YAKIMA, Wash. — Following up a state championship season is never easy, especially for a team that graduated two all-state scoring stars and has a new head coach.

But the Prosser girls are finding their way.

And for a time last Saturday night, Sydney Mercer gave the Mustangs a nice flashback that they hope is a glimpse of things to come.

The 5-foot-10 junior forward put up three career highs in one night, collecting 35 points, 18 rebounds and eight steals in a win over Selah that leveled Prosser’s records at 7-7 in league and 8-8 overall. Mercer had been averaging 12 points.

“Syd has this little fade on her jumper and it doesn’t draw much contact,” said coach Scott Yetter, a former assistant who took over for Mark Little. “I told her, ‘look, you’re not getting to the line enough. You need to attack the hoop more.’”

Mercer responded to the call for aggression, as evidenced by the 18 boards, and she connected on 11 of 13 free throws.

Prosser has four conference games left and is hopeful of earning a home game for the first round of district on Feb. 14. The transition has settled in.

“We talked about that a bunch at the start of the season, that December would be kind of rough,” Yetter said. “We don’t just throw the ball to Tamara (Jones) and Tayshia (Hunt) anymore and watch the ball go in the hole. But we’re doing some good things now and hopefully they’re beginning to believe in themselves.”

Adding to the legacy ||

When Cooper Kupp enrolls at Eastern Washington University in the fall, he’ll become the third generation in his immediate family to play college football.

Grandfather Jake played at the University of Washington before a 14-year career in the National Football League, and father Craig starred at Pacific Lutheran University before spending two seasons in the NFL.

All that experience was not lost on Cooper when he signed his letter of intent Wednesday.

“I’ve been really lucky to have two former NFL players to motivate me and help keep my mind focused,” he said. “It’s cool looking back and remembering those times I had with my day and grandpa, and realize how much they helped me, not just skill-wise but to build my character.”

On a related note, Cooper will also be the second Kupp to play for the Eagles, joining great-uncle Jeff Kupp, who was an offensive lineman there from 1982-84.

Grand update ||

Justine Benner’s addition to the 1,000-point career club brings the Valley total to seven this season and three more are closing in fast.

Benner’s four-year tally is at 1,006 as she becomes just the second girl at Naches Valley to reach the milestone. Tammie Birge reached 1,281 in 1996.

White Swan’s Amber Jones (1,062) has five games in the next nine days and is approaching Andrea Blodgett’s school record of 1,152. That would make a program sweep of school records this season since Lawrence Fiander has been adding to his boys mark (1,405) every time out.

Closing in this week is the Granger tandem of Brandon Castro (954) and Andrew Reddout (947) and Riverside Christian’s Kendra Staymates (965).

CWAC mat at Ellensburg ||

Unbeaten Tyler Coates will compete on his home mats for the final time this weekend as one of three top-ranked wrestlers in the CWAC district tournament at Ellensburg.

Coates is the top seed at 170 pounds, owns a 22-0 season record and brings in a run of eight straight pins.

Othello’s Joey Gomez, a two-time state runner-up, and Toppenish’s Raul Pech are ranked 1-2 in the state at 220. Pech is 21-1 but that one loss was to Gomez in the SunDome final.

Quincy’s Gabe Martinez is No. 1 at 106 pounds. He edged Selah’s Kyle Anson, ranked fourth, 3-1 in their dual last week.

First-round matches start today at 4 p.m. with competition resuming Saturday at 1 p.m.

Brackets can be found at www.cwac2a.com.

Coming of age ||

With so much youth getting heavy minutes, it’s not surprising that the Davis and Sunnyside girls basketball teams have had their struggles at times this season.

But lately there have been significant signs of that youth growing up.

The Pirates (4-6, 6-11), who start three sophomores and two freshmen, are heading toward the CBBN 4A’s No. 5 district seed after beating Moses Lake on the road Tuesday.

They played the league’s top two teams last week — Chiawana and Walla Walla — and the combined losing margin of 23 points was a far cry from the 72-point gap in the league’s first half.

“We’ve been focusing on some specific things and it’s made a big difference,” Davis’ first-year coach Erin Smith said. “We’re fixing little things like boxing out better and cutting down on turnovers.”

Sunnyside (6-6, 9-9) is tied with West Valley for fourth in the CBBN 3A and is led by freshman Jordan Rodriguez. The Grizzlies won five of seven league games during one stretch — not bad for a program that was 1-19 last season.

Swimmers aiming for state ||

The Class 4A, 3A and 2A-1A district boys swimming and diving meets will start today at Central Washington University and conclude Saturday with state-qualifying finals in all events.

The 4A meet advances its top two finishers to state in Federal Way on Feb. 17-18 while the 3A meet advances just winners — both the same as last season.

The 2A-1A meet, however, picked up a berth and will qualify its top two for state.

• Scott Spruill can be reached at 577-7686 or sspruill@yakimaherald.com

• Dave Thomas contributed to this report.

Kupp signs with EWU, Wright, Chapman heading to W. Oregon ||

YAKIMA, Wash. — They’ve played together since they were nine years old.

They’ve been instrumental in producing a run of football success not seen at Davis High School in many years, culminating in a record-setting season this past fall.

Now, members of that impressive senior class are beginning to reap the rewards of their hard work and dedication, starting with three who will be playing college football.

Cooper Kupp hugs his father Craig Kupp as his mother Karen Kupp takes a photograph Feb. 1, 2012 following a ceremony in which Cooper, a standout Davis High School football player, signed a letter of intent to attend Eastern Washington University. Also signing letters of intent were teammates Deion Wright and Chris Chapman. Both will attend Western Oregon University. (Gordon King/Yakima Herald-Republic)

Cooper Kupp, Deion Wright and Chris Chapman gathered at the high school Wednesday to sign letters of intent, with Kupp heading to Eastern Washington University and the other two committing to Western Oregon University.

“I’m not looking forward to saying goodbye to those guys but it’s sweet to see all that hard work pay off,” Kupp said later Wednesday. “These are (among) the guys who have made me who I am and these guys are going off to do great things (in college).

“I’ve just been blessed to have such a talented, athletic group to push me every day to be a better person and a better athlete.”

“It’s great seeing how hard we worked … and how far we’ve come,” Chapman said.

Several more seniors, notably David Trimble, are expected to receive college offers down the road in a variety of sports.

“This truly is pretty rewarding,” Davis football coach Rick Clark said of Wednesday’s signings. “This (entire class) is just an outstanding group of kids.”

Kupp landed the top offer, agreeing to join the Eagles, who won the NCAA Bowl Championship Subdivision title in 2010, but missed the playoffs last season.

“The biggest thing … was the value and character (of the people there),” said Kupp, who also received an offer from Idaho State University. “You could see that value and character (of the coaches) had transferred down to the players.”

Kupp, a two-way standout at Davis, will play receiver at Eastern.

