1/27/09 Prep basketball roundup

BOYS

Sunnyside 53, Hanford 45

RICHLAND, Wash. — Freshman Israel Manzo scored 14 points and teammate Alfredo De La Barrera added a double-double to lead Sunnyside’s boys to a 53-45 victory over Hanford in a CBBN non-league crossover Tuesday night at Hanford. The Grizzlies (4-4, 7-7) held Hanford to 17 total points in the middle quarters and used a 17-6 advantage at the foul line to help seal the win. De La Barrera contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds.

SUNNYSIDE — Israel Manzo 14, Sanchez 3, Steckler 0, Daley 0, Johnson 0, Esqueda 4, Kyle Leija 12, Graf 0, Abbott 2, Alfredo De La Barrera 10, Vargas 8, Bernandez 0. HANFORD — Kyle Wagar 15, Hodgson 0, Friesz 0, Bland 2, Winsor 4, Pete Zachara 13, Haynes 6, Manderbach 2, C. Wagar 3.

Sunnyside 15 13 9 16 — 53 Hanford 15 9 8 13 — 45

Highlights: De La Barrera (S) 10 rebounds; Leija (S) 7 assists; Manzo (S) 6 rebounds; Tristan Abbott (S) 6 rebounds, 4 blocks.

Moses Lake Christian 72, Sunnyside Christian 50

MOSES LAKE, Wash. — Adrian Moffet and Riggs Yarbro combined for 56 points and 5-for-5 shooting from 3-point distance for the fourth-ranked Lions. Steven Bosma’s 11 points led the Knights (4-9).

SUNNYSIDE CHRISTIAN — Wagenaar 8, DeJong 8, Van Boven 0, Steven Bosma 11, Crabtree 4, Van Belle 9, Steven Broersma 10. MOSES LAKE CHRISTIAN — Adrian Moffet 29, Kagele 1, Gjelle 3, Leitel 0, Kirkwood 0, McNamara 4, Roberts 5, Murrell 3, Riggs Yarbro 27.

Sunnyside Christian 9 9 13 19 — 50 Moses Lake Christian 15 21 11 25 — 72

Highlights: Kevin DeJong (SC), 9 rebounds, Ryker Van Belle (SC) 4 steals; Yarbro (MLC) 12 rebounds.

Bridgeport 57, Kittitas 47

KITTITAS, Wash. — Andres Valdovinos’ 20 points led the Mustangs, who took control with a 16-5 burst in the second quarter. Travis Hunt, Paul Ourslund and Victor Romo scored 12 points each for Kittitas.

BRIDGEPORT — Soto 0, Osorio 4, Andres Valdovinos 20, Jose Bucio 13, Torres 5, M. Torres 5, Udell 5. KITTITAS — Sancher 0, Morris 2, Newcomb 2, Larson 0, Dixon 7, Travis Hunt 12, Paul Oursland 12, Victor Romo 12, Tilton 0, Slyfield 0, Lions 0.

Bridgeport 16 16 15 10 — 57 Kittitas 15 5 10 17 — 47

GIRLS

Hanford 65, Sunnyside 30

RICHLAND, Wash. — Laura Hughes and Jorie Freeman combined for 26 points and 18 rebounds for the Falcons (6-2, 11-4).

SUNNYSIDE — Wright 3, Maya 0, Katie Wutzke 9, Partida 8, Tyler 5, Castillo 0, Villa 0, Herrera 3, Robert 0, Marro 2, Reyes 0. HANFORD — Tank 5, Stanhope 7, Wilson 2, Marty 0, Heiman 6, Bush 2, Snow 2, Merry 11, Jorie Freeman 10, Hegarty 4, Laura Hughes 16.

Sunnyside 6 10 5 9 — 30 Hanford 21 15 14 15 — 65

Highlights: Hughes (H) 8 rebounds; Freeman (H) 10 rebounds.

Riverside Christian 55, Sunnyside Christian 42

SUNNYSIDE, Wash. — Madison Hahn contributed 25 points, eight steals and seven rebounds and Amy Van Beek had 10 points and seven steals as Riverside Christian defeated Sunnyside Christian 55-42 in non-league girls play Tuesday. Mariah Van Horn pulled down nine rebounds for the Crusaders (10-3). Hillary Bosma and Joleen Van Wingerden totaled 11 points each for the fourth-ranked Knights (9-4).

RIVERSIDE CHRISTIAN — Amy Van Beek 10, Van Horn 3, Madison Hahn 25, Griffith 3, Lawson 2, Calhoun 6, Staymates 6. SUNNYSIDE CHRISTIAN — Bangs 0, Den Hoed 0, Hillary Bosma 11, Long 5, Van Oostrom 2, Joleen Van Wingerden 11, M. Van Wingerden 8, Newhouse 3, Haak 2.

Riverside Christian 14 10 16 15 — 55 Sunnyside Christian 6 9 19 8 — 42

Highlights: Mariah Van Horn (RC) 9 rebounds; Hahn (RC) 7 rebounds, 8 steals; Molly Calhoun (RC) 8 rebounds; Kendra Staymates (RC) 6 rebounds; Amy Van Beek (RC) 7 steals; M. Van Wingerden (SC) 15 rebounds.

Kittitas 52, Bridgeport 22

KITTITAS, Wash. — Natalie Gibb and Ali Kilgore combined for 30 points in the Coyotes’ win. Gibb totaled 16 points, 14 rebounds and five steals while Kilgore made four 3-pointers for Kittitas (3-4, 4-9).

