MIKE MAYNARD

Mavs shutout Sunnyside in district tournament

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (15-3) defeated the Sunnyside Grizzlies 16-0 in five innings of the play-in round of the 4A District 5 tournament Tuesday. For Head Coach Mike Hofheins and the Mavs, they couldn’t ask for a better start to the postseason. “It's great, you got to win to play again at this point, and we got the job done. We get to play again on Thursday, and that’s what we were after,” Hofheins said.

‘I’m a hope dealer’

Ryan Leaf speaks of addiction, failure and recovery

MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Community Court hosted an event Thursday headlined by guest speaker and former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf. When introducing Leaf, Judge Brian Gwinn spoke about the purpose of community court. “The reason we call it community court is because we don't discriminate who comes in. We'll take veterans, people who are suffering from substance use disorders, people who are suffering from mental health, and that's what we do, is help people out,” he said.

‘Young gun’ Jacob Guertin victorious in MMA bout

MOSES LAKE — Jacob ‘Young Gun’ Guertin from Freewind Martial Arts was victorious via submission in the second round Saturday over Brody Case at the Conquest of the Cage MMA event in Spokane. With this win, his record improved to 4-3. Guertin was happy with the result, he said. “Pretty good, pretty clean, not hurt too much. Face is a little bruised, but that's about it,” he said.

Coach Garza reflects on Jacks season

QUINCY — The Quincy Jacks (7-16) were defeated 10-0 Saturday by the Ellensburg Bulldogs in the quarterfinals of the District 5 2A tournament. The loss brings an end to their 2026 campaign. “Saturday's game was a tough one,” Head Coach David Garza said. “It hurts a little bit because if we were back and forth, ‘Hey, this is a very low scoring game because it's really good defense, really good pitching, etc,’ then it's a little bit easier to accept.”

Huskies suffer loss in district tournament

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies (19-4) suffered a 5-1 loss at home to the Ellensburg Bulldogs in the semifinals of the District 5 2A tournament Saturday. “We got to be more aggressive at the plate and put the ball in play,” Head Coach Sonny Garza said. “That's ultimately what it comes down to... put the ball in play and make plays.”

‘A roller coaster of a season’

Jacks season ends after district tourney loss

QUINCY — The Quincy Jacks (6-8) fell to the Grandview Greyhounds 2-1 Tuesday in the 2A District 5 tournament, bringing an end to their season. “In my perspective, I feel like we dominated the game. We went up one zero pretty early, like almost within the first five minutes of the game,” Head Coach Hector Vaca said. “Credit to Grandview, a very respectable opponent. They are really good and it came down to basically one of my players getting a double yellow and having to play a man down for the last 20 minutes of the game, that's the thing that hurt us, and they were able to get two goals in.”

Basin soccer roundup, April 30 – May 7

MOSES LAKE — District tournament play is well underway for Basin boys soccer. See below how your favorite teams have fared so far.

Knights advance to districts quarterfinals

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights (12-2-1) earned a swift win over the Oroville Hornets 6-0 Tuesday to advance to the quarterfinals of the 1A district tournament. Though the win is great, Head Coach Jens Jensen felt the team could have been sharper. “Obviously we win, and that's great,” Jensen said. “Honestly, we didn't look like ourselves for large stretches. You have to maintain your level (of play). When you have a team that's just going to pack 10 guys in front of the ball, right down the center, and swarm the ball, then you have to move the ball quickly, and we've got to use the width (of the field) and try to spread them out... and it took us a little while to get that sorted out.”

Jill Allred signs to Vikings softball

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights’ Jill Allred has signed her letter of intent Tuesday to play softball at Big Bend Community College this fall. “I'm so proud of myself for getting to this point, and I'm so thankful for all the coaches and teammates that have been by my side throughout my whole career. I'm super thankful,” Allred said.

Basin diamond roundup, April 28 – May 5

MOSES LAKE — The regular season for baseball and softball has now concluded, with many teams gearing up for district tournament play. See below how your favorite teams fared last week and their final record.

