5/28/2020 (Centralia, WA) The Headline on the Centralia Chronicle’s newspaper was a gut punch to Centralia High School’s athletes, “Centralia School District cuts all Sports”. The story by Celene Fitzgerald was later corrected to make clear the School Board has not yet voted on the final cuts but due to […]
News
Is New Media killing Traditional Sportscasting?
5/25/2020 By Paul Beattie, ESN (Centralia, WA) ESPN once again is changing their Monday Night Football announcing crew. As I was reading the story I noticed in the comments the clamoring for old school announcers. Names like Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford, Keith Jackson, Dick Enberg and although still on the […]
Football in the Spring is not a Fantasy
5/21/2020 (Updated with additional comments from a District A-D) (Centralia, WA) About a month ago and a month or so into the new reality we are all living with there were questions beginning to be asked sports in the Fall. When would we know? How will it work? Then some […]
ESN set to unveil new Podcast “Eli’s High School Report” on the NFHS Network
5/20/2020 (Centralia, WA) The Eli Sports Network will launch a new podcast on Tuesday, May 26 and will debut on the ESN/NFHS Sports Networks. “Eli’s High School Report” will air every Tuesday with some additional shows slated some Thursday’s that are to be determined. The show will be available to […]
Horse Racing: Prat falls 1 short of Laffit Pincay Jr at SA after big weekend including an Emerald Downs connection
5/18/2020 (Arcadia, CA) Flavien Prat fell one Winner’s Circle picture short of tying the record for most wins in a single day on Sunday just missing his 7th win which would have tied him with Laffit Pincay Jr. Prat, a 27-year-old from France began riding in the U-S in 2015 […]
WIAA Proposing Drastic Changes to State Basketball Tournaments
(Renton, WA) The WIAA is looking at making some drastic changes to the State Basketball Tournament format and have offered up 3 proposals and are now looking for feedback from coaches, athletes and the public. The changes are being sought for several reasons budget, giving players and fans a better […]
Emerald Downs set to open next month
5/13/2020 (Auburn, WA) The Washington State Horse Racing Commission voted on Friday, May 8 to approve a 44-day race meet at Emerald Downs in Auburn beginning on Monday, June 22. This is a change from the originally scheduled opening date of April 18. The current Corona virus epidemic of course […]
WIAA passes new rules for next year
5/11/20 (Renton, WA) The WIAA representative assembly recently concluded their voting period on 23 proposed changes from the Winter Coalition meeting this past January. There were several eye catching changes mixed in with what could be called cleaning up other issues. The WIAA is a private, non-profit organization which schools […]
Analysis: Will selection committees really make a difference?
5/9/2020 (Renton, WA) On Friday we ran the story on the WIAA moving to a selection committee system for all team sports and not just football. The move was made due to the positive feedback the WIAA had received from the coaches and AD’s from the football model and will […]
WIAA Board passes Seeding Committee Format for all Team Sports
5/8/2020 (Renton, WA) The Executive Board of the WIAA passed a resolution that would change how all the team sports would be seeded into the State Tournament. All sports teams will now use the seeding committee format to come up with the final State bracket. WIAA Executive Director Mick Hoffman […]
AD’s on the move
5/6/20 (Correction: Nick Mullin is still teaching at Timberline, we apologize for our mistake.) The Spring time is known for baseball, track, better weather and Seniors gearing up for graduation. This is also the time traditionally teachers, coaches and administrators announce retirements or decide it’s time to step down or […]
WIAA preparing for all scenarios this Fall including shifting sports seasons
5/4/20 (Centralia, WA) “Our job is to create and offer as many opportunities for students to learn and compete in a safe and fair way.” That quote from WIAA Executive Director Mick Hoffman has he and his staff literally looking at all possible scenarios for the Fall of 2020. Hoffman […]
Opinion: Sports, the great escape!
4/22/20 By Josh Kaiser, ESN Broadcaster As the state of Washington is a little over the one-month mark of being locked down, it’s given me a new perspective on so many things in life. Such things include going to the park, the beach, hanging out with friends and extended family, […]
Opinion: High School Sports Hard Lessons this Spring
4/6/20 As we all sit and wait for the anticipated re-opening of everything in our daily lives it is hard not to think about and be sad for this year’s group of High School Seniors. The year began with the first time the State High School Football Championships were played […]
ESN’s Re-Live the Maddness Coming Soon!
4/2/20 (Centralia, WA) The Eli Sports Network will begin our own version of “Re-Live the Maddness” a series of Washington State Basketball highlight shows. Our National Network partner the NFHS has rolled out the National Re-Live the Maddness with highlights and reminders of terrific basketball games that did get played […]
ELI’S ALL TOURNAMENT TEAMS FROM THE Tacoma Dome(4A, 3A)
(Tacoma, WA) Here are our selections for the Eli Sports All-Tournament teams. This is after we have had time to reflect, look at stats and input from the ABC Jam staff who were at the tournament calling games. Our selections are based solely on the tournament games and only from […]
Eli’s All Tournament Teams from the Spokane Arena (2B, 1B)
(Spokane, WA) Here are our selections for the Eli Sports All-Tournament teams. This is after we have had time to reflect, look at stats and impacts from all of the ESN staff at the tournament calling games. Our selections are based solely on the tournament games and only from teams […]
Still hope for Spring Sports and Championships
3/16/20 ***Story Updated with comments from District 4 Director Tim Graham see bottom of story. (Renton, WA) The WIAA has yet to scrap the Spring sports Championships slated to begin with Golf on May 27 and the rest on May 28, 29 and 30 but the timeline is exceptionally tight. […]
Eli’s All-Tournament Teams from the Yakima SunDome (2A & 1A)
3/11/20 (Yakima, WA) Here are our selections for the Eli Sports All-Tournament teams. This is after we have had time to reflect, look at stats and impacts from all of the ESN staff at the tournament calling games. Our selections are based solely on the tournament games and only from […]
Some Spring Events Postponed due to Virus; WIAA responds
3/11/20 (Renton, WA) “We’re definitely keeping an eye on everything and will respond accordingly with our partner schools and State officials”, was the lead comment from WIAA Mick Hoffman in regards to today’s announcement from Washington Governor Jay Inslee banning events of more than 250 people in King, Pierce and […]