“He’s going to be a huge factor for us at receiver because there is going to come a time in a year or two where we lose some of our receivers who have done some great things,” Eastern coach Beau Baldwin said in a news release from the school announcing the team’s signings.

Kupp, whose grandfather Jake and dad Craig both played in college and the National Football League, can certainly have an impact. As a senior, he had 60 receptions for 1,059 yards with 18 touchdown receptions and 22 total TDs.

A big part of Kupp’s success was due to the presence of Wright, who threw for 2,988 yards and 34 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions last fall, and accumulated 6,542 passing yards and 72 TDs in his prep career.

“The biggest thing for me over the years has just been learning the game of football,” said Wright, who chose Western Oregon over Central Washington in part because he was the only quarterback the Wolves recruited, while Central signed five players listed as quarterbacks Wednesday.

“They told me I was their main quarterback (recruit),” he said.

And Wright, who settled on the Monmouth, Ore., school Sunday, was additionally happy to find out that Chapman, a receiver, will be joining him.

“I just felt it was the right place for both of us,” Wright said.

Chapman, who missed the latter part of last season because of a severely broken pinkie finger, got an offer from the Wolves in the past couple of days.

“After I got hurt, I didn’t think I’d get recruited at all,” said Chapman, who also had some interest from Central.

Although all three were looking to their futures Wednesday, they also took time to reflect on their time with the Pirates.

“I wouldn’t trade a state trip for the experience I had with these guys,” Kupp said, alluding to last season’s team falling one victory shy of the school’s first-ever state berth.

“We kept working hard and pushed through the adversity,” Wright said of helping turn the program around. “Now, everyone (at Davis) is just happy for us and proud of what we’re doing.”

Photos from Wednesday’s National Letter of Intent signing day event at Davis High School in Yakima, Wash.

Click here for information on purchasing any of these photos.

YAKIMA, Wash. — Deion Wright, who rewrote all of Davis’ single-game, season and career passing records, has committed to Western Oregon University, Davis coach Rick Clark confirmed on Sunday.

Wright will join an NCAA Division II program, located in Monmouth, Ore., that competes in the GNAC along with Central Washington.

The senior quarterback is coming off one of the most prolific passing season in state history, throwing for 2,988 yards in 10 games with 34 touchdowns. He was also Davis’ second-leading rusher and led the CBBN 4A in total offense with 3,325 yards.

Western Oregon finished 6-2 in the GNAC and 6-5 overall last season with a senior quarterback, Evan Mozzochi, who threw for 2,027 yards.

Wright will sign an NCAA national letter of intent on Wednesday. Teammate Cooper Kupp, who led the CBBN 4A in scoring and caught 18 of Wright’s touchdown passes, will sign with Eastern Washington the same day.

SUNNYSIDE, Wash. — Vanessa Alvarez, Natalia Bazan and Jordan Rodriguez each scored 10 points for Sunnyside as the Grizzlies defeated Southridge 46-43 in CBBN 3A girls basketball action Monday night.

Sunnyside improves to 5-4 in league and 8-6 overall.

Emma Sanders had 19 points for the Suns (2-7, 2-12), who had a chance to tie the game late.

 SOUTHRIDGE — Haberling 0, Fraga 0, Taylor 0, Emma Sanders 19, Kreutz 5, Lyons 3, Saunders 0, Edwards 9, Wormington 7.

SUNNYSIDE — Vargas 0, Morales 0, Vanessa Alvarez 10, Fernandez 0, Sanchez 2, Hernandez 0, Natalia Bazan 10, Perez 7, Rubalcava 7, Palencia 0, Jordan Rodriguez 10.

Southridge 5 13 12 13 — 43

Sunnyside 6 17 12 11 — 46

Highlights: Tiana Perez (Sun) 9 reb; Alvarez (Sun) 8 stls.

SOUTHRIDGE 54, SUNNYSIDE 53: At Sunnyside, Wash., Matt Mendenhall had 19 points, Brad Scott finished with 15 points, and Southridge held on late to beat Sunnyside in a CBBN 3A league game.

Israel Manzo led all scorers with 21 points and Trey Serl added 14 for Sunnyside (3-6 league, 8-7 overall).

The Grizzlies had a chance to send the game to overtime, but missed a shot at the buzzer.

 SOUTHRIDGE — Mazzie 0, Matt Mendenhall 19, Vorheis 0, Willard 6, Molt 0, Hayes 3, Brad Scott 15, Heberling 3, Mandell 3, Wyborney 5.

SUNNYSIDE — Medina 0, Israel Manzo 21, Leija 0, Fernandez 0, Daley 2, Trey Serl 14, Lugo 2, Salmeron 1, Amaro 4, Spini 9.

Southridge 10 17 11 16 — 54

Sunnyside 11 12 14 16 — 53

Highlights: Manzo (Sun) 6 reb, 4 assts; Greg Spini (Sun) 9 reb.

FOOTBALL

Jamieson steps down at Selah

Jeff Jamieson is resigning as head football coach at Selah to spend more time with his family.

In 12 years as coach, Jamieson compiled a 64-58 record and guided the Vikings to Vikings to the Class 2A state playoffs in 2008 and 2009. Before that, the West Valley and Central Washington graduate was head coach at Highland for a season.

He and his wife, Darcie, have three children, ages 15, 12 and 10.

WRESTLING

SOUTHRIDGE 47, WEST VALLEY 18

At Southridge

220: Robert Koch (WV) pinned Julio Aleman 5:42.

285: Matt Gibson (S) pinned Justin Wilkins 5:40.

106: Brayton Devoir (S) won by forfeit.

113: Trenton Nett (S) won by forfeit.

120: Damien Goodley (S) pinned Tyler Thornton 4:30.

126: No match.

132: No Match.

138: Daniel Navarro (S) pinned Keanen Darbyson 3:30.

145: Riley Hughes (S) won by forfeit.

152: Corey Miller (S) won by forfeit.

160: Conor Rosane (S) tech. f. Mark Bradley 16-0.

170: Kevin Delangel (S) pinned Max King 1:36.

182: Darian Taylor (WV) pinned Bryce Overholt 1:10.

195: Sam Heigt (WV) pinned Marcus French 5:27.

YAKIMA, Wash. — Davis’ Cooper Kupp, a two-way all-state football standout, made a verbal commitment on Saturday to attend Eastern Washington University in the fall.

The Eagles got commitments from two of the CBBN’s best seniors on Saturday with Chiawana’s Miquiyah Zamora joining Kupp in EWU’s 2012 recruiting class.

Kupp was the CBBN’s leading 4A scorer with a school-record 22 touchdowns and 134 points and caught 60 passes for 1,059 yards. He was named all-state as a defensive back (first team) and wide receiver (honorable mention).

Kupp, who also visited Idaho State, made his verbal commitment to EWU head coach Beau Baldwin, a former head coach and quarterback at Central Washington.

