2009-10 Prep wrestling standings

CBBN (4A/3A)

Cascade Division W L Moses Lake 6 0 Wenatchee 5 1 Sunnyside 4 2 Davis 2 4 Southridge 2 4 Kennewick 1 5 Pasco 1 5 Columbia Division W L Chiawana 6 1 Eastmont 6 1 Richland 6 1 Walla Walla 4 3 West Valley 2 5 Kamiakin 2 5 Eisenhower 1 6 Hanford 1 6

CWAC (2A)

W L Selah 8 0 Othello 8 0 Toppenish 7 2 East Valley 6 3 Ellensburg 5 4 Ephrata 4 5 Quincy 3 6 Grandview 2 7 Wapato 1 8 Prosser 0 9

SCAC  (1A)

West Division W L Zillah 6 0 Granger 5 1 Naches Valley 4 2 Goldendale 3 3 Mabton 2 4 Highland 1 5 Cle Elum 0 6

Dome A Second Home

YAKIMA, Wash. — For Granger’s basketball teams, the SunDome has quite literally become their home away from home.

While many players who aren’t used to playing basketball in such a cavernous facility fall victim to a skewed sense of depth perception often called “dome vision,” the Spartans shouldn’t have a problem with that.

Saturday’s “Rivalry Saturday” games against Mabton will mark the fifth time this season the Granger boys and girls have played in the SunDome — the same number of times they’ve played on their own court in Granger.

“Obviously it’s an advantage when the first day of the state tournament will be our sixth game (on the SunDome floor),” said Granger girls coach Andy Affholter, whose 13-0 squad tops the 1A ranks in the latest Associated Press state poll.

“And we may be playing somebody who’s there for the first time. Two years ago when we beat Freeman (51-35 in the quarterfinals, when the Scotties were ranked No. 3 and Granger was largely unknown), I think that was their first time there in a couple of years. So some of their kids have never been in the SunDome, and they didn’t shoot well that day — and they sure shot well the rest of the tournament.

“So I think it’s great for your kids to get to play in there during the season.”

For the Spartan boys (13-0 and ranked third), Saturday’s 8 p.m. SunDome game against Mabton will be a rematch of their Jan. 8 74-70 overtime thriller. But neither Granger coach Miguel Bazaldua or Mabton coach Brock Ledgerwood is looking ahead to Saturday … Primarily because pitfalls await on Friday.

“This is a huge weekend. It could really jumble up the standings,” Bazaldua said. “We have Naches (Valley) at Naches on Friday, and we’re looking forward to that one.

“We’ll practice for both of them throughout the week, and obviously they have different styles. Naches plays a 3-2 matchup zone — it’s a tough zone and they play it really well, and they’re really patient on offense. They do all the little things really well.

“And Mabton’s got great shooters, they penetrate really well, and they create a lot off the dribble. With both of these games we’re going to have to bring our ‘A’ game, because if not we’re either going to get run off the court or they’re going to finesse us off the court.”

Ledgerwood’s team, meanwhile, plays at Zillah Friday night, and that game may matter more than Saturday’s to the Vikings in terms of postseason positioning. Mabton is tied for second with Goldendale at 5-2 in SCAC West play behind 6-0 Granger, and the top two placers have a distinct advantage going into district.

“(The Granger game) is our rivalry. These kids know each other, they’ve played each other since who knows when in AAU and that stuff,” Ledgerwood said.

“The tough thing for us will be to keep them ready for Zillah on Friday night. It’s more important for us to beat those other teams and keep us in second place than worrying about Granger and getting first place.”

FIRST PLACE, ANYONE? That’s precisely what will be up for grabs in the CWAC boys race Friday night in Selah, when Ephrata comes to town to take on the Vikings.

The second-ranked Tigers had all but cemented themselves as the top challenger to reigning champion Squalicum when they went into Wapato last weekend and dropped a 70-66 nailbiter to the Wolves.

That dropped Ephrata from its solo stance atop the CWAC standings into a 9-1 deadlock with Selah, whose only conference loss came by nine points on Ephrata’s home court six weeks ago.

“We didn’t step up to the challenge like I hoped we would,” Ephrata coach Brandon Evenson said after the game, adding that he wasn’t surprised to see Wapato play so well.

