MIKE MAYNARD
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Knights control the trenches in rout of Kiona-Benton
ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights (5-0) pitched a shutout Saturday with a 60-0 win over the Kiona-Benton Bears. “The kids were ready to play and we knew we were probably stronger than them up front, and that carried over to the rest of the team because on the defensive line and offensive line, we were able to dominate up front,” Head Coach Wiley Allred said.
Gridiron Roundup – week five
MOSES LAKE — We have hit the halfway mark of the 2026 Basin football season. Some teams remain undefeated while others build momentum for a bounce back in the latter half of the remaining season. See below how your favorite teams fared.
Gonzales, Huskies ground game lead rout of Jacks
OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies (3-2) defended home field Friday as they defeated the Quincy Jacks (0-5) 41-6, off a four-touchdown night by Cain Gonzales. “It mostly just (allows) me to have more confidence in my (offensive) line,” Gonzales said. “I have confidence, but just to see them perform, whether it's this team, the next team, it is refreshing. It's just refreshing to see that they're working on things, they're getting better, they're doing what they're supposed to do, and that's all I want.” The Huskies showed dominance early, with Gonzales scoring all four of his touchdowns through the run in the first quarter alone. By halftime, Othello built a commanding 41-0 lead over Quincy. From there, the Huskies backups got some playing time as they started the second half. The Jacks capitalized off a special team miscue by Othello to score their lone touchdown in the third quarter.
BASIN SPORTS SCHEDULE: Oct. 5-12, 2026
MOSES LAKE — Competition looks to get a lot tougher as local athletes enter the second half of their seasons in the month of October. See where each basin team will be heading this week.
Mavericks dig deep to sweep Sunnyside
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (4-3) dug deep against the Sunnyside Grizzlies as they earned a competitive 3-0 at home Thursday. “They were anxious for the win, and we executed not the best that we wanted, but a win is a win, and they found a way no matter what,” Head Coach Krystal Trammell-Walt said. The Mavs started strong in the first set, controlling the game for a 25-16 win. From there, the Grizzlies showed how much fight they have as they kept it close throughout the second and third sets, forcing the Mavericks to break away late 25-20 and 25-23 for the win.
Royal’s Grant Wardenaar commits to Central Washington University
ROYAL CITY — Though high school basketball is still a couple of months away, it wasn’t a bad time for Knights all-time leading scorer Grant Wardenaar to announce his commitment to the Central Washington University Wildcats. “They started recruiting me (after) my sophomore year, and then we've just been in touch since then,” Wardenaar said. “Coach (Brandon) Rinta was always calling me – probably two times a week since, like a few months ago. It felt good to kind of wrap up (recruitment) and know what I'm going to do after high school and just have a plan.”
Basin soccer roundup, Sept. 24-30, 2026
MOSES LAKE — Basin soccer concluded September play this week, and now teams are starting to turn their focus to a strong finish to the season as the state tournament begins to peak over the horizon. See below how your favorite teams fared in the last week of games.
Eagles sweep Hornets, extend win streak to four
SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake Eagles (5-4) earned a dominant 3-0 win over the Oroville Hornets, extending their win streak to four straight, with the last three coming in straight sets. “Oroville is a very scrappy team. We just watched them last week reverse sweep Wilson Creek, so we knew that they were going to be tough,” Head Coach Erin Fletcher said. “Our goal was to come in and just put it away. We didn't necessarily do that the third set, but those first two sets we did do a good job of trying to come out and be aggressive early on, handle what we could on our side, and try to put the game away early.” The Eagles were determined to start fast in the first set, which they did by being the first to score five points, Fletcher said. From there, they cruised to a 25-14 set win. They continued to dominate on the court, only allowing four points by the Hornets in set two as they won that as well. However, Oroville showed they weren’t going away quietly, giving the Eagles a battle in the third set, but Soap Lake managed to pull away 25-21 to seal the three-set win at home.
