MIKE MAYNARD

Basin soccer roundup, March 26-31

MOSES LAKE — Boys soccer in the Basin has been off to a fiery start this season. While some teams have carried momentum from last season forward, others have found themselves in nail-biter games. See below how your favorite team has fared and their current record.

Cougars’ Whitaker earns Coach of the Year

PULLMAN — After guiding the Washington State Cougars swimming and dive program to its winningest season, Head Coach Russell Whitaker has been named the 2026 Swimming Coach of the Year, according to a statement from the Mountain West Conference. Postseason accolades are voted on by the league’s 10 coaches, the statement said. Nevada’s Scarlett Ferris was selected as the 2026 MW Swimmer of the Year, while Grace Ally was named the Diver of the Year. Washington State’s Whitaker garnered the Swimming Coach of the Year honor, and San Diego State’s Roland McDonald was selected as the Diving Coach of the Year.

Broncos suffer road loss

RITZVILLE — The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos fell to the Reardan Screaming Eagles 5-0 Wednesday on the road. Despite the loss, Head Coach Zachary Swanger was happy with how his players battled. “Even though we lost, in all the matches it was promising to see the way that our kids battled back in nearly every second set. All of them improved considerably throughout the match,” Swanger said.

Jacks win thriller in OT

QUINCY — The Quincy Jacks (2-4) overcame the Grandview Greyhounds 2-1 in overtime Tuesday. A header by Julian Valenzuela sealed the win for Quincy as they earned their second win of the season.

Eagles suffer road loss in Northern Arizona

FLAGSTAFF, AZ — Eastern Washington women's (8-7) tennis suffered a conference loss on the road Saturday 6-1 to Northern Arizona, according to EWU Athletics. Despite the loss, Head Coach Dustin Hinson felt good about how his players competed, he said in the statement. “It's always tough to play in Flagstaff with the altitude, but I thought we did a really good job focusing on giving our best, start-to-finish in the match,” Hinson said. “It didn't matter what happened in the previous point or what was happening in the match; we were going to fight all the way through, and the team did an excellent job in that area. We stayed focused in the moment and in battle, so that's going to help us as we continue with our conference schedule.”

Basin baseball roundup, March 24-31

MOSES LAKE — Baseball in the Basin is well underway as teams are aiming to get off to a strong start to the 2026 season. See below how your favorite teams have done so far and their current record.

Basin softball roundup, March 24-31

MOSES LAKE — The fastpitch season has kicked off with several teams across the Basin partaking in fierce competition. See below how your favorite teams have fared thus far and their current record.

Wahluke bounces back with road win

MATTAWA — The Wahluke Warriors (5-2-1) defeated the Zillah Leopards soundly 8-0 Monday. Head Coach Cele Lopez said his players responded well to a recent 3-2 loss at home against Connell Friday. “It definitely went better than Friday. Overall, the team played a little bit more compact. It's a small field at Zillah and we found a different way to connect some passes and find some (scoring) options,” Cele said.

Lady Vikings lose twice in weekend doubleheader

MOSES LAKE — After a three-year hiatus, the Big Bend Lady Vikings (4-13) are back in full swing. Their most recent outing saw them suffer back-to-back losses in a doubleheader against Treasure Valley Community College 13-6 and 17-3.

Freewind Martial Arts shines in all women's tourney

RICHLAND — Five members of Freewind Martial Arts competed in the second-ever Bruises and Babes martial arts tournament, an all-women's event hosted by Chon-Ji Martial Arts in Richland Saturday.

Jacks sweep Tigers on Ephrata courts

EPHRATA — The Quincy Jacks boys and girls tennis teams each earned a victory on the road Thursday over the Ephrata Tigers. The Boys won 5-0 while the girls won 3-2, earning their first win of the season.

Mavericks open league play with double-win doubleheader

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (4-1) open league play undefeated after sweeping the Sunnyside Grizzlies 10-0 and 19-1 in a doubleheader Friday. Head Coach Mike Hofheins feels this will serve as a confidence booster going forward.

LRS assistant tennis coach arrested in student sex-case

RITZVILLE — Former Lind-Ritzville/Sprague assistant tennis coach and Sprague High School teacher Madeline Gregory Scoon, 29, was arrested on March 16 for having an inappropriate relationship with a student athlete that spanned from August 2025 to March 2026, records show.

Huskies hold off Tigers comeback bid

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies (3-1) defeated the Ephrata Tigers (3-3) Tuesday 3-2. With intense winds and a few injuries, Othello Head Coach Bernie Garza said this game provided a good experience for his players. “It’s good to experience that high pressure, we're still a young team,” Garza said.

