MIKE MAYNARD

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.”

Foundations of belief powers Knights to third in state tourney

ROYAL CITY — After a successful first year under Head Coach Tim Ravet, the Royal Knights (24-5) finished the season in third at the 1A state basketball tournament. “I think we were playing pretty good basketball; having a shot to play until the last day is always the goal,” Ravet said. “Believing that you could win is always fun; you can tell the kids believed we could win. That's what you want more than anything: that belief, buy-in and work ethic.”

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.

Lady Vikings fall in 2nd conference round

PASCO — The Big Bend Community College Lady Vikings (27-4) were defeated by the Clackamas Cougars 74-55 in the elite eight round of the Northwest Athletic Conference tournament Saturday.

Royal girls grab third at state after semifinal loss

YAKIMA — The Royal Knights (22-5) fell short 42-27 in the semifinals of the 1A state basketball tournament to the King’s Knights. Loss aside, Head Coach Farrah Wardenaar and the Royal girls are holding their heads high.

Knights boys earn third place at state with grit and effort

YAKIMA — The Royal Knights (24-5) finish in third place in the 1A state basketball tournament after a deep run saw them make the semifinals before falling short 74-64 to the Zillah Leopards. From there, they bounced back with a redeeming 64-49 win over King’s Knights to earn third in the bracket. Despite the semifinal loss, Head Coach Tim Ravet expressed pride in his players and the belief they showed throughout their game against the Leopards.

New coach, same standards

Trevino leads Tigers into new season

EPHRATA — After a strong 2025 season that saw the Ephrata Tigers make a state appearance, they are back under new Head Coach Lesa Trevino. Despite the changes, their goals remain the same. “The last few years with the program, they have been phenomenal,” Trevino said. “With a lot of these underclassmen coming in, we’ve got to develop those fundamentals first and make sure that we're going in with that team first mentality. Making sure that we're taking those small steps of fundamentals first, the rest is going to fall into place as soon as we get those fundamentals going.”

Eagles suffer loss ahead of conference tourney

CHENEY — The Eastern Washington Eagles (13-18) were white hot coming into their game against the Vandals on an eight-game win streak. However, their momentum ran out at home as Idaho outscored the Eagles 85-81 Monday. “They just had an edge to them tonight,” Associate Head Coach Ryan Lundgren said. “They were the tougher team tonight, bottom line. I mean, they just wanted that game more than us."

Eagles fall after fourth quarter rally by Idaho

CHENEY — After a competitive first half, the Vandals were able to run away with the game 75-64, as they stunted any momentum Eastern Washington (14-17) built. Despite the loss, Head Coach Joddie Gleason felt her team played hard, according to a statement by EWU Athletics. “These were two good teams that battled tonight, and the conference champs took control in the fourth to secure the win,” Gleason said. “Ella Gallatin was absolutely amazing tonight and helped propel us into the lead at halftime. Unfortunately, we couldn't keep them off the glass to start the game and then again in the pivotal moments in the fourth. We didn't match their physicality, or we had the chance to steal the game in Moscow.”

Skjonsby’s late heroics lift Cougs to road win over Long Beach State

LONG BEACH, Cali. — After a late rally led by Ryan Skjonsby, the Washington State Cougars (5-6) defeated the Long Beach State Dirtbags 9-7 Sunday. In a postgame interview with WSU Athletics, Skjonsby credited his team for finding a way to win.

Wildcats refocus after narrow loss in season finale

ELLENSBURG — The Central Washington Wildcats womens basketball team (23-5) fell short 58-56 to Northwest Nazarene University in a competitive battle to conclude their regular season. Despite the loss, Head Coach Randi Richardson is confident her team will bounce back, according to a statement from CWU Athletics. “We built all year to have a moment like this, and it was a great game. Credit to NNU for making some big plays down the stretch and things didn't fall for us. This moment doesn't define this team, and there is more season to be played. I love our seniors and I'm proud of who they have been in their time as Wildcats. Next week we will respond,” she said.

Lions look ahead to Spokane, despite opening loss

RICHLAND — The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions (18-3) suffered a loss to the DeSales Irish 80-69 Saturday in the opening round of the 1B state basketball tournament. Despite the loss, Head Coach Emerson Ferguson was proud of how his players battled. “We did what we normally do, which is the battle,” Ferguson said.