For second time in three seasons, each school represented on 4A first team ||

YAKIMA, Wash. — Cooper Kupp of Davis and Mike Jones of Eisenhower were each named to the Class 4A first team Friday when the Associated Press released its 2011 all-state football team, while Alex Sampson and Roy Watlamet of Class 2B state semifinalist were each named first-team all-staters on both sides of the ball.

Kupp, a three-year starter for the Pirates, had already earned unanimous first-team CBBN honors at two positions and led the conference in scoring. with 22 touchdowns and 134 total points. The selection of Kupp at defensive back — he also earned honorable mention at wide receiver — and Jones on the offensive line marked the second time in three years that Ike and Davis have each had first-teamers on the 4A all-state team after previously not having accomplished that twofer since 1999.

Eisenhower’s record-setting wide receiver Denzel Jones received honorable mention honors.

Sunnyside’s versatile Israel Manzo was named to the Class 3A first team at all-purpose.

CWAC champion and Class 2A semifinalist Prosser was well-represented, with receiver Danny Raap and defensive back Isaac Anderson both named to the first team (and Anderson also honorable mention at running back), and lineman Rudolfo Cruz named honorable mention on both offense and defense.

Selah also had two first-teamers, defensive lineman Cody Roberts and punter Daniel Hernandez (who was also honorable mention as placekicker). East Valley defensive back Kris Janis was a first-teamer, and Ellensburg defensive end Damien Roseberry earned honorable mention.

White Swan players were all over the 2B team, with the explosive Sampson — who averaged 11 yards every time he touched the ball this year — first team at both running back and defensive back. The hard-hitting Watlamet earned first-team honors at both linebacker and offensive line, while wide receiver Nathan Nobbs and placekicker Junior Alvarado made the first team and sophomore lineman Victor Andy made honorable mention. Kittitas’ Ty Poole was a first-team defensive back and lineman Zack Fogle was honorable mention on both sides of the ball.

Cle Elum dominated the SCAC and had the league’s strongest contingent on the all-state team, with offensive lineman Devon Winters, linebacker Jake Gall and defensive back Travis Kretschman earning first-team honors and Gall (running back) and Michael Newman (all-purpose) getting honorable mention. Zillah had two first-teamers — defensive back Brady Widner, who led the league with 11 interceptions, and defensive lineman Josh Aho — and wide receiver Derick Ross made honorable mention at receiver.

Goldendale placekicker Braydon Ross and Highland punter Antonio Gonzalez were both first-teamers, while the Timberwolves also had lineman Kurt Wilkins, linebacker Nolin Bare and defensive back Wade Gaston on honorable mention.

Max Browne of Class 4A champion Skyline was named player of the year for all classifications.

CLASS 4A

Player of the year: Max Browne, jr., Skyline (also POY for all classifications)

FIRST TEAM

Quarterback: Max Browne, jr. Skyline.

Running backs: Ryan Lewis, sr., Eastlake; KeiVarae Russell, sr., Mariner; Parker Henry; sr., Skyview.

Wide receivers: Michael Rector, sr., Bellarmine Prep; Christian Gasca, sr., Lake Stevens.

Tight end: Caleb Smith, sr., Kentridge.

Offensive line: Joshua Garnett, sr., Puyallup; Mike Jones, sr., Eisenhower; Seth Regalado, sr., Mead; Cory English, sr., Auburn; Gates Michel, sr., Chiawana.

Defensive line: Uso Olive, sr., Federal Way; Sawyer Whalen, sr., Woodinville; Gino Bresolin, sr., Eastlake; Drew Sharkey, sr., Ferris.

Linebackers: Jordan Pulu, sr., Federal Way; Tanner Nelson, Union; Peyton Pelluer, jr., Skyline; Jordan Downing, sr., Chiawana.

Defensive backs: Russell Crippen, sr., Snohomish; D.J. May, sr., Federal Way; Cooper Kupp, sr., Davis; Miquiyah Zamora, sr., Chiawana.

All-purpose: David Fontennett, sr., Bethel.

Kicker: Austin Rehkow, jr., Central Valley.

Punter: Korey Durkee, sr., Washington.

HONORABLE MENTION

Running back: Kole Heidinger, sr., Ferris.

Wide receivers: Denzel Jones, sr., Eisenhower; Reiley Henderson, jr., Skyview; Cooper Kupp, sr., Davis.

Tight end: Danny Mattingly, jr., Mead.

Offensive line: Max Kelly, sr., Gonzaga Prep; Cody Tupen, sr., Lake Stevens; Dylan Bratlie, sr., Skyview; Matt Cruz, Skyview; Conner Schultz, sr., Olympia.

Defensive line: Joel Ragazzo, sr.; Bethel, Kyle Lanoue, sr., Central Kitsap.

Linebackers: Korey Young, sr., Lake Stevens; Bentley Tran, sr., Olympia; Kurt Karstetter, sr., Ferris; Danny Mattingly, jr., Mead.

Defensive backs: David Garlington, Skyview; Zed Higgs, sr., Olympia; Wes Bailey, sr., Mead.

All-purpose: Colten Hordyk, sr., Arlington; K.W. Williams, sr., Jefferson.

Punter: Marc David, sr., Mead.

CLASS 3A

Player of the year: Tyler Hasty, sr., Bellevue.

FIRST TEAM

Quarterback: Jeff Lindquist, sr., Mercer Island.

Running backs: Zack Marshall, sr., Camas; Danny Welstad, sr., Peninsula; Kai Van Sickle, jr., Capital.

Wide receivers: Ansel Cecil, sr., Prairie, Chase Nacarrato, sr., Mt. Spokane.

Tight end: No nominees.

Offensive line: Josh Mitchell, sr., Mount Si; Nathan Dean, sr., Juanita; Sam Flor, sr., O’Dea; Michael Kneip, sr., Bellevue; Zach Banner, sr., Lakes.

Defensive line: Darien Freeman, jr., Bellevue; Joe Hunt, sr., Kamiakin; Kamari Brown, sr., Camas; Zaheer Webb, sr., Lakes.

Linebackers: Sean Constantine, jr., Bellevue; John Norcross, sr., Camas; Steven Malepeai, sr., Capital.

Defensive backs: Tyler Hasty, sr., Bellevue; Ma’ne Manaea, sr., Lakes; Cedric Dozier, sr., Lakes; Jayshawn Jordan, sr., O’Dea.

All-purpose: Israel Manzo, sr., Sunnyside.

Kicker: Cameron Van Winkle, jr., Mount Si.

Punter: Zak Porche, jr., Timberline.

HONORABLE MENTION

Running backs: Zach Umemoto, sr., Kamiakin; Levonte Littlejohn, sr., Lakes; Grant Woods, sr., Kennewick.

Wide receivers: Zach Zaragoza, jr., Bonney Lake; Skyler White, sr., Auburn Mountainview.

Offensive line: Daniel Canzater, sr., Ferndale; Joe Hunt, sr., Kamiakin.

