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EAST VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT/Courtesy photo
East Valley delivers on penalty kicks to capture district title
Red Devils beat Toppenish in shootout for championship, Cashmere advances to final
STAT HOUND
May 13, 2026
TOPPENISH — Senior Jace Cuevas scored two goals, including one in second-half stoppage time, to help East Valley defeat Toppenish 3-2 (4-3 in penalty kicks) and claim the CWAC district championship on Tuesday evening.
The top-seeded Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute on a header goal by Kristian Iniguez, and then went up 2-0 in the 48th when Santos Guel found the net. Cuevas converted a penalty kick three minutes later to keep the game close for EV and then poked the ball home in the 82nd minute to force overtime.
“We had them on their heels at the end of regulation, and after a scramble in the box, Jace was able to find an empty net,” Red Devils coach Todd Morrow said. “Their defense stepped up bigger than we expected, but we finally broke through at the very end.”
After two scoreless overtime periods, the No. 2 seed Red Devils converted all four of their penalty kicks and benefited from two saves by goalkeeper Angel Lopez to bring home the program’s third district title in the past four years.
“Some of these kids have been in this situation before, but winning a third district title kind of adds some validity to their careers,” Morrow said. “I’m excited that they get to experience that because it’s always a big deal to bring that plaque back to our school.”
Currently No. 3 in the WIAA’s RPI rankings, East Valley (15-2 overall) is hoping to earn a first-round home game when the Class 2A state tournament pairings are announced Sunday. Toppenish (12-6-1) sits at 14thin the RPI and will likely play its opening-round state match on the road.
ELLENSBURG 3, GRANDVIEW 2 (4-2 PK): At Ellensburg, junior Angel Aparicio scored a pair of unassisted goals in the second half to help the Bulldogs come back from a 2-0 halftime deficit and ultimately win the loser-out CWAC district tournament contest in a shootout.
Aparicio also converted his penalty kick — along with Alejandro Jasso, Connor Beaty and Cesar Estrada Lopez — while senior goalkeeper Parker Sterkel saved the Greyhounds’ final two shots to seal the win for Ellensburg.
Lalo Perez put fifth-seeded Grandview ahead in the 10th minute before Victor Valencia doubled the lead in the 25th. But the No. 3 seed Bulldogs discovered their momentum in the second half, with Aparicio cutting the lead in half in the 51st minute on an unassisted tally inside the penalty area. Then in the 58th, he tied things up on a perfectly placed free kick from 20 yards out.
Next up, Ellensburg (9-8-1) will travel to the No. 3 seed from District 1 for a winner-to-state crossover matchup on Saturday. Grandview finished its season at 9-6-2 overall.
EASTMONT, SUNNYSIDE ROLL: Eastmont cruised to an 8-0 victory against Moses Lake, and Sunnyside handled Eisenhower 4-0 in loser-out CBBN district tournament action Tuesday night.
The Grizzlies will travel to Eastmont for at 6 p.m. Thursday contest, with the winner meeting the loser of the district championship between Davis and Wenatchee on Saturday for the CBBN’s second berth to the Class 4A state tournament.
CASHMERE, CASCADE ADVANCE: Cashmere (16-2-1) and Cascade – the top seeds on either side of the bracket – earned 1-0 victories Tuesday to advance to the District 5 tournament championship.
The Bulldogs edged Connell (12-3-2), while Royal (14-2-2) fell to the Kodiaks.
The Bulldogs and Kodiaks, both of whom have locked up Class 1A state tournament berths, will meet at 5 p.m. Saturday at Royal High School for the championship.
That matche will be preceded by the Eagles and Knights playing for third and fourth at 3 p.m.