Wapato’s turn to feel the pain

YAKIMA, Wash. — Kip Harris’ suffering has become Adam Strom’s pain. If you’re a CWAC boys basketball coach, cross your fingers this weekend. Maybe for the rest of the season.

Just as Harris began patching his aching and ill Selah team back together, Strom learned this week his Wapato crew will be without scoring ace Matt Guevara for the rest of the conference season with a knee injury.

Guevara suffered a partial tear of his left anterior cruciate ligament early in Saturday’s game against East Valley. Combining Wapato’s schedule and Guevara’s optimistic rehab timeline, the senior forward could return for the postseason.

“He’s been fitted for a brace, and it’s three to four weeks of intense therapy, but Matt’s going to give it a go,” Strom said. “There’s no need to rush him back for any league games. After three weeks we’ll have a better idea for district, so we’re hoping for the best.”

The streaking Wolves (10-2, 11-3), who have won eight straight to move into second place a game back of Ephrata, have six CWAC games left with four at home. The district tournament starts Feb. 22 but that’s for seeds 5 through 8. The 3-4 seeds get a first-round bye  and the top two teams go directly to the Feb. 27 semifinals.

So the good news is there’s time to work with.

And Wapato has already adjusted.

Rigo Alvarado, Efrain Reynoso, Greg Strom and Jacoby Howe all scored in double figures to outscore East Valley, 73-71. And the night before the Wolves beat fourth-place Ellensburg 50-47 despite a foul-plagued Guevara scoring only six points.

“Matt’s scoring is definitely important to us, but I’m worried more about his defense and having a senior leader on the floor,” Strom noted. “It’s more than just statistics.”

Harris got Drew Washut back from a foot injury last weekend but won’t be full strength until Nick Longmire, the CWAC’s leading scorer, recovers from mono.

Harris and Strom can commiserate tonight. Wapato hosts Selah at 7:30 p.m.

Maneuvering for district

With Davis’ boys already locking up the Columbia Division’s top seed in the 4A district tournament, the Pirates (9-0, 14-3) must wait for the Cascade Division to sort itself out before a first-round opponent is determined.

And it will definitely take some sorting.

Walla Walla (10-1, 15-2) owns a two-game lead over the state-ranked threesome of Eisenhower, Kamiakin and Richland — all 8-3 with three games remaining. Tonight’s big Cascade game is fifth-ranked Wa-Hi visiting No. 7 Richland.

Two of Eisenhower’s final three games are against teams well down the standings, leaving Saturday’s trip to Kamiakin as a real decision-maker toward who gets the No. 2 spot and a home district opener.

On the girls side, Eisenhower can lock up a Cascade district berth with a win at Eastmont tonight. In the Columbia, Davis can still catch Pasco for fourth place but the Bulldogs hold a tiebreaking sweep over the Pirates.

First or second will do

For all three of the district boys swim meets this weekend, two is the big number.

That’s how many qualifiers, aside from those meeting time standards, will automatically advance to the state championships in Federal Way on Feb. 18-20.

The CBBN 4A and Eastern Washington 2A-1A meets will be held today and Saturday at Central Washington University while West Valley travels to Vancouver for the 3A District 4-5 meet at Propstra Pool.

Richland (4A), Hanford (3A) and Pullman (2A-1A) are the respective defending champions.

They want Uncle Sam

Eisenhower’s Seth Kline was one of three CBBN football players to commit to a U.S. Service academy on Wednesday.

Kline will join Walla Walla lineman Zach Sumerlin at the Air Force Academy. Basic training for both starts in late June.

Pasco wide receiver Marques Avery committed to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.

Air Force, which had only one player from Washington on last year’s roster, got football commitments from seven Washingtonians on Wednesday.

Aliverti passes away

Known in Washington as the voice of Mat Classic and worldwide for his Olympic Games announcing, Ed Aliverti passed away Wednesday morning at the age of 77.

A Walla Walla High and Washington State graduate, Aliverti announced a wide range of national collegiate and international wrestling competitions, including five consecutive trips to the Olympics from 1984 to 2000.

Aliverti announced the Washington prep championships since 1964. But when all classes came under one roof in the Tacoma Dome in 1988, he was a true master of ceremonies with his knowledge, enthusiasm and stirring rendition of “America the Beautiful.”

Mat Classic will not be the same without him.

All-State hoop moves

The Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association has moved its All-State boys games on March 20 from Franklin to Mountlake Terrace High School.

Three games have been tentatively set for noon (1B vs. 2B), 2 p.m. (1A vs. 2A) and 4 p.m. (3A vs. 4A).