Freewind martial artists claim four Jr Grand Championships
RICHLAND — Freewind Martial Arts Studio recently competed in the Battle on the Columbia tournament, where four of the nine competitors brought home hardware in addition to strong all-around performances. “We were really excited because we had such a great turnout,” Freewind Instructor Brandi Guertin said. “We had nine competitors go, and having nine competitors go to a single tournament is so fun because it's such a giant group, and having such a giant group makes it exciting because you have someone competing at almost every moment of the tournament.” Of the nine competitors, Serjio Madrigales, Milan Bhatt, Zachary Morris and Jessie Young earned Jr Grand Champion honors for their performances in form, weapons, noodle sparring and sparring across their respective age groups and levels. Across the entire group that competed, everyone placed in the top three of each competition, highlighting a dedicated class of students in attendance, Guertin said.
Basin teams compete at Nike Invite
SPOKANE — Local cross country teams found success over the weekend as athletes from Ephrata, Moses Lake, Othello and Warden travelled to Spokane to compete in the Nike Bob Firman Invitational. See below how each team did.
Basin volleyball roundup, Sept. 22 – 28
MOSES LAKE — Basin volleyball put in yet another week of competitive games as league matchups become more important the further into the season we get. See below how your favorite teams fared.
Gridiron roundup – week four
MOSES LAKE — Four weeks of Basin high school football are now in the books with many teams earning statement wins early on. As they begin the second half of the season, see below how your favorite teams fared on Friday. Note: Warden's week three game against Highland was postponed to the following Monday, so both games played were reflected below.
Eagles’ fast start fades in narrow home loss to Cal Poly
CHENEY — The Eastern Washington Eagles (1-4) fell to the Cal Poly Mustangs 31-27 Saturday. While the defense provided an energetic first half, late mistakes ultimately cost the Eagles at home. “There's a combination of deflation a little bit,” Head Coach Aaron Best said. “Ultimately, I think it came down to a myriad of things. The big things that stood out for me on the sideline - (we) didn't protect the passer well enough; they got after us. Secondly, 43 (carries) for 87 (yards), the only chance you have in any game like that is when you take the ball away three times, when you have a long kick return, and when you have a fourth down stop.” Despite forcing three turnovers and a turnover on downs, Eastern Washington could not capitalize consistently enough to pull away. Missed kicks, poor pass protection and a struggling rushing attack eventually allowed Cal Poly to erase a fourth-quarter deficit and escape Cheney with a 31-27 victory.
Burns’ record 309-yard night fuels Mavs dominant win
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (3-1) were dominant on the gridiron, running away in the second half to defeat the Wenatchee Panthers 58-22 behind a record 309 yards and four touchdowns from running back Elijah Burns on the ground. “It was definitely a big win,” Burns said. “Obviously not just me; blocking really helped a lot. We had a lot of good blocking, I ran hard, but it was a lot of blocking. I couldn't have done it without my teammates.”
Broncos shake off early miscues, roll past Asotin
LIND — The Lind-Ritzville Broncos (2-2) earned a statement 35-13 win over the Asotin Panthers Friday which was highlighted by strong running and game wrecking defense. “We really hurt ourselves in the first half,” Head Coach Brenden Bermea said. “We turned the ball over four times, but it was great to see them bounce back. We're becoming more resilient as a team, and you can only find that out when you're actually on the field.”
Mavericks drop four-set match to Eisenhower
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (3-2) fell to the Eisenhower Cadets 3-1 Thursday, despite a late rally attempt in the latter sets. “We just did not play our best game,” Head Coach Krystal Trammel-Walt said. “We came out flat, and we just couldn't get our offense going, our passes, closing blocks, and we were just making a lot of mental mistakes that we cannot do. Serves hurt us, passing hurt us, we just seemed to be two steps behind the majority of the night.”
Basin soccer roundup, Sept. 17-24
MOSES LAKE — Another week of Basin soccer is in the books, as some teams continue to build off undefeated starts while others find momentum in other ways. See below how your favorite team has fared in the last week.
