Prosser set for CWAC clash vs. East Valley, Richland’s Liberty Christian at ACH

Prosser’s football team lost some talented seniors to graduation last fall, including quarterback Jacob Rainer and receiver Landon Bailey.

But the Mustangs haven’t missed a beat coming out of the chute in 2025, earning two Central Washington Athletic Conference victories in recent weeks.

They beat Ephrata 14-13 and Toppenish 13-3.

Prosser head coach Corey Ingvalson will tell you one of the reasons his team continues on is because a lot of players still return.

“Our biggest strength is we return experience on the offensive and defensive line,” said Ingvalson. “We return al five starters on the offensive line, and defensive line, all three — with the ability we hope to go nine deep on the D-line.”

The leader is junior Alexander Barreras, who was a first-team All-CWAC selection last season on the defensive line, as well as a second-team offensive lineman. Teammate and senior Josiah West was also a second-team offensive lineman.

Replacing Rainer (who is playing baseball at Treasure Valley Community College) at quarterback is sophomore Daniel Diaz, who has compiled 355 yards of passing with three TD passes over the first two games.

“(I’m) excited about his future, as well as the present,” said Ingvalson. “His brother was on the 2015 state championship team, so he’s been around the program for a long time. He understands everything that goes with it.”

Bailey, of course, graduated in June and is playing football for Portland State.

But already Diaz has found a connection with sophomore receiver Brody Buxton, who started last season as a freshman.

Buxton scored both Mustangs’ touchdowns last week against Toppenish and compiled 185 receiving yards.

Now, this Friday, Prosser has a big showdown against a senior-laden East Valley Red Devils team. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

While CWAC coaches expect Prosser and Othello to have big seasons, everyone expects East Valley to be the team to beat.

“(The East Valley coaching staff) have been waiting for this senior class to be seniors for the last three years,” said Ingvalson. “They made the state playoffs last fall, return everyone, and they believe it’s their most talented team in 10 years.”

Now, continued Ingvalson, “add they have a favorable home schedule with Othello and ourselves heading up there. It’s their time.”

Liberty Christian

Despite losing a number of standouts top graduation — with those guys leading the Liberty Christian Patriots to the 1B state championship game and a second-place finish — the state’s sportswriters still believe the small school in Richland is the team to beat in Class 1B.

Pats head coach Craig Lukins said he has 50 percent of LC’s boys out for football, and after a Week 1 bye, the Patriots traveled to Everett to meet perennial powerhouse Neah Bay last Friday.

The game wasn’t close.

LC ran over Neah Bay 52-0.

Senior quarterback Trent Ralston passed for three touchdowns, with 163 yards, and rushed just three times for another 117 yards and two TDs.

Six Patriots took turns rushing with the football and combined for 309 yards.

Senior Ryker Wageman added two catches for 95 yards and a score.

Defensively, junior linebacker Levi Idler had 10 tackles (2 for loss).

Lukins says it all starts with an experienced line. Junior center Carl Myers (6-foot-3, 260 pounds), senior guard Ryan Powell (6-1, 205), junior guard Kade Dezember (6-0, 250) and junior tight end Eli Isley (6-5, 215) provide a big group to move the line of scrimmage.

On the defensive line, Powell and Ashton Hardenbrook return as all-conference standouts.

“I think we have a shot to keep the league championship in Richland,” said Lukins. “DeSales is always tough and we play them Week 8 in what should be a Grape Division championship matchup. Garfield-Palouse and Pomeroy will be tough matchups on the other side of the league.”

Another tough matchup for the Patriots occurs Friday with a road game at Almira-Coulee-Hartline. Throw in another non-leaguer later this season against Odessa, and the Patriots aren’t avoiding anybody this season.

