OTHELLO – The Othello Huskies have finished their season with a 14-6-1 record and made another appearance in the state tournament. Despite hiccups along the way, head coach Bernie Garza was confident his team had the potential to reach the state tournament this year.  

“We started off knowing that we were going to have a good team, and then with that jamboree, it proved that we were going to have a good team. Then we had a little momentum built, winning a couple games in a row. That's what you want to do. You want to peak at the right time,” Garza said.  

The Huskies participated in a preseason jamboree, as Garza called it, where they played short scrimmages against Richland and Pasco. They lost to Richland 1-0 and tied 0-0 with Pasco. Though they did not win, Garza felt his team would be successful after seeing how they played.  

He felt that if his team could compete with those teams that have a history of winning, he said, then the sky would be the limit. According to Garza, they were able to find key issues to fix rather than discovering them late in the season.  

“We found some issues with our defense and with our goalie situation in those early games, and that's what we worked on throughout the season. By the end of the season, we were one of the top defending teams in the state, in the league, and then our goalie was coming up with some impressive saves,” Garza said.  

The Huskies earned the third seed in the district tournament and opened on the road against Quincy. They won 4-2 and continued their success all the way to the championship game, where they played Grandview.  

The Huskies won a low-scoring affair against Grandview, with a final score of 2-0. Now district champions, the Huskies advanced to the state tournament as the sixth seed. They opened the tournament at home against Franklin-Pierce and took the field in a dominant fashion.  

Within the first few minutes, CWAC offensive player of the year Jose Cabrera scored for the Huskies. They would ride that momentum to a 5-0 win and advance to the quarterfinals of the state tournament. The Huskies would lose 3-2 in a competitive game against Columbia River. After the loss, Garza had a clear message for his team.  

“Win or die trying, leave it on the line that way. When you win the game, you should say, ‘I gave it my best, or if you happen to lose, you're not regretting anything,’” Garza said.  

Heading into next season, the Huskies will have to prepare to replace several key players, like Cabrera and their goalkeeper. Garza said he is confident that many of his younger players are prepared to step into those roles next season and help continue the success they saw this season.  

    Huskies Ruben Mancilla advances the ball up field against Ephrata. Mancilla was named honorable mention in the CWAC for all conference teams.
  

    Huskies head coach Bernia Garza takes a Gatorade bath after winning the district championship against Grandview. Garza believes his team will be ready to make another deep post season run next year.
  

    Huskies Jose Cabrera taking a shot at the goal in a previous game this season. Cabrera was named offensive player of the year in the CWAC this season with 29 goals scored.
  

    Huskies Larry Maldonado controlling the ball in a previous game this season. Maldonado was named second team All-Conference in the CWAC.
  

    Huskies Irving Guzman keeping the ball in play by making a pass to his teammates. Guzman was named to the second team All-Conference in the CWAC.