Top-seeded Knights prepare for No. 8 Lynden Christian
ROYAL CITY – Winners of seven of the last eight 1A state championships, playing football late into November and December is nothing abnormal for the Royal Knights; what is new is a first-round bye, which the team received in part to being named the classification’s top seed in the playoffs this season.
Moses Lake volleyball continues to improve
MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake volleyball team finished one game shy of qualifying for the 4A State Volleyball Tournament for the first time in program history this season, having fallen to Davis 3-0 in the second-place game of the Columbia Basin Big 9 district tournament.
Big Bend women’s wrestling opens season
MOSES LAKE – The Big Bend women’s wrestling team opened the 2024-25 season in Oregon over the weekend, wrestling in a dual against Umpqua Community College Saturday before traveling to the Mike Clock Open at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon on Sunday.
Huskies fall to Sehome on late two-point conversion
OTHELLO — A late touchdown and two-point conversion by No. 9 Sehome sealed No. 8 Othello’s fate in the opening round of the 2A State Football Tournament, as the Mariners advanced after defeating the Huskies 22-21 on Saturday. “We knew it was going to be tough; Sehome’s a good team,” Othello Defensive Coordinator Kevin Hale said. “A lot of speed, their quarterback is frustrating because even though we had good coverage, he’d squirt out and extend plays.”
Gridiron domination
Warriors shut out Inchelium to open state playoffs
MOSES LAKE – No. 4 Almira/Coulee-Hartline opened the 1B State Football Tournament with a shutout win over No. 13 Inchelium Friday night, defeating the Hornets 48-0 at Lions Field in Moses Lake. “I thought the kids were pretty loose,” ACH Head Coach Brandon Walsh said. “We had a good week of practice, they were prepared. We felt pretty confident coming in and played well.”
Knights fall to Cedar Park Christian in state tourney
ROYAL CITY – After advancing through the 1A District 5/6 Tournament, the Royal Knights earned the No. 16 seed in the 1A State Girls Soccer Tournament, falling on the road against top-seeded Cedar Park Christian 7-0 on Wednesday.
No. 19 Cougars travel to New Mexico
CWU, EWU hit the gridiron against Oregon, Idaho
PULLMAN – After taking down Utah State 49-28 at home last weekend, the No. 19 Washington State Cougars will travel to Albuquerque to take on the New Mexico State Lobos, a team that has won four of its last six games after an 0-4 start to the season.
Eagles end season on the court
SOAP LAKE – Having lost to No. 4 Walla Walla Valley Academy in the second round of the 1B State Volleyball Tournament, the No. 13 Soap Lake Eagles dropped into the consolation bracket for a matchup against No. 12 Willapa Valley, who bested the Eagles 3-1 Wednesday night.
Warden Cougars end volleyball season with 14-10 record
WARDEN - After rallying to defeat No. 10 Forks in the first round of the 2B State Volleyball Tournament’s consolation bracket, the No. 15 Cougars fell to No. 11 Davenport Wednesday morning.
Cougars fall to Manson, defeat Forks at state tourney
YAKIMA – After clinching a state berth on Saturday, the No. 15 seed Warden Cougars faced a touch matchup in the opening round of the 2B State Volleyball Tournament on Wednesday, falling 3-0 to the defending state champion and No. 2 seed Manson.
Eagles battle Pe Ell, Walla Walla Valley at 1B state tournament
YAKIMA — No. 13 seed Soap Lake opened the 1B State Volleyball Tournament with a win over No. 20 Pe Ell, advancing past the loser-out game with a 3-0 sweep of the Trojans. “They were ready to go,” Soap Lake Head Coach Niki Noble said. “They wanted to come out and win and show that we deserved to be placed where we are. Have a strong game and a strong win.” The Eagles jumped out to an early 8-2 lead, headlined by a 6-0 scoring run; after doubling up Pe Ell with a 16-8 lead, the Trojans cut the lead to 18-12 late in the set. Following an ace by Soap Lake junior Mylee Dana, the Eagles scored the set's final five points to win 25-12, taking a 1-0 lead in the match.