2A CWAC

Prosser 2-0 CWAC, 2-0 overall

Selah 2-0, 2-0

East Valley-Yakima 1-0, 2-0

Othello 1-0, 2-0

Ephrata 1-1, 1-1

Toppenish 1-1, 1-1

Ellensburg 0-2, 0-2

Grandview 0-2, 0-2

Quincy 0-2, 0-2

Sept. 5 — Prosser 14, Ephrata 13

Sept. 6 — East Valley 46, Pendleton 3; Othello 49, Ellensburg 0; Selah 44, Quincy 0; Toppenish 28, Grandview 14.

Sept. 12 — East Valley 55, Grandview 6; Ephrata 49, Quincy 14; Othello 42, Connell 7; Prosser 13, Toppenish 3; Selah 42, Ellensburg 0.

Sept. 19 (all games at 7 p.m.) — Ellensburg at Ephrata; Othello at Grandview; Prosser at East Valley; Quincy at Toppenish; West Valley-Yakima at Selah.

1A SCAC

Cashmere 2-0 SCAC, 2-0 overall

Royal 2-0, 2-0

Zillah 2-0, 2-0

Naches Valley 1-1, 1-1

Wapato 1-1, 1-1

College Place 0-1, 0-2

Connell 0-1, 0-2

Kiona-Benton 0-2, 0-2

Wahluke 0-2, 0-2

Sept. 5 — Chelan 33, College Place 6; Naches Valley 21, Wahluke 20; Royal 68, Kiona-Benton 0; Zillah 6, Connell 0.

Sept. 6 — Cashmere 60, Wapato 0

Sept. 12 — Cashmere 57, Kiona-Benton 0; Othello 42, Connell 7; Royal 69, College Place 0; Wapato 12, Wahluke 9; Zillah 49, Naches Valley 0

Sept. 19 — Cascade (Leavenworth) at Naches Valley, 7 p.m.; College Place at Cashmere, 6 p.m.; Connell at Royal, 7 p.m.; Kiona-Benton at Wahluke, 7 p.m.; Wapato at Zillah, 7 p.m.

2B EWAC East

Tri-Cities Prep 0-0 EWAC, 2-0 overall

Warden 0-0, 2-0

Granger 0-0, 1-1

River View 0-0, 1-1

Columbia-Burbank 0-0, 0-2

Sept. 5 — Kittitas 45, Granger 0; Northwest Christian (Colbert) 14, Columbia-Burbank 6; Tri-Cities Prep 53, Asotin 7; Warden 32, Medical Lake 13.

Sept. 8 — River View 58, White Swan 0

Sept. 11 — Tri-Cities Prep 48, La Salle 0

Sept. 12 — Asotin 41, River View 26; Kittitas 26, Columbia-Burbank 7; Warden 26, Mossyrock 20

Sept. 13 — Granger 30, Highland 7

Sept. 19 — Columbia-Burbank at La Salle, 7 p.m.; Goldendale at River View, 7 p.m.; Tri-Cities Prep at White Swan, 7 p.m.

Sept. 20 — Granger at Liberty (Spangle), 1 p.m.; Tonasket at Warden, 4 p.m.

1B SOUTHEAST GRAPE DIVISION

DeSales 0-0 SE 1B, 2-0 overall

Liberty Christian 0-0, 1-0

Touchet 0-0, 0-1

Mabton 0-0, 0-2

Sunnyside Christian 0-0, 0-2

Yakama Tribal 0-0, 0-2

Sept. 5 — Bridgeport 28, Mabton 12; DeSales 66, Waitsburg 16; Moses Lake Christian/Covenant 68, Sunnyside Christian 44; St. John-Endicott 28, Touchet 22.

Sept. 6 — Dayton 56, Yakama Tribal 0

Sept. 12 — Dayton 64, Sunnyside Christian 14; DeSales 52, Entiat 18; Liberty Christian 52, Neah Bay 0; Moses Lake Christian/Covenant 55, Yakama Tribal 8; Waitsburg 52, Mabton 0.

Sept. 19 — Entiat at Mabton, 7 p.m.; Liberty Christian at Almira-Coulee-Hartline, 7 p.m.; Union (Ore.) at DeSales, 7 p.m.

Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Herald.