Also not surprised was Selah coach Kip Harris.

“I don’t look at anything that happens in this league as an upset,” Harris said. “Anybody can be knocked off. Take our (60-57) score with Quincy (last Saturday). They’re at the bottom of the league, we had to have a layin late in the game to take the lead and they had a shot to tie it.

“It doesn’t surprise me at all that Wapato knocked (the Tigers) off,” Harris said. “I’m always impressed with how Wapato plays. That being said, I think Ephrata has the best team in the league.”

Ephrata and Selah have something in common: an injury to a star forcing other players to step into more prominent roles, thus improving the overall team depth.

The Tigers spent last year without 6-foot-9, all-state, Washington State University-bound Patrick Simon, who had a broken foot. In his absence, 6-3 Ross Buchert became an all-CWAC standout and players like Randall Tupling and Mark Novik (both 6-2) vastly improved their games.

Selah, meanwhile, has been without senior Drew Washut for two weeks with a foot problem and now faces the prospect of being without star guard Nick Longmire for the next few weeks because of an illness.

“We’ve had some other kids really step up,” Harris said. Evidence? Mark Valencourt and Shawn Thompson had double-doubles in a win at Othello, junior Brady Hutchins had a 12-point, seven-rebound, eight-assist game at Quincy and sophomore Danny Hernandez had the decisive basket in the win over the Jackrabbits.

SHORT JUMPERS: Other “Rivalry Saturday” games in the SunDome on Saturday will be a SCAC doubleheader pitting Goldendale against Cle Elum and a Mid-Valley 2B pair between La Salle and Riverside Christian. … Zillah’s hopes that stellar freshman Robert Slack, who would almost certainly have started at point guard for the Leopards this year had he not broken his leg during football, won’t come true. The initial hopes after his injury was that he might be back in time for a late-season (and possible postseason) run, but his recovery isn’t there yet.

A likely entrant in the 1A boys tournament field come the first week of March will be Chelan, which has the reigning 1A player of the year in 6-6 senior Joe Harris (a University of Virginia recruit). Last week he very nearly outscored a pretty good Lake Roosevelt team by himself, racking up 41 points in an 89-52 road victory. … How dominant has Rosalia been in Class 1B boys this year? Led by all-stater Jim Maley, the Spartans’ 17-0 record includes victories over Wellpinit (ranked No. 2 by BSports.org), No. 9 Cusick (in a 66-40 rout) and by 15 over reigning state champ Tri-Cities Prep.

Parsons hopes for another gold rush

YAKIMA, Wash. — Yakima’s Joe Parsons, who grabbed two gold medals in last year’s Winter X Games, begins his quest for more snowmobiling glory today.

And, according to the ESPN action sports Web site promoting the annual event, he’s got a new trick — the “Parsby.”

The Parsby, the site says, is a backflip that goes to a 180-degree body twist with a backward landing. The maneuver has not been performed in competition.

“I’m working non-stop, months in advance and just focusing on doing well,” Parsons told ESPN. “This year is the most I’ve ever put into this, and I know that it’s more than others are putting in.”

At last year’s X Games, Parsons — who turned 22 last week — won the gold medal in the speed and style and freestyle competitions after taking silver in freestyle and bronze in speed and style the year before.

Parsons will compete in the freestyle (finals at 6 p.m. today, ESPN), best trick (4 p.m. Friday, ESPN) and knock out (4 p.m. Sunday, ESPN2).

No bull: Dome will host PBR tour stop

YAKIMA, Wash. — For one of the best bull riders in the business, it seemed like a no-brainer for the Professional Bull Riders to return to the Yakima SunDome.

“You want to go back to where it works … and where you’re going to get good bulls,” Cody Ford said at a Wednesday news conference announcing a PBR Touring Pro Division stop April 17 in the SunDome.

That’s why Ford, a member of the PBR’s top division, plans to compete in the Yakima event, which is part of the tour just below that elite group.

“You’ll have a sold-out crowd and it’s a chance to make some bonus money,” said the Stanfield, Ore., cowboy, who has reached the National Finals each of the past two seasons and been riding since he was 12. “The PBR wants to come back to Yakima.”

