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  • Now get to work

    Dale Anderson|Updated Apr 17, 2024

    There have been a lot of changes in NCAA basketball. UConn won its second championship in a row — in case you forgot. Coaches moved to different challenges, replacing coaches who were fired or took a successful season and received a bigger paycheck somewhere else. I guess we could call it the coaching transfer portal. Eastern Washington University head Coach David Riley moved onto WSU. I like Riley, but I wish he hadn’t said this was his dream job because a lot of dream job...

  • Lowland lakes open April 27

    Franklin Connection|Updated Apr 17, 2024

    PASCO – The state lowland lake fishing season is set to open Saturday, April 27. And if fishing isn’t enough, the state has tagged more than 800 trout and released them into lakes around the state. Fishermen landing a tagged trout will be eligible for prizes in the state’s derby. While none of the lakes in Adams or Grant counties were stocked this year, a couple nearby Franklin County lakes have received fish from the Lyons Ferry Hatchery. Dalton Lake and Marmes Pond both have been stocked multiple times from Feb. 26 to Ma...

  • The next steps

    Dale Anderson|Updated Apr 8, 2024

    By the time you read this you will know who the men’s NCAA basketball champion is. All I can say is that the two best teams are playing for the crown. I’ll watch as I always do because it’s the right thing to do. It was a great season and an interesting one. Whereas the women’s champion was undefeated the men’s’ teams stubbed their toes a few times, Purdue 4 times and UConn 3. It has been a long time since the men had an undefeated champion mainly due to talented rosters and...

  • A time to revisit

    Dale Anderson|Updated Apr 5, 2024

    I’ve always maintained that timing is everything. I wrote last week’s column and sent it off a few hours before WSU basketball coach Kyle Smith announced that he would be the next Stanford Cardinal men’s basketball coach. When I found out I thought that it wasn’t a step up as Stanford has had trouble winning and now they are going to the ACC to play the likes of North Carolina, Duke and this year’s tournament upstart North Carolina State. A few hours later when I was watch...

  • Three Burbank wrestlers win bronze

    Roger Harnack, Franklin Connection|Updated Apr 2, 2024

    SPOKANE — The Burbank Wrestling Club brought home four bronze medals March 30 from the annual Jason Crawford Memorial Tournament in Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. More than 2,100 wrestlers competed in the event billed as "state" for youth grapplers in Eastern Washington and North Idaho. Burbank's four bronze medalists include three boys — Leon Avalos, Ashton Miller and Cody Sloan — and one girl — Amy Sloan. In addition to the Top 3 finishers, Ryker Ricard finished fourth. Here are the individual results for Burbank...

  • Six Connell wrestlers win weight classes

    Roger Harnack, Franklin Connection|Updated Apr 1, 2024

    SPOKANE - The Connell Little Guy wrestling club brought home several gold medals from the Jason Crawford Memorial Tournament on Saturday, April 30, in Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. More than 2,100 wrestlers competed in the tournament that features youngsters from ages 5-14 from across Eastern Washington and North Idaho. In the 5/6 age division, Liam Rodriguez won gold at 46-47 pounds and in the 9/10 division, Romeo Cortez was first at 80-82 pounds. In the 11/12 division,...

  • Rally season opens

    Northwest Rally Association|Updated Mar 28, 2024

    Carey Lando races against the clock in the Lind Lion's Club Arena earlier this month during the Northwest Rally Assocation's 2024 season-opener. Rally racing is expected to return to Lind in the fall....

  • What's next?

    Dale Anderson|Updated Mar 28, 2024

    There are a ton of stories about the teams, players and coaches in the NCAA basketball tournament. There are family stories and stories of tragedy that can make a person cry. With the games there are upsets and blowouts and buzzer beaters. We all know that some of the players that had great tournaments will be on someone else’s roster next year. Coaches that had great seasons will be courted by bigger programs that weren’t happy with the person that is heading their pro...

  • Wild and crazy

    Dale Anderson|Updated Mar 22, 2024

    I’m sure that many people who enjoy watching the NCAA basketball tournament really don’t watch many of the conference tournaments. For fans around here that watch Gonzaga and WSU your interests were in Las Vegas last week and the last game you watched ended in a loss for the men and also the GU women. The only local team to win their conference tournament was the EWU women. The Eagle ladies had and extraordinary season and will now take on Oregon State in Corvallis. Nice rew...