Knights suffer close loss in opening round of state

YAKIMA — The Royal Knights (20-4) suffered a 48-47 loss to the King’s Knights after nearly pulling off the comeback in the opening round of the 1A state boys basketball tournament.

Tigers cap season with 2 on the podium

EPHRATA — After a strong season that saw five wrestlers compete in the Mat Classic, Ephrata Tigers Head Coach Joe Knox said the future is bright for the program.

Huskies bring home 5 medals in Mat Classic

OTHELLO — After a strong showing in the Mat Classic tournament, the Othello Huskies girls squad finished second as a team in the 2A bracket and had five wrestlers reach the podium. With 11 of the 15 wrestlers who competed in Tacoma returning next season, Head Coach Sammy Rocha feels confident the Huskies will be back.

Knights shine in Mat Classic

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights had a strong showing in the Mat Classic, sending 29 wrestlers to the state tournament. Across the boys and girls teams, 15 wrestlers earned a spot on the podium, including three state champions for the girls.

Sanchez makes history as Tigers finish fourth in Mat Classic

TACOMA — The Ephrata Tigers girls' squad had a successful run in the Mat Classic, finishing fourth as a team, four wrestlers reached the podium and Adylene Sanchez made history becoming the first two-time state champion for girls wrestling at Ephrata.

Knights girls crown three champs as nine earn medals

TACOMA — The Royal Knights girls squad showed out at the Mat Classic, finishing in the top 10 and sending nine wrestlers to the podium by the end of the weekend. Girls Head Coach Seth Weeks said what they were able to accomplish was nothing short of impressive. “It meant everything,” Weeks said. “Being a first-year coach with these girls, I've worked with a lot of them over the last few years. I've been coaching at the middle school so a lot of those girls have wrestled for me in the past, and so to tie it all together and let the girls see that hard work translate to (success) was awesome.”

Four Warriors medal at Mat Classic; Butler siblings shine in Tacoma

TACOMA — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors brought home some hardware from this year’s Mat Classic. Siblings Karis and Noah Butler won their state finals matches to become state champions. According to Head Coach Brandon Walsh, it’s been a while since a pair of siblings won state titles together. “A couple of brothers back in ’ 99 a long time ago,” he said. “It's a credit to them. Those kids work so hard. They love wrestling, they wrestle all year round. They're leaders in the room, (we) just couldn't be happier for them. That's fantastic in the world of wrestling.”

Several Mavs reach the podium in Mat Classic

TACOMA — The Moses Lake Mavericks concluded their appearance at the Mat Classic on day two, with several wrestlers making deep runs. Boys One wrestler who went far this year was Eli Anderson who battled his way into the 215-lb finals, where he fell just short 4-2. Despite the loss, Anderson displayed gratitude.

Mat Classic 2026 sees strong performances by Basin athletes

TACOMA — On day one of the Mat Classic Washington’s best from the 3A and 4A competed at the Tacoma Dome, Thursday. Across the boys and girls teams of the Moses Lake Mavericks, seven wrestlers moved on to the semifinals. Competition for other teams from Grant and Adams counties started Friday with additional strong performances from those teams as well.

Seven Mavs heading to semis at Mat Classic

TACOMA — On day one of the Mat Classic Washington’s best from the 3A and 4A competed at the Tacoma Dome, Thursday. Across the boys and girls teams of the Moses Lake Mavericks, seven wrestlers are headed to the semifinals.

GALLERY: Mavericks start strong at Mat Classic

TACOMA — The Mat Classic is underway in the Tacoma Dome. The Moses Lake Mavericks boys and girls squads took to the mats Thursday in the 4A brackets. Here are some highlights from the first day of action. Additional coverage of the state tournament will be available in a later edition.

Jacks send 11 wrestlers to Mat Classic

QUINCY — Eleven wrestlers will represent the Quincy Jacks in the 2A bracket of the Mat Classic this year across the boys and girls teams. “Super proud of them,” Boys Head Coach Breck Webley said. “A few of them had great records and were consistent throughout the season and in their performance, so this was just kind of a reflection of that. We had a few outliers teetering on the edge... and then they just turned it on and peaked at the right time, and were able to clinch a spot, which was awesome to see as well.”

Mavericks eager for deep run in Mat Classic

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks are sending 25 wrestlers across both boys and girls squads to compete in the 4A bracket of the Mat Classic. For the boys, Head Coach Jose Tanguma said his wrestlers are ready to perform when the lights come on. “I feel very good with the kids we have going to state. These kids have been wrestling tough all year long, and I think they're ready for the big show right now,” he said.