BRIDGEPORT — A. Garza 0, A. Gonzalez 2, C. Gonzalez 2, Saucedo 6, Bucia 2, Jackman 1, M. Garza 0, Danielle Cavadinni 9, Ochoa 0. KITTITAS — Uceny 4, Ali Kilgore 14, Calahan 0, Natalie Gibb 16, Lawrence 0, Erickson 2, Vaver 3, Paul 2, Hudson 5, Garnich 6.

Bridgeport 7 8 0 7 — 22 Kittitas 14 14 12 12 — 52

Highlights: Gibb (K) 14 rebounds, 5 steals; Ali Kilgore (K) 4–9 3-pt. FG.

Vikings in first-place tie

EPHRATA, Wash. — Seven pins propelled Selah to a 46-25 win over Ephrata and moved the Vikings into a first-place tie in CWAC wrestling on Tuesday.

Selah, Toppenish and Ellensburg are knotted at 7-1 heading into Thursday’s final league duals.

The SCAC West, Granger (5-0) and Zillah (4-1) were both winners to keep their lock on the top two spots.

CWAC

Selah 46, Ephrata 25

At Ephrata

160: Chris Davidson (E) md. Tyler Noble, 12-2. 171: Willie Hayes (S) p. Robert Motzkus, 5:35. 189: Ryan Depaz (S) p. Curtis Treiber, 5:33. 215: Deion Ducksworth (E) d. Jake Lunceford, 6-0. 285: Richie Rodriguez (S) p. Mitchell Brown, 1:29. 103: Nikko Rodriguez (S) won by forfeit. 112: Levi Needles (S) p. Tyler Childs, 1:31. 119: Anthony Bush (E) d. Demetreus Anaya, 6-1. 125: John Cruz (S) p. Oscar Matus, 3:24. 130: Jesus Valencia (E) d. Tyler Petersen, 6-3. 135: Kurt Nygard (E) p. Tyler Blower, 2:33. 140: Josh Cruz (S) p. Preston Hendrickson, :49. 145: Chris Rowe (S) p. Alex Harvill, 2:57. 152: Quinton Hendrickson (E) p. Zach Bales, 2:49.

SCAC West

Zillah 54, Cle Elum 19

At Zillah

103: Daniel Boehme (CE) p. Juan Diaz 5:24; 112: Rylee Icolucci (CE) won by forfeit; 119: No match; 125: Skylor Davis (Z) p. Ryan Selzler 1:50; 130: Alex Gonzalez (Z) p. Konnor Briggs 2:53; 135: Fidencio Nicolas (Z) won by forfeit; 140: Brendan Loyer (CE) md. Juan Nicolas 10-2; 145: Rodney Treece (Z) p. Cody Chiles 3:34; 152: Kyle Tynan (Z) won by forfeit; 160: Chris Castillo (Z) p. Jackson Crump 1:31; 171: Rafael Guzman (Z) p. Ryan Faust 3:10; 189: Kane Koerner (Z) p. Josh Chiles :58; 215: Carson Walker (Z) won by forfeit; 285: Tanner Haughton (CE) d. Nathaniel Deardorff 6-4.

Granger 48, Goldendale 24

At Goldendale

103: Elias Ramirez (Gr) d. Kurt Giese 3-1; 112: Jonathon Salcedo (Gr) won by forfeit; 119: No match; 125: Wally Almaguer (Gr) won by forfeit; 130: Sammy Salcedo (Gr) p. Nikki Williams :56; 135: Carlos DeLeon (Gr) p. Tyler Jussula 1:06; 140: Ernesto Martinez (Gr) won by forfeit; 145: Alejandro Ochoa (Gr) won by forfeit; 152: Braydon Ross (Go) p. Jamie Martinez 4:09; 160: Humberto Morales (Gr) d. Billy Monroe 7-2; 171: Jonathon Monroe (Go) p. Jason Ornales :28; 189: Kurt Wilkins (Go) p. Abraham Juaderrama :49; 215: Pete Almaguer (Gr) p. Darrin Stelter :58; 285: Kyle Ross (Go) won by forfeit.

Non-League

Naches Valley 51, West Valley 26

At Naches

215: Logan Robert (NV) d. Weston Green 7-1; 285: Ashton Gottschalk (NV) p. Brad Overand 5:26; 103: Jason Tellez (NV) won by forfeit; 112: Jace Rapass (WV) p. Micheal Ramsey 5:33; 119: Jesse Frederickson p. DJ Stai 2:42; 125: Zach Moser (NV) p. Jeff Abhold 1:00; 130: Ross Kamimoto (WV) tf. Francisco Rodriguez 15-0; 135: Tyler Slick (NV) p. Brennan Hamsher 1:34; 140: Preston Baich (WV) d. Jacob Frazier 8-2; 145: JD Ring (NV) p. Ethan Smith 1:09; 152: Tanner Slick (NV) won by forfeit; 160: Nick Gautreaux (WV) tf. Cody Guerard 19-2; 171: Kevin Madson (WV) p. Alberto Pizano 3:37; 189: Jason Schruler (NV) p. Justin Wilkins 3:32.