  • Rally racing results announced in Lind

    Franklin Connection|Updated Mar 22, 2024

    LIND — The Northwest Rally Association opened its 2024 season with two days of racing in Lions Club Arena on March 9-10. The Top 3 finishers in each class are as follows: Saturday, March 9 Prepared FWD — 1. James Connelly, 6:42.948; 2. Joshua Albanese, 6:47.750; 3. Chase Cook, 7:04.621. Stock RWD — 1. T.J. Vollema, 6:22.983; 2. Bryan Davidson, 6:25.797; 3. Jason Angell, 6:36.874. Prepared RWD —1. Michael Erbland, 7:25.626. Prepared AWD —1. Omri Reeves, 6:07.682; 2. Daniel Slipes-Brandt, 6:07.747; 3. Dean Minner, 6:11.212....

  • March Madness ahead for Eagles

    Special to the Franklin Connection|Updated Mar 22, 2024

    BOISE, Idaho — For the first time since 1987, Eastern Washington women’s basketball is going to the NCAA Tournament. Eastern defeated Northern Arizona, 73-64, in the Big Sky Tournament finals to capture the conference’s automatic bid on Wednesday afternoon. Jacinta Buckley had a monster game with 21 points and 11 rebounds. The Eagles had five players score in double figures as well. “This team is tough and resilient, they don't waver or panic. We knew if we upped our urgency at the defensive end to get more stops; we knew we...

  • One and done - again - for Eastern Washington University men

    Paul Delaney, Franklin Connection|Updated Mar 13, 2024

    BOISE, Idaho — The Eastern Washington men's basketball team was upended in the quarterfinals of the Big Sky Tournament for the second-straight season on Sunday in Boise, losing to the No. 10 seed Sacramento State Hornets, 74-69. The Eagles entered the tournament as the regular season champions and top seed, just as they did last year, and finished with a 21-11 overall record. Eastern fell in similar fashion last season, losing their first game to No. 8 Northern Arizona. Sacramento State led wire-to-wire in the first half, p...

  • Eastern women reach BSC title game

    Paul Delaney, Franklin Connection|Updated Mar 13, 2024

    BOISE — The Eastern Washington women used two deciding quarters, were led by three players in double figures and topped Montana State 56-39, March 12, to advance to the Big Sky Conference women's championship game March 13. Eastern was set to play the winner of the Northern Arizona vs. Montana game, which followed their contest with a berth in the NCAA Tournament at stake. With Jacinta Buckley scoring 16, Jamie Loera 12 and Aaliyah Alexander 10, the top-seeded Eagles pulled away from the Bobcats on the strength of an 18-6 e...

  • State unveils pike plan

    Roger Harnack, Franklin Connection|Updated Mar 13, 2024

    LAKE ROOSEVELT - The state Department of Fish and Wildlife has released a "rapid response" plan to take extraordinary measures to kill northern pike found in waterways like Lake Roosevelt. Released last week, the plan would allow state officials and tribes to draw down reservoirs, using Rotenone to poison the fish, netting and seining, quarantining waterways and more after declaring a northern pike emergency. State Aquatic Invasive Species Policy Coordinator Justin Bush...

  • Hunters may comment on proper rule changes

    Franklin Connection|Updated Feb 29, 2024

    OLYMPIA — Hunters can comment on a proposed rule change governing seasons for the next three years. State Department of Fish and Wildlife employees are proposing changes to game-management unit boundaries, landowner hunting permits, pelt inspection and sealing requirements, weapon and hunting attire requirements, trapping and various rules related to big and small game and gamebirds. A substantial number of changes are proposed and can be reviewed online at https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/about/reg...

  • McCullough takes fourth in girls state wrestling

    Franklin Connection|Updated Feb 23, 2024

    OLYMPIA — Four Pasco Bulldog girls competed at State Mat Classic on Feb. 16-17, one came home with a medal. Berkley McCullough finished fourth in the girls 3A/4A tournament at girls 135 pounds. She opened with a bye and won a 12-8 decision over Ayden Mooney of Juanita and a 10-4 decision over Janessa O'Connell of Union, before losing the semifinals by pin to Sierra Wangen of Curtis by pin in 2:37. In the wrestlebacks, she pinned Kylee Wicklund of Lake Stevens in 2:16, then lost the third-place match to Annabelle Suto of O...

  • Two Bulldogs finish seventh at state

    Franklin Connection|Updated Feb 23, 2024

    OLYMPIA - Two Pasco Bulldog wrestlers brought home medals from the state Mat Classic XXXV on Feb. 16-17: Both Alexander Barajas at 138 and Kamden Boyer at 215 finished seventh in state 4A wrestling in the Tacoma Dome. Two other Bulldogs, Devon Valdivia at 165 and Victor Cuellar at 175, qualified and competed at state, but didn't place. Here are the Bulldogs' individual results: 138 - Alexander Barajas (40-13) placed 7th and scored 7.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Alexander...

