The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG – On Wed., Nov. 29, the Waitsburg School District announced that the first basketball game of the season, scheduled for Sat., Dec. 2, against Moses Lake had been cancelled. A notice posted on the district’s Facebook page said the cancellation was due to students unable to play due to academic ineligibility, health concerns, and other obligations.

Comments on the district Facebook page expressed frustration that the WIAA refused to approve a Dayton-Waitsburg basketball combine for this year.

“The league didn’t want to pull us from the schedule, but here we are . . . pulling ourselves off. Only now our kids are suffering,” said parent Sarah Boudrieau.

An update on Dec. 1 states that due to continued struggles with athlete turnout, health issues, grade eligibility for both boys and girls basketball, only varsity games will be played at the Dec. 5 home game against MacHi.

“We are hopeful that we will have additional athletes eligible and healthy for the Dec. 8 and Dec. 9 games and will be able to have JV games at that time,” said a district-issued statement.

Roy Ramirez is head coach for both boys and girls basketball. At the Nov. 8 school board meeting, Danielle Carpenter was approved as girl’s assistant coach and the district was still looking for an assistant boy

The Cardinals are scheduled for away games against Touchet on Fri., Dec. 8, in Touchet. Girls varsity is at 6 p.m. and boys varsity at 7:30 p.m. Both JV and varsity teams are scheduled to play GarPal in Waitsburg on Sat., Dec. 9. Girls will play at 2:30/5 p.m. with boys playing at 3:30/6:30 p.m.