The beginning of February means the beginning of the postseason, and teams and Cheney and Medical Lake high schools found themselves in the thick of the action in trying to advance towards state competitions.
CHENEY
Boys basketball
The Blackhawks wrapped up their season on Feb. 8 with a pair of tiebreaker losses with Mead and Ferris for the final playoff spot in Greater Spokane League 3A/4A post season action. Cheney lost to Ferris 25-22 in the three-quarters tiebreaker format, then followed that with a 21-19 loss to Mead in two quarters, getting outscored 17-10 in the final period by the Panthers.
Cheney finished the season 3-8 in GSL play, ninth place, and 9-13 overall.
Girls basketball
The Blackhawks ended their season on a high note, despite missing post season action, with a 53-41 win over North Central on Feb. 6. Juniors Mia Ashcroft, Kiah Klauss along with sophomore Natalie Richards each scored 10 points to lead Cheney.
The Blackhawks finished ninth in the GSL at 1-8, 5-15 overall.
Wrestling
Cheney wrapped up its GSL season at 5-4, ending with a 41-27 win over Gonzaga Prep for fourth-place overall in league.
At subregional action on Feb. 3, Mason Bennett and Trenton Moore advanced to regionals with championship wins at 144 and 175 pounds respectively. Also advancing through the consolation finals were Cameron Bogle, pinning Mead’s Nolan Lofstedt for third at 132 while Wyatt Wells and Gauge Seubert moved on, finishing fourth each at 175 and 190.
Also advancing with wins for fifth place were Aiden Carr (120), Shadrach Mason (150) and Macade Munro (215), along with sixth-place finisher Jacob Estock (144).
At regionals on Feb. 10 at University High School, Moore defeated Kennewick’s Hunter Brower in a 4-0 decision to capture the title at 175. Bennett placed second at 144, losing a 10-3 decision to Hermiston’s Daniel Garza.
Bogle was fifth at 132, with Wells sixth at 175 while Carr and Munro each placed eighth at 120 and 215. Cheney finished sixth overall in team competition, with Mead easily outpacing Hermiston, Ore., to win the regional title.
Several Blackhawk girls competed in the 3A/4A tournament at Sunnyside High School. Jennifer Tian and Jalisca Holmgren both placed fourth at 110 and 125 respectively while Paige McGee was sixth at 140.
MEDICAL LAKE
Boys basketball
The Cardinals were headed to the post season as of Feb. 10, seeded fourth in the Northeast A League and headed to Riverside for a game with the second-seeded Rams (10-2, 14-6). Medical Lake (6-6, 8-14) got 23 points from Aiden Suddeth in a 62-55 first-round, loser-out win over visiting Colville on Feb. 6, but fell behind 23-5 after the first quarter and couldn’t rally in a 79-33 semifinal loss to fourth-ranked Freeman (12-0, 19-2).
Girls basketball
The Cardinals dream of advancing further in the postseason were still alive as of Feb. 10, but needed another win to do so. Medical Lake (5-7, 13-10) advanced in the NEA playoffs with a 45-35 win over visiting Freeman on Feb. 6, led by Charde Luat’s 22 points and another 13 from Delaney Gunther.
Medical Lake fell short of a trip to the title game with a 67-42 loss to top-seeded, unbeaten and third-ranked Deer Park (12-0, 22-0) on Feb. 8. Luat led the Cardinals with 15 points, Chiche Okembgo adding 14.
Medical Lake’s chances to continue in the postseason came down to a District 6/7 crossover game at third-seeded Colville (8-4, 18-3) on Feb. 14. Colville is currently ranked 13th in the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association RPI poll.
Wrestling
The Cardinals finished 1-5 in the NEA, but saved some good finishes for the postseason. Advancing out of the District 7 tournament were True Cole, second at 215; Tayden Tonasket, Liam Horn and Ethan Bales, third at 126, 132 and 190; Carsen Buenzil and Taigen Mitcham, fourth at 157 and 215; Michael Keister, fifth at 165 and Xane San Agustin and Clinton Zimmerman, sixth at 175.
In girls action, Lyla Heinemann defeated Heather Wyborney of Wilbur-Creston-Keller with a 6-5 decision to finish third at 130.
At regional action Feb. 10 at Quincy High School, Cole lost to eventual 215 champion Xavier Cardona of Omak in the semifinals, but rebounded to pin Riverside’s Brady Martin for third place. Buenzli placed fourth at 157, while Horn was fifth at 132, with Tonasket and Bales placing sixth at 126 and 190. Heinemann placed fourth at Quincy in the girls regional tournament.
