost since Dec. 21, 2018. Big hand of applause for Bud Wilhelm and his staff for making all of this happen.
They made their return to the SCAC District Tournament last night at Granger.
Over in Othello, Husky girls basketball returned to the CWAC District Tournament for the first time in nine years. Again, kudos to Josh Tovar and his staff.
Macy Hampton joined the 1,000-point club and led a bunch of scrappy, five-foot-nothin’ right into the tournament where they represented Huskies basketball with a smile and a game that said, “We came to play.”
They never did have an answer for Ellensburg freshman Dylan Phillip in their first-round loss to the Bulldogs. But they got to The Dance and the set in motion something for the Little Huskies to carry on.
I can’t wait to see what happens next week.
Rodney Harwood is a sports writer for the Columbia Basin Herald and writes a weekly column for the Sun Tribune. He can be reached at rharwood@columbiabasinherald.com.