Huskies fall in Thursday match against Selah
MIKE MAYNARD | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 months AGO
Huskies look to re-evaluate how they prepare for each team after 5-0 loss to Selah.
CALEB PEREZ/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies boys soccer team was defeated Thursday by the Selah Vikings in a dominant 5-0 loss. The loss came after a big 2-0 win over East Valley (Yakima) on Tuesday, which had the Huskies coming in on a high note.
“We beat (East Valley) 2-0,” Othello coach Bernie Garza said. "We dominated. We didn’t out-possess them, but we just dominated when it counted. I mean, to take them down at their place – we hadn't done that in, like, three or four years.”
The East Valley Red Devils are perennial state contenders and finished fourth in Class 2A in 2024.
The Vikings would swiftly end any lingering good feelings, jumping out to a 4-0 lead before halftime. Execution errors by the Huskies and prep created a recipe for a lopsided half, Garza said.
“As I told my team, ‘You can't come into this game on a high because you just beat East Valley. You’ve got to come in like every team is a potential team that can beat you,” Garza said.
At halftime, Garza’s message to the team was clear and direct.
“Win or die trying,” he said.
According to Garza, the attitude shifted, and the approach was back to normal. Possession of the ball was back in Othello’s favor, but even when the momentum started to swing their way and they had shots to take, Garza said, they could not capitalize.
Garza adjusted the lineup to allow the players to push upfield more and be aggressive in scoring. However, that left the defensive side of the field shorthanded, and the Vikings were able to capitalize on a breakaway ball and score a fifth goal with less than 10 minutes to go.
The Vikings took home the victory and improved to six wins. Despite the tough loss, Garza was still proud of his team’s effort in the second half.
“I like the way they came back and showed some pride, even though we didn't have a goal to show for it, but it was a big highlight of the game because we could have easily lost 8-0,” he said.
He hopes to redshift the focus in practice before Othello’s next matchup against the Ephrata Tigers, the third conference game of the season. The new message given to the team going forward challenged the players to re-evaluate how they prepare for their games, he said.
“Practice like you've never won and play like you are undefeated,” Garza said.
ARTICLES BY MIKE MAYNARD
Wahluke falls to Tri-Cities in home opener
MATTAWA — The Wahluke Warriors (0-1) were defeated 46-24 in their home opener by the Tri-Cities Prep Jaguars. Despite the loss, Head Coach Makai Hirai said he was proud of the effort his players gave on the court. “That was the biggest thing that I took away is we had a lot of effort. We have a lot of girls who are hungry, and the coaches were excited about (that). Our girls look pretty motivated ... they’re working hard,” Hirai said. The Jaguars started fast and held the lead the entire game. Tri-Cities Prep put up double-digit scores in each quarter except for the third. The Warriors finished strong with 10 points in the fourth quarter, but the Jaguars came out victorious.
From overtime thriller to championship stage
The Knights meet Cashmere once again
ROYAL CITY — On Friday, the No. 1 seed Royal Knights (12-0) will travel to Husky Stadium to play the No. 2 seed Cashmere Bulldogs (11-1) in the 1A state championship game. The Knights Head Coach Wiley Allred was not surprised to see the Bulldogs reach the state championship game. “I was hoping there wasn't a team better than them, because that's a pretty tough team right there. We'll meet our match,” Allred said. When these two met in October, it was the Knights pulling off a late comeback to win 21-15 in overtime. Coming into that game, both teams were undefeated. The Knights had only allowed seven points all season, while the Bulldogs had not allowed a score by any team.
Warriors fall short in home opener
MATTAWA — The Wahluke Warriors (0-1) were defeated 67-43 by the Tri-Cities Prep Jaguars Tuesday in their return to the hardwood. Wahluke Head Coach Anfernee Cortez said some of the loss may be attributed to first-game jitters. “We started too flat and just kind of dug ourselves into a hole early. Against a team like Tri-Cities Prep, it’s tough to catch up at that point,” Cortez said. A slow start by the Warriors allowed Tri-Cities Prep to take hold of the momentum early and build a commanding lead. In the first half, the Warriors struggled to knock down shots and attack the rim. The Jaguars carried their momentum into the second half to run away with the game. Wahluke had a stronger second-half showing, but Cortez said it was not enough to get back in the game.