Congrats to Huskies baseball
MIKE MAYNARD | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 months AGO
The Huskies gathering for a team photo before heading off to the 2A State tournament for their semi-final game. The Huskies put together a successful season with a winning record and an appearance in the final four of the state tournament.
FILE PHOTO
OTHELLO – Congratulations are in order for the Huskies baseball team after what they have accomplished this season. They saw major improvement this year, improving from 18-6-1 to 21-6 and a final four appearance.
After losing their home opener, the Huskies fired off eight straight wins, including six straight shutout wins. What we saw from the Huskies this season was truly impressive. Though they may not have won the district championship, they brought their all to the crossover game, where they had to win in order to reach the state tournament, to the very end when they defeated Selah for the third-place spot.
The Huskies displayed great control over their opponents defensively, which allowed their offense to shine. A prime example is the game against W.F. West, where they hung 14 runs on their opponent. They allowed eight runs, but six of them came in the first couple of innings, and the Huskies shut them down for the rest of the game.
Sonny Salazar put out strong pitching performances for the Huskies that propelled their success. Pitching contributions by Aiden Garza aided the team in their deep playoff run, too.
I am new to the Basin area, and I was told the expectations for the Huskies to accomplish what they did were not high. However, head coach Sonny Garza believed his team could do it. The bond these kids clearly showed proved that they believed it, too. The camaraderie found in team sports can be so invaluable.
I remember my first Huskies baseball game, when they hosted Ellensburg. I quickly took notice of the engagement of the fans at the game. They brought intense energy that matched the players in the dugout.
There’s a culture at Othello that can’t be ignored, and I had to ask Garza about it when I got the chance to interview him. He said it was always good to be hosting because their people will be behind them.
The Huskies are graduating three seniors, but I have no doubts that this team will come back ready to go next season. Any time a team makes it that far, the goal almost always is to get back there and go further. There is a lot of good to build off of in Othello.
Congratulations to the Huskies on their incredible season.
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.