Winter sports kick off this week with basketball and wrestling

Winter high school sports are in full swing starting this week, as boys and girls basketball and wrestling join the fray.

Perhaps one of the most interesting matchups might be Pasco at Chiawana wrestling on Thursday at 7 p.m.

In past years, the two Pasco schools put together a triple header — girls basketball, wrestling, then boys basketball. But not this year.

Meanwhile, Kamiakin’s boys and girls basketball teams host Davis on Friday, Dec. 3. Tip-off times are 5:45 p.m. (girls) and 7 p.m. (boys).

Other local sports news

▪ Kamiakin senior Tyler Bilodeau made it official recently, signing his letter of intent to play men’s basketball for Oregon State University.

OSU head coach Wayne Tinkle — who played for the Tri-City Chinook of the old Continental Basketball Association back in the 1990’s — was ecstatic on getting Bilodeau onboard.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to be adding Tyler to our program,” said Tinkle in a news release about the 6-foot-8 forward.

“First and foremost, he’s an incredible kid from a wonderful family. He has really come on strong the last half year, and we think can have an immediate impact for us. Skill and toughness are a couple of his best attributes. You don’t see a kid at his age and size with that combination very often. …”

▪ Idaho’s football team ended its regular season with a 14-0 win over in-state rival Idaho State on Nov. 20. Former Kamiakin standout Zach Borisch started at quarterback for the Vandals in the victory.

Borisch had 20 carries for 64 yards, including a 3-yard TD run. He also was 5-for-9 for 88 yards passing.

▪ Eastern Washington University’s women’s soccer team has signed three defenders from the Kamiakin girls soccer team this past month. Candace Carlson, Claire Eerkes and Rylee Siefken have signed to play for the Eagles. More on that coming soon.

▪ Reilyn Davis, a Kennewick High grad who plays for Columbia Basin College, has signed to play women’s soccer for the University of Providence in Great Falls, Mont.

▪ Chiawana grad Cooper DeWitt, who is playing right now at North Idaho College, will move over to Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis next fall to play for the men’s basketball team.

▪ Daniel Dickinson, a Kennewick High senior, has elected to play baseball for Ottawa University in Arizona, beginning in the 2022-23 school year.

▪ The Kennewick school board recently agreed to have the Kamiakin High School gymnasium named after former athletic director Randy Dolven.

The Kennewick school district entertained nominations from the community and almost 75 percent of the over 400 entries suggested Dolven.

So the gym will be called “The Randy Dolven Gymnasium.”

College signings

▪ Hadley Dunham, a senior at DeSales in Walla Walla, has signed a letter of intent to play softball for Seattle University.

▪ Southridge senior Violet Duran will head across the Columbia River next fall to play women’s soccer for Columbia Basin College.

▪ Hermiston senior Chase Elliott has signed his letter of intent to play for the Mt. Hood Community College baseball team, starting in the spring of 2023.

▪ Chiawana senior Bryson Garza is headed to Yakima Valley Community College, where he’ll begin playing baseball in the spring of 2023.

▪ Hanford High senior Katelynn Gelston has been an outstanding athlete in the throws department — discus, javelin and shot put — in high school track that last three years. So much so, that she signed to do that for Oregon State University’s women’s track and field program.

▪ Chiawana’s Jonah Gonzalez is headed to Yakima Valley Community College, where he’ll play baseball starting in the spring of 2023.

▪ Kamiakin senior Nate Gray, Jr., is headed to Longview, where he’ll play baseball for Lower Columbia Community College starting in the spring of 2023.

▪ Isaac Hoag, a senior at Chiawana High School, has signed a letter of intent to play baseball for the Everett Community College in 2023.

▪ Pasco High senior Justice Huels has signed a letter of intent to play baseball for Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton.

▪ Grandview senior Justin Jacobo will play next fall for the Columbia Basin College men’s soccer squad.

▪ Hanford High senior Madisyn Joyner has agreed to play women’s soccer next fall for Columbia Basin College.

This story was originally published November 30, 2021 at 12:58 PM.