  • Most surprising March Madness winners of all time

    Stacker, Bob Cooper, Data Work By Karim Noorani|Updated Feb 23, 2024

    There's a reason it's called March Madness. Besides the mad enthusiasm (and heavy betting) of partisan fans, the madness of underdog teams posting upset after upset to advance as far as the Final Four or even the championship game makes for compelling theater. Who doesn't love an underdog or, in March Madness parlance, a Cinderella? ATS.io compiled a ranking of the most surprising men's March Madness champions since 1982 (when "March Madness" was coined) using Sports...

  • Connell boys win 2 matches each at state

    Franklin Connection|Updated Feb 22, 2024

    TACOMA — Two Connell Eagle boys won two matches each in the 1A boys state Mat Classic wrestling championships Feb. 16-17 in the Tacoma Dome. But despite those victories, neither Eliuth Serra nor Jackson Forsyth was able to medal. Here are the individual results for the Eagles: 120 — Eliuth Serra (32-17) place is unknown and scored 5.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Eliuth Serra (Connell) 32-17 won by fall over Marshall Pell (Cashmere) 5-3 (Fall 4:39) Quarterfinal - Cooper Williams (Castle Rock) 9-0 won by fall over Eliuth Serr...

  • Burbank boy competes in Mat Classic

    Roger Harnack, Franklin Connection|Updated Feb 22, 2024

    TACOMA - A Burbank wrestler competed in the state Mat Classic XXXV tournament Feb. 16-17 in the Tacoma Dome, but came home empty-handed. Wrestling at 113 pounds in the boys 1B/2B division, Carter Katz made it to the third round of the tournament. He was pinned by Abraham Montealagre of Forks in 1:41 in his opening bout. In the wrestlebacks, he received a bye and then was eliminated from the state tournament by Landon Batton of Cle Elum by pin in 4:15....

  • Three Chiawana wrestlers win silver medals at state

    Roger Harnack, Franklin Connection|Updated Feb 22, 2024

    TACOMA - Chiawana wrestlers brought home several medals from state Mat Classic XXXV, including three silvers and a bronze in the boys 4A division Feb. 16-17 in the Tacoma Dome. Silver medalists include Anthony Shima at 106 pounds, Daeton Johnson at 138 and Jordan Tobias at 144. Chiawana's bronze medalist is Lane Hedrick at 285. During the two-day tournament, Chiawana amassed 169.0 team points, good enough for second-place. Tahoma won the team title with 193.5 points. Skyline,...

  • Othello girls take fourth at state

    Roger Harnack, Franklin Connection|Updated Feb 22, 2024

    TACOMA - The Othello Huskies girls wrestling team finished fourth in the state Mat Classic XXXV tournament on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 16 and 17, in the Tacoma Dome. The Adams County girls amassed 87.0 team points in the small school girls division (1B-2A). Toppenish won with 166.0 points, followed by Orting with 103.0 in second and Royal with 89.5. Warden was fifth with 83.0 points. Othello had several girls in the state tournament. Those placing include Grayce Mendez,...

  • Othello boys second at state

    Franklin Connection|Updated Feb 22, 2024

    TACOMA — The Othello boys wrestling team finished second overall in the class 2A state Mat Classic on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 16 and 17, in the Tacoma Dome. The Huskies scored 120 team points to finish second; Orting won with 299.5. Several Othello boys placed, including Isaac Campos and Daniel Gonzalez, second and fourth, respectively, at 113; Mason Russell, fifth at 126; Anthony Abundiz, fourth at 132; Jeremiah Flores, fourth at 150; Camilo Mendez III, fourth at 157; Mason Perez, second at 285....

  • A better game

    Dale Anderson|Updated Feb 14, 2024

    As the youngest of five I grew up with basketball, football and baseball. My older brothers taught me how to play and to take a few lumps along the way. I loved to play and work on my deficiencies to be a better player. I watched a lot of games as a youth and of course when my heroes lost I took it pretty hard. When it was my turn to play in high school I paid attention to the rule changes and it was interesting how many changes there were in the game of basketball. The idea...

  • Making mistakes

    Dale Anderson|Updated Jan 31, 2024

    It's kind of interesting when you watch championship games especially at the professional level and think that the players will be so focused and there won't be many mistakes. But mistakes were made and with dropped passes and penalties that allowed the offense to get a fresh set of downs and continue their march towards the goal line. In the AFC game Kansas City would make enough plays to get a lead and hold off the Baltimore Ravens. On one drive in the second half the...

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