Knights, Mavs, ACH head to state quarterfinals
MIKE MAYNARD | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 weeks AGO
Dax Jenks (6) slips a tackle as he gallops up the sideline against Naches Valley. The Knights are coming off a first round bye in the 1A state playoffs and will host Seton Catholic on Saturday.
MIKE MAYNARD/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
The Mavs’ Brady Jay (2) warms up before the start of the second half against Issaquah. The Mavericks travel to Lake Stevens on Saturday to play in the quarterfinals of the 4A state football tournament.
Almira/Coulee-Hartline's Caden Correia (2) escapes the pocket and runs for a first down. The Warriors advanced in the 1B state football tournament after defeating Entiat 57-14.
MOSES LAKE — On Saturday, three Basin football teams will look to take the next step in state football competition. The Royal Knights (10-0), Moses Lake Mavericks (11-0) and Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors (9-1) will all play in quarterfinal games Saturday afternoon.
Knights
The Knights put together a dominant regular season, keeping their over two-year winning streak alive. Six of their 10 wins were shutout victories by a margin of 43 points or higher. Their closest call all season was against the Cashmere Bulldogs at home Oct. 3.
Royal had to go to overtime to pull off the 21-15 victory. With a district win over Kings Christian on Nov. 7, the Knights earned a first round bye last weekend. This Saturday they return to the Gridiron to host Seton Catholic (9-2) in a highly anticipated matchup.
Head Coach Wiley Allred has orchestrated another disciplined team that is ready to make another run at a 1A state championship.
“We're going to have to be a little bit creative, imposing our will is important in these playoff games.” Allred said. “Some games we need to run the ball more, and some games we will need to throw the ball more. We just want to be able to do what we need to do to be successful.”
Kick off for the Knights is set for 1 p.m. in Royal City.
Mavs
The Mavs’ Brady Jay (2) warms up before the start of the second half against Issaquah. The Mavericks travel to Lake Stevens on Saturday to play in the quarterfinals of the 4A state football tournament.
The seventh seeded Moses Lake Mavericks will travel for the first time this postseason to play second seed Lake Stevens (11-0) on the road. The Mavericks have pulled out close wins in various fashions in the 2025 postseason.
In the district playoff game, they hosted the Issaquah Eagles. The Mavericks pulled out a 49-35 shootout victory to advance to the 4A state football tournament. The Eagles put up a strong fight against the Mavericks which included a deep shot touchdown play and a kick return for a touchdown in the first half. Late in the second half, an interception by Theo Kalasountas sealed the win for the Mavericks.
In the first round of the state tournament, the Mavericks hosted the Bothell Cougars. This game quickly showed to be the opposite of the previous weeks game. After a defensive slugfest between the two teams, the Mavericks were able to score late in the fourth quarter and convert a two-point play to take a 17-14 lead. After the Cougars missed a game tying field goal, the Mavericks were able to run out the clock with consistent runs by Elijah Burns.
Head Coach Brett Jay said he was pleased to see his team come out victorious in a hard-fought game. As it stands, this is the winningest season in Mavericks football history, which Jay said he was proud to have accomplished. As they prepare to play Lake Stevens, he said it’s important they execute the gameplan.
“It's always the team that plays the best, that wins the game. So our goal is to execute on offense. Move the ball constantly, move the chains, finish drives, and then our goal on defense is to tackle, make sure we are aligned correctly and then tackle,” Jay said.
Kickoff for the Mavericks is set for 4 p.m.
ACH Warriors
Almira/Coulee-Hartline's Caden Correia (2) escapes the pocket and runs for a first down. The Warriors advanced in the 1B state football tournament after defeating Entiat 57-14.The Warriors are set to host Naselle (10-1) at Lions Field in Moses Lake on Saturday. After dominant wins in the last two games, the Warriors are positioned to find their way into the 1B state football semifinals with a win this weekend.
In the district playoff game, the Warriors overcame the Dayton Bulldogs (6-4) in a dominant 53-20 win at home. The Warriors imposed their will in the run game with 214 total yards and also logged 130 yards passing. After putting up 38 points in the first quarter, they essentially ran away with the game.
In the first round of the 1B state tournament, the Warriors faced off against the Entiat Tigers (8-4) at home. The Warriors continued to dominate in the run game with 267 yards rushing and four touchdowns on the ground alone. Brady Roberts accounted for three of those rushing touchdowns and one more through the air. The Warriors routed the Tigers in a 57-14 win.
As they prepare to face Naselle on Saturday, Head Coach Brandon Walsh said his players are ready for the next challenge.
“We know that's a well-coached team, and they got playoff experience and we're going to have to be up for the challenge,” Walsh 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.