Defensive line: Caleb Rodriguez, sr., Ferndale.

Linebackers: Charles Hall Jr., sr., Lakes; Brandon Wetzel, jr., Timberline; Kyle Prather, sr. Ferndale.

Defensive backs: Jason Thompson, sr., Kennedy Catholic; Kyler Larsen, sr., Meadowdale.

All-purpose: Bishard Baker, soph., Bellevue; Jesse Zalk, sr., Prairie.

CLASS 2A

Player of the year: Jordan Todd, sr., Interlake

FIRST TEAM

Quarterback: Josh Kraght, jr., Lynden.

Running backs: Jordan Todd, sr., Interlake; Mario Gobbato, jr., Blaine; Levi Wigg, sr., Mount Baker.

Wide receivers: Zach Vis, WR, jr., Lynden; Danny Raap, jr., Prosser.

Tight end: Zach Wimberly, sr., Tumwater.

Offensive line: Josh Hanson, sr., Tumwater; Taylor Witman, sr., Lynden; Alex Afuavi, sr., Franklin Pierce, Alec Postlewait, sr., Mount Baker; Scott Rose, sr., White River.

Defensive line: Caleb Newman, jr., Lynden; Jaimie Bryant, jr., Tumwater; Cody Roberts, sr, Selah; Blake Maresh, sr., White River.

Linebackers: Sam Shober, sr., Archbishop Murphy; Riley Prentice, jr., Tumwater; Jacob Tuivaiave, sr., Washington.

Defensive backs: Isaac Anderson, sr., Prosser; Tyler Forshaw, Sr., Sequim; Juston Lind, jr., Othello; Kris Janis, sr., East Valley (Yakima).

All-purpose: Mitch Gueller, sr., Chehalis.

Kicker: Santiago Lopez, sr., Lynden.

Punter: Daniel Hernandez, sr., Selah.

HONORABLE MENTION

Running backs: Caleb Garza, sr., Othello; Isaac Anderson, sr., Prosser; Iopu Ignacio, sr., Franklin Pierce.

Wide receivers: Victor Gamboa, jr., Washington; Landon Rushton, sr., North Thurston.

Tight end: Andrew Urquhart, sr., North Kitsap.

Offensive line: Sam Shober, sr., Archbishop Murphy, Rudolfo Cruz, sr., Prosser, Alex Dumar, sr., North Thurston.

Defensive line: Alex Afuavi, sr., Franklin Pierce; Damien Roseberry, sr., Ellensburg; Jacob Anderson, sr., North Thurston; Alec Postlewait, sr., Mount Baker; Rudolfo Cruz, sr., Prosser.

Linebackers: Blake Korthuis, sr., Lynden; Frank Catelli, Sr. Sequim.

Defensive backs: Zach Vis, jr., Lynden; Matt Reid, sr., North Thurston.

Kicker: Daniel Hernandez, sr., Selah; Kyler Gracey, sr., North Kitsap.

CLASS 1A

Player of the year: Matt Hadley, sr., Connell.

FIRST TEAM

Quarterback: Billy Green, jr., King’s.

Running backs: Matt Hadley, sr., Connell; Evan Truax, sr., Montesano; Jake Clizbe, sr., Kalama.

Wide receivers: Trey Handy, sr., Nooksack Valley; Kade Eppich, sr., Connell.

Tight end: Joshua Schreffler, sr., Cascade Christian.

Offensive line: B.J. Salmonson, sr., Nooksack Valley; Bo Russell, sr., Montesano; Devon Winters, sr., Cle Elum; Kennan VanHollebeke, sr., Connell; Caleb Barnes, sr., Cashmere.

Defensive line: Jesse Wallace, sr., Toledo; Tyson Brook, sr., Connell, Josh Aho, sr., Zillah; Alex Pond, sr., Colville.

Linebackers: Jake Gall, jr., Cle Elum; Cole Schwartz, sr., Chelan; Joshua Schreffler, sr., Cascade Christian; Chandler Salsbury, sr., Connell.

Defensive backs: Austin Baker, sr., Montesano; Brady Widner, so. Zillah; Travis Kretschman, sr., Cle Elum; Jake Archer, sr., Cascade Christian.

All-purpose: Devante Harris, jr., Tenino.

Kicker: Braydon Ross, sr., Goldendale.

Punter: Antonio Gonzalez, sr., Highland.

HONORABLE MENTION

Quarterback: Michael Amsel, jr., Chelan.

Running backs: Austin Johnson, jr., Kalama; John Murphy, sr., Meridian; Jake Gall, jr., Cle Elum.

Wide receivers: Jake Archer, sr., Cascade Christian; Derick Ross, sr., Zillah.

Tight end: Joe Benedict, sr., Montesano.

Offensive line: Mason Friedline, jr., King’s; Kurt Wilkins, sr., Goldendale.

Defensive line: Mason Friedline, jr., King’s; Braden Decker, jr, Forks; Bo Russell, sr., Montesano.

Linebackers: Nolin Bare, sr. Goldendale; Austin Johnson, jr., Kalama; Justin Hause, sr., Lakeside (Nine Mile); Kyle Weiler, sr., Cashmere.

Defensive backs: Wade Gaston, jr., Goldendale; Karson Kuehner, jr., Life Christian.

All-purpose: Michael Newman, sr., Cle Elum.

CLASS 2B

Player of the year: Zach Bartlow, sr., Waitsburg-Prescott.

FIRST TEAM

Quarterback: Zach Bartlow, sr., Waitsburg-Prescott.

Running backs: Michael Neumeyer, sr., Willapa Valley; Alex Sampson, jr., White Swan.

Wide receivers: Dalton Estes, jr., Waitsburg-Prescott; Nathan Nobbs, sr., White Swan.

Offensive line: Walker Williams, sr., Tacoma Baptist; Roy Watlamet, sr., White Swan; Cadman Donavon, sr., Waitsburg-Prescott; Seth Scrabeck, sr., Naselle; Brent Conrad, sr., Colfax.

Defensive line: Walker Williams, sr., Tacoma Baptist; Seth Scrabeck, sr., Naselle; Brent Stromberger, sr., Lind/Ritzville-Sprague; Sean Waters, jr., Lake Roosevelt.

Linebackers: Bubba Lara, sr., Adna; Roy Watlamet, sr., White Swan; Dustin Wooderchak, sr., Waitsburg-Prescott; Zach Finley, sr., Tacoma Baptist.

Defensive backs: Coy Hangar, Morton/White Pass; Alex Sampson, jr., White Swan; Ty Poole, jr., Kittitas.

Kicker: Junior Alvarado, jr., White Swan.

Punter: Brent Stromberger, sr., Lind/Ritzville-Sprague.

HONORABLE MENTION

Quarterback: Dustin Eaton, jr., Naselle.

Running back: Tucker Stanley, sr., Napavine.

Wide receiver: Kyle Delegard, sr., Tacoma Baptist.

