Tri-Cities high school athletes committing for college play. Kennewick football up to 6

Kennewick High senior Tanner Larson has announced that he’s committing to play football this fall at Carroll College in Montana.

Larson is the sixth Kennewick Lions senior from this season to commit to playing college football in the fall.

Running back Alex Roberts announced last week after a visit he’s going to sign with Minot State University; while running back Canaan Hays will be joining Larson at Carroll College.

Lineman Robbie McMillen is headed to play at Concordia College of Minnesota, while Dawson Gebers has committed to Eastern Oregon University, and Collin Willborn will play at Whitworth University in Spokane.

Other signings

Southridge senior Avery Garvey will be taking her softball skills to Longview in the fall, following her decision to sign a letter of intent with Lower Columbia Community College.

▪ Kennewick senior Dierks Chavez, a three-sport athlete for the Lions, will play baseball in the spring of 2026 for the Columbia Basin College Hawks.

▪ Sunnyside High senior Fabian Cortes has agreed to play men’s soccer this coming fall for Columbia Basin College.

▪ Amy Morales, a senior at Grandview High School, has committed to playing this coming fall for the Columbia Basin College women’s soccer team.

▪ Richland senior Kaden Castro, as well as Kamiakin senior Zach Swanson, have both agreed to continue their baseball careers after high school by signing letters of intent to playing at Yakima Valley Community College — beginning this fall.

College football

After Pacific Northwest Christian Community College finished its second football season with a 6-2 season, head coach Bill Templeton is starting to see some of his players get offers from four-year schools and signing.

So far, four Gladiators have decided to move on to the four-year level.

Pasco High grad Joshua Doig, an offensive lineman, and linebacker Adrian Magana (Connell) have both de coded to play at eastern Oregon University.

So has defensive lineman Kolo Moser (Orville).

And defensive back Hunter Handy (Ephrata) is moving on over to Western Montana.

“We had two other players offered 4-year programs,” said Templeton, “but they decided to stay here for another semester and get their (Association of Arts degree).”

Templeton said his team is starting to figure things out, judging by its 6-2 record.

And with the NCAA recently ruling that players in junior colleges not having their time count against their NCAA eligibility — plus a smaller number of available roster spots on four-year rosters — has created a numbers crunch.

“It’s controlled chaos,” said Templeton, who says the end result is pumping up PNWCC’s numbers.

“We have around 200 prospects from around the country who have filled out questionnaires. “(It’s) a little overwhelming, but encouraging too.”

Prep wrestling

Royal’s girls wrestling team won its own tournament last month, taking the team title with 176.5 points.

The Knights had six individual champions: junior Sharon Arroyo (100 pounds), sophomore Isabelle Barajas (115), junior Analy Castillo (235), freshman Hali Christensen (140), senior Lauren Jenks (135), and freshman Sophia Villa Fana (105).

▪ Last month’s Bob Mars Invitational boys wrestling tournament, which is hosted by Kennewick High and usually opens the regular season, had four local wrestlers win individual titles.

They included Kennewick’s Abraham Noriega at 113 pounds, Richland’s Drayson Elfering at 126, Chiawana’s Daeton Johnson at 144, and College Place’s Parker Hodgen at 190.

Motorsports

Tri-City Raceway promoter Greg Walden recently told the Herald that the young talent level of young race car drivers over the years has gotten better, and deeper.

But Walden also cautions that there are still some wily veteran drivers out there who can get the job done.

“Although 70-year-old Garrett Evans did win the Apple Cup at Tri-City last year,” said Walden.

College softball

Eastern Oregon University’s softball team has five Mid-Columbia region connections this spring.

They are junior infielder Alexis Blankenship (CBC); junior catcher-third baseman Kaya Enriquez (Warden); senior pitcher Macao Jackson (CBC); senior third baseman Madison Olson (CBC); and freshman catcher-infielder Sydney Stocker (Hermiston).

The Mountaineers begin their season on Feb. 8 at home against Central Washington University.

College golf

Othello High grad Patrick Azevedo is in his final season with the University of Wyoming men’s golf team.

Azevedo had one top-10 finish in the fall season, at the Palouse Collegiate Invitational in September in Pullman.

He placed tied for 9th, shooting 9-under par over three rounds.

One of Azevedo’s teammates is sophomore Evan Johnson, a Richland High graduate. Johnson has yet to play this season for the Cowboys.

College basketball

Kennewick High grad Madeline Gebers is the No. 2 player on the Northwest Nazarene University women’s basketball team this season.

Gebers is the No. 2 player for the Nighthawks in the following categories: points (11.9 per game), rebounds (4.8), assists (39), and steals (28). She does lead the team in blocked shots with 10.

NNU is currently 5-2 in GNAC play and 11-5 overall.

▪ Senior Cooper Dewitt (Chiawana) has started in seven games for the Montana State University Billings men’s basketball team this season, averaging 5.9 points in the 19 games he has played.

Dewitt transferred to MSUB from Indiana University Purdue University Indiana (IUPUI) this past offseason to play in Billings for his final season of college eligibility.

Dewitt is second among the Yellowjackets (11-9 overall, 2-5 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) with 30 steals, and he is third in rebounds with 4.2 per game.

This story was originally published January 28, 2025 at 10:37 AM.