CALEB PEREZ

Mavs D-team completes season undefeated

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks boys basketball’s D-team made a statement this season by finishing undefeated with a final record of 15-0. The young team of freshmen and sophomores battled hard and, with the leadership of first-year Head Coach Eric Salgado, found success on the court. “I was very direct with these kids, I ran things very sharp, and it was a really exciting season. We’re all really happy with it,” said Salgado. Coming into this season, the coach said he had prior experience coaching for seven years in AAU basketball before he was invited to become a coach at MLHS. Under the supervision of Varsity Head Coach Craig Groth, Salgado was given the tools he needed to transition into a high school-level coach.

Devils overcome Waterville-Mansfield to make district finals

WATERVILLE — The Wilson Creek Devils kept the season alive after winning 48-43 in a close matchup against Waterville-Mansfield Wednesday evening. Coming off a big win, the Devils get ready to head to Wenatchee for a chance to make the state tournament. “It was a pretty good game,” said Devils Head Coach Caleb McMillan. “It was neck-and-neck all the way through.” Wilson Creek and Waterville-Mansfield were both consistent in the first half, pressing the net and scoring points one after another. By the end of the half the two were tied. In the third quarter, the Devils kept up their momentum and were persistent in scoring, but the opposition stayed right there with them. It wasn’t until the final moments of the fourth quarter that Wilson Creek finally pulled away through their free throws to gain the victory by five.

Devils prepare for final round of districts

WILSON CREEK — The Wilson Creek Devils are entering the third-place game for districts this weekend after earning a 51-32 home victory over Entiat Tuesday evening. The young Devils team battled hard throughout this season, and Head Coach Jeff Sackmann said the team has proven themselves in these last few games. “It feels like we’re peaking at the right time,” said Sackmann. “I’ve got a really young team, no seniors, a lot of girls with not a lot of experience, but we’ve managed to make it fun enough that they keep showing up and working hard in practice. We just try to get better every day.” The Devils took an early 15-0 lead in the first quarter. Their opposition chipped away at the lead in the second quarter, but at halftime Wilson Creek remained ahead by eight points.

WA COLLEGE SPORTS SCHEDULE: Feb. 19-26, 2026

MOSES LAKE — College basketball enters the final weeks of the regular season while baseball and softball begin early season play. Check out where your favorite teams will be heading this week.

Lions move ahead to district finals

MLCA/CCS moves forward after defeating Soap Lake, 48-30

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions came back to win 48-30 over the Soap Lake Eagles Tuesday evening to move on to the third-place round in the District 5 1B tournament. Both teams came into this game knowing it was win-to-stay-in.

Wildcats finish second in GNAC Indoor Championships

SPOKANE — The Central Washington University track and field team had a strong performance at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Indoor Championships at The Podium. The women scored a total of 152 points, and the men scored 102.5 points, earning both teams second place out of the nine teams that participated. On the women’s side, reigning national Champion Emy Ntekpere brought home three gold medals and earned Female Field Athlete of the Meet and Female High Point Scorer honors. Ntekpere won the long jump with a leap of 5.81 meters, the high jump with 1.71 meters and secured the triple jump with 12.81 meters, which not only shattered the meet record for triple jump but also ranks second in NCAA Division II this season.

Huskies wrap up districts with 28 state contenders

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies finished out district competition Saturday with the team sending 13 boys and 15 girls, for 28 total wrestlers heading to the state tournament this weekend. Boys The Huskies boys team brought 23 wrestlers into the district meet and came out of the event third overall with a score of 275.5 and had 13 of those boys qualify to head to Tacoma this weekend.

Tigers bring home three district titles ahead of state

EPHRATA — A hard-fought season in the Central Washington Athletic Conference came to a close Saturday at the 2A district tournament where the Ephrata Tigers qualified 16 wrestlers from among the boys and girls teams for the Mat Classic. Boys The Ephrata boys ended up qualifying six boys into state after a hard-fought weekend at the district tournament in Toppenish.

Cougars make their way to state

WARDEN — After a tough weekend at districts, the Warden Cougars are sending 16 wrestlers to the Mat Classic in Tacoma; a dozen boys and six girls.

Devils claim road victory against Eagles in districts

SOAP LAKE — The Wilson Creek Devils (16-5) earned a stunning 51-44 win on the road against the Soap Lake Eagles (12-7) Thursday evening in the second round of the 1B District 5 tournament. Both teams put up a competitive and physical performance as they battled it out on the court.