Coyote Classic

Saturday at Kittitas

Team scores: Kittitas 148.5, Liberty Bell 126.5, Pomeroy 105, Ellensburg 84, Liberty 79, Springdale 69, All-Stars 52, Okanogan 43, Pateros 37, Almira-Coulee-Hartline 35, Davenport 34, St. John-Endicott 32, Wilbur-Creston 25, Lind-Ritzville 24, Wellpinit 19, Tri-Cities Prep 13.

Local placers

112: 4, Briley Sny (E). 119: 1, Luis Padilla (K); 3, Frank Arlt (K). 130: 1, Daniel O’Shaughnessy (K). 135: 1, Colby Coates (E); 2, Dylan Holden (K). 140: 3, Jon Cole (E); 4, Tanner Wallace (K). 145: 4, Claude Lyman (E). 171: 1, Brett Lovell (K). 189: 2, Russell Jones (K); 3, Devin McCrary (E). 215: 2, Dustin Dean (K); 4, Justin Dellinger (E). 285: 1, Gabe Lucero (K); 2, Sydney Breckenridge (E); 3, Matt Shields (E).

Chiefs sweep Ike, Davis

MOSES LAKE, Wash. — Eisenhower’s Levi Gentry was in on three wins and Davis’ Randy Peltier broke the school’s diving record in a CBBN double dual with Moses Lake on Tuesday.

The Chiefs won both meets.

Gentry captured the 50 free and 100 fly and helped the first-place 200 medley relay, and Peltier recorded a score of 273.8 in diving.

Moses Lake 122, Eisenhower 61

200 medley relay: 1. Eisenhower (Dillon Englund, Quint Warren, Levi Gentry, Micheal Schmal) 1:52.83; 200 free: 3. Connor Otey 2:14.46; 200 IM: 3. Warren 2:34.43; 50 free: 1. Gentry 23.55; 100 fly: 1. Gentry 59.29; 200 free relay: 2. Eisenhower (Gentry, Otey, Schmal, Jared Klingle) 1:44.53; 100 back: Englund 1:10.90; 100 breast: 2. Warren 1:07.66, 3. Otey 1:12.46; 400 free relay: 3. Eisenhower (Englund, Klingle, Otey, Warren) 4:04.30.

Moses Lake 139, Davis 40

(Wapato non-scoring)

200 free: 3. Thomas Hepner 2:31.48; 50 free: 3. Alex Summers 27.05, Eric Ihien (W) 26.58, Jeremy Klarich (W) 26.74; 200 free: Eric Wilson (W) 2:20.49; Diving: 1. Randy Peltier 273.8 (school record); 100 free: 3. Gavin Miller 58.34; 500 free: 3. Daniel O’Connell 7:16.17, Eric Wilson (W) 5:43.27; Eric Ihien (W) 6:48.02, Jeremy Klarich (W) 5:45.44; 100 breast: 2. Miller 1:13.12.

1/27/09 Prep basketball express scores

BOYS

Sunnyside 53, Hanford 45

SUNNYSIDE — Israel Manzo 14, Sanchez 3, Steckler 0, Daley 0, Johnson 0, Esqueda 4, Kyle Leija 12, Graf 0, Abbott 2, Alfredo De La Barrera 10, Vargas 8, Bernandez 0. HANFORD — Kyle Wagar 15, Hodgson 0, Friesz 0, Bland 2, Winsor 4, Pete Zachara 13, Haynes 6, Manderbach 2, C. Wagar 3.

Sunnyside 15 13 9 16 — 53 Hanford 15 9 8 13 — 45

Highlights: De La Barrera (S) 10 rebounds; Leija (S) 7 assists; Manzo (S) 6 rebounds; Tristan Abbott (S) 6 rebounds, 4 blocks.

Moses Lake Christian 72, Sunnyside Christian 50

SUNNYSIDE CHRISTIAN — Wagenaar 8, DeJong 8, Van Boven 0, Steven Bosma 11, Crabtree 4, Van Belle 9, Steven Broersma 10. MOSES LAKE CHRISTIAN — Adrian Moffet 29, Kagele 1, Gjelle 3, Leitel 0, Kirkwood 0, McNamara 4, Roberts 5, Murrell 3, Riggs Yarbro 27.

Sunnyside Christian 9 9 13 19 — 50 Moses Lake Christian 15 21 11 25 — 72

Highlights: Kevin DeJong (SC), 9 rebounds, Ryker Van Belle (SC) 4 steals; Yarbro (MLC) 12 rebounds.

Bridgeport 57, Kittitas 47

BRIDGEPORT — Soto 0, Osorio 4, Andres Valdovinos 20, Jose Bucio 13, Torres 5, M. Torres 5, Udell 5. KITTITAS — Sancher 0, Morris 2, Newcomb 2, Larson 0, Dixon 7, Travis Hunt 12, Paul Oursland 12, Victor Romo 12, Tilton 0, Slyfield 0, Lions 0.

Bridgeport 16 16 15 10 — 57 Kittitas 15 5 10 17 — 47

GIRLS

Hanford 65, Sunnyside 30

SUNNYSIDE — Wright 3, Maya 0, Katie Wutzke 9, Partida 8, Tyler 5, Castillo 0, Villa 0, Herrera 3, Robert 0, Marro 2, Reyes 0. HANFORD — Tank 5, Stanhope 7, Wilson 2, Marty 0, Heiman 6, Bush 2, Snow 2, Merry 11, Jorie Freeman 10, Hegarty 4, Laura Hughes 16.