Basin soccer roundup, March 17-21, 2026

MOSES LAKE — The 2026 boys soccer season is well underway, as teams across the Basin hit the fields for action. See below how your favorite teams have fared so far this season and their current record.

Mavericks open track season at home

MOSES LAKE — On Friday, the Moses Lake Mavericks hosted Central Valley in a meet that saw the boys finish in second and the girls in first to open the 2026 season.

Moses Lake Tribe AAU places fourth in state tourney

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Tribe sixth-grade Amateur Athletic Union basketball team finished in the top five of the state competition that was held from March 13-15, taking fourth after a long weekend of play. “It was a great experience for our girls. We ended up placing fourth out of 29 teams in the silver division, which is solid for our team,” Head Coach Tom Howard said.

Knights defeated in doubleheader

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights (2-2) were defeated at home by the Zillah Leopards in a doubleheader matchup by a final score of 4-3 and 6-3. “We felt like a young team trying to find our way here a little bit,” Head Coach Tony Jenks said. The Knights scored first in game one, but Zillah managed to outscore them 4-2 the rest of the game to secure their first win of the day. In game two, the Leopards carried their momentum forward as they jumped out to 3-0 lead in the first three innings. The Knights defense did its best to hold off Zillah, but a three-run sixth inning put Royal in a deeper hole. The Knights tried to mount a comeback but were unsuccessful as Zillah won the second game.

Basin sports schedule, March 24-30

MOSES LAKE — Spring has sprung and so has the 2026 high school sports season. See below where your favorite teams are headed next.

Royal sweeps doubleheader behind Allred’s strong pitching

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights (4-0) took care of business against the Zillah Leopards Saturday, winning back-to-back games 4-3 and 15-2 in a doubleheader matchup. Senior Jill Allred was proud of her team for improving from game one to game two.

Jacks fall 16-5 at home in non-league game

QUINCY — The Quincy Jacks (1-3) were defeated 16-5 at home by the Cashmere Bulldogs in a non-league matchup Friday. “We need to fix up a lot of our routine plays that we could have been making to help our pitcher out and take a little bit more competitive at bats. When guys (are) throwing just straight fastballs, getting that timing down and making those quicker adjustments is what we need to focus on,” Head Coach David Garza said.

‘I’d take 100 of him’

Mason Bradford signs letter of intent to Whitworth golf

MOSES LAKE — Mason Bradford of the Moses Lake Mavericks golf team signed his letter of intent to Whitworth University to continue playing golf at the next level Thursday afternoon. “The last four years (I've been) looking forward to going somewhere and continuing with golf and just blessed to be able to play at the next level and play the game I love,” Bradford said.

Cougs fall in midweek game at Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — The Washington State Cougars (7-12) fell short to Utah 8-5 Tuesday after an unsuccessful late push by WSU.

Central Washington falls in sweet-16

ELLENSBURG — The Central Washington Wildcats (25-7) were defeated 57-51 Monday by California State Polytechnic University Broncos, Pomona in the sweet-16 of the NCAA Division two tournament. Head Coach Randi Richardson reflected positively on the season and her team, according to a statement by CWU Athletics.

Knights fend off the Warriors at home

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights (3-0-2) defeated the Wahluke Warriors (3-1-1) 2-0 Tuesday. Royal Assistant Coach Adan Martinez said their previous games leading up to Tuesday prepared them for this game.

Mavs suffer loss in doubleheader

Coach Lindgren remains confident in bounce back as season progresses

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (0-2) fell to the Kennewick Lions Monday in a doubleheader with final scores of 6-1 and 9-1. Despite the losses, Head Coach Donnie Lindgren is confident his players will respond the right way.

Washington teams ready for March Madness

MOSES LAKE — One of the most anticipated times of the year for sports has finally arrived as March Madness is set to begin this week. In this year’s bracket, several Washington teams are set to go dancing, one of which already has reached the Sweet 16. See below which Washington college basketball programs are competing in the tournament this season.

Wildcats advance to round of 32 in DII tournament

ELLENSBURG — The Central Washington Wildcats (24-6) have advanced to the round of 32 of the NCAA Division two tournament after defeating the Montana State Billings Yellowjackets 63-36 Friday.

Mavericks open season with home victory on the pitch

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (1-0) returned to the pitch Thursday and took care of business against the Ellensburg Bulldogs with a 3-0 win. Head Coach Miguel Segura was thrilled to see his seniors lead the team to victory.

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.