Mavericks cross country sweeps Wenatchee Invite
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks swept the competition at the 29th annual Wenatchee Cross Country Invitational at Walla Walla Point Park on Saturday. Both the varsity and junior varsity squads for the boys and girls teams earned first place in their respective 5k races. “(Wenatchee) puts on a great invite every year, and they had some really good teams, their team included, and Eastmont was present, and then they brought in some schools that are just very high quality,” Head Coach Larry Dagnon said. “But when the time came to run, our kids, (for) one they know that course very well, and two, they performed exceptionally. From our first kid to our last kid, they put their best foot forward. They came to work, and the results showed a full team performance.”
Ross, Char sisters power Mavs past Vikings
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (1-5) earned a much-needed win Tuesday as they defeated the Selah Vikings 2-0 at Lions Field. For Head Coach Alysha Overland, this moment wasn’t a matter of if, but when. “We definitely needed it; we were due for one,” Overland said. “We've been putting in a lot of hard work, even in the games we've been putting in hard work. Just haven't gotten the results. This one feels good. Feels like we're hopefully turning the corner now and putting the work that we're putting into practice into the game.” The Mavericks got on the board early, finding the back of the net within the first five minutes of the game. From there, they kept up the pressure in the attack, missing a couple shots on goal while preventing Selah from creating pressure of their own.
Basin volleyball roundup, Sept. 15-22
MOSES LAKE — As the end of September draws near, so does the first month of Basin volleyball. Many teams over the past week navigated stiff non-league games as they look to set themselves up for a strong second half to the 2026 season. See below how your favorite teams fared last week.
Huskies passing game difference maker in victory over Eagles
SEATTLE — The University of Washington Huskies (3-0) defended home field 48-16 against the Eastern Washington Eagles (1-3) Saturday in the final non-conference matchup of the season for both teams. “Thought we did some good things on offense today,” Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch said during the postgame press conference. “There was a couple times that I thought we had some opportunities that we didn’t execute (on), but I felt for the most part we played the type of offense I’d like us to play. Defensively, very disappointed in the penalties. That is not okay to have 100 yards in penalties and multiple drives were kept alive because of penalties. We're too talented on defense to let our emotions get the best of us.”
Gridiron roundup – week three
MOSES LAKE — Week three of high school football across the Basin is essentially behind us, with the exception of the Warden Cougars who played on Monday Sept. 21. As teams wrap up any final non-league games, they will begin to try and separate themselves from the rest of their conference opponents as we are just over a month from postseason competition. See below how your favorite programs fared last week.
Decubber throws six touchdowns as Mavs dominate at home
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (2-1) rebounded from their week two loss to Coeur De’ Alene with a dominant 57-7 win at home over the West Valley Rams on Friday. Head coach Kyler Haneberg was elated with how his team responded in week three. “This week was all about how you're going to come out this week with what happened, and we got punched in the face quite a bit last week, so it was our turn to throw our punches,” Haneberg said. “The guys came out ready, not much to complain about when I'm able to pull my (starters) out in the middle of the second quarter. They reacted and did what they were supposed to this week.”
77th Othello rodeo results
OTHELLO — The 77th Othello rodeo has come and gone with so much competition in between that drew over $67,000 in total payoff, according to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Caleb McMillan from Soap Lake earned all-around cowboy by the end of the two night event, earning just over $3,000. See below how all the events shook out and where your favorite cowboy placed.
Warriors dominate defending state champs at home
COULEE CITY — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors (3-0) remain undefeated after earning a statement 62-18 win over the defending 1B state champion DeSales Fighting Irish. "It's a big win for us, no question," head coach Brandon Walsh said. "Those guys knocked us out of the playoffs last year, and so this one's kind of been circled on our calendar all offseason, and I don't know that the score reflects how good that team is. They're a good team, and if we run into them again down the road, we better not overlook them."
