CALEB PEREZ

Huskies build up new tennis players and strengthen returners

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies have returned to the tennis courts as they prepare to play in another successful season following the boys’ top-three finish and the girls finishing as the Central Washington Athletic Conference league champs. Coaches Caleb and Priscilla Tovar said they are ready to bring up a new group of dedicated players for the 2026 season. “They definitely competed,” said Caleb. “We lost quite a few seniors on both sides. It’s a matter of rebuilding now, but traditionally around here, we get kind of lucky and a lot of kids enjoy playing and you get younger siblings that have played at least a little bit before.” This season was the biggest start to the season yet, as the coaches said 108 players signed up to join the team.

Wilson Creek partners with Odessa for spring sports

WILSON CREEK — The Wilson Creek Devils have partnered with the Odessa Tigers for spring sports this year. Despite wearing different school colors, the Devils will be competing in baseball, golf and track as they continue their athletics through the end of the sports season. “We’ve had combined sports for the last few years,” said Devils Athletic Director Loni Koziol. “Before going to Odessa we were combined with Soap Lake, it’s a pretty common practice in our small 1B schools just for numbers, and Odessa was the school that was the closest and had the availability to take our kids.” Koziol said the ability to combine athletics with other schools in the area allows the students in smaller schools to have the opportunity to play in more sports since they don’t always have the numbers to make a full team. Besides that, Wilson Creek doesn’t have a baseball field, a track or a golf course that the students would be able to utilize to participate in these sports from home.

Huskies aim for a return to state in 2026

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies are gearing up for the start of the 2026 baseball season after concluding the last season with a third-place finish in state. This year, Head Coach Sonny Garza said the Huskies are preparing to get into the state tournament once again. “Great group of kids last year,” Garza said. “They began playing for the team and for the person next to them, which was really good, and I think that’s really what helped us have a successful season.” The Huskies were a dominant force in the Central Washington Athletic Conference last season, finishing with a 23-6 record. The Huskies entered the 2A District 5 tournament as the second seed where they earned victories over East Valley and Ellensburg before falling to Selah in the district finals to take second in District 5.

Returning athletes look to make strides for Lions track season

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions are preparing to get their track and field season underway. After the successes from last season, Head Coach Dan Bishop said there is a group of returning athletes who are ready to make a name for themselves. “We’ve got several state veterans that were really good athletes (last season) and several that are just starting out and trying to find their way and decide which events are going to work out for them,” said Bishop. “We have a good mix of veterans and beginners.” Last year, he said the Lions sent seven of their athletes to the state tournament. Returning junior Amelia Shopbell made it onto the podium by earning sixth in javelin with a throw of 101 feet, 4 inches (30.89 meters).

Lions add softball to the schedule for spring athletics

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions are starting their first softball season at the high school level this year. Under the leadership of Head Coach Todd Gregory and Assistant Coach Ty Whitaker, the team hopes to grow this season to build the program into the future. “They look promising and I’m hoping that we can put in a good season and prove (ourselves) by the end of the year to where we can have a winning season and make some noise in the postseason,” said Gregory. The building of the program began last year at the middle school level after getting a group of girls together for a short season, said the coach. With their success in making that team, the Lions transitioned to getting the numbers to play in a high school season.

ACH gets back to the diamond with hopes to return to state

COULEE CITY — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors baseball team is ready to get back onto the baseball field this spring after finishing their basketball season in the final round of the state tournament. For baseball, the Warriors have set their sights on returning to state after finishing third last season. “We’re excited,” said Warriors Head Coach Hunter Lee. “Obviously it’s tough to make the transition when you’re a (small) school like us. When you’re playing on the final weekend, it’s a very quick transition to go from all in on basketball on Saturday, then Monday, you’re in a completely different sport. It’s hard to make that transition, but it’s what you get for being good.” The Warriors had a very successful 2025 season, ending with a 19-4 record and advancing through districts to enter the state tournament as the number three seed.

Basin Sports Schedule: March 11-21, 2026

COLUMBIA BASIN — Spring sports are beginning this week for high school teams around the basin. See where the local athletes will be getting their season started.

UW prepares for Big Ten Tourney run

MOSES LAKE — The University of Washington Huskies (15-16) are heading for the Big Ten tournament in Chicago where they will compete against the University of Southern California in the second round. The Huskies are coming off a close loss last weekend against the Oregon Ducks in the regular season finale.

GALLERY: WIAA State Basketball tournament gallery

MOSES LAKE — Multiple basin teams battled among the best players in the state during the state basketball tournament over the weekend.