Sunnyside 6 10 5 9 — 30 Hanford 21 15 14 15 — 65

Highlights: Hughes (H) 8 rebounds; Freeman (H) 10 rebounds.

Riverside Christian 55, Sunnyside Christian 42

RIVERSIDE CHRISTIAN — Amy Van Beek 10, Van Horn 3, Madison Hahn 25, Griffith 3, Lawson 2, Calhoun 6, Staymates 6. SUNNYSIDE CHRISTIAN — Bangs 0, Den Hoed 0, Hillary Bosma 11, Long 5, Van Oostrom 2, Joleen Van Wingerden 11, M. Van Wingerden 8, Newhouse 3, Haak 2.

Riverside Christian 14 10 16 15 — 55 Sunnyside Christian 6 9 19 8 — 42

Highlights: Mariah Van Horn (RC) 9 rebounds; Hahn (RC) 7 rebounds, 8 steals; Molly Calhoun (RC) 8 rebounds; Kendra Staymates (RC) 6 rebounds; Amy Van Beek (RC) 7 steals; M. Van Wingerden (SC) 15 rebounds.

Kittitas 52, Bridgeport 22

BRIDGEPORT —  A. Garza 0, A. Gonzalez 2, C. Gonzalez 2, Saucedo 6, Bucia 2, Jackman 1, M. Garza 0, Danielle Cavadinni 9, Ochoa 0. KITTITAS —  Uceny 4, Ali Kilgore 14, Calahan 0, Natalie Gibb 16, Lawrence 0, Erickson 2, Vaver 3, Paul 2, Hudson 5, Garnich 6.

Bridgeport 7 8 0 7 — 22 Kittitas 14 14 12 12 — 52

Highlights: Gibb (K) 14 rebounds,  5 steals; Ali Kilgore  (K) 4–9 3-pt. FG.

Jan. 29 boys leaders

Boys Valley Leaders reported through Jan. 29

200 medley relay: Eisenhower (Englund, Warren, Gentry, Otey) 1:50.68, Selah 1:51.19, West Valley 1:54.36, Prosser 1:56.95.

200 free: Thomas Kuhn (West Valley) 1:51.95, Taylor McDowell (West Valley) 1:55.45, Ryan Tollackson (West Valley) 2:00.84, Tyler Burgett (Prosser) 2:01.28.

200 IM: Thomas Kuhn (West Valley) 2:05.19, Tyler Burgett (Prosser) 2:10.25, Levi Gentry (Eisenhower) 2:16.10, Ryan Tollackson (West Valley) 2:16.81.

50 free: Levi Gentry (Eisenhower) 23.27, Anthony Galaviz (Toppenish) 23.46, Kyle Stone (Selah) 23.64, Taylor McDowell (West Valley) 23.71.

Diving: Jeremy Sculley (Davis) 423.5, Randy Peltier (Davis) 405.3, John Piper (Davis) 228.45, Joey Keeton (Eisenhower) 223.45.

100 fly: Tyler Burgett (Prosser) 54.53, Thomas Kuhn (West Valley) 55.05, Levi Gentry (Eisenhower) 56.07, Brandon Hobbick (Prosser) 59.25.

100 free: Taylor McDowell (West Valley) 50.73, Tyler Burgett (Prosser) 51.92, Thomas Kuhn (West Valley) 52.81, Brandon Hobbick (Prosser) 54.25.

500 free: Tyler Burgett (Prosser) 5:31.98, Eric Wilson (Wapato) 5:43.27, Jeremy Klarich (Wapato) 5:45.44, Travis Reynolds (West Valley) 6:25.31.

200 free relay: West Valley (Kuhn, Tollackson, Hausken, McDowell) 1:36.11, Selah 1:37.95, Prosser 1:40.08, Eisenhower 1:44.53.

100 back: Tyler Burgett (Prosser) 58.03, Thomas Kuhn (West Valley) 58.11, Taylor McDowell (West Valley) 1:03.92, Brandon Hobbick (Prosser) 1:04.30.

100 breast: Tyler Burgett (Prosser) 1:03.67, Thomas Kuhn (West Valley) 1:05.39, Quint Warren (Eisenhower) 1:07.66, Ryan Tollackson (West Valley) 1:11.72.

400 free relay: West Valley (Hausken, Tollackson, McDowell, Kuhn) 3:31.36, Eisenhower 4:04.30, Selah 4:06.93, Prosser 4:15.67.

Ski instructor at home on the hill

D.K. Watson had lived in Yakima for a dozen years, barely 45 minutes from the White Pass ski area, when he finally decided to give the slopes a try.

Someone less adventurous or open to new experiences might say Watson had three things working against him that first day on skis.

For one, he was 48 years old, an age when people are more apt to bring their grandchildren to the mountain for skiing lessons than sign up themselves.

For another, Watson had never exactly been an outstanding athlete.

“I was a real klutz in sports in high school,” he says, laughing. “I couldn’t make the debating team, let alone anything else.”

And, finally, he wasn’t very physically fit because he simply wasn’t active enough.

“I played a little golf,” he says.

Needless to say, then, that first day took a toll on his body.

“My legs were like spaghetti by the end of the day because I was in such terrible shape,” he recalls. “I spent that winter with a huge bruise on my right hip because I always fell on my right side. And I was leaning so far back in my boots that both of my big toenails just basically fell out.”

So then, all in all a miserable experience, right?

Well, not exactly.

“I was hooked instantly,” he says.

But Watson wasn’t an instant success as a skier.