Huskies fall short at home to the Vikings
OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies (1-2) lost a hard-fought battle to the Selah Vikings 33-18 Thursday. Though the effort was there, the Huskies might've beat themselves, head coach Jerome Learman said. "We did not play smart," he said. "Beat ourselves repeatedly with penalties, blowing assignments, stuff like that. Obviously, Selah is a good team (and) well coached. Our players played hard, but I also know we're a lot better team than we show, capable of a lot more."
Basin soccer roundup, Sept. 10 – 17
MOSES LAKE — Basin girls soccer continues to shine on the pitch this season, with some teams like the Quincy Jacks (5-0) and Royal Knights (5-0) undefeated to this point. See below how your favorite teams have fared in the last week of play.
Moses Lake Pickleball Club serves up growth at McCosh Park
MOSES LAKE — As pickleball continues to grow in popularity across the country, a group of Moses Lake residents are working to increase the sport's presence locally. Most recently, Moses Lake Pickleball Club board members spearheaded a project that brought new nets to McCosh Park. "Our goal and our direction is, grow the club, get to where we have insurance, have club times, and then actually start hosting some tournaments here locally," Morris said.
Broncos survive ACH comeback bids in four-set win
COULEE CITY — The Lind-Ritzville Broncos (3-0) volleyball team was victorious over the Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors (1-3) in four sets, securing a 3-1 win on the road against a fellow state semifinalist squad. “They wore us down defensively, and they play at a different pace than we're used to playing sometimes, and we struggle with that,” Broncos head coach Cari Galbreath said. “We shouldn't, but it-I think it's also a new season, (we’re) trying to figure some things out and working together.” The Broncos looked strong, taking the first set by double digits. However, the Warriors settled into the game in the second and eventually earned the win narrowly. From there, the two teams continued to battle in a tightly contested game, forcing the Broncos to earn each point. LRS ultimately secured the win in two straight sets, but not before needing extra play time in the fourth set to win 28-26 and the game 3-1. Though a loss doesn’t feel great, Warriors head coach Katie Walsh was proud of the fight her team showed.
Mavs make their mark at Iolani Invitational
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks are back from their trip to Hawaii for the 2026 Iolani Cross Country Invitational, which concluded over the weekend. The Mavs shined in their respective competitions that featured some of the top programs from Hawaii and the mainland, head coach Larry Dagnon said. "We're super appreciative of the fact that the school district continually lets us chase these bigger races," he said. "These big races are what is helping create dreams for a lot of kids. (Jonathan Sandoval) shared with me that he couldn't believe he actually got to run (in Hawaii) because when I started talking to him as an eighth grader when I told him Hawaii was something that he could probably achieve and he was doubtful that he would ever make it there."
Basin volleyball roundup, Sept. 1-15
MOSES LAKE — Volleyball teams across the Basin are bringing their best right out of the gate this season. See below how your favorite team has fared so far in 2026.
South Dakota pulls away despite late push from Eagles offense
CHENEY — The Eastern Washington Eagles (1-2) came up short on the road against the University of South Dakota Coyotes 41-23 Saturday. Despite the loss, Head Coach Aaron Best thought his team played well, just struggled to capitalize on opportunities. "I think the overarching thought coming out of this is (that) we did not capitalize on the success we had," Best said in a statement by EWU Athletics. "We got them in third-down momentum again in the second quarter. A return went against us and then they earned the opportunity to score from deep. We clawed back into the game and then we capitalized on a surprise onside kick; but the next play we threw a tip-pick."
Grindy, Warriors power past Liberty Christian for 2-0 start
COULEE CITY — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors (2-0) are off to a hot start this season after earning their second straight victory with a win over the Liberty Christian Patriots 50-30 on Friday. "It's a good start, we're excited about how things have gotten going," Head Coach Brandon Walsh said. "Especially Friday night – that was a huge win for us against a really good team. The kids played really well, and we were happy to come out of that one with a big win."