Wildcats earn top seed in NCAA West to host regionals

BELLINGHAM — The Central Washington University Wildcats (23-6) concluded their run in the GNAC Tournament Friday during the semifinal round when they fell 74-79 to the Montana State Billings Yellowjackets (19-14). Despite the loss, CWU earned the top seed in the 2026 NCAA Division II West Region Tournament. “Our team showed a lot of fight and played hard,” said CWU Head Coach Randi Richardson. “I’m so proud of our fight and effort, but we didn’t have enough execution in finishing possessions with rebounds, making paint shots and limiting our fouls. Credit to MSUB, they played a great game and never let us pull ahead.”

Lions finish strong to earn fourth in state

SPOKANE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions concluded their basketball season Saturday morning after earning fourth place in the 1B state tournament after a 51-49 victory over Liberty Christian. The matchup was tight from start to finish as both teams gave their all to finish out the season.

ACH finishes fifth in 1B state tourney

SPOKANE — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors boys basketball team concluded their season in fifth place at the 1B state tournament. Though the Warriors took losses in the semifinals and finals, the team held their heads up as the hard work from their season was rewarded with a trophy to add to the school’s case.

Lions best Columbia Adventist in semis

SPOKANE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions move on from the state semifinals after a stunning 57-43 comeback victory over the Columbia Adventist Kodiaks. Following their victory, the Lions prepare for the fourth-place game Saturday morning against Liberty Christian.

Huskies win regular season finale over Ducks

EUGENE, Ore. — The University of Washington Huskies (20-9) capped off regular season play with a 70-69 road victory over the University of Oregon Ducks (20-11). With this victory under their belts, the Huskies march into postseason play. UW earned an early lead due in part from the efforts of Sayvia Sellers from the Huskies who came out of the first half shooting 6-for-6 from the floor and knocking down four three-pointers. The Ducks on the other hand started slow, shooting 28.6% and turning the ball over four times in the first quarter. Things started to swing in Oregon’s favor by the second quarter as they shot 7-of-14, but Washington responded accordingly to every push to maintain their lead. By the end of the half, the Huskies led 36-27.

Basin athletes push through state tourney

MOSES LAKE — The WIAA State Basketball Tournament is going on strong with local basin athletes continuing their fight toward a state title. See the results for Almira/Coulee Hartline, Royal and Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School below.

5th grade Jacks headed to state basketball

QUINCY — The fifth-grade Quincy Jacks girls’ basketball team qualified for the state tournament at the Podium in Spokane running from March 13-15. As the girls prepare for the tourney Head Coach Summer Keller said the girls are feeling proud to represent their small town.

Four ‘Cats garner GNAC honors

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced on Tuesday that four Wildcats were represented on the All-Conference Teams, with senior guard Asher Cai earning Player of the Year honors, marking the fourth Wildcat to earn the Player of the Year distinction in the past five seasons.

WA COLLEGE SPORTS SCHEDULE: March 5-12, 2026

MOSES LAKE — As the seasons shift from winter to spring, so do the college sports as basketball heads into postseason and baseball gets deeper into early season competition. Check out where your favorite teams are headed this week.

Basin teams compete in round of 12 at state

MOSES LAKE — Five teams from the Columbia Basin are competing in the state tournament this week, with three of those teams competing in the Round of 12 across the 1A and 1B tournaments in Yakima and Spokane. See the results of Royal and Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School’s boys teams below.

BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: March 4-7, 2026

COLUMBIA BASIN — The high school basketball season is wrapping up this week as the final teams from the basin go on a run for a state championship. Check out how the bracket is churning out in the next few rounds of the state tournament.

Cougars wrap up season in state tourney

WARDEN — The Warden Cougars boys basketball team concluded their season Feb. 27 in the opening round of the 2B state tournament after falling to Adna in Tumwater. Despite the loss at state, Head Coach Brent Erdmann said the team had a very successful season. “Very proud because these boys worked so hard, and we’re not your typical group of basketball players,” said Erdmann. “We haven’t been a basketball town in Warden, and I think just getting into state, we might have some kids that are hungry and we can do something next year.”

Lions reflect on successful season following state berth

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions girls basketball team (16-9) ended their season in round one of the state tournament, falling 30-55 to Valley Christian. Lions Head Coach Josh Kast said it finished a great season of growth that has him excited for the future. “It (was) slow, steady growth all season long,” said Kast. “We started out pretty hot, but we had to play some tougher teams in the second half of the year and we were competitive against those teams.” The Lions found success in the regular season as they went 8-2 in the Central Washington B League and entered districts as the third seed. Going into district play, they won their first matchup against Entiat but fell against the number two seed Pateros in the semifinals of the winner’s bracket.