Huskies claim playoff victory on home court

OTHELLO — After an 0-20 conclusion to their 2024-25 season, the Othello Huskies (9-13) earned their first playoff win in years over East Valley Wednesday evening. The matchup was a nailbiter throughout as the two teams traded blows, but the Huskies pulled ahead to win 81-75.

Mavs find success at districts

WENATCHEE — The Moses Lake Mavericks swim team competed in the 4A District 5 tournament in Wenatchee Wednesday evening where the team took second overall. After a week of adversity, the Mavs are prepping to now send their athletes to state.

BBCC prepares for annual talent show

MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College is hosting their annual talent show, “Vikings Got Talent”, Feb. 26 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Wallenstein Theater. This show will be free to enter and open to all community members who wish to see performances from local college students.

Tigers bring home gold at state cheer

EPHRATA — The Ephrata Tigers cheer team traveled to Battle Ground High School over the weekend to compete in the 2A Cheer State Championships. The Tigers went on to take first in the 2A Game Day Co-ed competition with a final score of 87.9. “It went really good,” said Tigers Head Coach Heather Wood. “We performed great in both routines. We had an infraction in our Co-ed Tumbling, but our Game Day, we came out there and brought it.” Wood said the Tigers were ready to compete going into Saturday’s competition and knew their performances had to be on point. While there were some nerves going into the competition as they headed into a venue of thousands of spectators, the team pushed through to give all they had.

Knights take down Warriors in district first round

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights claimed an 89-54 home victory over the Wahluke Warriors in the first round of the District 5 1A basketball tournament. Knights junior Grant Wardenaar made history during the game as he claimed the title of all-time scorer for Royal High School.

WA COLLEGE SPORTS SCHEDULE: Feb. 12-19, 2026

MOSES LAKE — College athletics head into the final month of regular season competition for winter sports before post season and early matchups for the spring season have already begun. See where your favorite teams are heading this week.

HVAC issues at MLHS Pool postpone district swim tourney

MOSES LAKE — The District 5 Swim tournament was put on hold Thursday after the HVAC system at the Moses Lake High School Pool went out of commission earlier in the day. The tournament has been rescheduled to Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the Wenatchee High School Pool. “There’s multiple systems up there that not only heat the air but also help ventilate (the pool house) and one of our fan motors gave up the ghost,” said Moses Lake Athletic Director Loren Sandhop. The incident happened during a fire drill Thursday afternoon at the start of the diving portion of the district meet in Moses Lake. Sandhop said everyone had to step out due to a fire alarm at the school and when they returned to the pool house, there was an electrical smell and one of the airsocks that fill when the HVAC system is working was deflated.

BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: Feb. 10-16, 2026

COLUMBIA BASIN — Basketball has entered postseason play for athletes around the basin. Check out where the local athletes will be headed this week.

Lady Eagles overcome Devils on the road

WILSON CREEK — The Soap Lake Eagles (12-6) added a 50-40 win to their record to end off the regular season against the Wilson Creek Devils (14-5) Thursday evening. Following the intense matchup, the two teams are getting ready to host their first games of the district tournament.

Devils win senior night against Eagles

WILSON CREEK — The Wilson Creek Devils finished the regular season with a 60-31 victory over the Soap Lake Eagles Thursday evening. With this win under their belts, the Devils begin to prepare for their postseason push. “It was a good night for us, seniors got a lot of playing time,” said Devils Head Coach Caleb McMillan. “Our seniors started the game off pretty strong, they came out here scored some baskets and played some good defense.”

Basin preps for Seahawks trip to Super Bowl LX

MOSES LAKE — Local bars and restaurants throughout the Basin are hosting events for the Sunday’s championship matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.

Huskies fall in home matchup against Illinois

SEATTLE — The University of Washington Huskies women’s basketball (17-5) team fell 66-75 in a close game against the Illinois Fighting Illini (16-6) Sunday at Alaska Airline Arena. The Huskies put up a strong defensive front, but it wasn’t enough to defend their home court.

WA College Sports Schedule: Feb. 5-12, 2026

MOSES LAKE — The competition is beginning to get more intense as college athletics head closer to the end of the regular season. See where your favorite team will be headed this week.

Spokane Ag Show brings pros together

SPOKANE — The Spokane Ag Show and Expo started its three-day spree Tuesday morning with agriculture and business experts from all around the world coming together to discuss the industry and get ready for the start of the growing season.