Trevino: Tigers ‘Can compete with anyone’ despite Ellensburg sweep

EPHRATA — The Ephrata Tigers (10-11) concluded their regular season on the road Saturday after dropping back-to-back games to the Ellensburg Bulldogs. Despite the loss, Tigers Head Coach Lesa Trevino said her team's adjustments from game one to game two showed how competitive they really are. “The second game showed that we can compete with anyone when we decide to play our game. It just comes down to eliminating mistakes and continuing to attack,” Trevino said. “I feel like when we are a little bit more reserved, that's when games kind of get out of control. But when, when we're locked in, and the girls are doing their thing, they can compete with anyone.”

Mavericks host Big 9 meet

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks hosted the second Columbia Basin Big 9 league meet Thursday which saw them compete against Davis, Sunnyside and Wenatchee. Head Coach Mark Ward was pleased with his team’s effort.

Mavs split with West Valley, tied for first in Big 9

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (13-2) split their doubleheader against West Valley Friday 0-4 and 10-4 on senior night, setting up a tight race for first place in the Big 9 conference. “Obviously a sweep would have been great, but Ainsley (Johnson, West Valley) is a great pitcher, and she was definitely on her game,” Head Coach Mike Hofheins said.

Basin soccer roundup, April 23-30

MOSES LAKE — As the regular season nears it’s close for boys soccer, several teams are making their final pushes for postseason positioning. See below how your favorite teams fared in the last week and their current record.

Three Mavericks sign their letter of intent

MOSES LAKE — On Wednesday, Brady Jay, Carter Anderson and Jeremiah Baker each signed letters of intent to play football at the college level next season. For Brett Jay, the 2025 Moses Lake Mavericks head football coach, seeing his players reach this achievement meant a lot, he said. “I just get flashbacks of all the workouts and practices over the past four to five years, those three committed to the process year-round. It's just neat to see them go to the next level and represent us across the state,” he said.

Tigers topple Jacks on senior night

EPHRATA — On senior night where three seniors were recognized, the Ephrata Tigers (4-15) defeated the Quincy Jacks (7-14) 10-0 Tuesday evening. In addition to the win and seniors, the Tigers also took an opportunity to recognize former player Jett Johnson, who passed away two years ago in a car accident. Tigers Head Coach David Tempel was thrilled for his team following the win.

Basin diamond roundup, April 21-27

MOSES LAKE — As we approach the final week of regular season baseball and softball, many teams have been working diligently to make their pushes for the postseason. See below how your favorite team has fared and their current record.

Records broken by Washington schools at Cougar Classic

PULLMAN — The Washington State Cougars hosted the Cougar Classic Friday that saw fellow Washington colleges like the Eastern Washington Eagles and Central Washington Wildcats compete. “It's an honor to compete at WSU. Our athletes have a deep respect for the program's rich history, and it brings meaning to every event for us,” Wildcats Head Coach Jonathan Hill said in a statement by CWU Athletics.

Mavericks shut out Cheney on the road

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (11-1) defeated the Cheney Blackhawks 8-0 Monday to earn their 10th consecutive win. “Cheney is a good team,” Head Coach Mike Hofheins said. “For us to get some good competition this week before we have West Valley (Friday) was super beneficial for us. They had two outstanding pitchers and a really outstanding catcher, so a good challenge for us to go up there and face off against them.”

Reload, not rebuild

Haneberg eager to lead Mavericks football

MOSES LAKE — On Friday, Moses Lake Athletics Director Loren Sandhop announced Kyler Haneberg as the new head football coach for the Mavericks program, pending school board approval, according to a press release. Haneberg is fired up to represent the Moses Lake community, he said. “I'm so excited, it hit me today like a whirlwind. I just love this community so much, and I'm glad that I get to help lead it and help be a great example for these kids coming up. I hear all the time about how people hate on Moses Lake, and I'm about to make that change,” Haneberg said.

Basin tennis roundup, April 20-27

MOSES LAKE — Basin tennis has been busy in the last week as the regular season is getting closer to its finale with each passing day. See below how your favorite team has fared and their current record.

Wildcats sweep competition in final home series

ELLENSBURG — The Central Washington Wildcats (12-29) earned key wins over Montana State University-Billings Saturday, 13-3 and 10-9 in a doubleheader matchup, according to a statement by CWU Athletics. “It came down to doing the little things right all weekend, and this team showed up for it. Mia Flores (was) absolutely clutch. A senior weekend to remember, they fought for every inch, every out, every moment ... never backing down when it got tough,” CWU Head Coach Ronnie Ladines said.

