Chiawana, Richland dominate MCC girls all-star soccer team. Christian named top player

Kamiakin’s Brooke Christian was the only player on the Mid-Columbia Conference’s girls soccer all-conference first team that wasn’t from Chiawana or Richland.

That’s right. The Riverhawks and the Bombers shared the remaining 12 first-team spots.

But back to Kamiakin’s Christian. She was named the MCC Player of the Year by the conference’s coaches. And the senior forward, of course, was a first team selection.

Walla Walla’s Dana Evans, who coached the Blue Devils to a 4-4 MCC record, was named MCC Coach of the Year.

Chiawana’s list of first-team all-stars is as follows: junior forward Mylie Anderson, junior midfielder Kalina Barbosa, senior forward Alexa Campos, senior defender Ayla Harden, senior defender Taylor Mills, and junior midfielder Lindsay Sanchez.

Leading the way for Richland on the first team are sophomore defender Bella Arroyo, senior goalkeeper Kenzie Christian, senior midfielder Niyah Gallegos, junior forward Kylie Kukes, senior defender Emry Law, and junior midfielder Josilyn Maddison.

Richland and Chiawana ended up sharing the MCC regular-season championship, as both squads finished with 7-1 conference records.

Both the Riverhawks and Bombers lost in the first round of the 4A state tournament. Chiawana dropped a 2-0 verdict to Issaquah, which would place fourth at state; Richland was eliminated by Lake Stevens 2-0. Lake Stevens went on to win the state championship.

Here are the final standings in the MCC:

1, Richland (4A) 7-1 MCC, 15-5 overall

1, Chiawana (4A) 7-1, 17-2

3, Kamiakin (4A) 5-3, 10-9

4, Walla Walla (3A) 4-4, 10-9

4, Hanford (4A) 4-4, 7-9-1

6, Kennewick (3A) 3-5, 3-13-1

6, Southridge (3A) 3-5, 6-12

6, Pasco (4A) 3-5, 5-11

9, Hermiston (3A) 0-8, 2-12

Prep football

Lance Allred and his Royal teammates dominated the 1A South Central Athletic Conference all-conference football team this fall, as voted on by the league’s coaches.

The senior was named the SCAC’s Offensive Player of the Year, and he was first team at both quarterback and linebacker.

Teammate Ben Jenks, a senior, was a first-team linebacker and the SCAC Defensive Player of the Year. And Wiley Allred was named Coach of the Year, as he led the Knights to another 1A state football title earlier this month.

Four other Royal players were named first team at two different positions: senior Asher Garland was a two-way lineman; senior Jackson Larsen was a wide receiver and defensive back; senior Santana Luna was a running back and return specialist; and junior Shea Stevenson was first team at wide receiver and defensive back.

Two other Knights — sophomore Orlando Santillan at defensive tackle, and senior offensive lineman Eli Vivar — also were first-team selections.

College Place had two first-teamers in senior Trey Arlington at utility, and senior Parker Hodgen at wide receiver.

Connell also had two first-team players in junior offensive lineman Kaine Gaddis, and senior defensive back Jackson Price.

College football

Two Tri-City products were named to the first team of the All-Northwest Conference football team this fall — both playing for Whitworth University in Spokane.

Senior defensive lineman JT Munoz (Chiawana) had 41 tackles (12.5 for loss), 8 quarterback sacks, and 7 QB hurries.

Meanwhile, junior running back Luis Salgado (Kamiakin) rushed for 1,216 yards, scoring 9 touchdowns for the Pirates. Salgado also caught 29 passes for 159 yards this season.

Whitworth went 10-2, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division 3 playoffs.

▪ Offensive lineman Howie Thorne (Pasco) and wide receiver David Wacenske (Kennewick) were both named to the first team of the America Pacific 7 Conference all-conference football team recently.

Both play for the College of the Siskiyous Eagles, a team that finished with a 7-4 record in the California Junior College organization.

Thorne is a freshman starter.

Wacenske, also a freshman, caught 44 passes for 735 yards (16.7 yards per catch), and he scored 7 touchdowns.

Running back Anthony Martin-Sweet (Prosser) also played for Siskiyous this season. The sophomore was third on the team in rushing, carrying the football 55 times for 298 yards and three touchdowns.

▪ Former Kamiakin standout Eli Allen, a defensive back, finished fifth on the Carleton College football team this fall in tackles with 38.

Allen also had a forced fumble for the Minnesota school, as the Knights went 5-5 in NCAA Division 3 play.

Offers and signings

Former Richland High standout Joey Weissenfels spent the last two years playing for Spokane Community College’s baseball team.

The outfielder originally signed this summer with William Jewell College, an NCAA Division 2 school in Missouri.

But Weissenfels changed his mind and has since signed with Eastern Oregon University, and he’s expected to begin playing for the Mountaineers in the 2026 season.

▪ Connell’s Cade Clyde, who graduated from high school in 2023, had been going to Weber State for football.

But the defensive end recently entered the transfer portal and just came out of it by committing to another Big Sky Conference school — this one Idaho State.

▪ Kennewick High lineman Robbie McMillen has an offer from Culver-Stockton College to play football.

Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Herald.