ACH continues state run with win over Muckleshoot Tribal

WENATCHEE — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors kept their bid in the state tournament alive after earning a 53-41 victory over Muckleshoot Tribal in the second round of the 1B state tournament. The Warriors prepare for the Round of 12 in Spokane as they work their way towards a state title. “Oh, we’re pumped,” said Warriors junior Crace Okamoto. “We’re excited to play in the arena and we’re going to give it all we’ve got.”

ACH earns strong victory over Neah Bay

WENATCHEE — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors claimed a 64-51 victory over Neah Bay in the opening round of the 1B state tournament. With this victory, the Warriors move on to the quarterfinals as they push toward a state championship.

Vikings conclude season with a home victory over Yaks

MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College Vikings (13-16) ended their season Wednesday night, but not before going out strong with an 88-73 victory over the Yakima Valley Yaks. With the Vikings coming just one game short of making the playoffs prior to this matchup, the goal was to still give all they had. “It’s bittersweet, you know we closed out the season four and five, we were one quick possession out of the playoffs,” said Vikings sophomore Miguel Taylor. “But we finished the season strong. We all came together and were able to make big improvements, so I’m happy.” The Vikings came out strong in the first half of the competition, taking an early lead over Yakima Valley. By halftime, BBCC was up by eight.

Vikings claim region championship

Big Bend leads region after 65-61 win over Yakima Valley Wednesday

MOSES LAKE — In their final home game of the season, the Big Bend Community College Lady Vikings earned a 65-61 victory over the Yakima Valley Yaks to claim the region championship.

Mavs swim competes at state to close out season

FEDERAL WAY — The Moses Lake Mavericks swim team traveled to the King County Aquatic Center to compete in the state tournament, where each of the qualifying athletes found success in the water. As a team, the Mavs finished 28th. “We had some challenging times the last two weeks before state, but they kept their heads up through it all and had a really good time at state. I’m super proud of these guys here,” said Head Coach Anthony Preston.

Royal girls claim second in District 6 championships

TOPPENISH — The battle for first place in the 1A District 6 tournament came to a close last Friday when the Royal Knights fell to Zillah 46-56. With the Knights taking second in districts, they prepare to enter the state tournament as the fifth seed.

Knights head to state after 2nd place finish in districts

TOPPENISH — The Royal Knights concluded the district tournament after a climactic battle against Zillah ended in a 62-64 loss for Royal. The Knights still finished second in the 1A District 5 tournament and are entering as the third seed in the state tournament.

WA COLLEGE SPORTS SCHEDULE: Feb. 26 – Mar. 5, 2026

MOSES LAKE — College basketball enters postseason play as baseball and softball begin the early portion of spring competition. Check out where your favorite teams will be playing this week.

Cougars qualify for state competition

EAST WENATCHEE — The Warden Cougars made a strong push in the district tournament, beating Tonasket 72-68 and Goldendale 53-50 last weekend to qualify for state. After falling to Liberty Bell 67-47 Saturday afternoon, the Cougars finished sixth in District 5 as they prepare for their first game of state competition.

ACH wins district title ahead of state run

REARDAN — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors earned the 1B District 6 title Saturday evening after an 83-68 victory over DeSales in the district championships. With this victory, the Warriors enter the state tournament as the second seed and prepare to make a deep run toward a state championship.

Lions punch ticket to state with third place finish in districts

WENATCHEE — After a tough back and forth battle, the Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions earned a 42-36 victory over the Wilson Creek Devils Saturday afternoon in the District 5 finals. This victory earned the Lions third in districts and sends the team to state. “We’re excited,” said Lions Head Coach Josh Kast. “Two years ago, we only won three games. It took some big steps last year winning 13 games, but this was a big step for us.”

BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: Feb. 23 – 28, 2026

COLUMBIA BASIN — The last standing basketball teams from around the basin prepare to head out and face the first round of state competition. See who the remaining teams will be facing this week.

Mavs fall in heartbreaker against Sunnyside

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks concluded their season Saturday evening with a 51-69 loss to Sunnyside in the state play-in game. The match was hard-fought, but ultimately the opposition pulled out ahead to punch their ticket to state. “Sunnyside came to play; they came out hitting on all cylinders,” said Mavericks Head Coach Craig Groth. “We were set behind in the first part of the game, and we didn’t have quite enough opportunities to catch up.”

Basin district basketball sees busy weekend

MOSES LAKE — The remaining basin basketball teams finished their district play over the weekend, and many are now preparing for state playoffs. The results of some games were not available at the time of publication. Additional coverage will be featured in the Tuesday and Wednesday editions of the Columbia Basin Herald.

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 Friday night. The Lions celebrate their victory as they prepare to make a run in the state tournament.

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.