Gridiron roundup – week two
MOSES LAKE — Week two of the Basin high school football season is now behind us. Some teams were able to build off strong starts in week one, while others look to bounce back in week three. See below how your favorite team fared on the gridiron Friday.
Mavericks sweep season opener
MOSES LAKE — The defending 4A state champion Moses Lake Mavericks (2-0) open the softball season undefeated after sweeping the Sageview Lobos 8-3 and 24-6 in a doubleheader at home. While it wasn't perfect, Head Coach Mike Hofheins was pleased to see his team improve throughout the day. "You want to be perfect right out of the gate, and we've only had seven practices, so for us not to be perfectly crisp, I guess looking back, I can probably accept that," Hofheins said. "In the heat of the moment, you just want to be perfect all the time. From game one to game two, we kind of like I don't know shifted up a gear or however you want to say it, but we really took a step forward for sure."
Basin sports schedule, Sept. 15-22
MOSES LAKE — Basin sports are well underway, as many teams are already deep into their regular season slate. While others may only be getting started. See below where your favorite team is heading this week.
Knights come alive after halftime to beat Bulldogs
ROYAL CITY — After trailing at the half, the Royal Knights (2-0) roared to a 28-17 win over the Cashmere Bulldogs Friday in a 1A state championship game rematch. Like last season, the Bulldogs gave Royal a fight to the finish. "I think our defense played the run game better," Head Coach Wiley Allred said. "Our starting middle linebacker Brayan Miron went out early, and we had to make some adjustments, move some kids around because Brayan's dynamic on defense. Offensively, I settled down as far as not calling so many different sets, and we just ran fewer things really, and started to run the ball a little more."
Knights set for state title rematch
ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights (1-0) are slated for a big game against the Cashmere Bulldogs (1-0) on Friday, as it will be a rematch of the 2025 1A state championship. While the Knights were victorious in a 21-20 classic, it was the Bulldogs who gave Royal their toughest fights throughout the 2025 football season. Last season, the Knights played the Bulldogs twice, coming out victorious both times in tightly contested games. This season they're hosting them in week two, which provides a chance to see what this team is made of, Head Coach Wiley Allred said in a previous interview with the Columbia Basin Herald.
Basin soccer roundup, Sept. 1-10
MOSES LAKE — Basin girls soccer is well underway and some of the matchups did not disappoint. Some teams are off to a hot start while some others are looking to turn it around quickly. See below how your favorite team has fared so far in 2026.
Knights girls soccer blanks Wahluke 4-0 to remain undefeated
ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights girls soccer team (3-0) are off to a strong start to the 2026 season after defeating the Wahluke Warriors (1-2) 4-0 at home Tuesday. The Knights Head Coach Jens Jensen feels pretty good with how his team is playing in the early phases of the regular season. “We’re starting to settle into something that’s going to work,” he said. “The whole idea is to try to create pressure and hopefully we can beat a team before they set up. What’s going to happen to us is that teams are going to start bunkering in, and we’re trying really hard to see if we can beat them before they set up.” The Knights went on the attack right away against the Warriors, finding their first goal at the hands of Justine Fitzhugh within the first 10 minutes of the game. From there, they built their lead with two more goals by Marilyn Deras and Briseydi Pacheco before halftime creating a commanding 3-0 lead by the break.
Gridiron roundup – week one
MOSES LAKE — Fall sports is in full swing, which means the return of high school football all across the Basin. See below how your favorite programs fared in week one.
Mavericks cross country heading to Hawaii
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks cross country team is headed to Hawaii for the 2026 Iolani cross country Invitational. Heading into the race, Head Coach Larry Dagnon feels good about where his team is at. "I think we've got it," Dagnon said. "We are going to be very tough. We have a good chance in Hawaii to do really well; we think we could win it, but I'm not positive. By the time you get to that afternoon race, the heat, the humidity-it's something that we don't get here."