Tickets for April’s event are on sale, with adult tickets costing $20, $30 and $40. They can be purchased at any TicketsWest outlet, by phone at 1-800-325-7382, online at www.ticketswest.com, or at the SunDome box office.

The Touring Pro Division is one notch below the PBR’s marquee Built Ford Tough Division, which features the top 40 bull riders in the nation.

The Touring Pro circuit is broken into three regions — pacific, central and eastern — and runs from January through November, with its cowboys trying to earn their way onto the Built Tough circuit, which features 33 events per season.

Other Touring Pro stops in the pacific region include Spokane and “quite a few in Oregon,” Ford said.

125 volleyball teams set to descend on Yakima

YAKIMA, Wash. — Team Yakima’s 32nd annual Northwest Volleyball Jamboree will bring 125 age-group teams to the area this weekend and make it a busy time for local businesses Friday through Sunday.

Competition begins Saturday at 8 a.m. at sites through the Yakima area and continues through championship finals late Sunday afternoon.

Drawing teams from Oregon, Idaho, Washington and Canada, age groups will be divided into six classes — U-18, U-16 Power, U-16 Challenge, U-14 Power, U-14 Challenge and U-12.

Tournament headquarters will be at East Valley High School, which will host the U-18 finals Sunday afternoon.

The Tri-Cities-based Columbia Juniors Black squad is the defending U-18 champion and will return with three local players — Eisenhower’s Tori Fisher and Kayla Randles and Selah’s Erin Smith.

Included in the U-18 field are Ellensburg, Sunnyside, the Yakima Valley Spikers and Team Yakima Gold, which has four players each from West Valley and East Valley.

The primary sites for U-16, which has a total of 55 teams in Power and Challenge, include West Valley High School, Junior High and Middle School.

Admission for all matches both days is free. For more information on teams, sites and results see www.teamyakima.com.

Indoor football team sets schedule

YAKIMA, Wash. — The Yakima Valley Warriors finally have a schedule and will shortly start to have the players for their inaugural season of indoor football.

Yakima Valley will debut in the American Indoor Football Association with a pair of road games — March 20 at the Wenatchee Valley Venom, and March 28 at Wasilla, Alaska.

The Warriors’ home debut, in the SunDome, is April 3 against Wenatchee Valley, followed by another home date April 10 against the San Jose Wolves.

“Overall, we’re pleased with the schedule,” said Warriors owner Michael Mink, who is also co-owner of the league. “It’s nice to open with an in-state rival … and the (home games) are spread out nicely.”

Yakima Valley will play at total of 14 games — seven home and seven away — with the regular season ending on June 26.

Season tickets are currently available, either at the SunDome ticket office, or on the team’s Web site at www.yakimavalleywarriors.com

Single game tickets are expected to go on sale in mid-February.

Next up for the Warriors will be their first player tryouts, set for Saturday, Feb. 6 in the SunDome.

Interested players must be at least 19 years of age, and will be charged a $50 fee.

The team plans on inviting at least 12 players from the tryout to training camp, which will begin in early March, Mink said, adding that the Warriors will have 35 to 40 players in training camp, with 25 making the final roster.

Fans are invited to attend the tryouts to view the seating arrangement for games. Team merchandise will also be available for the first time, Mink said.

For more information, contact the team at 509-249-1110.

Yakima Warriors
March
20    at Wenatchee Valley
28    at Wasilla (Alaska)
April
3    Wenatchee Valley
10    San Jose
16    at Ogden (Utah)
May
1    Wasilla
8    Wyoming
15    at Wyoming
22    Wasilla
29    at Wenatchee Valley
June
5    at Ogden
12    at San Jose
19    Ogden
26    San Jose

NOTE: All home games start at 7:15 p.m.

Central 9th in first West Region poll

ELLENSBURG, Wash. — If the playoffs started today, Wednesday’s initial NCAA Division II West Region men’s basketball poll would have been bad news for Central Washington.

With the top eight teams in the final regional rankings qualifying for the postseason, the Wildcats would have been the odd team out. They were listed ninth in Wednesday’s poll following Saturday night’s 84-70 home loss to No. 2 Western Washington.

The GNAC, in which CWU competes, held the top three spots with Seattle Pacific preceding Western and Alaska Anchorage following. Montana State Billings, which hosts CWU tonight, is ranked eighth.