Knights tested in tough Saturday slate

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights (11-6) fell short to the Lynden Christian Lyncs 1-4 and Cedar Park Christian Eagles 3-6 Saturday. Despite the losses, Head Coach Lisa Lawrence said these games were meant to challenge her players. “We really try hard to build tough games into our schedule. This (past) weekend was an example of that. Lynden Christian and Cedar Park Christian are both really solid teams in the 1A, so we knew we'd go into some tough games with some good pitching, which we really need to see to help prepare us for the postseason,” she said.

Kyler Haneberg named Mavericks head football coach

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake Athletics announced Friday that Kyler Haneberg will be the new head coach of the Mavericks football program this fall – pending school board approval, according to a press release. This announcement comes just a few months after the winningest season (11-1) in program history under former Head Coach Brett Jay.

Huskies defeat Cougars on senior night

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies (8-5) defended their home field with a 2-0 win over the Warden Cougars (6-7) Thursday. Assistant Coach Kevin Hensley was happy with the Huskies performance. “I thought we passed the ball well, it's good to see our defense organized and get the shutout. It's good to get everybody playing time, that was really important for us today, was get everybody some playing time (and we) got to start all of our seniors,” Hensley said.

Mavs earn two wins over Davis at home

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (9-5) defeated the Davis Pirates 7-0 and 4-0 in a doubleheader matchup Friday. Head Coach Donnie Lindgren liked what he saw from his team in route to their two wins. “We played pretty good today. Defensively, our pitchers were outstanding. We had a couple clutch hits here and there; we took advantage of a couple of their mistakes, but we're going to have to hit the ball better if we want to take anything the next couple of weeks as we play two really good teams,” Lindgren said.

Huskies name Learman as new head football coach

OTHELLO — The Othello School District Athletics announced Wednesday the hiring of Jerome Learman as the high schools new head football coach. According to a statement by OSD Athletics, coach Learman brings a rare combination of elite academic preparation, extensive coaching experience, and high-level sports science expertise to Othello Athletics. According to Learman, he does not take this new role lightly.

ACH dominates in home doubleheader

COULEE CITY — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors (7-5) swept the Wilbur-Creston-Keller Wildcats Tuesday 20-1 and 16-1 in a doubleheader. It was a good win for the Warriors, who were coming off tough losses over the weekend against Kittitas and Asotin, Head Coach Hunter Lee said. “We had kind of a tough weekend. We lost on a walk off on Friday night and a game that we could have, (or) should have won, if some plays would have (gone) our way. Then (we) had a really tough one on Saturday; we kind of got blown out. To come back to league games and take care of business was really good. It was a good bounce back for us,” he said.

Knights dominate on the pitch

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights (9-2-1) earned a dominant home victory over the Zillah Leopards. Their 8-0 win extends their current win streak to seven straight. “We played some different guys, and we're still able to get some goals early, which let us play everyone and move some guys around...things went good,” Head Coach Jens Jensen said. So good in fact, the Knights went on the attack right away and were able to build a commanding lead early in the first half. By the 20-minute mark of the first half, the Knights took a 3-0 lead and added one more before halftime. In the second half, they continued to be aggressive in their attack, taking several shots on goal. By the 72-minute mark, Royal scored their eighth goal to seal the win over Zillah at home.

Mavericks girls golf finishes fourth at home match

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks girls golf squad hosted a league match at the Moses Lake Golf Club, with six golfers finishing in the top 25 and the team took fourth overall with a 425 score. According to Head Coach Collin Christensen it was a solid day all around. “There's lots of ups and downs and things like that. They're playing pretty okay lately. There were a few shots left out there, but that's okay, and we're still learning and growing,” Christensen said. The top scorer for the Mavs was Lilliana Roylance, who finished 10th with a 99. Having a personal best day was Ava Swett, Christensen said. She shot a 104, which earned her a 13th place finish. Tying for 21st place were McKenna Good, Amberly Vasquez and Tristan Raymond, who all shot a 111. Taking 25th was Ally Hindman who shot a 116 and Rebecca Rettkowski shot a 122 which put her in the top 30 at 28.

