December Basketball Gallery, 2025
CALEB PEREZ | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 months, 1 week AGO
Saige Galbreath from the Broncos prepares to shoot a freethrow during a previous matchup this season. The Lind-Ritzville Broncos sit at 5-1 on the season going into break with their next game coming up Saturday against Almira/Coulee-Hartline.
MIKE MAYNARD/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Moses Lake’s Ella Wiltbank takes the ball down the court during a home game this season. The Mavericks have a 3-5 record so far as they head into their next matchup on Monday against Walla Walla.
The Eagles’ Lenny Campos takes the ball across the court and looks for an opening to pass or make a move on the net. Soap Lake was 1-6 on the season before heading into winter break and will be on the road to face Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School when they return.
Sophie Molitor from the Tigers runs the ball down the court after gaining possession during an earlier game this season. Ephrata is 0-7 on the season and their next game will be at home against Omak Saturday.
EHS player Caiden Weber finds an opening to take a shot at the basket during a home game this season. The Tigers have a 1-6 record with their next matchup being at home against Omak Saturday.
Treyson Kast from MLCA/CCS goes in for the layup during a game earlier this season. The Lions are undefeated at 7-0 going into winter break and will return in January to play DeSales.
Othello’s Cumorah Giles pushes through the Connell defense to get to the basket during a game earlier this season. The Huskies are 1-6 and will return to the court in January to face their CWAC rival, the Ephrata Tigers.
Kyre Wiltbank from the Mavericks takes the ball toward the net during a previous home matchup. Moses Lake is 6-2 on the season and will go on the road to face Hanford for their next matchup Saturday.
Kingston Valdez from Othello looks down the court for an opening during a previous home matchup. The Huskies have a record of 2-6 and will return to the court in January to play at home the Ephrata Tigers.
SanTahna Ferguson from the Lions guards against Lila Sackmann from the Devils during a rivalry game this season. Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School is 6-1 and Wilson Creek is 7-2 as they rest for winter break. The two teams return in January with the Lions against DeSales and the Devils against Oroville.
Yohary Magana from the Warriors looks to maneuver around Maggie Frank from the Warriors during their last matchup. Royal is 5-1 on the season with their next matchup on the road against Chaparral on Saturday and Wahluke is 0-7 with their next game against Granger Friday.
COLUMBIA BASIN – The local high school athletes have been working hard at the start of their basketball seasons. With the schedules slowing down for winter break, it’s a good time to look back on the past month of competition and check in on some of the local athletes.
Moses Lake’s Ella Wiltbank takes the ball down the court during a home game this season. The Mavericks have a 3-5 record so far as they head into their next matchup on Monday against Walla Walla.
The Eagles’ Lenny Campos takes the ball across the court and looks for an opening to pass or make a move on the net. Soap Lake was 1-6 on the season before heading into winter break and will be on the road to face Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School when they return.
Sophie Molitor from the Tigers runs the ball down the court after gaining possession during an earlier game this season. Ephrata is 0-7 on the season and their next game will be at home against Omak Saturday.
EHS player Caiden Weber finds an opening to take a shot at the basket during a home game this season. The Tigers have a 1-6 record with their next matchup being at home against Omak Saturday.
Treyson Kast from MLCA/CCS goes in for the layup during a game earlier this season. The Lions are undefeated at 7-0 going into winter break and will return in January to play DeSales.
Othello’s Cumorah Giles pushes through the Connell defense to get to the basket during a game earlier this season. The Huskies are 1-6 and will return to the court in January to face their CWAC rival, the Ephrata Tigers.
Kyre Wiltbank from the Mavericks takes the ball toward the net during a previous home matchup. Moses Lake is 6-2 on the season and will go on the road to face Hanford for their next matchup Saturday.
Kingston Valdez from Othello looks down the court for an opening during a previous home matchup. The Huskies have a record of 2-6 and will return to the court in January to play at home the Ephrata Tigers.
SanTahna Ferguson from the Lions guards against Lila Sackmann from the Devils during a rivalry game this season. Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School is 6-1 and Wilson Creek is 7-2 as they rest for winter break. The two teams return in January with the Lions against DeSales and the Devils against Oroville.
Yohary Magana from the Warriors looks to maneuver around Maggie Frank from the Warriors during their last matchup. Royal is 5-1 on the season with their next matchup on the road against Chaparral on Saturday and Wahluke is 0-7 with their next game against Granger Friday.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.