Offensive line: Victor Andy, so., White Swan; Zack Fogle, sr., Kittitas; Andrew Talen, jr., Tacoma Baptist; Brent Stromberger, sr., Lind/Ritzville-Sprague; Sean Waters, jr., Lake Roosevelt.

Defensive line: Brent Conrad, sr., Colfax; Zack Fogle, sr., Kittitas.

Linebackers: Robert Eaton, sr., Naselle; Chris Bobrow, Morton/WhitePass; Angus Brunoff, sr., Adna.

Defensive backs: Kyle Delegard, sr., Tacoma Baptist; Justin Berarducci, sr., Colfax.

CLASS 1B

Player of the year: Josiah Green, So., Neah Bay.

FIRST TEAM

Quarterback: Josh Straughn, sr., Colton.

Running backs: Titus Pascua, sr., Neah Bay; Colin Deyarmin, jr., Almira/Coulee-Hartline.

Wide receivers: Austin Brockie, fr., Lummi; Jake Straughn, soph., Colton.

Offensive line: Jeremy Spotted Bear, jr. Lummi; Rufus Arnold, sr., Neah Bay; Jake Reidner, sr., Colton.

Defensive line: Shawn Prindle, sr., Almira/Coulee-Hartline; Jordan Ping, sr., Almira/Coulee-Hartline, Dan Can, sr., Touchet.

Linebackers: Luke Stevens, jr., Wishkah Valley; Jake Reidner, sr., Colton; Daniel Hardy, sr., Almira/Coulee-Hartline.

Defensive backs: Derek Isaak, sr., Almira/Coulee-Hartline, Tyler Morris, jr., Liberty Christian.

All-purpose: Josiah Green, So., Neah Bay.

HONORABLE MENTION

Running back: Deion Hoskins, so., Lummi.

Wide receiver: Tyler Morris, jr., Liberty Christian.

Offensive line: Matt Shute, sr., Touchet; Shawn Prindle, sr., Almira/Coulee-Hartline.

Defensive line: Brad Benton, King’s Way Christian; Mason Cloud, Mary M. Knight; Justin Law, Taholah.

Linebacker: Colin Deyarmin, jr., Almira/Coulee-Hartline.

Defensive back: Eric Hines, sr., Touchet.

• This story has been corrected from the version that ran on Dec. 17.

YAKIMA, Wash. — Perfect on the court this past season, the West Valley volleyball team was as dominant when it came to nominations for the Athlete of the Year awards.

The Rams squad, which finished the season 35-0 and claimed its first state championship in more than 20 years, garnered five nominations — three in the athlete category, coach Katie Hinckley and the team.

Whether West Valley continues its dominance will be decided Wednesday, June 6 at the Yakima Valley Sports Awards luncheon.

The awards, sponsored by the Yakima Herald-Republic, KIMA-TV, Pepsi, Town Square Media, Yakima Parks and Recreation and the Yakima Valley Sports Commission, will be presented at the Yakima Convention Center.

The finalists and winners are selected by the Herald-Republic sports staff. The Monday Morning Quarterbacks Club also has a vote in the final balloting.

The Eisenhower cross country program, which had quite the haul at last spring’s luncheon, also has its share of finalists.

Three Ike boys runners and three girls runners, along with coach Phil English are all up for the awards.

English, who was the fall coach winner and also claimed the Jack Cleveland Coaching Award last June, Mayra Chavez and the Cadets boys squad — which shared the fall and overall team of the year honors last spring — are back looking for repeat victories.

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Kyle Chapman, Eisenhower, senior

In his second 4A state meet, Chapman ran third for the Cadets while taking 40 seconds off his time.

Alberto Melchor, Davis, senior

Melchor dipped under 16 minutes in his first state meet, running 15:52 for 19th place in the 4A race.

Jeffrey Ott, Ellensburg, senior

Unbeaten in CWAC races for two years, Ott placed seventh in his fourth straight trip to 2A state.

Jaziel Rodriguez, Eisenhower, senior

On the awards podium for the second straight year, Rodriguez placed 10th in the 4A state race.

Santos Vargas, Eisenhower, senior

Ike’s top runner all season, Vargas placed third at state with the Valley’s best time by 23 seconds.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Mayra Chavez

Eisenhower, senior

With the Valley’s best time at state, Chavez placed sixth in the 4A race in her third straight trip to Pasco.

Kolby Childers

Prosser, junior

Running under 20 minutes at state, Childers was the CWAC’s top runner at regional and state.

Kaitlin Kaluzny

Davis, senior

Won 4A district and regional titles, set a Valley record in the Sunfair Invite and placed 19th at state.

Alyssa Pena

Eisenhower, sophomore

Pena ran third for the Cadets in the state meet, slicing 38 seconds off her time as a freshman.

Elise Tello

Eisenhower, sophomore

Placed third at district, fourth at regional and 12th at state, clocking the Valley’s second-best time.

FOOTBALL

Kolney Cassel

Eisenhower, junior

Co-offensive player of the year in CBBN 4A, Cassel set school records with 2,664 passing yards and 27 TDs.

Denzel Jones

Eisenhower, senior

School records of 75 receptions, 1,494 yards and 22 TDs for the CBBN 4A co-offensive player of the year.

Mike Jones

Eisenhower, senior

Offensive lineman of the year in CBBN 4A for team that averaged 451 yards, unanimous first team both ways.

Cooper Kupp

Davis, senior

Unanimous all-CBBN 4A at DB and WR, Kupp set school records with 60 receptions, 1,059 yards and 22 TDs.

Deion Wright

Davis, senior

League-leading school records of 2,988 passing yards and 34 TDs, both CBBN 4A/Big Nine records.

GIRLS SOCCER

Lindsay Burns

West Valley, junior

Voted by coaches as a CBBN 3A first-team all-league defender for the third straight year.

Yasi Mohsenian

East Valley, senior

The CWAC offensive MVP scored 13 goals for the unbeaten league champs and district champs.

Mackenna Morton

Davis, junior

The CBBN 4A co-MVP, Morton’s 14 goals led Pirates to a 13-6 record and one win from state.

Helen Petersen

Prosser, senior

Petersen scored a Valley-best 36 goals to push her career total to 151, an all-time Valley record.

Delaney Romero

Naches Valley, junior

Voted the SCAC MVP, Romero rolled up 20 goals for the league runner-up during its 14-3-1 season.

GIRLS SWIMMING

Keely Hausken

West Valley, senior

The 3A district champ in the 100 back competed in four events during her fourth trip to state.

Landon Hopkins

Eisenhower, freshman

Valley leader in the 100 back placed 10th at state and ranks sixth on the Valley’s all-time list.

Hailey Rankin

Prosser, junior

The Valley leader in four events, Rankin was 2A state runner-up in the 100 fly and 500 free.

Heather Seaman

West Valley, senior

Competing at 3A state in four events, Seaman moved up to fifth on Valley’s all-time 100 free list.

