Lions grab district championship

WENATCHEE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions (20-2) boys basketball team became the District 5-1B champions after besting Oroville 59-25 on Friday night. The Lions celebrate their victory as they prepare to make a run in the state tournament.  

“We’re feeling pretty good,” said Lions head coach Emerson Ferguson. “(District champions) was another one of our goals this season, so we’re pretty proud to accomplish it again. It’s not something that’s easy to do, so very proud, very happy.” 

MLCA/CCS started out Friday’s game strong as they scored 14 points and held Oroville to only two in the first quarter. This dominance on the court continued into the second quarter as the Lions extended their lead to 36-5 by the end of the half.  

The Lions maintained their momentum in the third quarter as the boys put up another 17 points. The opposition came up with a stronger offensive push in the second half, scoring 10 in both the third and fourth quarters, but MLCA/CCS held their lead to earn the victory and the district title. 

Lions senior Johnny Ferguson led the team offensively, scoring 20 points in the matchup with junior Treyson Kast, who followed with 14 points. 

“We wanted to come out with some serious intensity,” said Ferguson. “We wanted to dominate the game and basically put the game away as early as we could and our defense definitely got that done.” 

After the game, awards were given out to the Lions, with Johnny earning First Team All-League honors and the title of Central Washington B League 2025-2026 League MVP. Max Gulenko and Dennis Gulenko both joined Johnny in First Team All-Leage and James Robertson earned Second Team All-League. 

The commitment and dedication to the game is what got the team this far, said the coach. For these players, the amount of energy and effort they put out on the court during games is the same amount of effort they put in every day at practice. 

“They are really setting the tone for the entire program and one of the big things that I appreciate with their leadership is just how they understand the importance of that,” he said. “They understand just how important it is for those guys to show how to do things and how hard to work.” 

Along with the boys, Ferguson earned his own accolades Friday when he was named the Central Washington B League 2025-2026 Coach of the Year. This was his third year in a row earning this title and he said this wouldn’t have been possible without the help of his assistant coaches, Curtis Weber and Kameron Firouzi.  

“My coaching staff has been phenomenal over these past few years, and that’s the only reason why I feel like I can take any credit for being coach of the year or having this program be where it’s at,” said Ferguson. “It’s because those guys have put in just as much, if not more work than me, so I really want to give them a ton of credit, I’m so grateful and thankful for the both of them.” 

Ferguson said one of the things he has been most impressed by this season is how well the players have fought through any adversity. Whenever a teammate had gone down, either from injury or illness, the next player was always ready to step up and fill in the role. 

Throughout the season at three different starters had to miss at least one game from injury and during each of those matches, the Lions overcame each of those, which the coach said was a testament to the abilities of the team as a whole.  

“These boys have definitely put it together, and the way that they’ve battled through injuries, I think, is probably the coolest thing,” he said. 

The Lions await their ranking and seeding for the state tournament bracket as the rest of the teams finish out their final games of districts. With the start of state play Feb. 24, the main focus for the MLCA/CCS team is to get themselves healthy for the tough road ahead. 

Ferguson said the Lions are excited for the state competition in Spokane and are ready to make some noise against their upcoming opposition. 

“I think everyone’s mindset is, ‘Let's go get that trophy,’” he said. 

BOX SCORE:

ORVL: 2-3-10-10: 25

MLCA: 14-22-17-6: 59 

    Dennis Gulenko, a senior for the Lions, comes up to make a shot under pressure during a previous game this season. Gulenko earned First Team All-League honors after Friday’s victory in the 1B District 5 championships.
  

    Lions junior Max Gulenko leaps up for a layup during a home matchup earlier in the season. Gulenko was named First Team All-League following the 1B District 5 Championship game.
  

    Lions senior James Robertson shoots an open three-pointer during a home game earlier in the season. Robertson was named Second Team All-League after the championship game Friday night.
  

    Lions Head Coach Emerson Ferguson, center, stands with his assistant coaches Kameron Firouzi, left, and Curtis Weber, right, as they hold up hardware following the team victory to become 1B District 5 Champions. Ferguson was named Central Washington B League Coach of the Year which he said wouldn’t be possible without the dedication from his assistant coaches.