Bell’s five touchdown day lifts Eagles past Northern Iowa
CHENEY — After a 34-27 loss to Northern Arizona, the Eastern Washington Eagles (1-1) bounced back with a statement 34-24 win over the University of Northern Iowa Panthers Saturday. It was a tale of two halves, but the Eagles rallied on defense to shut UNI out in the second half. “I just finally said we need more organic energy in our defense,” Head Coach Aaron Best said. “They were catching slants, and all of a sudden, they were turning a five-yard route into a 25-yard run after catch – that first half was not a fun half from a defensive standpoint. But that defense went 0-0 in the third and fourth quarter, it goes to show you we can play at a high level if we want to execute and follow our focus to the level it needs to be.”
Mavericks dominate second half, defeat Richland 34-14 in season opener
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks earned a statement win on Friday, defeating the Richland Bombers 34-14 in the first game of the football season. The Mavericks started strong, claiming a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Bombers responded in the second quarter with 14 unanswered points of their own to tie the game before halftime. From there, Moses Lake turned on the afterburners in the second half, outscoring Richland 20-0 as they stormed to a win at Lions Field. “We shot ourselves in the foot a couple times with some penalties, and we know our offense is better than that,” Haneberg said. “Setback-comeback is what we talk about. It helps getting that missed field goal at the very end (of the first half). Gives us an opportunity to get some momentum, and then we just rode with it from there.”
Mavs overcome adversity to sweep Hanford in three sets
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks volleyball team (1-0) kicked off the 2026 season with a 3-0 win over the Hanford Falcons on Thursday. “They came out mentally strong, fundamentally strong and excited to play,” Head Coach Krystal Trammell said. The Mavs won all three sets, but each round was a unique battle of its own. In the first set, they held the lead the entire time, but Hanford kept it close, at times cutting their deficit to within one point before Moses Lake ultimately pulled away 25-18.
Broncos reload after memorable state semifinal run
LIND — If you ask Lind/Ritzville (14-2) Head Coach Cari Galbreath, last season was special for the Broncos. “It was just a good mix of players filling their roles all very well, and they were all competitive and intense. It was a memorable season for sure,” Galbreath said.
Diaz returns to alma mater, takes over Jacks girls soccer
QUINCY — The Quincy Jacks (11-4-1) begin a new era under new Head Coach Javier Diaz ahead of the 2026 season. Since his arrival, Diaz has felt a lot of positive energy throughout the program, he said. “I'm excited about the prospect of what's going to happen this season,” Diaz said. “I think we're trying to establish a new culture with the girls and hopefully it sticks around for a long time.”
Knights eye state bid ahead of 2026 season
ROYAL CITY — After a strong 2025 that fell just short of a state tournament bid, the Royal Knights (13-3) come into this season eager to take that next step. “I think we need to score,” Head Coach Jens Jensen said. “We need to score from more set pieces than we did last year. That's going to be huge. So free kicks, corners – we got to find more goals.”
Experienced Wahluke eyes return to state tournament
MATTAWA — After a season which exceeded expectations, the Wahluke Warriors (10-6) bring an experienced roster ready to return to the 1A state tournament. Only having to replace the center back spot, Head Coach Cele Lopez has a lot of confidence in this year’s team – and he’s not the only one. “Everybody feels more confident,” Lopez said. “Especially as a group, as a coach, I feel more confident. We have a lot of freshmen again. We rebuilt on every position last year, so we're going to be ready for whatever comes this year, it's going to be a challenge, but we're going to be ready.”
Now the team to beat; Mavericks set sights on repeat
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (15-1) enter the 2026 season with a new perspective after winning the programs first ever 4A slowpitch state championship in 2025. Instead of chasing a championship, the Mavs are looking to defend it. “The girls are excited,” Head Coach Mike Hofheins said. “Defending a state title is not something that a lot of people get the opportunity to do. It's a really cool opportunity, challenge and responsibility for us to see if we can get there again and make some noise.” Hofheins knew last year’s squad was special just by the way they carried themselves.