For someone who has never done it, staying upright while sliding down snowfields in heavy boots attached to long, skinny extensions can be a daunting challenge.

But every small success along the way — connecting a couple of decent turns, perhaps, or managing to reach the bottom of a run without falling even once — helps keep a struggling neophyte optimistic about his or her progress. Watson wasn’t able to ski every one of White Pass’ groomed runs until his fourth winter.

But he kept coming back, because he loved it.

After he got good enough on the slopes to feel comfortable skiing by himself, he found there were a lot of youths at the Job Corps who were either already recreational skiers or wanted to be. So every other Saturday, Watson started taking a busload of the them to White Pass, using it as a motivational perk.

“And it was always full, too,” Watson says. “They would vie heavily to be able to get on that bus, and I had very strict rules. If you got in trouble at all during the week, you didn’t get to go.”

Watson, though, would be one way or the other. From that first winter on, even with the spaghetti legs and the big toenails that got mashed so badly that they defected from his foot, he couldn’t wait to get up on the slopes.

“I spent every spare winter moment I could up there skiing,” he says, “until I got good enough to become an instructor.”

Yes, it’s true: D.K. Watson, who didn’t take up skiing until he was nearly 50 is now 71, the oldest ski instructor at White Pass. In 1994, in fact, he quit his other job so he could be on the slopes full-time in winter. Now he’s up on the White Pass slopes for at least five days every week during the winter-sports season, teaching young and old how they might best enjoy skiing as much as he has.

“I’ve been going up to that mountain every winter day that I can for the last 23 years. And every single day, that scene is never the same. The whole scene — the clouds, the sun, the snow, the trees … it’s just unbelievable. I can’t understand how anybody cannot simply literally fall in love with that in itself.”

No toenails and all?

Watson smiles. “They grow back.”

• Did you take up skiing later, not sooner? Give outdoors editor Scott Sandsberry a call at 509-577-7689 (or e-mail at ssandsberry@yakimaherald.com) and tell him about your experience.

Proposed outdoor safety bill off target

A bill being considered by the state House of Representatives makes me gag, and I didn’t even know Pam Almli.

Had I known or been related to Almli, the Snohomish County woman who was shot and killed while hiking last August by a 14-year-old hunter who mistook her for a bear, this proposed legislation would make my blood boil.

I’m certain the legislation, sponsored by Rep. Brian Blake, D-Aberdeen, was brought forth with admirable intentions. And it’s supported by people like the Hunters Heritage Council, whose policies I tend to agree with more often than not.

But I abhor this bill.

It would require anyone “recreating on public land where hunting is allowed” to wear “hiker orange clothing” — the same 400 square inches of fluorescent orange above the waist and all-sides visible required of hunters — during any big game hunting season, which pretty much means August through mid-March.

To me, legislation like this says two things, both of which I vehemently disagree with:

1) Hunters are a bunch of dangerously unhinged, irresponsible, high-powered-weapon-carrying loose cannons whose very existence makes it unsafe to recreate outdoors.

2) Anyone who gets shot by a hunter without wearing the requisite orange was negligent and, therefore, at least partly to blame for his or her poor fortune of being mistaken as a game animal.

Unfortunately, I can just see the end result of this legislation. Some lawyer will be standing in a courtroom, arguing that the victim wasn’t wearing the full 400-inch “hiker orange” coverage, and therefore the nimrod who pulled the trigger couldn’t have been expected to know he wasn’t shooting at an elk. Was Pam Almli at fault in her own death for only wearing a bright blue poncho? If this law were in place, well, yes.

That makes me want to puke.

Tom Perry, president of the Hunters Heritage Council, says he knows trial lawyers could end up using any resulting legislation from Blake’s House Bill 1116 to get a hunter client a lighter sentence in the event of an accidental shooting, but he believes the safety issue outweighs it.

“It’s going to reduce the incidence of accidents,” Perry says. “I understand the outrage of hikers and other recreationists, but it’s no more outrageous than life preservers in boats and seat belts in cars.”

I totally disagree.

Hey, I’m a big believer in people wearing brightly colored clothing when out in the boonies — whether it’s orange or chartreuse doesn’t matter, as long as it isn’t animal-brown. It just makes sense. Encourage that widely and loudly. But legislate it? Nope, that’s just a recipe for disaster.

It would be an enforcement nightmare — an enforcement impossibility, actually — and those officers have better things to do than ticket a family of forest picnickers because 5-year-old Timmy isn’t wearing his full complement of hunter orange.

For the record, I am all for hunting. It’s a great management tool, it can be a tremendous family experience and some of the most responsible conservationists I know are hunters. And for the record, I also am all for throwing the book at any hunter careless enough to pull the trigger and injure or kill another person.

A modern hunting rifle is a manifestly lethal instrument. It was designed to kill with a single shot — the “ethical kill” — to prevent an injured animal from suffering through a long, miserable, painful death. Anyone pulling the trigger on that powerful a weapon had better be absolutely certain what is in their sights.

If the trigger is pulled, the aim is true and the victim turns out to be a person, that hunter to me is no different than the moron who, working his way through his second six-pack while cleaning his loaded gun in the living room, accidentally shoots and kills his roommate. It’s absolutely negligent. It’s manslaughter, or murder, or whatever legal term you want to strap on it, and should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Which brings to mind another Blake-sponsored bill, HB 1114, which would require all hunters under the age of 14 to be accompanied by a licensed adult hunter. Again, I’m convinced Blake’s heart is in the right place; it’s just not the right bill. I much prefer a state Senate bill introduced Monday by Jeanne Kohl-Wells, which would put the minimum age for an unaccompanied hunter at 16 — the age the state wildlife department has supported for years, only to see its wishes fall on deaf ears in the Legislature.

