Kamiakin dominates girls soccer all-state team

Girls high school soccer has been over two months.

But that hasn’t stopped the Kamiakin girls team from reaping more awards.

The Washington State Soccer Coaches Association released its all-state girls soccer teams this week, and there were plenty of Kamiakin players and coaches honored after their third-place finish at state.

Kamiakin senior Maddie Morgan, who will play at Eastern Washington University next fall, was named the Class 3A MVP and a first-team forward.

Her coach, Kamiakin’s Chris Erikson, was named 3A Coach of the Year. Other Braves made the team.

Senior Britney Donais was a first-team forward selection, while teammate and senior Bella Nicacio was listed as a first-team midfielder.

Meanwhile, Kamiakin seniors Emma Johnson and Rylie Clark made the first team at defender. Kamiakin senior Kaeri Ward was a second-team midfielder.

Warden senior midfielder Bailey Witney made the Class 1A second team. Warden forward Aubree Skone and Connell defender Mattie Mauseth were both honorable mention Class 1A selections.

Big event at Chiawana

Friday marks the annual tripleheader between Pasco and Chiawana, in which the schools’ girls and boys basketball teams, as well as their varsity wrestling squads, compete against each other.

The event will be at Chiawana this year, with the girls game starting at 5 p.m., followed by the wrestling match at 7, and then the boys basketball game scheduled to start at 9 p.m.

This year’s headlining event has to be the wrestling match. Washington Wrestling Report, a website run by Dave Gilbertson, ranks Chiawana as the top Class 4A wrestling team in the state.

Pasco, though, is not far behind at No. 6. Both squads are 5-0 in Mid-Columbia Conference dual matches.

Bombers win showdown vs. Chiawana

I took in the Chiawana at Richland boys basketball game on Tuesday night, a game that the first-place Bombers won 81-67.

Here are some observations: Richland’s transition from defense to offense was outstanding with its ball movement. But the Bombers did a great job of pounding the offensive boards. Richland outscored Chiawana 24-4 in second-chance points.

The big difference in the game? The final 2 minutes of the first quarter, in which Richland exploded for an 11-2 run that snapped a 14-14 tie and gave the Bombers a 25-16 lead going into the second quarter.

Chiawana never recovered. Bombers senior Cole Northrop scored 9 of the 11 points in the run.

Unofficially, I had Northrop for 20 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. “Cole has been super passionate in both practice and games,” said Richland coach Earl Streufert. “Every game matters. He’s raised the bar with his competitiveness.”

Chiawana coach Chad Herron said the problem was more than just Northrop. He also mentioned Garrett Streufert and Cody Sanderson. “Cole did a great job down on the block,” said Herron. “Garrett was firing from the 3-point line. With this group of seniors, they’ve been doing stuff like that for a long time.”

• Other big numbers: Cody Sanderson with 21 points; Garrett Streufert with 18 points, 7 rebounds and three blocked shots; Jack Schuster with 14 points and 13 rebounds. For Chiawana, Seth Schmidt had 13 points, while Connor Mendez added 12, and Cooper DeWitt had 10. Kobe Young was held to just 6 points, but I had him for 13 rebounds.
  
  
• Asked if it’s hard to get his team fired up for some games — this wasn’t one of them, since Chiawana has come closest to Richland this season, losing their first matchup by 10 points — knowing they have the confidence in rolling through the MCC, Bombers coach Earl Streufert said it was. “Some of these games, it’s just not the same as playing Jefferson (of Portland, whom they beat 80-67 on Dec. 22). I think Chiawana came to play, and we need more games like that.”
• Streufert has long been a proponent of the MCC’s 4A teams playing each other twice in the regular season, and playing the 3A teams just once. For the 3A teams, it’d be reversed. It’s what the Greater Spokane League does, he says, and it allows a team to go out and find the best non-conference schedule it can to prepare itself for the postseason.
  
  

Baseball news

The Tri-City Dust Devils coaching staff returns almost intact for the 2019 Northwest League season. Manager Mike McCoy, who led the team to a 35-41 record in 2018, will return.

So will hitting coach Pat O’Sullivan, field coach Oscar Salazar, strength coach Corey Measner and athletic trainer David Bryan. New to the staff will be pitching coach Leo Rosales, who was with the Arizona League Padres last season.

▪ A reminder that the Mariners Caravan is at Columbia Basin College on Friday, Jan. 18, for a free autograph session at the Gjerde Center from 4:15 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Scheduled to appear are pitcher Shawn Armstrong, outfielder Braden Bishop, broadcaster Mike Blowers, and the Mariner Moose.