Tri-City Americans off to rousing 2-0 start in the Western Hockey League action

What a great start to the Western Hockey League season for the Tri-City Americans this past weekend, going 2-0.

Under new head coach (and current part-owner), Stu Barnes, they beat the visiting Portland Winterhawks 5-4 in a shootout in front of an opening-night crowd of 2,563 on Friday.

Talyn Boyko — drafted by the New York Rangers — opened at goalie for the Ams, stopping 38 of 42 shots.

Parker Bell and Petr Moravec each scored one goal and one assist, while Rhett Melnyk added two assists.

The shootout went five rounds, with 16-year-old Dwayne Jean, Jr., scoring the game-decider for the Ams in the fifth round.

The next night, Tri-City traveled to Spokane and beat the Chiefs by a 5-3 score. Trailing 3-2 after two periods, the Ams outscored the Chiefs 3-0 in the final period.

New Ams goalie Tomas Suchanek, from Czech Republic, stopped 42 of 45 shots to claim the victory.

Tyson Greenway had a goal and assist for the Ams, while Bryson Andregg added a goal, and Elouann Lemonnier had two assists.

A few observations: the Ams look like scrappers, never giving up no matter the score (and in a way, emulating Barnes from his playing days); they have two outstanding goalies in Boyko and Suchanek; and the team will need some help in the defensive end.

Portland and Spokane combined to outshoot the Americans 87-40 this weekend. That’s troubling.

The Ams have just one game this weekend: Spokane visits Saturday, with a 6:05 p.m. puck drop.

Small-school football

Here’s a recap of this weekend’s area games for Class 2A, 1A, 2B and 1B teams:

ROYAL 70, WAHLUKE 12: Derek Bergeson was involved in six different touchdowns in the Knights’ South Central Athletic Conference East opener.

Bergeson was 7-for-8 passing for 133 yards and four TD passes; rushed twice for 34 yards and a score; and caught a pass for a 22-yard touchdown.

CONNELL 56, COLLEGE PLACE 14: After missing two games because of covid protocols, the host Eagles routed College Place in an SCAC East win.

Carson Riner rushed 10 times for 137 yards and three touchdowns for Connell. Riner also returned a kick 70 yards for another score.

COLUMBIA-BURBANK 60, TRI-CITIES PREP 34: Elijah Kinsey ran for four touchdowns, and Michael Lenke hit Shaunathan Wilder three times for scoring strikes, as the host Cotoyes beat Tri-Cities Prep in a 2B Eastern Washington Athletic Conference game.

Kinsey had TD runs of 4, 45, 63 and 15 yards, and he finished with 225 yards rushing on 19 carries.

Lenke, meanwhile, had TD passes of 29, 50 and 24 to Wilder, who finished with 4 catches for 105 yards.

Lenke finished with 151 yards passing and another 63 yards rushing. He also had two interceptions on defense, as did teammate Crew Pariera.

Prep QB Caleb Sherfey was 28 for 46 for 287 yards passing, while senior Adam Baerlocher caught 13 passes for 135 yards. He also led the Jaguars on defense with 9 tackles.

The Coyotes next travel to River View on Friday in a big EWAC matchup.

RIVER VIEW 47, MABTON 20: The visiting Panthers rolled up 516 total offensive yards en route to the EWAC win over the Vikings.

Miguel Farias rushed 22. Times for 191 yards, and on defense he had 9 tackles.

Quarterback Ajani Fornos rushed for 136 yards and scored three touchdowns. He also passed for four more TDs.

Jude Senger caught all four of those touchdowns, had 9 total receptions for 134 yards, and grabbed an interception.

DESALES 66, YAKAMA TRIBAL 18: Joe Baffney passed for 288 yards and five touchdowns, as the Irish beat Yakama Tribal in a District 9 contest.

ROUNDUP: Prosser had a bye last week, while Grandview’s game against Ellensburg was postponed when Ellensburg had some covid cases. Grandview was able to schedule a game with Naches Valley, which lost its game against Kiona-Benton when the Benton City school had a few COVID cases. Naches Valley beat Grandview 20-0. … Liberty Christian once again lost a scheduled game when its opponent had to cancel because of COVID. And once again Patriots coach Craig Lukins had to scramble to find an opponent. He found one in top-ranked Odessa, which beat the visiting Patriots 82-34.

Football Standings

So here is what 2A CWAC standings look like: 1. Ellensburg 2-0 CWAC, 2-2 overall; 2. Ephrata 2-1, 3-2; 2. Othello 2-1, 3-2; 2. Prosser 1-0, 2-1; 5. Selah 0-2, 1-3; 5. Grandview 0-2, 1-4; 7. East Valley 0-2, 0-5.

Friday, Oct. 1, scores: Ephrata 7, East Valley 6; Othello 20, Selah 19; Naches Valley 20, Grandview 0.

Thursday, Oct. 7: Ephrata at Cashmere, 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 8: Prosser at Ellensburg, 7 p.m.; Selah at East Valley, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 9: Grandview at Othello, 1 p.m.

Here is the latest for the 1A SCAC East: 1. Royal 1-0 SCAC, 5-0 overall; 1. Connell 1-0, 2-1; 3. Kiona-Benton 0-0, 2-1; 4. College Place 0-1, 2-3; 4. Wahluke 0-1, 1-4.

Thursday, Sept. 30: Royal 70, Wahluke 12.

Friday, Oct. 1: Connell 56, College Place 14.

Friday, Oct. 8: Kiona-Benton at Royal, 7 p.m.; Toppenish at Connell, 7 p.m.; Wahluke at College Place, 7 p.m.

Here is the latest update on the 2B EWAC East: 1. Columbia-Burbank 1-0 EWAC, 5-0 overall; 1. River View 1-0, 4-1; Warden 1-0, 4-1; 4. Dayton-Waitsburg 0-1, 1-1; 4. Tri-Cities Prep 0-1, 2-2; 4. Mabton 0-1, 0-3.

Thursday, Sept. 30: Warden 54, Dayton-Waitsburg 0.

Friday, Oct. 1: Columbia-Burbank 60, Tri-Cities Prep 34.

Saturday, Oct. 2: River View 47, Mabton 20.

Friday, Oct. 8: Columbia-Burbank at River View, 7 p.m.; Dayton-Waitsburg at Tri-Cities Prep, Chiawana High, 7 p.m.; Mabton at Warden, 7 p.m.

Here is the latest on District 9 1B: 1. Pomeroy 2-0 D9, 5-0 overall; 1. Sunnyside Christian 2-0, 5-0; 1. DeSales 2-0, 2-1; 4. Liberty Christian 0-0, 1-3; 5. St. John-Endicott/LaCrosse 0-1, 0-3; 5. Yakama Tribal 0-1, 0-1; 7. Tekoa-Rosalia 0-2, 1-3; 7. Touchet 0-2, 1-3.

Friday, Oct. 8: Liberty Christian at DeSales, 7 p.m.; Sunnyside Christian at Touchet, 3 p.m.