Davis dominated his 138-pound bracket, going 5-0 and capping his day with a technical fall victory in the championship match. He recorded three pins and a decisive semifinal win on his way to first place.

The Lady Mustangs notched a hard-fought 43-36 victory over the visiting Chewelah Cougars on Friday, Dec. 5, in Northport’s tip-off tournament as Beardslee dropped 24 points. The next day, Northport toppled Springdale 60-38 as Beardlee led the squad with 18 points.

That’s promising, as last year’s Crimson Hawk team won six league games and 14 total. The season started in Colville on Dec. 2, with the Crimson Hawks blasting the Dragons 56-26. Jumping out to a 10-2 lead in the first quarter, Colville cruised in the middle quarters and finished the game on an 18-6 run.

Head Coach Kassy Dupuis said the team features a strong mix of upperclassmen and rising young players.
“We have nine seniors, one junior, two sophomores, four freshmen, and two eighth-graders,” Dupuis said.

Chewelah faced a sharp-shooting Inchelium squad on Saturday, Dec. 7, and fell 52-32. The Hornets knocked down seven 3-pointers, including four from Seymour and two from standout scorer Marianna Agapith, who led all players with 23 points. Chewelah continued to work the ball inside and get contributions from multiple players.

“We had five kids place this weekend,” Kettle Falls Head Coach AJ Howard said. “I learned that this weekend showed us that our team is growing in all the right ways. Our wrestlers came in with strong game plans, showed toughness in tough positions, and won matches late with grit and conditioning. Most importantly, they stayed composed, supported each other..."

Colville opened the season at home on Dec. 2, with a big 71-56 victory over St. George’s. The Crimson Hawks' offense was multi-faceted as Parker Darnold and Jet Bateman each scored 17 points in the matchup. Down by a point after the first frame, Colville led 34-29 at halftime and then was able to pull away after the break.

Edwards poured in 21 points to lead the Bulldogs to a convincing 53-25 nonleague road win at Oroville. Kettle Falls steadily pulled away each quarter, outscoring the Hornets 29-10 after halftime.

For their season opener on Friday, Dec. 5, it wasn’t an exceptionally easy matchup as they faced Tip-Off Tournament host Northport, who were coming off an 81-69 victory over Wilbur-Creston-Keller earlier in the week.

Mace Thivierge scored 23 points and hit two three-pointers. The defense was the star in the first three quarters, holding the Hornets to just single digits in each frame.

Head coach Jacob Lee said the Cougars are aiming to be more competitive night-in and night-out.
“You know, we ended last year on a really rough 0-20 through regular season play,” Lee said. “Won one game in our district tournament and then lost out the rest. So we want to be able to put a few more wins up on the board. We've got some competitive games coming for us.”

“We graduated three key seniors, so replacing them will be tough,” head coach Erik Stark said. “We are getting younger, smaller, more explosive, and athletic. I hope this translates into more up tempo offense and aggressive defense.” Roster numbers remain strong for the program, with 12 players turning out. 

"The game was a good first look at our competitiveness in a rugged contest," Kettle Falls head coach Tyler Edwards said. "We are gaining understanding defensively, and rebounded well enough to ensure the outcome."

The Bulldogs boys basketball started their season with a statement.
Kettle Falls powered past Selkirk 65-29 in their home opener on Nov. 28, using an aggressive defensive effort and balanced scoring attack to control the game from start to finish in nonleague play.

Head coach Drew Curry said,"Our expectation is to be a fundamentally sound team that gives ourselves a chance to win in every game by mastering the basics."
This year’s roster leans heavily on juniors and freshmen, most of whom return with valuable experience gained last season. Curry said that familiarity should help the team step forward competitively.

While he’s steering clear of specific benchmarks, head coach Cameron Stewart said the tone is clear. “As far as win totals or where we will finish in the league, I don’t like to make predictions,” he said. “I will say that I expect improvement from last season.”

“When you drive into town and see the sign, ‘Welcome to Chewelah,’ what else do you see? State champion wrestlers,” Powers said. “Since 1984, Chewelah has had 115 state participants, 67 top eight finishers, 23 finalists, 14 individual state championships, and seven top 10 team finishes.

Head coach Josh Morgan, now in his third year leading the boys program, said the team’s mindset is clear.
“We are looking to carry forward the momentum that we built the last two seasons and during our summer season,” Morgan said. “We have a group of guys that compete for each other and play extremely hard."

Kettle Falls girls basketball team, with a young roster and an emerging talent, will continue to grow and compete against some of the best competition in the state under head coach Tyler Edwards.

“I have been the Mary Walker High School cheer coach for almost 10 years and we have not had official uniforms in this time,” Smith said. “We have pieced together what we had and now are not able to do that anymore, as over the years items have gone missing or they are very outdated.”

First-year head coach Tom Skok said he’s taking over the program with the goal of building momentum and a team identity centered on toughness and chemistry. “I would like to build on the momentum our team gathered last year,” Skok said.

“I am very excited for this season," Mahugh said. "It will be the first season in a long time that we should have a full dual line up (we have 20 boys and three girls this year).” That depth is anchored by a strong core of returning standouts, including junior Bryce Davis, the team’s lone returning captain.

This winter’s roster has six total players – one senior, one sophomore, and four freshmen. The junior high season is still underway, but Ward hopes to have two eighth-grade girls playing up. Ward said she’s entering the season with a focus on development, positivity, and enjoying the experience.

The Northport Mustangs were guaranteed just one match at the State 1B Volleyball Tournament last week, but by the end of Nov. 12, they had played three times in a grueling 12-hour stretch inside the Yakima SunDome. Head coach Shyanne Guglielmino said the team knew it drew a tough path from the start.

The Springdale Chargers wrapped up an impressive season at the State 1B Volleyball Tournament on Nov. 13, finishing 14-8 after a two-day run that included a commanding first-round win, a gritty quarterfinal appearance, and a hard-fought battle in the consolation bracket. “I felt really good about the bracket going in,” Springdale head coach Matt Gines said.