Eagles reach state tournament for second straight year
SOAP LAKE — After defeating Entiat in the Central Washington 1B district tournament on Saturday, the Soap Lake Eagles will return to the 1B State Volleyball Tournament for the second consecutive season. The Eagles bested the Tigers 3-1 in the district consolation bracket. “We were really excited,” Head Coach Niki Noble said. “Not only did we win when it counted – we got second in districts, and that was the first time that I as a coach have beat Entiat and the first time that any of these girls have beat Entiat.” Soap Lake had lost to the Tigers twice already this season; a 3-2 road loss on Oct. 3, and a 3-1 loss in the semifinals of the district tournament on Nov. 5.
Basin football roundup: Week 10
ACH, MLCA/CCS, Othello and Royal move on to state
MOSES LAKE – Four local football teams are moving on to their respective state tournaments, while the 2024 season came to an end for seven Basin squads last weekend.
Mavs fall to Kamiakin in state crossover
MOSES LAKE – Moses Lake’s season came to a close on Saturday, falling 49-20 to Kamiakin at Lions Field in the 4A State Crossover round. Moses Lake led the game 20-14 at halftime but was outscored by 35 in the second half.
Cougars advance to state with win over Kittitas
QUINCY – With a berth to the 2B State Volleyball Tournament on the line, the Warden Cougars defeated Kittitas 3-1 on Saturday morning in the 2B District 5 tournament at Quincy High School, qualifying for the state tournament for the second consecutive season.
Warriors rout Dayton to earn state tourney run
COULEE CITY – A 30-point first quarter surged the Warriors in their district crossover win over Dayton Friday night, going on to defeat the Bulldogs 58-20 to advance to the 1B State Football Tournament. This is the ninth consecutive season the Warriors have qualified for the state tournament, including winning a state title in 2021.
Huskies win, move on to state tournament
OTHELLO – Tied at seven through the first 24 minutes, Othello shut Rogers (Spokane) out in the second half and added two touchdowns of its own to defeat the Pirates 20-7 Saturday afternoon, qualifying for the 2A State Football Tournament with the win.
College Football Preview: After a bye, Cougars host Utah State
PULLMAN – Coming off their second bye week of the season, the Washington State Cougars host Utah State on Saturday to begin the stretch run of the 2024 regular season.
Mavs win Big 9
Team, coaches prepare for state crossover
MOSES LAKE – Playing complimentary football is key for any team to put together a playoff run; for the Moses Lake Mavericks, all three facets of the game have been playing well over the past month.
Mavericks qualify swimmers for state meet
MOSES LAKE — While Moses Lake finished third at last weekend’s Columbia Basin Big 9 district championship meet, the Mavericks will send several swimmers to the 4A State Swimming and Diving Championships later this month in Federal Way.
State cross country participants released
MOSES LAKE — Thirty-nine local athletes will travel to Pasco for Saturday’s WIAA State Cross Country Championships meet at the Sun Willows Golf Course. The Royal girls, the Moses Lake boys and the Moses Lake girls all qualified as teams for the meet, while Ephrata, Othello, Quincy, Royal and Wahluke all had individual runners qualify for their respective races.
Mavericks defeat Eastmont, finish third in league
MOSES LAKE — The Mavericks snapped a three-game losing streak in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Eastmont, scoring two goals in the second half to seal a win in the regular season finale. Moses Lake entered the match with several starting players out with injuries.
Basin Football Roundup: Week 9
Moses Lake, Othello and Royal win league titles
MOSES LAKE — Three local teams won outright league titles with wins last week, as Moses Lake, Othello and Royal each celebrated winning their respective leagues.
Lions defeat Soap Lake 32-22
SOAP LAKE – After the Soap Lake offense scored touchdowns on its first two possessions, The MLCA/CCS defense held the Eagles to just eight points over the remainder of the game to earn a 32-22 win over Soap Lake.
Mavs cross country makes history
Both boys and girls teams qualify for state
MOSES LAKE – For the first time in program history, both the Moses Lake boys and girls cross country teams will run at next weekend’s state meet in Pasco. Both teams took second at Thursday’s Columbia Basin Big 9 district championship meet in Yakima.
