MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Tribe boys fifth-grade basketball team placed third overall in the Gold Division at the state tournament this season. A strong team bond and skills built over the years have head coach Matt Ahmann confident in what the team can accomplish in the future. 

“Right now what’s really neat is I’ve got nine kids that just love basketball and they show up every single night and work hard and I always challenge them to the 10th degree,” said Ahmann. 

The Tribe started their season in October and, while being a fifth-grade team, competed against sixth-grade teams in a few tournaments throughout the season, which the coach said was to help build up the skills of the young players. As the season went on these skills were put to work as the boys qualified for state in the fifth-grade gold division. 

Their first game of the state tournament was March 21 against Woodinville where the young Moses Lake team earned a strong victory, going 45-19 against their opponent. That afternoon the Tribe claimed a 36-13 win over Kentridge and a closer 38-28 win over Kamiak in the evening to send Moses Lake into the state semifinals. 

The semifinal match was a tight battle between the Tribe and Sunnyside where Moses Lake unfortunately fell 38-44.  

The Tribe still had a chance to place third in a matchup against Bothell, who they lost to in the state tournament last season. Moses Lake turned things around and with a strong fight from the boys, earned a 46-22 victory to claim third in state. 

“Pretty much every team that we played last year that we lost to, the game was either closer this year or we were able to beat them, and that’s my biggest indicator for improvement is how are we doing in regards to closing the gap with teams that are more skilled than us,” said Ahmann. 

The individual player development is something the coach said that has made the Tribe successful over the years as each of the athletes play for each other on the court. The team has retained the same players since they were in second grade and with each passing year, their bonds and skills have grown. 

“They really enjoy each other, they’re actually really good friends with each other and it shows on the court,” said Ahmann. “I applaud the parents for nurturing that and giving the kids an opportunity to become lifelong friends.” 

The coach said he has taken great pride in this team as the players show their excitement at practice and have allowed him to get deeper into coaching. 

“The same nine kids continue to just show up, work hard and get better all the time," he said. “That’s how committed they are to getting better, that’s how committed the families are to getting them there, buying in and just working hard.” 

A key takeaway for the Tribe following their success this season is that they can build off their established synergy as each of the players continues to work with the team to achieve their goals. Ahmann said his end goal for this team is to get these boys ready to play quality basketball at the high school level when the time comes. 

“By the end of eighth grade, they’ve seen everything that the high school will give,” said the coach. “So, it’s not always about winning or losing with us; that’s why I’ll move them to a sixth-grade bracket, so that we focus more on improvement and not just going and winning a tournament.” 

The fifth-grade Moses Lake Tribe is taking some time off to participate in 7-on-7 youth football programs, but will return to the court this summer to compete in various 3-on-3 basketball tournaments held across the state. 

Tribe 5th Grade Roster 

Declan Huberdeau 

Luca Sirek 

Cohen Phelps 

Kai Bruce 

Gannon Janet 

Levi Gordillo 

Mason Martinez 

Zach Ahmann 

Madden Savala 

    The Tribe players sit in the hall gathering their gear after their first win in the state tournament against Woodinville.