Wildcats set for final home series

ELLENSBURG — The Central Washington Wildcats (9-29) return to the diamond Friday for their final home weekend series of the regular season against Montana State-Billings. Their last time out, they went 1-3 in a four-game series against the Saint Martin's Saints on April 12. Despite the shortcomings, Head Coach Ronnie Ladines was complimentary of player Zoey Theophilus, according to a statement by CWU Athletics. “Zoey had an outstanding weekend and was a huge reason we stayed competitive in every game, giving our offense the chance to do its job. This team continues to improve each weekend, and it's exciting to see the progress,” Ladines said.

Mavericks girls golf hits the green

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks girls golf hit the green Tuesday for a league match against Eastmont, Davis, Eisenhower, Sunnyside, Wenatchee and West Valley. Full results and a recap will be in Thursday’s edition of the Columbia Basin Herald.

Basin diamond roundup, April 14-21

MOSES LAKE — The spring season for Basin baseball and softball only has a few weeks left. In the last week they all took one step closer to the postseason, see below how your favorite team fared and their current record.

Sixers 9U earn first place in Yakima tourney

MOSES LAKE — The Central Washington Sixers 9u – Lange (7-0-1) is off to a strong start to their season after going undefeated in their second tournament of the season. “The kids are doing good. It's back-to-back tournaments that we've placed very well and finished first in both tournaments. A lot of the kids, it's (their) first time experiencing a baseball tournament... a lot of unknowns of what to expect and everything else. I think they played well,” Head Coach Jameson Lange said.

Basin tennis roundup, April 13-18

MOSES LAKE — Another week of Basin tennis has concluded, with several teams making their push for the postseason. See below how your favorite teams fared and their current record.

Tigers split doubleheader at home

EPHRATA — The Ephrata Tigers (6-9) split a doubleheader against the Prosser Mustangs, winning game one 8-3 and suffering a hard-fought loss 18-9. Head Coach Lesa Trevino said she was happy with how hard her team battled Saturday. “Our first game, our defense was solid. It was really cool to see them implement everything that we had worked on this last week,” she said.

Huskies take twin bill from Tigers on the road

EPHRATA — The Othello Huskies (12-3) swept the Ephrata Tigers (3-14) in a doubleheader Saturday. Game one was a competitive 4-1 win while game two saw an offensive frenzy ensue for a final score of 17-1. “We got another solid two outings from our two pitchers; (they) did really good on the mound, mixing it up and throwing a lot of strikes. Our defense played really well, made some plays, a couple of big-time plays from our infielders, and (we) kind of needed it late in game one, which was really helpful. And then our hitters just kind of stayed consistent,” Othello Head Coach Sonny Garza said.

‘Bend, don’t break’

Huskies top Jacks in overtime thriller

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies (7-4) defeated the Quincy Jacks (5-6) 3-2 in overtime penalty kicks Thursday. Huskies Head Coach Bernie Garza was happy to see his team find a way to win. “They showed a lot of heart,” Garza said. “(Quincy) scored some good goals, but I'm proud of my guys with the way they came back.”

Mavericks sweep Wenatchee at home

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (8-1) were victorious in both doubleheader games against the Wenatchee Panthers Friday. “Any time you can sweep a league opponent, it's a good day,” Head Coach Mike Hofheins said. “They're scrappy, I’ve got to tip my cap to them a little bit. Even though we won by six and then won by seven, I never felt super comfortable, because I always felt like they had a couple hits in them.”

College baseball recap

MOSES LAKE — With the college baseball season halfway through, several teams across Washington are in the thick of highly competitive league matchups, pushing for higher positioning in their conferences and the postseason. See how your favorite programs have fared recently.

Basin soccer roundup, April 9-14

MOSES LAKE — As schools come out of spring break, Basin soccer continues where it left off. Though a smaller batch of teams were active in the last week, the competition did not decrease on the pitch. See below how your favorite teams fared and their current record.

