Reasons To Be Proud

Two weeks ago, we congratulated Waitsburg on its School of Distinction award from the state's Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and on the successful Cardinals basketball program.

We were remiss.

We should have congratulated the Prescott School District along with Waitsburg. Prescott is, of course, an equal partner in the sports combine. Although not as many Prescott students are members of the basketball team, the district deserves as much mention for supporting the program that shaped the teams going to state this year.

We'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate both districts on the proud and memorable season that wrapped up this weekend with the Cardinals men's team's appearance at the Final 8 tournament in Spokane.

Last week, the Lady Cardinals were knocked out of the playoffs despite a valiant and sportsmanlike effort against teams from White Swan and Lake Roosevelt.

The men performed quite impressively against teams from Bear Creek and Lake Roosevelt.

Both teams have every reason to return home with their heads held high and their hearts filled with pride for what they have accomplished and how they represented their communities.

In the past year, WP teams from four sports - baseball, softball, football and basketball - have gone to the playoffs. That says as much about the athletes as it does about the coaches, districts, families and communities that make their participation possible.

Thank you Waitsburg and Prescott!

Wrestling Goes Big Time

On a different sports note, Waitsburg should also be proud of its role in hosting this weekend's Little Guys wrestling tournament, heralding the five-week season for pre-high school wrestling.

Thanks to the Waitsburg-based Matbirds wrestling club, whose participation from throughout the Touchet Valley has doubled since it was founded four years ago, our town now has what it takes to host such a big event in the popular sport: equipment, volunteers, sponsors and community support.

An estimated 2,000 visitors, including nearly 500 young wrestlers, came to Waitsburg on Saturday. Not only did the event put Waitsburg on the map as a wrestling venue, it was a benefit to local businesses and showed how much local interest there is in the sport among young boys and girls.

There has been talk among the Touchet Valley's three school districts about forming a high school wrestling cooperative.

In light of the considerable interest in the sport among current high school students and younger wrestlers, we strongly encourage the districts to pursue this possibility for next winter.

There are a significant number of students in the valley who aren't interested or enthusiastic about other winter sports. That includes members of the Tigers soccer team, former Matbirds competitors who have reached high school age and a number of students from Dayton, which had an active high school wrestling program until a few years ago.

We also encourage any business or individual donor who can afford it to help fund the new mats the Matbirds need to replace their aging ones. The mats represent the core equipment for a local sports club that prepares young athletes for this prospective new high school sports program.

This weekend's event brought in $3,650 in tickets sales and meals proceeds thanks to the hours of organization, preparation and operation the Matbirds and their supporters put into hosting the tournament.

Their fundraising effort needs just one more push to be successful. About $3,250 more is needed to raise the $8,900 for the new mats.

Along with the funding needed to complete the new press box and equipment storage building behind the bleachers on Cardinal Field, we feel this would be a worthwhile community investment in the sports that provide a healthy outlet and pursuit for students in the valley.