WSU Cougars take three-game win streak into bye
PULLMAN – Riding a three-game winning streak, the No. 22 Washington State Cougars will have their second bye week of the season in Week 10.
Knights take down Kiona-Benton on senior night
ROYAL CITY — Missing three starters due to injuries, the Royal Knights put up a strong defensive performance in Tuesday night’s regular season finale against Kiona-Benton, defeating the Bears 1-0 while posting their eighth clean sheet of the season. Sophomore Maggie Frank scored the lone goal of the match, connecting on a long shot early in the second half. “For us, coming into this, we’ve got to find a way to win and be difficult to beat, and hope that something goes your way – you get a corner, you get a free kick, you get a wonder goal from Maggie (Frank),” Royal head coach Jens Jensen said. “That’s what we got today, we were fortunate.”
Maverick slowpitch takes fourth at state
YAKIMA – Moses Lake left last weekend’s 4A Slowpitch Softball State Tournament with hardware, as the Mavericks took fourth place in the classification with a 2-2 record at the tournament.
Basin Football Roundup: Moses Lake, Royal post shutouts
MOSES LAKE – With the playoffs just a few weeks away, several local teams remain in contention to win their respective league titles this season.
College football: WSU mounts late comeback
MOSES LAKE – Regional college football teams went 2-1 last week, with Washington State and Central Washington both claiming victories while Eastern Washington fell on the road in a rivalry matchup against Idaho.
Warriors fall 30-24 to Wilbur-Creston-Keller
COULEE CITY – Wilbur-Creston-Keller ate up the bulk of the clock in Friday’s game against Almira/Coulee-Hartline, limiting the Warriors to just five offensive plays in the second half to pick up a 30-24 win over ACH.
Eagles sweep Devils in regular season finale
WILSON CREEK -- Both Soap Lake and Wilson Creek closed out their regular seasons on Thursday night, as the Eagles came out with a 3-0 win on the road against the Devils.
WA COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Cougars travel to San Diego State Saturday
PULLMAN – Winners of two straight games, the Washington State Cougars are preparing for yet another trip to The Golden State, taking on the San Diego State Aztecs Friday night on the road. WSU’s most recent win came last Saturday at home against Hawaii, winning 42-10.
With year of experience, Vikings look to build off 2023-24
MOSES LAKE -- Coming off a 10-18 season last winter, the Big Bend men’s basketball team is bringing a more experienced roster to the floor when the season begins next month. “We’re ready to get back on the court and prove a lot this year,” sophomore guard Gideon Harris said. “We think we’re going to be a very good team, and a championship-contending (team). We’re just trying to stay locked in, stay focused and get the job done this year.”
Mavs fall 2-1 to Wenatchee on the pitch
MOSES LAKE – While the Mavericks had plenty of scoring opportunities late in the match, Moses Lake couldn’t overcome the one-goal deficit against Wenatchee and fell 2-1 to the Panthers on Tuesday night.
Basin football roundup: Week 7
Knights stay unbeaten, Huskies take first loss
MOSES LAKE – Week 7 of football action across the state didn’t fare local squads well, as only Almira/Coulee-Hartline, Moses Lake, MLCA/CCS and Royal claimed victories on the gridiron this week.
Big second inning surges Mavs past Wildcats for Big 9 title
MOSES LAKE – An offensive surge in the bottom of the second inning of Saturday’s Columbia Basin Big 9 district championship game helped push Moses Lake to an eventual 21-7 win over Eastmont, punching its ticket to the state tournament in the process.
Broncos fall in three to Manson
Rematch of 2023 2B title game
RITZVILLE – Two strong volleyball teams from the 2B classification met on Saturday, as the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos fell 3-0 to the Manson Trojans in a rematch of last season’s 2B state championship game. “There was a lot of excitement,” LRS Head Coach Cari Galbreath said. “I think my team was looking forward to seeing them again, and that level of play is always special and helps us grow as a team.”
Mavericks dominate in 40-0 win over Eastmont
MOSES LAKE – From the opening kickoff to the final whistle, Moses Lake dominated in Friday night’s shutout win over Eastmont, snapping a two-game loss streak to the Wildcats with a 40-0 win on Lions Field.
