Prep roundup: Wahluke loses district opener at Zillah, 84-43
HERALD SPORTS STAFF | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 years, 6 months AGO
ZILLAH — Wahluke lost its first postseason game to South Central Athletic Conference West champion Zillah 84-43.
The Leopards built a 27-9 lead after the first quarter and never relented.
The Warriors now face elimination when they travel to play Naches Valley in the consolation bracket on Friday.
Zillah advanced to the district semifinals and will host Royal, who beat Naches Valley 45-41 in the first round, also on Friday.
East Valley 75, Othello 39
WAPATO — The Huskies struggled to get things going on the road in their postseason opener as Othello’s season came to an end against East Valley 75-39. Othello had secured the final spot in the Central Washington Athletic Conference district tournament after taking down Wapato, 49-47, in a tiebreaker.
Junior Jaden Flores finished with 12 points and three assists for the Huskies, nailing four of six from deep. Patrick Azevedo, Jorge Buenrostro and Julian Alegria each finished with six points.
Othello head coach Roman Pruneda said the Huskies had one of their worst halves of basketball all season.
“This year we learned a lot, we just couldn’t put a full game together,” he said. “But I think it’s really going to help our younger guys, our freshmen, our sophomores, our juniors, in the long run.”
The third-year Huskies coach said he saw a lot of growth and good things out of his younger players this season. Pruneda has taken the Huskies to the postseason in two of his first three seasons in Othello.
Almira/Coulee-Hartline 77, Inchelium 34
COULEE CITY — Almira/Coulee-Hartline came out focused in its District 7 1B opener and beat Inchelium 77-34.
The Warriors led 22-6 after the first quarter and 45-18 at halftime.
Chase Gerard scored 16 points to lead four Warriors in double figures.
Girls basketball
Moses Lake Christian 58, Cascade Christian 22
WENATCHEE — Moses Lake Christian used balanced scoring to beat Cascade Christian 58-22.
The Lions improved to 10-1 in the Central Washington B league, inching closer to the league championship and No. 1 district seed.
Kali Kast almost outscored the Wolverines by herself, pouring in a game-high 18 points. Deana Gulenko had 10 points, Makiya Kast scored nine and Jocelyn Lloyd added eight.
Grandview 48, Ephrata 36
GRANDVIEW — Ephrata lost on the road to Grandview 48-36 and was eliminated from the postseason.
ARTICLES BY HERALD SPORTS STAFF
Football set to start with Gridiron Guide
MOSES LAKE — Local football players have started to hit the turf as preseason practices have been running in the late summer. Check out how the players and coaches have been preparing for their seasons with the Gridiron Guide in Friday’s paper.
Wildcats Begin New Era with Championship Expectations
ELLENSBURG — As the Central Washington Wildcats enter fall camp, they also embark on the beginning of a new chapter, according to CWU Athletics. After winning the 2025 GNAC championship and reaching the NCAA West Regional semifinals, the Wildcats enter the 2026 season with a roster loaded with experience, talent and championship aspirations. Lauren Herseth takes over as head coach after serving as the program's associate head coach for the last five seasons, following the departure of Mario Andaya to become CWU's Deputy Director of Athletics. Herseth will be joined by assistant coach Hannah Stires, a former standout Wildcat player who returns to the Wildcats.
Miconi’s Late Strike Lifts Eagles Past Bucknell, 1-0
CHENEY — Eastern Washington earned its second straight win to open the season, defeating Bucknell 1-0 behind a late goal from Mia Miconi and another standout performance in goal from Payton Hyde, according to a statement by EWU Athletics. The Eagles recorded 11 shots in the match, while Bucknell finished with 21. Despite consistent pressure from the Bison, Eastern's defense held strong to secure its second consecutive shutout.