Scoring records fall as Mid-Columbia Conference basketball resumes conference play
Now that the holidays are over — and for the most part, non-conference basketball — local high school teams are getting back into swing of things with conference play.
On Tuesday, the Mid-Columbia Conference picked up its schedule with four boys games and four girls contests.
A lot of things happened too.
Peter Dress scored 32 points to help lead Kamiakin’s boys over visiting Walla Walla 54-44. Dress, a senior, cleared the 1,000 career points mark in the process.
The win also sets up the first of two regular-season games between Kamiakin and Richland — which escaped at Southridge on Tuesday with a 66-61 win.
The Braves visit the Bombers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are 5-0 in MCC play right now.
Meanwhile, on the girls side, there are five teams in a tight battle for the MCC title.
Walla Walla lost 71-47 to host Kamiakin on Tuesday, but the Blue Devils are still atop the standings with a 5-1 MCC record.
According to MCC statistician Parker Hodge, Kamiakin’s Aubrey Herrin (21 points) and Emaunii Smith (20) each had career highs in the win.
And down in Hermiston, the host Bulldogs routed Hanford 79-57 in a game that saw players from both teams set school scoring records.
Izzy Simmons scored 40 points for Hermiston. Simmons’ mother is Alissa Edwards Simmons. Then known as Alissa Edwards, in 1998 she scored a school record 38 points. Take it one step further. When Alissa set the school record, the old record was 36 points, which was done in 1996 by Alissa’s older sister Angela.
Talk about keeping it in the family.
Meanwhile, Lynnea Moran of Hanford had a school-record 36 points in the loss.
Big MCC girls game this Friday will be Kennewick at Walla Walla, at 5:45 p.m.
4A MID-COLUMBIA CONFERENCE BOYS
Kamiakin 5-0 MCC, 9-1 overall
Richland 5-0, 6-2
Walla Walla 4-2, 6-5
Kennewick 3-2, 4-5
Southridge 2-3, 4-6
Hanford 2-3, 3-6
Hermiston 2-4, 2-7
Chiawana 1-5, 1-10
Pasco 0-5, 0-9
Dec. 29 — Benson Tech 51, Walla Walla 47; Davis 63, Richland 60; Kamiakin 78, Skyview 66; Southridge 65, Cheney 61
Dec. 30 — Lewis & Clark 55, Hanford 32
Jan. 2 — Chiawana 92, Pasco 39; Hermiston 59, Hanford 29; Kamiakin 54, Walla Walla 44; Richland 66, Southridge 61.
Jan. 5 — Chiawana at Hanford, 7:30 p.m.; Kamiakin at Richland, 7:30 p.m.; Kennewick at Walla Walla, 7:30 p.m.; Southridge at Pasco, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 6 — Chiawana at Hermiston, 5 p.m.; Hanford at Southridge, 5 p.m.; Pasco at Kamiakin, 5 p.m.; Richland at Kennewick, 5 p.m.
4A MID-COLUMBIA CONFERENCE GIRL
Walla Walla 5-1 MCC, 7-3 overall
Kamiakin 4-1, 8-1
Kennewick 4-1, 7-2
Richland 4-1, 6-3
Chiawana 4-2, 7-4
Hermiston 2-4, 4-5
Hanford 1-4, 2-7
Southridge 0-5, 4-6
Pasco 0-5, 1-8
Dec. 29 — Kennewick 75, Issaquah 63; Richland 62, Lapwai, Idaho, 36; Southridge 40, Cheney 33
Dec. 30 — Lewis & Clark 60, Hanford 41; Lewiston 40, Richland 38
Jan. 2 — Chiawana 87, Pasco 44; Hermiston 79, Hanford 57; Kamiakin 71, Walla Walla 47; Richland 59, Southridge 45
Jan. 5 — Chiawana at Hanford, 5:45 p.m.; Kamiakin at Richland, 5:45 p.m.; Kennewick at Walla Walla, 5:45 p.m.; Southridge at Pasco, 5:45 p.m.
Jan. 6 — Chiawana at Hermiston, 3:15 p.m.; Hanford at Southridge, 3:15 p.m.; Pasco at Kamiakin, 3:15 p.m.; Richland at Kennewick, 3:15 p.m.
Prep football
Three area football players were recently named to the Scorebook Live Washington all-state football first team.
Kennewick senior Nathan Knapik was named as an offensive lineman. Knapik was the Mid-Columbia Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year, and he has committed to playing next fall at the University of Idaho.
Also named was Chiawana junior Cooper McPherson as a linebacker.
He was named the MCC Defensive Player of the Year, leading the conference with 12 quarterback sacks. MacPherson also had 55 tackles, 25 of them for loss.
And Kamiakin senior running back Camden Schmidt was named first team all-state.
Schmidt started the season out as a wide receiver on offense for the Braves. But when started Makram Altahir went down a month into the season with an injury, Schmidt was shifted over to the running back position, and he just took off.
He finished the year with 1,460 rushing yards and scored 20 touchdowns.
Three other area athletes were named honorable mention all-state: Royal senior Jared Lee at linebacker; Kennewick senior Dylin McIntyre at defensive lineman; and Richland senior Josh Woodard at quarterback.
Royal junior quarterback Lance Allred, who led the Knights to another state 1A football championship, was named the 1A State Player of the Year by SB Live Washington.
College volleyball
Marin Mackey, a Richland High graduate who is playing volleyball for Southern Oregon University, had an outstanding season for the Raiders.
The junior was named first-team All-Cascade Collegiate Conference in her first season with the Raiders.
The outside hitter — who spent the previous two seasons at Bellevue College in the Seattle area — led the Raiders with 376 kills, which translated to 3.08 kills per set.
Mackey was also third on the team with 316 digs.
SOU finished the season with a 28-7 record. The Raiders advanced all the way to the NAIA Championship pool-play finals, going 1-1 before being eliminated.
Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.