MLCA/CCS comes out with road victory over Devils

WILSON CREEK — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions (11-7) earned a 66-40 road victory over the Wilson Creek Devils (13-4) Thursday evening. It was a hard-fought matchup that tested the skills of both teams throughout.

Lions claim victory on the Devils' home court

WILSON CREEK — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Christian Covenant School Lions (11-7) took to the road and earned a 54-26 victory over the Wilson Creek Devils (12-4) Thursday evening. The game was a close matchup in the first half, but the Lions found their rhythm to secure the victory.

GALLERY: Columbia Middle School Cheer celebrates victory

MOSES LAKE — The Frontier Columbia Middle School Cheer squads competed at the Battle at the Lake cheer competition at Moses Lake High School Saturday where both teams found success.

Association of Realtors hosts annual installation and awards banquet

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake-Othello Association of Realtors hosted their annual installation and awards banquet Jan. 24. This event recognized the installation of new officers and bring those in the industry together for a meal.

Vikings men fall short to WVCC

MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College Vikings (9-13) came up just short of a home victory against the Wenatchee Valley Knights Wednesday. The game remained close throughout, but the Vikings were unable to gain the lead and fell 60-63.

Huskies win tight game against Tigers

EPHRATA — The Othello Huskies boys basketball team earned a 71-68 victory over the Ephrata Tigers Tuesday evening. This victory helped the Huskies secure a spot in the postseason as they aim toward a top five spot on the district tournament bracket.

Vikings women defend home court against Wenatchee Valley

MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College Lady Vikings (20-2) claimed a 54-43 victory at home against the Wenatchee Valley Knights (11-7) Wednesday. The game was a tight match throughout, but the Vikings pulled through with the win.

Huskies clinch postseason in victory over Tigers

EPHRATA — The Othello Huskies (4-14) earned a convincing 40-24 victory over the Ephrata Tigers (0-18) to clinch a spot in the postseason. The Huskies aim to finish out the season strong after coming out on top against a league rival.

Frontier, Columbia cheer teams conclude seasons with first place

MOSES LAKE — The Frontier Middle School Spartans and Columbia Middle School Red Hawks competed in the Battle at the Lake cheer competition Saturday, where both teams earned first-place finishes in the middle school categories.

Ferguson: A silent leader on field and court

MOSES LAKE — During last Tuesday’s basketball matchups for Moses Lake Christian Academy/Christian Covenant School Lions at the Den, senior Johnny Ferguson was honored for making the 2025 All-State 1B First Team as an All-Purpose athlete for football. Johnny said he has been a lifelong athlete and strives to push himself even further as he finishes his senior season.

McDonnell sits in on first BBCC Board of Trustees meeting

MOSES LAKE — Sarah McDonnell, the newest member on the Board of Trustees at Big Bend Community College, sat in on her first board meeting Thursday afternoon after being appointed by Governor Bob Ferguson last week. McDonnell said she realized she still has a lot to learn about the position, but she is excited to take on the challenge.

Museum works to preserve the history of the rails that built the state

REARDAN — The Inland Northwest Rail Museum is a longstanding place that serves to preserve the history of trains and railroads from across the nation. Now celebrating its tenth anniversary at its new location in Reardan, the museum seeks to expand its offerings as staff work to share this piece of history.

WA COLLEGE SPORTS SCHEDULE: Jan. 28 – Feb. 4

MOSES LAKE — College athletes head deeper into their seasons as competition heats up in the cold winter months. See where your favorite team will be heading this week.

Winter enrollment up at BBCC

MOSES LAKE — During the President’s Report at the Big Bend Community College trustee meeting Thursday afternoon, the final stats for fall enrollment and stats for Winter enrollment were shared. The winter quarter had increases in enrollment across the board while fall slowed down.

Knights control the mat against Connell and Chiawana

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights earned strong team victories over Connell 54-18 and Chiawana 52-30 Wednesday evening. These matches helped prepare the Knights for the tough road ahead as they prepare for the postseason. “We wrestled good teams tonight, and they both got some (great wrestlers) on their team that you have to wrestle tough,” said Knights Head Coach Seth Weeks. “But I felt like the girls wrestled good, it was a lot of fun.”