Taylor Wilson

Ellensburg, freshman

Wilson rose to third on Valley’s all-time rankings in the 100 breast and fourth in the 100 free.

VOLLEYBALL

Justine Benner

Naches Valley, senior

After sharing the SCAC West MVP award in 2010, Benner owned the honor for herself this season.

Tori Dexter

Selah, senior

The two-time first-team CWAC outside hitter was also the best passer for unbeaten league champs.

Morgan McDowell

West Valley, senior

The Rams’ star outside hitter was named MVP of the CBBN 3A season and again at the 3A state tournament.

Julia Nathe

West Valley, junior

The three-year starting setter was a first-team all-league pick and made the state all-tournament team.

Linnea Phillips

West Valley, senior

Anchoring West Valley’s defense at libero, Phillips was CBBN 3A first team and all-tournament at state.

COACHES

Phil English

Eisenhower cross country

Boys and girls won league, district and regional titles, then boys were second at state with the girls fifth.

Dan Eyman

Eisenhower football

The Cadets were 8-2 with an offense that led the CBBN 4A in average yards (451.6) and scoring (41.5).

Lindsey Golob

Zillah volleyball

The SCAC West coach of the year guided the Leopards to a 12-0 league season and district title.

Katie Hinckley

West Valley volleyball

The CBBN 3A coach of the year led the Rams to a 35-0 season capped by a 3A state-tournament title.

Tim Ostrander

East Valley girls soccer

Ostrander has 33 wins in two seasons, including a 17-1-1 campaign in 2011 with league, district titles.

TEAMS

Eisenhower boys cross country

After losing two key seniors to graduation, the Cadets earned a second-place 4A state trophy.

La Salle girls soccer

The SCAC champs were 10-0 in league, won the district title and reached the 1A state quarterfinals.

Selah volleyball

The CWAC regular-season champs won district and regional titles and placed third at 2A state.

Prosser football

Unbeaten in the CWAC, the Mustangs reached the 2A state semifinals with an 11-game win streak.

West Valley volleyball

The Rams were 14-0 in league, won two tourney titles and captured the 3A state title to finish 35-0.

THE NEWS TRIBUNE’S 2011 ALL-STATE FOOTBALL TEAM

STATE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Tyler Hasty, Bellevue
QB/DB, 5-11, 185, Senior

Hasty makes top-ranked Bellevue’s fine-tuned offensive go and provides pop on defense. He turned in his finest offensive performance in one of the Wolverines’ biggest games, rushing for 113 yards and four TDs on 17 carries in a 35-14 win over Lakes in the quarterfinals on the way to a fourth straight trip to the Class 3A state finals. He also helped run-oriented Bellevue add a passing attack this season, throwing for almost 1,000 yards and 9 TDs. KingCo 3A/2A’s Defensive Player of the Year, Hasty has four interceptions. He has offers from Colorado, Oregon State and Idaho.

COACH OF THE YEAR
Randy Davis, Cascade Christian
Gutted by graduation, the defending Class 1A state champions took early-season lumps, but have found their way to the state finals for the fourth straight season

OFFENSE
QB Max Browne 6-5 210 Jr. Skyline
Completed 71.3 percent of passes for 3,813 yards, 43 TDs and 5 interceptions

RB Matt Hadley 5-11 195 Sr. Connell
BYU recruit ran for 2,162 yards; owns state records for career TDs, points scored

RB Parker Henry 6-0 205 Sr. Skyview
Heart of the Storm rushed for 2,161 yards, 31 TDs, has team in state finals

OL Zach Banner 6-9 335 Sr. Lakes
Elite recruit down to Michigan, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, USC and UW

OL Joshua Garnett 6-5 295 Sr. Puyallup
One of the top-rated recruits in nation is technically sound, physically dominant

OL Walker Williams 6-7 315 Sr. Tacoma Baptist
Orally committed to Wisconsin, he could develop into this class’ best lineman

OL Michael Kneip 6-4 290 Sr. Bellevue
Two-year starter at center holds together the Wolverines’ talented line

OL Max Kelly 6-7 265 Sr. Gonzaga Prep
Massive Montana commit anchored Bullpups’ line of scrimmage, continues to grow

TE Caleb Smith 6-6 245 Sr. Kentridge
Oregon State recruit caught 37 passes for 570 yards, 3 TDs; ran for 425 yards, 8 TDs

WR Michael Rector 6-2 185 Sr. Bellarmine Prep
Narrows League 4A MVP and UW recruit totaled 43 catches, 916 yards, 13 TDs

WR Denzel Jones 5-10 175 Sr. Eisenhower
Playmaker hauled in 75 passes for 1,494 yards, scored 22 TDs for high-scoring Cadets

ATH Jordan Todd 5-7 180 Sr. Interlake
Set state’s single-season rushing record with 2,681 yards in 12 games

K Cameron Van Winkle 5-10 160 Jr. Mount Si
Set a state record this fall, kicking 18 field goals, including 6 longer than 42 yards

DEFENSE
DL Zaheer Webb 6-3 320 Sr. Lakes
Teams ran away from the Colorado recruit, who tormented offensive lines

DL Uso Olive 6-1 305 Sr. Federal Way
SPSL South’s D-Lineman of the Year is incredibly strong; committed to Portland St.

DL Sawyer Whalen 6-4 220 Sr. Woodinville
Two-way standout on the line took Falcons to semifinals; committed to Portland St.

DL Josh Mitchell 6-4 270 Sr. Mount Si
State wrestling champ was KingCo Lineman of the Year; committed to Oregon St.

LB Jordan Pulu 6-1 235 Sr. Federal Way
SPSL South’s Linebacker of the Year, WSU recruit led Eagles to state playoffs

LB Jordan Downing 6-1 200 Sr. Chiawana
CBBN 4A MVP saw his season cut short due to injury; also an all-league running back

LB Danny Mattingly 6-4 220 Jr. Mead
GSL co-Defensive MVP getting attention from college coaches as a tight end

DB/LB Tanner Nelson 6-3 200 Sr. Union
Defensive MVP of GSHL 4A played safety, cornerback and outside linebacker

DB Jason Thompson 6-3 195 Sr. Kennedy Catholic
Washington recruit and three-year starter was Seamount’s Defensive Back of the Year

DB Cedric Dozier 5-11 175 Sr. Lakes
Fantastic athlete, U.S. Army All-American Bowl selection is committed to California

DB Jayshawn Jordan 5-10 180 Sr. O’Dea
Three-year starter was Metro League Mountain Division Defensive MVP

DB Ma’ne Manaea 5-11 185 Sr. Lakes
TNT’s All-Area Player of the Year also played receiver, punter; will play at Colorado

RET Christian Gasca 5-11 185 Sr. Lake Stevens
Game changer returned four punts for touchdowns, helping team to state semifinals

P Korey Durkee 6-4 205 Sr. Gig Harbor
Washington recruit averaged 45.9 yards per punt, only six of his punts were returned

KENNEWICK, Wash. — Benji Sonnichsen paused to search for the right word and it didn’t take long.

