Mid-Columbia Conference picks are in. Here’s who made All-Star teams

As would be expected, the top three football teams in the Mid-Columbia Conference dominated the conference all-star team, which was released on Wednesday.

Chiawana went 6-0 in conference play, while Kamiakin and Kennewick were each at 5-1.

The team was voted on by the conference’s nine football head coaches.

Chiawana had six players on the first team, and first-year head coach Scott Bond was named Coach of the Year. A total of 17 Chiawana players were selected.

Kamiakin had 10 different players earn first-team honors. That included senior running back Tuna Altahir as co-Offensive Player of the Year, linebacker Luis Salgado as co-Defensive Player of the Year, and Aaron Tano as co-Lineman of the Year.

Kennewick also had six players on the first team, including co-Defensive Player of the Year and linebacker Josiah Barajas, and co-Lineman of the Year Ayden Knapik.

Altahir shared the Offensive Player of the Year award with Richland wide receiver Ben Fewel.

Walla Walla kicker and punter Seamus Hall was named MCC Special Teams Player of the Year.

Five players were named first-team All-MCC on both sides of the ball: Richland’s Fewel at WR and defensive back; Kennewick’s Knapik on both sides of the line; Richland’s Elijah Rodriguez at running back and defensive line; Kamiakin’s Tano on both sides of the line; and Chiawana’s Jalen Webber at both wide receiver and defensive back.

The conference honored 60 players for their play in the shortened season.

MCC awards

▪ Offensive Players of the Year: Tuna Altahir Kamiakin and Ben Fewel, Richland

▪ Defensive Players of the Year: Josiah Barajas, Kennewick and Luis Salgado, Kamiakin

▪ Linemen of the Year: Aaron Tano, Kamiakin and Ayden Knapik, Kennewick

▪ Special Teams Player of the Year: Seamus Hall, Walla Walla

▪ Coach of the Year: Scott Bond, Chiawana

First team

▪ Defensive Back: Gabe Tahir, Kamiakin, sophomore; Ben Fewel, Richland, senior; Aiden Mason, Chiawana, senior; Jalen Webber, Chiawana, senior.

▪ Defensive Line: Aaron Tano, Kamiakin, junior; Elijah Rodriguez, Richland, junior; Isaiah Anderson, Chiawana, junior; Ayden Knapik, Kennewick, junior, Carlos Orozco, Kennewick, sophomore; Ian Kopf, Walla Walla, senior; Isaiah Arline, Pasco, senior.

▪ Linebacker: Kale Crawford, Kamiakin, junior; EJ Hawkins, Kamiakin, junior; Luis Salgado, Kamiakin junior; Gerardo Alonso, Chiawana, junior; Josiah Barajas, Kennewick, senior.

▪ Offensive Line: Aaron Tano, Kamiakin, junior; Ben Noah, Kamiakin, senior; Ayden Knapik, Kennewick, junior; Kannon Ness, Kennewick, senior; Jacob Kump, Richland, senior.

▪ Wide Receiver: Woodley Downard, Kamiakin, senior; Messiah Jones, Kamiakin, senior; Ben Fewel, Richland, senior; Jalen Webber, Chiawana, senior; Simeon Howard, Kennewick, junior

▪ Quarterback: JP Zamora, Chiawana, junior.

▪ Running Back: Myles Mayovsky, Kennewick, junior; Tuna Altahir, Kamiakin, senior; Elijah Rodriguez, Richland, junior; Jake Humphrey, Walla Walla, junior.

▪ Punter: Seamus Hall, Walla Walla, senior.

▪ Kicker: Seamus Hall, Walla Walla, senior; Michael Kot, Chiawana, junior.

Second team

▪ Defensive Back: Tuna Altahir, Kamiakin, senior; Deacon Boyce, Richland, junior; Aarloh Valdovinos, Chiawana, senior; Simeon Howard, Kennewick, junior.

▪ Defensive Line: Lucas Martin, Southridge, senior; Ryan Johnson, Richland, senior; JT Munoz, Chiawana, senior; Kobe Young, Chiawana, senior.

▪ Linebacker: Kalani Steward, Richland, sophomore; Cameron Breier, Chiawana, senior; Isaac Hoag, Chiawana, junior; Joe Terry, Walla Walla, senior.

▪ Offensive Line: Chase Langford, Chiawana, sophomore; Cyrus Pardini, Chiawana, sophomore; Ian Kopf, Walla Walla, senior; Samuel Cadenas, Hermiston, junior; Alex Fouts, Kennewick, senior.

▪ Wide Receiver: Luis Salgado, Kamiakin, junior; Aiden Mason, Chiawana, senior; Kobe Young, Chiawana, senior; Max Mayer, Kennewick, senior.

▪ Quarterback: Elijah Tanner, Kennewick, senior; Chase Elliot, Hermiston, junior.

▪ Punter: Lance Spaniel, Southridge, junior; JP Zamora, Chiawana, junior.

Honorable mention

▪ Defensive Back: Payton Graham, Kamiakin, junior; Samuel Buggs, Chiawana, senior, Desmian Licon, Pasco, senior; Traeton Mitchell, Pasco, senior.

▪ Defensive Line: Jacob Kump, Richland, senior; Samuel Cadenas, Hermiston, junior.

▪ Linebacker: Hunter Azure-Pryce, Chiawana, sophomore; Logan Ashbeck, Walla Walla, junior; Koi Mikami, Hermiston, junior; Travis Thorn, Pasco, senior.

▪ Offensive Line: Lucas Martin, Southridge, senior; Aden VanDyke, Walla Walla, senior; Josh Fernandez, Hermiston, senior.

▪ Wide Receiver: Aarloh Valdovinos, Chiawana, senior; Jaxon Farrah, Hanford, senior; Alex De Leon, Pasco, senior; Desmian Licon, Pasco, senior.

Big Sky Conference women’s soccer

Southridge High School graduate Haley Thomas was honored Tuesday by being named the Big Sky Conference Defensive MVP. Thomas, who plays for Weber State, was one of three players named as defensive MVP.

Thomas is a senior, and she was also named to the first-team unit. She is a two-time, first-team honoree for the Wildcats.

Thomas was joined on the first team by former Southridge teammate McKaley Goffard, who just completed her senior season as a midfielder for Eastern Washington University.

Two other area athletes — both Hanford High grads — were named to the Big Sky’s second team: Sadie Newsom, a redshirt junior midfielder for Weber State; and Taylor Matheny, a senior forward for EWU.

Cailtin Crist, a junior forward for Idaho State who previously played at Walla Walla Community College, was an honorable mention selection.

Notes

▪ Didn’t matter that Richland’s Jayda Clark was hampered with injuries last basketball season for the Bombers. College teams could see through those injuries that she is good.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Clark, a senior, recently verbally committed to play for Boise State University in the fall.

Clark and the Bombers will get a short girls basketball season in starting next month.

▪ Junior outside hitter Breanna Schaffer, a Kennewick High grad, has 146 kills in 15 matches this season for the Eastern Oregon University volleyball team. The Mountaineers are ranked No. 8 in the nation among all NAIA teams.

EOU went a perfect 14-0 in the Cascade Collegiate Conference, is 15-0 overall, and gets an automatic bid to the NAIA national tournament.

▪ UMass Dartmouth’s softball team may be 0-9-1 through April 7, but utility player Lynsie Miracle (Kamiakin) is doing her part, batting .300 (6 for 20).