ACH sends eight to state

COULEE CITY — After a strong season of wrestling for the Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors are sending eight wrestlers to the Mat Classic. “We're excited about the group we got going,” Head Coach Brandon Walsh said. The Warriors are set to take six boys and two girls to Tacoma as they pursue more success at the state level. ACH had a strong performance across their team in their district tournament, where four boys made the semifinals, three advanced to the championship matches and two came out champions.

Boys basketball roundup, Feb. 10 –14

MOSES LAKE — As the state tournament looms on the horizon, the local boys basketball teams are pushing through their district tournaments. See below how your favorite team has fared and their current record.

Girls basketball roundup, Feb. 10-14

MOSES LAKE — As the regular season winds down and district tournament competition picks up, local teams are eyeing a spot in the state tournament. See below how your favorite team has fared in the last week and their current record.

MLHS girls suffer loss after late rally by Sunnyside

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (4-18) were defeated 46-40 by the Sunnyside Grizzlies at home in a competitive game that went down to the wire. Head Coach Matt Strophy was proud of his team’s effort Friday.

Mavericks final home win sends them to district championship

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (14-6) defeated the Sunnyside Grizzlies 72-64 in their final home game of the regular season Friday. Mavs junior Caden Barney complimented his team for their efficiency on offense.

Statement win: Knights earn victory in first round of district tourney

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights (19-3) defeated the Omak Pioneers 74-30 Thursday to advance to the semifinals of the 1A District 5 tournament. Head Coach Farrah Wardenaar was thrilled to see her players dominate the hardwood.

Big Bend rolls over CBC at home

MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College Vikings (10-15) defeated the Columbia Basin College Hawks 85-63 to earn a statement win at home. Head Coach Jason Hopkins said it was nice to see his players start putting together they had worked on prior to this game.

Lady Vikings overcome CBC in barn burner

MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College Lady Vikings (23-2) earned a statement win over Columbia Basin College Wednesday. After going to overtime, they squeezed out an 80-75 win as they avenged a prior loss to the Hawks.

Men's college basketball recap Feb. 4-11, 2026

MOSES LAKE — Washington college basketball has had its peaks and valleys this season. As these teams head into the final stretch of their seasons, see below where your favorite team stands.

‘12 as one’

Around 1M fans pack downtown Seattle after Seahawks Super Bowl win

SEATTLE — The 12th man flocked to Seattle’s 4th Ave Wednesday to celebrate the newly crowned Super Bowl champion Seahawks. The event even brought out former players of the franchise.

Coyotes 14U make deep tournament run

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Coyotes 14U squad made a deep run in the Moses Lake 14U Winter Classic, just falling short 5-3 in the championship game to the Coeur d’Alene Thunder. “It went well overall,” Head Coach Dan Niehenke said. “They were out there skating fast and playing well as a team. We saw a lot more team play, even over the last two weekends of tournaments that we've had, just further refinement and dialing in how they execute as a team.”

Mavs cheer successful in state competition

BATTLE GROUND — The Moses Lake Mavericks competitive cheer squad took home hardware this year at the state competition in Battle Ground. Head Coach Mikey Carlile called it a great experience for her team, as they capped off another successful season. “We had a great weekend,” she said. “They definitely improved every time that we competed (this season), and they worked really hard on taking the judges feedback and implementing it into our routine. They had a great season.”

Basin boys basketball roundup, Feb. 2 – 7

MOSES LAKE — As the regular season concludes this week, district competition is going to ramp up fast. See below where your favorite teams stand and their current record as they head into their final week of regular season competition.

Mavs girls show grit in home loss

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks girls squad (4-16) suffered a 54-34 loss at home to the Eastmont Wildcats. Despite the loss, the players never waned in their effort on the court, Head Coach Matt Strophy said.

Basin girls basketball roundup, Feb. 3 – 7

MOSES LAKE — As we enter the final week of the regular season for most basin girls basketball teams, several are making their final pushes for the postseason while others look to finish strong. See below where your favorite teams stand and their current record.

MLHS boys fend off Eastmont rally

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (13-6) held the Eastmont Wildcats comeback attempt in the second half to win 79-76 Friday. Head Coach Craig Groth said the Wildcats made it tough in the second half, but his guys made enough plays by the end of it.