Frankly, any age requirement is problematic; I’ve known 12-year-old hunters I’d trust with a rifle more than some idiotic 40-year-olds I’ve also known. But we don’t put an unsupervised 14-year-old in an automobile; should we trust one with an instrument designed to kill?

In the end, the age at which someone should be allowed to hunt without supervision is whatever age he or she is mature enough to navigate his or her way through the legal system — without Mommy and Daddy’s help — should the target end up being a person, not a game animal.

• Outdoors editor Scott Sandsberry can be reached at 509-577-7689 or ssandsberry@yakimaherald.com

1/27 What’s Happening

Rainier presentation set for Wednesday

Award-winning outdoor photographer Alan Bauer will highlight the Cascadians’ Wednesday night meeting at the Living Care Retirement Community’s Meyer Auditorium (215 N. 40th Ave., at Summitview) in Yakima.

Bauer will do a photographic presentation of Mount Rainier, shots taken during legwork and research for the 2008 guidebook, “Day Hiking Mount Rainier,” which Bauer co-authored with Dan Nelson for The Mountaineers Books. Bauer will talk about some of the best-hiking trails in the area, many of which are in easy driving distance from Yakima, as well as other useful hints — great camping sites, view spots, winter hikes and where you might hike with kids and dogs.

Bauer’s presentation will begin at about 7:30 p.m., following the Cascadians’ 6 p.m. potluck dinner. Non-members may attend the presentation, which is free.

Grazing comments needed by Feb. 23

Public comments on the potential impacts of the state’s plans to graze livestock on the Whisky Dick Wildlife Area and other state wildlife lands in Kittitas County will be accepted through Feb. 23.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has created a Draft Environmental Impact Statement as required by the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), and the document is available for review at wdfw.wa.gov/hab/sepa/sepa.htm or upon request from the WDFW.

The state proposes including livestock grazing as part of the Wild Horse Coordinated Resource Management planning process for a 62,000-acre area about 10 miles east of Ellensburg. Some of those areas, including the Whisky Dick, have not been grazed under a state permit in the past 10 years and are subject to a SEPA review.

Issues include such things as impacts to water quality or wildlife (sage grouse, elk, muledeer, steelhead), quality impacts, protection of stream corridors and spread of noxious weeds.

Class will focus on backcountry survival

An outdoor readiness class at Yakima Valley Community College called “Nature’s Compass and Survival Psychology” will run on three two-hour Tuesday evening sessions beginning Feb. 10.

The class will span the mental and emotional aspects of wilderness survival and also the skills necessary for backcountry navigation, with or without map and compass. Instructor Don Witke is a 22-year veteran of the Yakima County Sheriff Search and Rescue and has taught search-and-rescue concepts for more than a decade.

Search and rescue regulars and academy members will receive six hours of training credit for attending the class. For more information, call Witke at 697-6378; to register, call

574-4796 and use line item 3669.

Youngest Sharp off to fast hillclimb start

David Sharp Jr., a 16-year-old sophomore at East Valley, is fast becoming a rising star in the Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Hillclimb Association (RMSHA), the nation’s top pro hillclimb circuit.

In the first two RMSHA stops of the 2009 season, two weekends ago at Preston, Idaho, and last weekend at Soda Springs, Idaho, Sharp was the top rider in the semipro class, which is normally restricted to 18-and-older riders but has approved Sharp because of his 2008 success in the juniors and the perennial championship performances of his father, David, and uncle, Brad.

At both tour stops, the young Sharp won the King of Hill race pitting all semipro and junior class winners, after winning one class title (semipro stock) at Soda Springs and capturing two firsts and a third the week before.

Brothers David and Brad Sharp, meanwhile, both had solid opening-week debuts at Preston, David getting a first and a second in different pro master classes and Brad with a first and three thirds, also in pro master. Both nearly cancelled last weekend because the poor snow cover and alot of brush on the course, then had what was — for them — somewhat subpar runs. David placed fifth in pro master stock, fourth in pro master improved, seventh in pro 600 and sixth in pro 1000. Brad placed second in pro master stock, third in pro master improved and seventh in pro 600 improved.

Brian Thierolf and Josh Koreski, both of Yakima, placed 12th in pro 700 stock and third in pro 700 improved, respectively.

Dale, Smith turn in perfect 25×25 rounds

Dennis Dale took the open men’s class and Ken Smith of Selah took the senior division, both with 25×25 rounds, to capture buttons Sunday in the fourth week of the Yakima Valley Sportsmen trap club’s nine-week Button Shoot.

Toni Gamble took the ladies button with a 17×25 in windy conditions, while new shooter Todd Peterson tied Jordan Taylor at 22×25 in the juniors before Taylor won in a shootoff.

Shooting runs 9:30 a.m. to noon on Sundays.
Bird Alert: Thayer’s on ice at Buchanan

This week an adult Thayer’s gull was spotted standing on the ice at the half-frozen Buchanan Lake. While winter gulls are a bit unusual away from the Columbia River in Yakima County, Thayer’s gulls are regular migrants and winter residents in Washington. Also of note along the Greenway was a western screech owl at the Arboretum and three ruddy ducks on Sarg Hubbard pond.

