MIKE MAYNARD
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Weather forces delays in Basin sports
MOSES LAKE — Several sporting events across the Basin have been postponed this weekend due to rain and snow causing conditions on the field to be unsuitable for play. Ephrata Tigers baseball Head Coach David Tempel was out shoveling snow Friday morning to keep the field in the best condition possible to resume a planned tournament Saturday. “This morning I got up and saw all the snow and got on the phone with my AD. We made the decision fairly quickly that games would be canceled today. We've alerted all the teams involved. We're going to shoot to try and get them all in tomorrow,” Tempel said.
Eagles season concludes in OT heartbreaker
BOISE — The Eastern Washington Eagles (15-18) season came to an end after a competitive 77-79 loss to the Montana State Bobcats in overtime Tuesday, according to a statement by EWU Athletics.
ACH looks to build off last season’s momentum
COULEE CITY — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors (15-7) are coming into this season motivated to build off last year’s successes, Head Coach Faye Butler said. After just missing out on placing in the state tournament, the team hung around for the championship games, which seemingly lit a fire in them. “They got really excited, and they were like, ‘We want to be here next year.’ And I said, ‘We can be; it just takes a lot of work,’” Butler said. “They're just really pumped for softball season. I really hope they can carry that drive into this season... I really believe they will.” The Warriors will be set up well with key leaders Grace Okamoto and Josie Bayless returning this season. Butler is eager to see them elevate their level of play while also taking another step into those leadership roles with the team, something she is confident they can do.
Knights focused on consistent improvement in new season
ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights are hitting the diamond this season after a 16-10 season last year that saw them make a first-round appearance in the 1A state baseball tournament. New Head Coach Tony Jenks is eager to begin his tenure with a program he believes has made significant improvement in the last couple of years. “The boys work hard here. They expect to win now when they play sports,” Jenks said. “We've kind of turned the corner, I think, in the last couple of years. We've got a lot of boys that work on baseball all year round, and travel to The Six (athletic facility) and work out with him quite a bit.” According to Jenks, the players aren’t the only ones who have been working on their game in the offseason. As he prepares to begin his tenure as head coach, he has also refining his coaching skills, he said.
Royal embraces ‘We Are One’ motto as new season begins
ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights (21-6) are returning to the diamond this year excited to build on the success of the last few seasons, Head Coach Lisa Lawrence said. “We've had a really successful program these last several years. We've had some really great athletes and a lot of talent, and we're excited for what's to come this year,” she said. The Knights have strung together multiple winning seasons over the last few years, including a state championship run in 2024. As they enter this season, Lawrence anticipates some newer challenges since a few of her core players have graduated.
Broncos strong turnout brings high hopes
RITZVILLE — With the track and field season starting, the Lind-Ritzville Broncos are turning out in big numbers, according to Head Coach Caitlin Teske. “I've been coaching 11 years, and the biggest team I've ever been a part of was 44 kids. So to have 40 kids, that's pretty exciting,” Teske said. “It'll be exciting to see how these kids grow, and what the new talent comes in that we don't know (about yet), that's maybe been hiding. Super excited for it.” The Broncos finished last season strong, sending multiple athletes to the state track meet in 2025. Zach Klein, Brody Boness, Damon Schilling, Leland Bowman, Brix Curtis and Jerod Harder competed on the big stage. This year, they return several of those competitors while also welcoming a younger class of athletes into the Broncos program.
Broncos aim high as they return to the green
RITZVILLE — As the spring sports season kicks off, the Lind-Ritzville Broncos golf squads are eager to hit the green in the pursuit of a state appearance. After sending two golfers last season, Head Coach Bryce Court is hopeful to see more competitors repping the Broncos in this postseason. “I have high hopes that we can sneak in four or five (golfers), and that's a tall order, but I feel like we got to aim high and try to get that accomplished,” Court said. After Hayes Hennings and Jase Bowman appeared in the state tournament last season, Court and the Broncos are optimistic they can send more golfers this year after the team gained a lot of invaluable experiences last year.
Huskies soccer ready to defend league title
OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies (14-7-1) are set to return to the pitch this week as the 2026 season kicks off. Head Coach Bernie Garza said the Huskies expectations for success remain high despite only returning three starters from last season.
Lady Vikings finish season in conference tourney
MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College Vikings (27-4) concluded their season after being eliminated in the second round of the Northwest Athletic Conference tournament.
Knights optimistic for future after third place finish at state
ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights (23-5) wrapped their season with a historic run to the 1A state semifinals and third-place finish, the first time they’ve appeared in the tournament since 2001. “I'm thrilled with this season,” Head Coach Farrah Wardenaar said. “We set some goals, and one of them was to get to the SunDome. To do it and then get third place, it was almost unattainable, but (we’re) so happy that we stayed focused. When we went to Tacoma and beat Annie Wright, I think it was like a light switch for our girls, like we can compete with these guys, and the momentum kept going from there.”