One year after watching its state championship streak come to an end, Chiawana is back on top.
The Riverhawks defeated Ferris 13-6 on Saturday, Oct. 24, reclaiming the 4A state title after finishing second to Moses Lake last season.
Before Chiawana ever took the field for the state tournament, the Riverhawks were already talking about what it would take to get back on the top. On The Sports Council, head coach Aaron Cantu and players Aleeah Andersen and Kinsley Jones reflected on last season’s loss, the team’s determination to bounce back and the culture that carried Chiawana into the championship.
Last season, Chiawana entered the state tournament as a seventh seed and eventually reached the championship game before falling to Moses Lake. The Riverhawks had also graduated eight or nine players following their 2024 championship season, leaving the team with eight or nine new starters.
Cantu said the new group had to learn how to compete together while also adjusting to a new coaching staff.
“They came together, they banded and they said, ‘Hey, we dropped districts, but that doesn’t mean anything’,” Cantu said.
Instead of allowing the No. 7 seed to define them, the Riverhawks used it as motivation. They made their way through state, defeating North Creek before beating West Valley in an extra-inning semifinal and reaching the championship game.
Although they fell to Moses Lake, the opportunity gave a young Chiawana team something it did not have before: experience.
Anderson, who is a senior left fielder and had already been a part of two state championship teams, said losing in the final game gave the team even more motivation going into this season.
“Since we lost last year, I think it’s brought a lot of energy towards this year,” Anderson said.
That energy showed from the beginning of the season. Chiawana entered the year as the No. 1 seed and carried the confidence of a team that believed it could finish the job this time around.
“Everyone wanted to go to state,” Jones, a junior first baseman, said. “Everyone wanted to get revenge on Moses for kicking their butts in state. It just started off hot and it stayed hot.”
The Riverhawks did not just rely on motivation. Cantu expressed that the team focused on improving its defense, preparation and overall understanding of slow-pitch softball.
“We’re very defensive oriented,” Cantu said.
In slow-pitch softball, where teams can score lots of runs, Cantu said that defense can be what separates teams when the pressure is high.
“You can’t play defense on a home run, but everything else that gets put into play, you got to be able to stop it,” Cantu said.
Chiawana also built their identity around effort and learning from mistakes. This season especially, it was important to Cantu that the team had a culture where players looked at failures as opportunities to improve, not lose confidence.
“They fail. Count it all joy. How do we improve? How do we move forward?” Cantu said. “I fail, but you succeed. How do we celebrate your success and learn from my failure?”
That mentality became part of what made the team different. Players did not just show up to practice and leave. They pushed each other and continued to get better.
Even after practices officially ended, the team made an effort for themselves and for one another.
“I feel like everyone just doesn’t stop,” Jones said. “There’s so much effort put in and people stay late after practice just to hit and get extra reps.”
The extra work became important when the Riverhawks returned to the state championship game.
They entered the battle against Ferris as the top seed at 22-1, while Ferris came in as No. 7 at 13-8. However, the difference in seeding did not stop the Saxons from making Chiawana work for the title.
Ferris took a 6-4 lead in the fourth inning, putting the Riverhawks in a position where they needed to respond strongly.
Chiawana did just that.
Across the fifth and sixth innings the Riverhawks scored seven runs and took control of the game to finish with a 13-6 victory.
Jones played a major role in the win, going 3-for-4 with a home run, a triple and five RBIs. Her performance helped provide the offense Chiawana needed when the game was still close.
The championship was also the payoff for a senior group that had experienced both sides of the state tournament. Anderson had been part of championship teams before, but she also knew what it felt like to walk away without a trophy.
Now, she gets to graduate with another title under her belt.
However, the relationships she built with her teammates will be far more memorable to her than the wins.
“Something I will always remember is how our team feels like a family,” Anderson said. “We start off as kind of quiet coming back in season and then we just become family and the energy just goes crazy and it’s so fun.”
For Anderson, softball will also remain a part of her life even after high school.
“Even if I don’t play… it will forever be in my heart,” Anderson said. “I love softball so much.”
That connection to the team and the sport was part of what made this season important for Chiawana. The Riverhawks had gone from being ranked seventh last season, to finishing second, to entering this season as the No. 1 team.
They had already learned how to handle disappointment, replace key players and stay together through the ups and downs.
Then, they got to prove what they had learned on the big stage.
Before the state tournament, Cantu told his players that the opportunity was theirs.
“This is yours. Go get it,” Cantu said.
Just days later, the Riverhawks did exactly that.
After four straight championships from 2021 to 2024 and a second-place finish in 2025, Chiawana is once again the 4A state champion.