“The best way I can describe it is they just suffocated us,” said Prosser’s head football coach. “We’d get a little breathing room, then boom — they’d come in and make a big play on offense or defense. That’s a very good football team and they completely shut us down.”

Archbishop Murphy, which sent tremors through the Class 2A state playoffs with runaway wins over Tumwater and Othello, did the same to Sonnichsen’s Mustangs on Saturday afternoon with a 50-14 semifinal victory at Lampson Stadium.

Archbishop Murphy's Alex Galgano fends off Prosser's Danny Raap during his 73-yard touchdown run in the second quarter Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011. (Andy Sawyer/Yakima Herald-Republic)

The Wildcats pounced immediately, scoring touchdowns on two of their first seven plays, and never gave Prosser a chance to reverse the direction in a game Archbishop Murphy dominated on both sides of the ball.

On offense, AM’s wing-T rolled up nearly 500 yards and broke off plays of 48, 53, 25, 73 and 32 yards en route to a 35-7 lead at halftime.

And a good case could be made for the defense playing even better, holding Prosser to 10 net yards prior to its final possession.

“We were focused and ready to play, but they came out and got the first hit in and we couldn’t recover from it,” said senior Isaac Anderson, who returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. “We fought and fought but couldn’t get anything to bust open like we usually do. We struggled to even get a first down.”

By locking on to Prosser’s receivers with man-to-man coverage and blitzing from the edges, Archbishop Murphy’s physical and athletic defense squeezed the variety and threat out of Prosser’s offense, which averaged 42 points during its 11-game win streak.

“Our defense is fast and the guys did a good job getting in the face of the quarterback and limiting his options,” said AM coach Dave Ward. “Prosser has a good spread offense with good receivers, but we didn’t give them a chance to get in a rhythm. That’s a real credit to our pass rush.”

Prosser’s junior quarterback Ryan Fassler completed 5 of 19 passes for 47 yards and was sacked three times, and the ground game was unable to find any traction with 14 net yards, in large part because of the sacks.

“They were able to play real tight man coverage and blitz the house. When that happens you’re in for a long day,” Sonnichsen noted. “No other team has been able to do that to us, not even Kamiakin.”

Two of those big plays in the first half came in long down-and-distance situations when the Mustangs were still close.

The Wildcats’ second touchdown — a 53-yard shovel pass — came on a third-and-8 play, but the backbreaker was AM’s third score. Faced with a fourth-and-19, quarterback Conner Kruse connected with Austin Broadwell for a 25-yard touchdown to make it 21-0.

“That was kind of a dagger,” said Ward, whose Wildcats (12-1) will face Lynden (13-0), a 17-7 semifinal winner over Chehalis, in next Saturday’s championship game in the Tacoma Dome.

In the final game of his three-year varsity career, Anderson collected 154 all-purpose yards. The kickoff return score — his first — gave him 61 career touchdowns.

The Mustangs (11-2), with a senior crew that posted back-to-back 9-0 seasons in the CWAC, earned a nice consolation prize — a third-place trophy for a storied program that has now produced 10 final four teams.

“We accomplished a lot with the kids — a league title, the state semifinals — and we were very successful in many, many ways,” Sonnichsen said. “They are one of the top 10 best teams in Prosser history, and in this program that’s something to be proud of.”

GRIDIRON CLASSIC

State championship pairings

AT TACOMA DOME

Class 4A

Skyline (10-3) vs. Skyview (11-2), Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Class 3A

O’Dea (13-0) vs. Bellevue (13-0), Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Class 2A

Lynden (13-0) vs. Archbishop Murphy (12-1), Saturday, 10 a.m.

Class 1A

Cascade Christian (10-2) vs. Connell (12-1), Saturday, 1 p.m.

Class 2B

Morton/White Pass (11-1) vs. Waitsburg-Prescott (13-0), Saturday, 4 p.m.

Class 1B

Almira/Coulee-Hartline (13-0) vs. Neah Bay (11-2), Friday, 4 p.m.

Prosser’s Isaac Anderson holds up the team’s third place trophy after their 50-14 loss to Archbishop Murphy Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011. (ANDY SAWYER/Yakima Herald-Republic photo).

Photos from Saturday’s Class 2A state semifinal football game between Prosser and Archbishop Murphy at Lampson Stadium in Kennewick, Wash.

Click here for information on purchasing any of these photos.

KENNEWICK, Wash. — Numbers, as we all know, don’t always tell the story. But on some occasions, such as Saturday’s Class 2A state semifinal game, the cold truth on a warm day at Lampson Stadium was illuminated brightly, and for all to see.

Arch-bishop Murphy 50, Prosser 14 was no illusion.

And looking at neither the film nor the scores from AM’s two prior playoff games, against defending champion Tumwater (41-6) and Othello (34-0) could have prepared the Mustangs for this.

It was not a matter of Prosser not game-planning properly. It was not a matter of the Mustangs not playing hard or a standout senior class not delivering in the leadership department, or any related possibility.

Nor did it involve an opponent playing over its head, unless you consider the Wildcats’ aforementioned contests against coaches with seven combined state titles (five for Tumwater’s Sid Otton, two for Othello’s Roger Hoell) aberrations. And they weren’t.

Again, Archbishop Murphy 50, Prosser 14 was no illusion. And if it begs the question, how good were the Mustangs, the answer was very.

You don’t go 9-0 in the CWAC and win 11 straight games, which Prosser had in fact done, without being an elite team in your specific classification.

Those numbers, too, were truthful.

The problem for coach Benji Sonnichsen’s squad on this afternoon was a big, strong, athletic opponent that was meticulously coached on both sides of the ball.

AM’s wing-T offense scored early and often. Its defense seemed everywhere at once.

Coach Dave Ward’s Wildcats produced no surprises, challenging Prosser with straight man-to-man coverage that ex-quarterback Sonnichsen felt he had multiple answers for, but in reality did not.

“We tried everything we had,” Sonnichsen said afterward. “We have what we call man beaters, and we tried those against their man coverage. There wasn’t anything we didn’t try.”

Ward, meanwhile, deployed an explosive wrinkle in his own aerial attack. The Wildcats on four different occasions used shovel passes — forward passes thrown with a sideways or underhand motion — and completed them all for 115 yards and a touchdown.

Amplifying the Mustangs’ defensive challenge was that AM’s two-headed monster at QB, senior Conner Kruse and junior Hans VanderWel, have the option of throwing or running on such plays.

“We did that back at Oak Harbor when Marshall Lobbestael was my quarterback,” said Ward of his 2006 Class 4A state championship squad, and Washington State’s senior signal-caller. “Marshall, believe it or not, ran with the ball more than he threw it.”

Archbishop Murphy threw only one other pass — a conventional, overhand toss by Kruse — and it went for a 25-yard touchdown and a 21-0 AM lead with 10:52 still to play in the first half.

