GALLERY: Basin gridiron action coming soon
CALEB PEREZ | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year AGO
Mavs quarterback Brady Jay, left, listens to his coach Brett Jay, right, as they begin their first practice of the 2025 season. Brady is the Mavericks starting quarterback and will be attending Montana State starting in the fall of 2026.
MIKE MAYNARD/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
The Broncos football team goes through warmups on the first day of fall practice. The team took to the field with energy and excitement for a new season to begin.
Mavs wide receiver, right, runs a route against his teammate during the Mavericks first practice of the 2025 season. The Mavs held two practices on August 20 with dinner in between.
Broncos Head Coach Brenden Bermea leads his team through their first drills of the fall 2025 season. Players went through the basic fundamentals of tackling.
Tigers players work on a defensive line drill during the second day of practice in preparation for the upcoming season.
Ephrata Head Coach Patrick Mitchel works with a group of players for running drills during their second day of practice.
MOSES LAKE – On Wednesday, local football teams returned to the gridiron for practice. As they prepare for the upcoming season, players hit the field to shake any rust off and dust off the pads.
Our annual Gridiron Guide publication is right around the corner. Pick up a copy of the Columbia Basin Herald on Friday, August 29 for a look at the upcoming high school football season.
The Broncos football team goes through warmups on the first day of fall practice. The team took to the field with energy and excitement for a new season to begin.
Mavs wide receiver, right, runs a route against his teammate during the Mavericks first practice of the 2025 season. The Mavs held two practices on August 20 with dinner in between.
Broncos Head Coach Brenden Bermea leads his team through their first drills of the fall 2025 season. Players went through the basic fundamentals of tackling.
Tigers players work on a defensive line drill during the second day of practice in preparation for the upcoming season.
Ephrata Head Coach Patrick Mitchel works with a group of players for running drills during their second day of practice.ARTICLES BY CALEB PEREZ
Tigers Cross Country ready for their biggest season yet
EPHRATA — The Ephrata Tigers Cross Country team is already hard at work to be in top shape for the 2026 season. With a strong group of returning runners alongside a solid group of new faces, the Tigers are eager to hit the ground running this year. “I’m feeling energized,” said Tigers Head Coach Lyndsy Roberts. “We’ve got a good group, one of the largest groups we’ve had in a long time.” The Tigers roster has over 50 athletes that have been participating in early season practices between the boys and girls, who Roberts said have all been mixing together well.
Lions set with smaller but strong squad
MOSES LAKE — Despite seeing a smaller roster this year, the Moses Lake Christian Academy Lions volleyball team is looking to build off their success from last season. With strong returners, the Lions are on track to stay competitive. “We lost some people, but we’ll be able to fill in, so that’ll be nice. Not quite at the numbers that we normally have, but we’ll make it work,” said Lions Head Coach Dean Spurbeck. The Lions concluded their 2025 season with a 10-8 record after battling through a tough Central Washington B League. MLCA entered into the postseason district tournament where they entered as the fourth seed and fell to the fifth seeded Pateros in the second round.
Huskies bring in senior experience for the coming season
OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies girls soccer team is preparing for another tough season in the Central Washington Athletic Conference. This year the Huskies are returning with an advantage as they bring back their full roster from last season. “We’re looking good; we’re trending in the right direction,” said Huskies Head Coach Victor Quiroz. “We’re bringing everybody back that we had last year on our varsity team, so we’re super excited. That makes it a lot easier going into the season.” Last season, the Huskies completed the regular season 6-9-1, which earned them a spot for the district tournament. Othello was eliminated in the first round of districts after a tight game against Prosser that ended in a shootout with a final score of 2-1.