Gorge sports coverage for Feb. 9, 2022
Full coverage of high school sports in the Gorge, including Hood River, Wasco, Sherman and Klickitat counties.
In what was undoubtedly the most exciting game of the season and with one of the largest crowds in many years at Kurtz Gym, The Dalles High Riverhawks didn’t disappoint their hometown fans in a 65-62 boys basketball win over Gorge rival Hood River Valley last week.
The Dalles High Riverhawk girls basketball team recorded what was undoubtedly its biggest win of the season with a 49-38 road victory over Gorge rival Hood River Valley on Feb. 3.
Columbia High’s girls basketball team needed to win its final regular-season Trico League contest to have a chance to compete in the district playoffs. And the Bruins did just that on Friday, much to the delight of its home crowd.
The local Gorge girls basketball teams all resumed their Class 1A Big Sky League schedule Friday after having over two weeks off because of a COVID pause for health and safety protocol issues for athletic events at area high schools.
Hood River Valley recovered from a 14-point loss to Redmond on Jan. 27 by winning two of its next three games this past week and now sits in a tie for second place with rival The Dalles in the Intermountain Conference boys basketball standings.
The Dalles and Hood River Valley are on the outside looking in as both girls basketball teams head into the second half of Intermountain Conference season with three league state playoff berths at stake.
All of the Gorge-area boys basketball teams resumed their Class 1A Big Sky League schedule last week after over two weeks off for a COVID pause.
The No. 3-ranked South Wasco County High Redsides (8-0 league, 18-0 overall) continued their outstanding play, with two more wins. The Redsides, guided by Coach Jim Hull, won 74-51 over the No. 18 ranked Dufur High Rangers (5-2 league, 6-4 overall) Friday at Dufur High School, followed by a 73-53 victory over the Horizon Christian High Hawks (4-3 league, 11-6) Saturday at South Wasco High in Maupin.
Occasional spurts and bursts provided some highlights this season, but inconsistent play overall by the young Columbia High boys basketball team prevented the Bruins from notching any wins.
Hood River Valley’s Dulce Najera and The Dalles High’s Maisie Bandal-Ramirez qualified for the OSAA girls state championships with their finishes at the Special District 3 tournament in Redmond. Najera finished second at 100 pounds. Bandal-Ramirez was third at 125 pounds.
The Dalles High Riverhawk and the Hood River Valley High Eagle swim teams competed in a Feb. 3 tune-up event at the Hood River Aquatics Center in preparation for Saturday’s Class 5A Intermountain Conference District meet in Hood River.
The Hood River, Redmond, and Pendleton high school swim teams are prominent in the conversation about the 2022 Intermountain Conference swimming team championships.
Saturday’s Hood River Memorial Tournament proved a good sendoff for a number of Gorge wrestlers, who are prepping for this weekend’s district tourney in Prineville.