Moses Lake wins Big 9 slowpitch title
Moses Lake freshman Mya Martinez claps as she rounds second base after hitting a home run in the bottom of the second inning of Saturday’s Columbia Basin Big 9 district championship game. The Mavericks defeated Eastmont 21-7 in the game, advancing to the 4A State Slowpitch Softball Tournament. Coverage of the game will be in Tuesday’s edition of the Columbia Basin Herald.
Mavs defeat West Valley 3-1
First win over Rams in program history
MOSES LAKE – Thursday night’s 3-1 win over West Valley (Yakima) didn’t just move Moses Lake into third place of the Columbia Basin Big 9 standings – the Mavericks defeated the Rams for the first time in their program’s history, according to Head Coach Krystal Trammell.
Warriors swept by Valley Christian
COULEE CITY – After a closely contested first set between Almira/Coulee-Hartline and Valley Christian, the Panthers went on to defeat the Warriors 3-0 on Thursday night, dropping ACH to 6-4 this season.
Volleyball roundup: Cougars lead EWAC East
MOSES LAKE – With district playoffs on the horizon, take a look at where local high school volleyball teams check-in on their respective league standings. Scores from Thursday night’s games were not available in time for press deadline.
WSU’s Cougars return home to face Hawaii
PULLMAN – With last week's 25-17 road win over Fresno State, the Washington State Cougars sit at 5-1 at the midway point of the 2024 season, with the Cougars now set to welcome Hawaii to Pullman on Saturday. “It’s a great team win,” WSU Head Coach Jake Dickert said of the win over the Bulldogs. “We’ve won a lot of close games; we are really battle-tested as a team.”
Mavericks slowpitch to host Big 9 title game
MOSES LAKE – After splitting a doubleheader with the Eastmont Wildcats in the regular season finale last Thursday, Moses Lake will host Saturday’s Columbia Basin Big 9 district championship game after edging out Eastmont in the run differential tiebreaker. “I think they were ready to compete,” Head Coach Mike Hofheins said. “Both teams are good, and it comes down to who strings hits together and who plays good defense. They were two really good games.”
‘The kids are excited for this stretch of the season’
5-1 Warriors aim to finish strong down the stretch
COULEE CITY – Riding a three-game winning streak, the Almira/Coulee-Hartline football team is preparing for a challenging stretch of league games to close out the regular season, facing off against Wellpinit (5-1), Wilbur-Creston-Keller (6-0) and Odessa (5-0) over the next three weeks.
Mavs cross country running well
Boys and girls teams both pick up meet wins
MOSES LAKE – Both the Moses Lake boys and girls cross country teams have had successful outings over the previous weeks, with each team claiming high finishes at recent meets. “They’re starting to come into stride,” Head Coach Larry Dagnon said. “Their training is caught up, they’re dropping times, mentally they’re in the right place -- they’re confident. They’ve raced enough races the last month to where they’re just really focused.”
Huskies withstand Ephrata rally, win 35-13
EPHRATA – After the Huskies took a 21-0 lead into the halftime locker room, Ephrata scored on its first two offensive drives of the third quarter to cut the lead to one score, and the Tigers were once again driving to begin the final frame of Saturday’s Central Washington Athletic Conference matchup.
Gridiron Roundup: Big wins for several local squads
MOSES LAKE – Blowout wins were a common theme on Friday night, as ACH, Moses Lake, MLCA/CCS and Royal all claimed wins by more than four scores. Check out this week’s gridiron roundup to see how local teams fared, including two games that featured teams from Grant and Adams counties.
Cougars take down LRS in OT
RITZVILLE — Despite trailing by two scores early in the second quarter, the Warden Cougars were able to tie the game at 21 by the end of regulation Friday night against Lind-Ritzville/Sprague, eventually defeating the Broncos 29-21 in overtime. “We adjusted going into the second half, and I love how the boys executed what we asked them to do,” McLean said. “They didn’t put their head down; they kept fighting all the way through. That’s how we got the result tonight.” After sophomore Kameron Jensen tied the game at 14 on a two-yard quarterback draw for a touchdown, Warden junior Hunter Golladay recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt to set up the Cougar offense at its own 43-yard line.