Mavs suffer home loss after late rally by Wenatchee

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks (6-3) suffered a 3-2 loss to the Wenatchee Panthers Tuesday. Despite a competitive game, the Mavericks made too many errors, Head Coach Donnie Lindgren said. “I thought our pitchers threw well enough to win,” Lindgren said. “And we talked about it last week and yesterday, about how we can only give them three outs an inning, instead of giving them four or five outs an inning. That's what cost us.” The Mavericks started strong, taking a 2-0 lead after the first two innings. Defense was the name of this game, as Moses Lake held Wenatchee scoreless through the first four innings. However, the Panthers got home twice in the top of the fifth and once in the sixth to claim the lead. Despite their best efforts, the Mavericks could not get home the rest of the game and Wenatchee sealed the win.

Basin diamond roundup, April 7-13

MOSES LAKE — Over the last week, we have crossed the halfway mark of the spring sports season for Basin baseball and softball. While many schools were enjoying a relaxing spring break, many others still stepped out on the diamond as they work toward the postseason. See below how your favorite teams fared and their current record.

Cougs’ extend win streak after win over Portland

PULLMAN — The Washington State Cougars (19-17) extended its win streak to five after defeating the University of Portland Pilots 9-3 Monday, according to a statement by WSU Athletics. Pitcher Brock Blatter was happy with his performance after coming back from a recent injury. “It felt good (to) give us a good start and stuff and get us in good position and get a win on a Monday,” Blatter said. “(I just) keep getting innings and building up my pitch count and stuff like that and continue to build each outing. (I) got four innings today and continued to build the pitch count.”

More than basketball

Grant County Red Tails emphasize mentorship while earning dramatic home victory

MATTAWA — The Grant County Red Tails (6-5) are the Basin’s newest professional basketball team. Part of The Basketball League, the Red Tails aren’t only focused on hoops, they’re also driven by community service. “We came together because we saw the need, number one, that we could revitalize the mentorship and the leadership things that are missing in this community, with touch points, with kids and families and family engagement, being in such a rural area, and we wanted to really take advantage of that and be the answer,” Co-Founder Antonio Williams said. Alongside Doug Foodies and Ryan Purdie, the trio has brought another option for entertainment to Mattawa and Grant County as a whole. Williams pointed to a new jail being built in the area as motivation for pursuing this endeavor, he said.

Moses Lake golf hosts league match

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks hosted a Big 9 league match Monday at Moses Lake Golf and Country Club. Stay tuned for Wednesday’s Columbia Basin Herald for full results and recaps.

ACH sweeps Knights in weekend doubleheader

ROYAL CITY — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors (5-3) swept the Royal Knights (6-6) 9-3 and 10-7 in a doubleheader Saturday. Warriors Head Coach Hunter Lee was proud of his team for earning the road win. “It was great to come down here and take two from a good 1A school,” Lee said. “We got some great hits when we needed it. We competed on the mound really well, and Caden (Correia) and Max (Grindy) threw great. We ran the bases really well (and) took advantage of some walks by them. It was a great result for us coming to win two against the bigger school. It’s going to look really good for our non-conference (record) the end of the year.” The Knights took the lead in the bottom of the first inning to start game one. From there, the Warriors held them scoreless while they climbed back into the game. In the sixth inning, ACH erupted with five runs to take a commanding lead and held on through the seventh to seal their first win of the day.

Bierlink commits to Whitworth basketball

QUINCY — The Quincy Jacks’ Pierce Bierlink has declared his intent to pursue basketball at the collegiate level by committing to the Whitworth Pirates. According to him, he’s been working toward this goal for a long time. “It's a lot of blood, sweat and tears. I've been playing basketball since before I can remember,” Pierce said. Coming into the 2025-26 school year, there was some uncertainty surrounding what might be next for him after he graduates.

Basin teams tee off at Colockum Ridge

QUINCY — The Quincy Jacks hosted the Ephrata Tigers, Othello Huskies and five other 2A schools at Colockum Ridge Golf Course Wednesday. The three placed in the middle of the pack, as the Tigers finished in fifth place, the Huskies sixth and the Jacks seventh.

Moses Lake BMX ready for another successful season

MOSES LAKE — As the spring weather rolls in, outdoor sports like BMX are kicking off their new seasons. For the Moses Lake BMX track, they are eager to build off the momentum of a successful 2025, President Jeff Niehenke said. “We are picking up where we left off last year. A lot of momentum (coming) into the spring,” Niehenke said. From track renovations to new riders leagues, the Moses Lake BMX track has a lot planned this year.