Lions claim close game over La Salle

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions returned to form Tuesday as they earned an 80-68 win over La Salle. The Lions remain at the top of the Central Washington B league as they head into the final stretch of the regular season. “We just pulled together as a team,” said Lions senior Dennis Gulenko. “When somebody’s down, you come together even stronger.” The game started close in the first quarter as the two teams traded the lead multiple times before La Salle took the lead 13-17. The Lions turned up the heat in the second quarter to post 22 points to claim the lead at 35-33 at the end of the half.

Lions dominate on their home court after rough patch

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions earned a strong 72-12 win over La Salle Tuesday evening following a three-game drought. The Lions are third in the Central Washington B league standings as the regular season nears its end in the coming weeks. “I think that it was a good game after going through a couple (rough) days to come back,” said Lions junior Amelia Shopbell. The Lions fired on all cylinders coming into the matchup, putting up 18 points in the first quarter and holding the opposition to six. MLCA/CCA extended the lead in the second quarter with an additional 23 points on the scoreboard and holding La Salle to three.

Soap Lake Chamber adds new event in 2026

SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake Chamber of Commerce released their event schedule for 2026, including a new event this year: the Lantern Festival. Chamber President Karen Woodhouse said this addition gives the community something to do year-round. “I’ve been wanting to do something in the winter for the last three years, and this year I finally talked to the (Soap Lake Natural Spa & Resort) and got them on board,” said Woodhouse. The Lantern Festival will be held the evening of Feb. 21 and is loosely inspired by Chinese New Year celebrations. She said the event will feature decorated paper lanterns with LED lights and a dragon prop that will be taken on a small parade through the area.

MLK celebrations bring community together

MOSES LAKE — The life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. was celebrated in Moses Lake Monday evening with people throughout the community gathering for a march and a celebration of life and legacy at the Civic Center. One of the attendees, Kathy Gardner, said the day brought back memories of King and what he fought for in his life. “He fought for people coming together to love and to be in peace and harmony with one another,” said Gardner. “He was all about unity and so I came to celebrate, to honor and just to share with friends, loved ones and the community about the dream.”

Mavs focus sights as districts approach

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks swim team competed in Yakima against West Valley and Sunnyside last Thursday where the team found success against its Big 9 rivals. Mavs Head Coach Tony Preston said this meet gave the boys experience as they head into the final stretch of the regular season. “Traveling to Yakima is always fun. We host a lot of meetings here, so going to other pools is great,” said Preston. The Mavs dominated in the 200-yard medley relay, taking the top three slots in the competition. This continued into the 200-yard freestyle with Lennox Leeder in first with 1:57.22, Sam Molitor in second with 2:07.71 and Ty Voss in third with 2:08.11.

Vanguard students host passion project showcase

MOSES LAKE — Vanguard Academy students hosted a showcase Thursday evening, highlighting passion projects that they’ve been working on this school year. Vanguard Principal Matt Stevens said these exhibition nights are great for the students to demonstrate their learning and their personal interests.

Track and field athletes begin season at UW Preview

SEATTLE — The University of Washington Huskies hosted the Washington State University Cougars and Central Washington University Wildcats in the UW Preview. This event marked the first Track and Field event of the year for these teams. CWU The Wildcats had a strong performance for their first meet of the new year, placing top 10 in around 20 events. “We had bright spots across the board as we got back into action,” said Wildcats Head Coach Jonathan Hill. “Starting out Friday, our distance men rewrote the record books in the 3k with a bunch of new names.”

The benefits of being a 'brat'

Richard Black looks back on a life growing up alongside and serving in the Army.

MOSES LAKE — Richard Black, a 71-year-old veteran and resident of Moses Lake, was born the second oldest of five siblings to his parents Hilda and Herbert Black. Growing up the son Herbert, a decorated war vet who fought in three separate conflicts, Richard said brought a lot of opportunity to his life.

BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: Jan. 19-26, 2026

COLUMBIA BASIN — Winter sports for our local athletes continue strong as they push through their tight January schedules. Check out where the high school teams will be headed this week.

Community dinner, silent auction, march planned for MLK weekend

MOSES LAKE — Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is Jan. 19, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee is hosting their annual freedom march that day at 4:30 p.m. This year the committee is expanding the celebration with a community dinner and silent auction taking place Saturday at 5 p.m.

Remembering a father’s valor that saved a future star

MOSES LAKE — Time passes and with that comes the loss of people, but this does not mean that the stories those people tell should be lost with them. Richard Black, a resident of Moses Lake and veteran, has one such story involving renowned musician Tony Bennett and Richard’s father Herbert “Blackie” Black, who both fought in a battle in World War II that would change their lives forever.