In addition to Western and Alaska Anchorage, the Wildcats have lost to No. 5 Dixie State and No. 8 BYU-Hawaii.

Central (9-6, 3-2 GNAC), will play seven of its next nine games on the road.

NCAA DIVISION II WEST REGION

1, Seattle Pacific (14-2); 2, Western Washington (14-3); 3, Alaska Anchorage (12-4); 4, Cal State San Bernardino (11-4); 5, Dixie State (12-3); 6, Humboldt State (12-4); 7, Montana State Billings (8-5); 8, BYU-Hawaii (9-6); 9, Central Washington (9-6); 10, Cal Poly Pomona (9-5).

Yaks move up to No. 3

YAKIMA, Wash. — Yakima Valley moved up to third in the most recent NWAACC women’s basketball poll, which was released Wednesday.

The Yaks (13-4), who extended their Eastern Region winning streak to 21 games Saturday with a  win at No. 7 Columbia Basin, followed No. 1 Lane and No. 2 Walla Walla. YVCC dealt the Warriors (15-1) their lone loss, 54-48, last Wednesday night in Sherar Gym.

YVCC hosts Treasure Valley at 2 p.m. Saturday.

NWAACC WOMEN’S POLL — 1, Lane (16-1); 2, Walla Walla (15-1); 3, Yakima Valley (13-4); 4, Clackamas (13-3); 5, Centralia (16-2); 6, Umpqua (12-4); 7, Columbia Basin (11-5); 8, Bellevue (11-6).
NWAACC MEN’S POLL — 1, Tacoma (14-2); 2, Clackamas (14-3); 3, Lower Columbia (14-2); 4, Big Bend (10-3); 5, Mount Hood (12-3); 6, Spokane (14-3); 7, Chemeketa (13-2); 8, Shoreline (12-3).

Wood leads CWU honorees

ELLENSBURG — Senior linebacker Buddy Wood has been selected to the D2Football.com All-America first team.

Fellow linebacker Prince Hall was named to the second team while wide receiver Johnny Spevak, offensive tackle Tony Quirk and placekicker Garrett Rolsma received honorable mention. All are seniors.

Running back Joique Bell of Wayne State (Mich.) was voted offensive player of the year, linebacker Mike Johnson of North Alabama was defensive player of the year and Mel Tjeerdsma of national champion Northwest Missouri State was coach of the year.

TLG downs Bickleton

BICKLETON, Wash. — Jacob Wells scored 14 points and C.J. Schuster had 13 as Trout Lake-Glenwood downed Bickleton 48-45 in Greater Columbia 1B League boys basketball.

Junior Hernandez and Justin Roberts scored 11 points each for Bickleton, which led 13-1 after one quarter.

TROUT LAKE-GLENWOOD — Woodruff 3, T. Schuster 6, King 5, Jacob Wells 14, A. Wells 7, C.J. Schuster 13, Langfield 0, Starr 0.
BICKLETON — Justin Roberts 11, Clinton 2, Powers 0, Junior Hernandez 11, Brown 3, Venema 5, Harvey 3, Molina 8, Heldahl 2.
Trout Lake-Glen.    1    21    8    18    —    48
Bickleton    13    9    8    15    —    45
Highlights: Molina (B) 11 rebs.

GIRLS

TROUT LAKE-GLENWOOD 49, BICKLETON 44: At Bickleton, Wash. Katie Yarnell had 21 points, and Liz Vogt added 16 to lead Trout Lake-Glenwood.
Katelynn Clinton had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Bickleton.

TROUT LAKE-GLENWOOD — Cox 0, Glenn 2, Keithly 0, Jones 0, Liz Vogt 16, Kr. Yarnell 0, Scott 0, Cavanaugh 2, Johnson 0, Katie Yarnell 21, Barrett 8.

BICKLETON — Osborne 3, S. Kibby 5, M. McBride 3, Mount 8, N. Kibby 0, Katelynn Clinton 20, Venema 5, Ha. Goodnight 0, A. McBride 0, Ho. Goodnight 0.

Trout Lake-Glen.    11    10    14    14    —    49

Bickleton                     9    15    9    11    —    44

Highlights: Clinton (B) 11 rebs; Jamie Venema (B) 9 rebs; Morgan McBride (B) 8 rebs.

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