Reports of a northern hawk owl spotted near Bridgeport sparked a wild bird chase for two Yakima-area birders, who tracked down the crow-sized owl. This owl lives in the far north, but sometimes wanders south during the winter when food is low. Unlike most owls, it hunts during the day and is not afraid of humans, which made it easier for the birders to locate and photograph it.

An Audubon field trip group to the western Horse Heavens and Columbia River included a stop at the grain elevators in Mabton, providing good looks at 15 Eurasian collared doves, a fairly new species to the Yakima valley.

They also had 22 rough-legged hawks, a hawk that spends the summer far to the north and the winter in open lowland areas of prairies, marshes, and agricultural area across North America and Eurasia. Earlier in the week a snow bunting was spotted among 150 horned larks just east of the county line on Glade Road.

Please call your bird sightings into the Yakima Valley Audubon phone line at 248-1963

— Kerry L. Turley

AROUND AND ABOUT

MASTER HUNTER ORIENTATION: The first of a February series of three orientation meetings for prospective Master Hunter applicants will be held Feb. 14 in Yakima, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the West Valley Fire Department (10000 Zier Road). Two others will be held Feb. 21 at the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council headquarters in Spokane and Feb. 28 at the Natural Resources Building in Olympia. No preregistration is required for the class/meetings, after which participants may apply for the program and will packets and study materials. (The certification package itself costs $20.)

REC FEES CONSIDERED:  A regional federal recreation advisory committee will hear approximately 50 proposals to establish or change user fees on six national forests and the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area when it meets Friday in Portland. The proposals and committee agenda can be viewed online at  www.fs.fed.us/r6/passespermits/rrac-meetings.

HUNT SEASONS: The WDFW is accepting public input through Feb. 20 on its proposed 2009-11 hunting seasons, which can be seen at wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/seasonsetting/.

ON THE CALENDAR

TODAY AND EVERY TUESDAY: The Cascadians’ Tuesday hikers meet at 8 a.m. at the 40th Avenue Bi-mart parking lot and carpool from there to the day’s cross-country ski or snowshoe trip, always determined that day based on weather and snow conditions.

THURSDAY: The Cascadians’ Pokies have two outings planned — one to North Fork Tieton for cross-country skiers and snowshoers, and one on the north end of the Greenway for folks who would rather walk. For meeting time and place for the North Fork Tieton trip, call Jim Hertel at 469-4458. For the Greenway trip, call Jeanne Crawford at 966-8608.

Local report: Trout Lake-Glenwood boys fall to CS Lewis

TROUT LAKE — Luke Dearden scored 19 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, to get Trout Lake-Glenwood back into the game, but C.S. Lewis of Portland came away with the 59-55 non-league victory on Monday night.

Gabe Leatherman led C.S. Lewis with 18 points, and the Watchmen made 12-of-15 free throws to seal the win after outscoring Trout Lake-Glenwood 20-7 in the third quarter.

Andy Wells had 15 points and Alex Whitefield added 14 points and 12 rebounds for Trout Lake-Glenwood, which shot 5-for-10 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, and 14-for-23 overall.

C.S. LEWIS — Beck 5, Josh Walker 10, Laughlin 2, Gabe Leatherman 18, Ryan Hafner 14, Walker 8, Halstead 2. TROUT LAKE-GLENWOOD — Luke Dearden 19, Schuster 3, King 2, Alex Whitefield 14, Starr 2, Andy Wells 15, Keithly 0, Connell 0.

C.S. Lewis 13 10 20 16 — 59 Trout Lake-Glenwood 17 11 7 20 — 55

Highlights: Wells (TLG) 12 rebounds.

PREP BOWLING

Regional today at Nob Hill

Eisenhower and West Valley will try to parlay their respective league titles into state berths today at the Class 4A and 3A-2A regional girls tournaments at Nob Hill Lanes.

The Cadets will compete with Kennewick, Moses Lake and Pasco for two state berths in the 4A regional. The Rams will be joined by Selah, Sunnyside and Ellensburg in a quest for a single state berth in the 3A-2A regional.

The team competition starts at 1 p.m., followed by individual competition at 3:30 p.m.
The state tournaments will be held Feb. 6-7 at Narrows Plaza Bowl in Tacoma.

Jan. 26 Valley Power Rankings

VALLEY POWER RANKINGS – Jan. 26 update

The week in review: It was a week of dual meets with very little travel on Saturday. The West Valley Duals dominated action on the weekend, but Toppenish enjoyed a successful trip to Idaho for the Clearwater Classic and Kittitas won its own Coyote Classic. This coming week will conclude the regular season. District, regional and state here we come!

103 pounds
1, Santos Guillen, Grandview.
2, Christian Reyes, Sunnyside.
3, Irving Jaimez, Prosser.
4, Armondo Hernandez, Toppenish.
5, Jose Barrera, Toppenish.
Notes: Guillen was 2-0 to bump his record to 27-1. Reyes was 2-1 with a loss to Hopkins at 112, and Jaimez was 4-0. Hernandez and Barrera placed 3rd and 5th at Clearwater. Overall state rank: 9, Guillen.

