Week 9 Central Washington Football Roundup: Kittitas Claims League Title
4A CBBN
- Eastmont 55, Davis 8
- West Valley 29, Wenatchee 21
- Moses Lake 49, Eisenhower 7
- Federal Way 56, Sunnyside 0
To the surprise of no one, Moses Lake cruised past Eisenhower to cap off their regular season. The Mavericks built a 42-7 lead by halftime and took their foot off the gas in the third quarter, running out the clock for a 49-7 victory. The Mavericks are officially the conference champions and have secured the Big Nine’s number one seed heading into next week’s round of 32. Right behind them are the Eastmont Wildcats, who cruised past Davis 55-8 to improve to 8-1. The Wildcats were dominant on both sides of the ball, highlighted by an incredible play from junior fullback Austin Zelinski, who hauled in a 31-yard touchdown pass and literally dragged a defender into the endzone for the final several yards. Eastmont locks in the conference’s number two spot.
The most thrilling matchup of the night belonged to West Valley and Wenatchee, who battled it out for the conference’s number three seed. Continuing their massive mid-season turnaround, the Rams pulled off a 29-21 victory. West Valley’s defense stunned the high-powered Panther offense early, intercepting star quarterback Rigo Garcia twice and returning a strip-sack fumble for a touchdown on Wenatchee’s opening drive to secure a 15-0 halftime lead. The Panthers came roaring back in the third quarter, fueled by an outstanding performance from wide receiver Griffin Butler, who racked up 8 catches for 128 yards. However, West Valley went blow for blow with Wenatchee to hold on for the win and claim the number three seed, leaving the Panthers with the fourth and final playoff spot. Finally, Sunnyside’s challenging season—which included their head coach being placed on administrative leave—came to a difficult end as they were shut out 56-0 by 3A juggernaut Federal Way.
2A CWAC
- Rogers 44, Grandview 14
- Selah 49, East Valley 28
- Ellensburg 49, Quincy 6
- Prosser 34, Ephrata 7
- Othello 34, Toppenish 28
The CWAC game of the week took place between East Valley and Selah, with second place in the conference on the line. The Vikings ultimately proved to be too much for the defending champion Red Devils, pulling away for a comfortable 21-point victory to secure the number two spot. However, the win came at a cost, as Selah star running back Calen Wuitschick suffered a first-half injury; the Vikings will be holding their breath hoping he is ready for next week’s playoffs. East Valley finishes as the three seed and will also prepare for the postseason. At the top of the standings, the undefeated Prosser Mustangs handled Ephrata 34-7 to officially finish as conference champions and lock up the number one spot. Meanwhile, Othello edged out Toppenish in a tight six-point game to secure the CWAC’s fourth and final play-in berth.
1A SCAC
- Royal 60, College Place 0
- Zillah 49, Naches Valley 8
- Cashmere 70, Connell 6
- Wapato 37, Wahluke 12
- Kiona-Benton 20, Cascade 7
The juggernaut Royal Knights did what they do best, cruising to yet another easy victory with a 60-0 shutout over College Place to claim their astounding twelfth consecutive conference championship. The SCAC’s other powerhouse, the Cashmere Bulldogs, were equally dominant, rolling over Connell 70-6 to lock down the number two spot in the league. Zillah also took care of business, defeating Naches Valley 49-8 to secure third place in the conference and punch their ticket to the 1A 24-team play-in round.
1A CTL
- Kiona-Benton 20, Cascade 7
- Omak 54, Chelan 14
With the league title already secured, the Cascade Kodiaks stepped out of conference play and fell 20-7 to Kiona-Benton. The real drama in the CTL was between Omak and Chelan, as both teams entered Friday in a must-win situation to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Pioneers left no doubt, crushing the Goats 54-14 to secure second place in the three-team league. Omak will face the College Place Hawks next week for a state play-in berth.
2B EWAC
- Columbia (Burbank) 40, Cle Elum-Roslyn 13
- Goldendale 44, River View 6
- Granger 26, Highland 21
- Kittitas/Thorp 21, Tri-Cities Prep 6
- La Salle 20, Warden 14
The EWAC game of the week lived up to the billing as the undefeated Kittitas/Thorp Coyotes hosted the Tri-Cities Prep Jaguars. With both teams entering as the number one seed in their respective divisions, this matchup served as the de facto EWAC league championship. It was a defensive slugfest early, looking like it would go into halftime locked at a 0-0 tie. However, Kittitas finally broke the stalemate with a touchdown just over a minute before the half, and then immediately capitalized on a fumble recovery in the endzone with 56 seconds left on the clock. That sudden swing was all the Coyotes needed, as they closed out a 21-6 victory to finish the regular season as undefeated league champions.
2B Central WA
- Okanogan 49, Brewster 6
- Bridgeport 80, Oroville 18
- Lake Roosevelt 64, Soap Lake 6
- Liberty Bell 60, Colfax 6
- Medical Lake 34, Tonasket 26
Okanogan left absolutely no doubt in their regular-season finale, crushing Brewster 49-6. With the blowout victory, Okanogan finishes the regular season with an impressive 8-1 record and officially claims the league championship.
1B Central WA
- Entiat 52, Waterville/Mansfield 50
- Bridgeport 80, Oroville 18
- Lake Roosevelt 64, Soap Lake 6
In an absolute thriller that came down to the wire, the Entiat Tigers outlasted Waterville/Mansfield in a 52-50 shootout to crown themselves this year’s league champions!
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