Southridge wins their first state title in E-sports + Former Ams player makes NHL debut

The Suns recently won an E-sports state title in the Super Smash Brothers game, and in fact, the Suns were undefeated all season in that category.

Southridge took the title at the Washington State Scholastic E-sports Association state tournament.

Team members are sophomore Brady Garrido, sophomore Ezekiel Lozano, junior Skylar Phanekham, senior Cassius Salinas, senior Charles Schoenstra, and sophomore Derek Turner.

Jason Giancola is the team’s head coach.

Another Southridge student, senior Jack Darling, finished second in the Generation E-sports National Minecraft: Survival Games fall tournament. Darling has been invited to the spring championships in May.

Southridge has had an E-sports program for four years.

This was the program’s first state title.

E-sports has been a growing activity, and many colleges and universities are adding it to their offerings. Columbia Basin College has added an E-sports program, and has a room at its new CBC Student Recreation Center devoted just to E-sports.

Girls wrestling

River View senior Kadyen Anderson came away from the Tony Saldivar Ironman tournament in Toppenish on Dec. 10 by winning her 130-pound weight class title.

▪ Toppenish outscored Othello 229.5 to 209 to take the team title at the Best of the West tournament last week in Pasco.

Royal finished third in the tournament, thanks to individual titles by senior Alondra Morales (145) and junior Emma Villa (170).

Other area champs were Warden junior Alana Castro at 105 pounds, Hanford senior Jessica Duggan at 120, and Warden junior Jada Hernandez at 115. Hernandez now has an 18-1 record.

▪ Othello took the team title and had four individual champions at the Warden Women’s Invite on Dec. 10.

Junior Aliyah Espinoza (105 pounds), junior Ollonie Gonzalez (100), senior Nayeli Leal (145), and junior Elia Velazquez (190) all won weight-class title for the Huskies.

Other winners included Hanford senior Rebecca Grijalva (235) and Kennewick junior Nevaeh Vogtman (135).

Boys wrestling

Pasco’s Alexander Barajas improved his record to 11-1, as the junior won the 126-pound title at the Eisenhower Cadet Classic in Yakima on Dec. 17.

Other local winners in that tournament were Prosser senior Abel Acosta (now 9-1) at 120 pounds; Grandview junior Evan Benitez at 132; Kiona-Benton junior Keevon Gifford at 152; Prosser senior Neo Medrano at 182; and Prosser sophomore Logan Myers at 145.

▪ Three Tri-Citians came out of the Best of the West individual tournament at Pasco High School last week with individual titles: Southridge junior Jacob Chapa at 120 pounds; Richland senior Melvin Kreitzer at 195 pounds; and Hanford senior Trenton Rowton at 285.

Toppenish, which could be the best team in the state regardless of classification, rolled to the team title with 320 points. There were 22 schools represented.

The day before, Class 1A Toppenish took the Best of the West dual meet tournament crown, as the Wildcats took down Class 3A Mead 48-24 in the championship match.

Hockey

Former Tri-City American Parker Wotherspoon made his NHL debut on Friday, Dec. 23, when the New York Islanders called him up from the team’s AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.

Wotherspoon, a 25-year-old defenseman, played 14 minutes, 47 seconds on the ice in a 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers. He collected 2 shots, one hit, and a block.

Wotherspoon also played in the Isles’ 5-1 win over Pittsburgh on Dec. 27.

Wotherspoon played for the Americans from 2012 to 2017.

Prep basketball

There have been a few great performances in this month of December when it comes to Mid-Columbia Conference basketball.

In girls play, Chiawana sophomore Malia Ruud has been outstanding. In a 58-44 win over Kennewick on Dec. 16, Ruud had 19 points and 20 rebounds. In a 65-25 win over Southridge on Dec. 12, Ruud scored 15 and rebounded 18, while teammate Kaia Foster added 20 points, 14 rebounds and 4 steals. … Kamiakin beat Chiawana 78-65 on Dec. 13. And while Ruud went for 26 points and 10 rebounds in the loss, it was Braves senior Nikole Thomas — headed to play at the University of Memphis next year — who shined with 23 points. … In an 83-50 loss to Kamiakin, Ellie Heideman led the Bulldogs with 26 points on Dec. 9. … Richland defeated Glacier Peak 80-47 on Dec. 27, as senior Kylee Fox — headed to Fresno State next year — scored 23 points.

▪ There have been some strong performances in the region’s boys basketball games too. On Dec. 16, Richland routed Hanford 106-42, shooting 58 percent (11 for 19) from the 3-point line, and turning 29 Falcon turnovers into 45 points. Luke Westerfield, a junior post, had 22 points and 8 rebounds for the Bombers. Senior Jase Vopalensky added 22 points and 4 steals. … Kamiakin beat Central Valley 72-43 on Dec. 27, as Peter Dress double-doubled with 17 points and 14 rebounds.

Prep football

Scorebook Live Washington recently released its all-classification, all-state football team, and three area players made the first team.

Royal senior Dylan Allred, who helped lead the Knights to another Class 1A state title, was named a first-team linebacker.

Kamiakin senior Gabe Tahir, who recently signed a letter of intent to play for Boise State University, was named first team at defensive back.

And Kennewick senior Ashton Tripp, who signed recently with Washington State University, was named a first-team offensive lineman.

Ten other Mid-Columbia athletes were honorable mention selections: Othello’s Sonny Asu at running back; Chiawana’s Judah Bishop as a linebacker; Southridge’s Trevor Hoopes as an offensive lineman; Royal’s Detton Jenks as a defensive lineman; Sunnyside’s Brent Maldonado at quarterback; Prosser’s Neo Medrano at linebacker; Southridge’s Jimmy Rush at running back; Richland’s Tanner Schuster at wide receiver; Chiawana’s Kade Smith at wide receiver; and Richland’s Kalani Steward at linebacker.

This story was originally published December 29, 2022 at 12:32 PM.