“When a team scores that quick at the start of the game, it deflates you,” Sonnichsen said. “Then on offense when you have a ton of three-and-outs, you’re into some serious problems.”

Or in this case, playing a seriously skilled opponent.

To lose Saturday, and by such a one-sided margin, left a disproportionate mark on an otherwise historic Prosser season.

Only seven days earlier, Sonnichsen smilingly acknowledged having reached one of his coaching goals with the Mustangs securing a Thanksgiving-weekend game.

And after the season had ended following an especially somber occurrence, with Tuesday’s passing of senior standout Charlie Petersen’s father, Steve, after battling cancer, the coach was able to note another positive aspect.

The 2011 Mustangs had become the 10th team in the program’s rich history to reach the state’s final four.

So if the Lampson Stadium scoreboard spoke the cold truth Saturday, Prosser’s record books will confirm that one of its very best teams simply lost to an opponent that was just really, really good.

• Roger Underwood’s Under the Radar blog is at sportsyakima.com He can be reached at 509-577-7694 or runderwood@yakimaherald.com

Reduced role doesn’t slow Prosser’s Anderson||

YAKIMA — For his third and final season as a standout on Prosser’s football team, Isaac Anderson was promoted and demoted all at once. The reasons were not complicated.

Best interest for you.

Best interest for us.

Despite 100 fewer carries this season, Prosser running back Isaac Anderson has scored 25 touchdowns, three more than last season, heading into Saturday's Class 2A state semifinal game against Archbishop Murphy.||SARA GETTYS/Yakima Herald-Republic file

Changing roles fortunately created no issues since the versatile Anderson bought in completely and the benefits are obvious — the Mustangs are in the Class 2A state semifinals and are propelled by an 11-game win streak.

Coach Benji Sonnichsen and his staff, in an effort to keep Anderson fresher for new full-time duties on defense, have taken 100 carries away from one of the best running backs in the state. Risky for the offense perhaps, but a matter of necessity.

“We knew we needed Isaac more on defense and we also knew we had two other senior running backs (Joey Hurtado and Diego Magana) who are good,” Sonnichsen explained. “Isaac is the ultimate team guy and he understood what we were trying to do.”

Last year Prosser’s season ended in the state quarterfinals and Anderson finished with 233 carries in 12 games. This season the Mustangs have made it a step further and he has 132 carries in the same number of games.

“I figured that would happen, that playing defense would take away from my offensive playing time,” he said. “I miss running the ball more, but I completely understand. If it makes us better, let’s do it.”

What has happened for the offense, statistically, is a classic example of addition by subtraction.

Anderson is getting nearly three yards more per carry over last year and, despite the big reduction in touches, he has increased his scoring from 22 touchdowns to 25.

“We’re featuring him more as an all-around player. We’ve designed some things for Isaac out of the backfield and he’s got five receiving touchdowns,” Sonnichsen noted. “He’s a weapon in so many ways and we’re taking advantage of that without all the carries.”

Anderson spent much of his sophomore and junior seasons as the quintessential workhorse. He averaged a hefty 32 carries in the final three games of his 10th-grade season, and last year he pounded away for a school-record 40 carries in a 23-20 victory over Ellensburg.

That kind of load was made possible by his durability and his limited play on defense as a situational nickel back. But this year the traits that make Anderson such a solid running back — speed, instincts and physical strength — were needed full-time in the defensive secondary. He responded with first-team all-league honors and a team-best four interceptions, including a key pick in last week’s 21-14 quarterfinal win over Ellensburg.

“There are times when I wish I had a little more experience but I’ve learned the defense pretty quick,” said the 5-foot-8, 165-pound Anderson. “I’ve always liked playing defense quite a bit, and we’ve been playing well.”

Indeed, Prosser has four shutouts in its last seven games and the secondary has allowed only one passing touchdown during that stretch.

Sonnichsen, whose three seasons as Prosser’s head coach have paralleled Anderson’s three seasons, will utilize him in Saturday’s semifinal against Archbishop Murphy as a punt returner. That’s something he might have been reluctant to do if he was still calling his number 30 times a game on offense.

“With his playmaking ability his touchdowns are still there, but it’s nice to not have to depend on him so much,” the coach said. “We don’t have him grinding away so much taking all those lumps.”

Hurtado and Magana have shared those 100-plus carries once owned by Anderson and produced nearly 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns. Finding better footing in Saturday’s snowy game in Ellensburg, Magana took over in the second half and rolled up 105 yards and the go-ahead score.

Even with the cut in carries, Anderson is nearing the end of an exceptional career that has put him among the Valley’s all-time top 10 in touchdowns (60) and rushing yards (3,839).

“I still have just as many yards and scores and that was my goal,” Anderson said. “I’ve tried to have that attitude where every time I get the ball I try to score. And making a big play on defense is just as important. I want to do anything that makes us better.”

So everybody wins.

2A STATE SEMIFINALS

Prosser vs. Archbishop Murphy

When: Saturday, noon.

Where: Lampson Stadium, Kennewick.

State rankings, records: No. 3 Prosser 11-1, No. 5 Archbishop Murphy 11-1.

What’s next: State championship game vs. Lynden-Chehalis winner, Dec. 3, 10 a.m., Tacoma Dome.

Pairing history: Prosser and Archbishop Murphy have met once with the Mustangs winning a 2006 state quarterfinal 14-7 at Lamspon Stadium.

State history — Archbishop Murphy: Two state titles (2002, 2003), two runner-up finishes (2005, 2010), 21-6 overall playoff record. Prosser: Four state titles (1992, 1993, 1999, 2007), four runner-up finishes (1991, 1995, 2005, 2008), 39-19 overall playoff record.

About Archbishop Murphy: The Wildcats have reached the semifinals for the fourth straight year, regrouping from a 26-22 loss to Lakewood to post seven wins in a row. AM has been beastly in the last two weeks, ousting defending champ Tumwater 41-6 and blanking CWAC runner-up Othello 34-0. With back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, Alex Galgano (5-9, 185, jr.) leads a deep stable of RBs for the ground-based team. Conner Kruse (6-0, 190, sr.) and Hans VanderWel (6-0, 200, jr.) have shared the QB duties with Kruse’s three TDs leading the way against Othello. Sam Shober (6-3, 215, sr.) is a two-way Cascade League first-team lineman.

About Prosser: The Mustangs are 8-1 in the state semifinals since 1991. Since a loss to 3A semifinalist Kamiakin in the season opener, Prosser has won 11 straight and allowed just four TDs in the last seven games. Junior QB Ryan Fassler has thrown 28 TDs with 13 of them to junior WR Danny Raap. RB Isaac Anderson has run for 20 TDs and caught five scoring passes, and RBs Joey Hurtado and Diego Magana have combined for nearly 1,000 yards and 14 TDs. Prosser has a plus-13 turnover ratio.