112 pounds
1, Steven Romero, Sunnyside.
2, Cortney Nalley, Davis.
3, Konner Hopkins, East Valley.
4, Isaiah Garza, Toppenish.
5, Levi Needle, Selah.
Notes: Unbeaten Romero (24-0) and Nalley had quiet weeks, but Hopkins slips by Garza into third with his impressive 3-0 win over Reyes. Hopkins and Garza split two matches earlier in the season. Overall state rank: 1, Romero; 7, Nalley; 9, Garza.

119 pounds
1, Skylor Davis, Zillah.
2, Osmar Jaimez, Prosser.
3, Julian Romero, Toppenish.
4, Joe Salcedo, Granger.
5, Luis Padilla, Kittitas.
Notes: Big week for Davis, who regains the top spot with wins over Salcedo (pin) and Jaimez (10-4). Romero was runner-up at Clearwater, and Padilla won at Coyote. Overall state rank: 3, Davis; 7, Romero.

125 pounds
1, Zach Nalley, Davis.
2, Kenny Sanders, Ellensburg.
3, Sammy Salcedo, Granger.
4, John Cruz, Selah.
5, Luis Aviles, Mabton.
Notes: No movement here with Nalley (26-1) idle. Sanders was 1-1 with a 7-3 loss to Quincy’s Silvas, and Salcedo was 2-0 in league duals. Overall state rank: 7, Nalley; 9, Sanders.

130 pounds
1, Robert Espinoza, Selah.
2, Daniel O’Shaughnessy, Kittitas.
3, Miguel Montiel, Toppenish.
4, Colby Coates, Ellensburg.
5, Mason Yates, East Valley.
Notes: Espinoza was an injury default in the EV dual. O’Shaughnessy captured another tourney title at Coyote, and Montiel was very impressive in winning at Clearwater. Yates has two wins over Montiel but has fallen to Coates, who won the Coyote title.

135 pounds
1, Shawn Olivarez, Sunnyside.
2, Garrett Walker, Grandview.
3, Reece Hunter, West Valley.
4, Roy Cardenas, Davis.
5, Jacob Standfill, East Valley.
Notes: Olivarez and Hunter were both 3-0. Standfill was 0-2 but the losses were to Olivarez and Hunter.

140 pounds
1, Kenny Garza, Wapato.
2, Kido Espinoza, Davis.
3, Rafael Osorio, Toppenish.
4, Josh Cruz, Selah.
5, Baltazar Avalos, Sunnyside.
Notes: Garza and Espinoza were idle, and Osorio was 4th at Clearwater. Avalos moves into the rankings with a 9-2 decision over former No. 5 Jimmy Wilson of East Valley.

145 pounds
1, Tait Tucker, Ellensburg.
2, Ryan Rebellosa, Toppenish.
3, Chris Rowe, Selah.
4, Jeremy Standfill, East Valley.
5, Leroy Rodelo, Sunnyside.
Notes: Tucker was 2-0 while Rebellosa appears to be heading down to 135. He was 5th at Clearwater at that weight, but we’ll wait a week longer to confirm the move. Rowe bested Standfill 8-3, and Standfill clipped Rodelo 4-3.

152 pounds
1, Chris Castillo, Zillah.
2, Nick Clark, West Valley.
3, Tyler Coates, Ellensburg.
4, Gabe Ramirez, Davis.
5, Caleb Gomez, Sunnyside.
Notes: Castillo (31-1) bounced back with a huge 4-0 week, beating Gautreaux 14-5 at 160 and pinning Godinez at 171. Overall state rank: 5, Castillo.

160 pounds
1, David Huizar, Sunnyside.
2, Tyler Noble, Selah.
3, Nick Gautreaux, West Valley.
4, Carlos Ramirez, Toppenish.
5, Ben Simpson, Ellensburg.
Notes: Huizar dropped his Kennewick match in OT and sat out the WV Duals. Gautreaux was 2-1 with the loss to Castillo. Overall state rank: 10, Huizar.

171 pounds
1, Angelo Salinas, Mabton.
2, David Godinez, Prosser.
3, Willie Hayes, Selah.
4, Nick Alverado, Toppenish.
5, Brett Lovell, Kittitas.
Notes: Everyone holds form here with Salinas having just one match. Godinez was 3-1 with the loss to Castillo, and Alverado was 4th at Clearwater. Lovell lost in a Reardan dual but won at Coyote.

189 pounds
1, Kane Koerner, Zillah.
2, Tito Gonzalez, Davis.
3, Russell Jones, Kittitas.
4, Devin McCrary, Ellensburg.
5, Ricardo Ayala, Toppenish.
Notes: Koerner (29-3) was 4-0 with three first-round pins. Jones was runner-up at Coyote, and McCrary went 2-0 in CWAC duals.

215 pounds
1, Josh Cole, Ellensburg.
2, Weston Green, West Valley.
3, Pete Almaguer, Granger.
4, Logan Robert, Naches Valley.
5, Damien Marquez, Mabton.
Notes: Cole (23-4) was 2-0 and Green rested an injury at the WV Duals. The SCAC West trio jumbled again with Almaguer knocking off Robert 6-4.

285 pounds
1, Blake Nichols, Ellensburg.
2, Brad Overand, West Valley.
3, Richie Rodriguez, Selah.
4, Isaiah LittleBull, Wapato.
5, Luis Rodriguez, Toppenish.
Notes: Nichols picked up two forfeits to boost his record to 24-1, and Overand went 3-0 with three pins. Rodriguez was 3rd at Clearwater.

« Previous Page — Next Page »