BENTON CITY -- Kiona-Benton picked up a wild 45-34 SCAC East victory at Wahluke on Friday.
The Bears rallied with two late touchdowns, after blocking a Wahluke punt and recovering it at the 1. Anfernee Cortez scored on the next play. The Bears then got the ball back, and Dalton Morgan salted away the victory with a 31-yard touchdown run.
"What a battle," said Bears coach Charlie Hobbick, who credited the Warriors' Francisco Cuevas with being a "super athlete" during the course of the clash.
"He scored every single point for them. We had trouble stopping him. But we just had too many weapons on our side, and we blocked a punt at the 1-yard line to turn the tide at the end and put the game away."
The victory was too little too late for the Bears, who cannot reach the playoffs no matter what happens.
River View and Columbia-Burbank are tied for third, but the Coyotes hold the tie-breaker.
Even if Kiona-Benton upsets Royal to tie River View, the Panthers hold the head-to-head tie-breaker.
Kiona-Benton 45, Wahluke 34
Late Friday
Kiona Benton 8 14 9 14 -- 45
Wahluke 7 6 6 15 -- 34
SCORING PLAYS
KB--Dalton Morgan 1 run (Morgan pass from Matt McCallum)
W--Francisco Cuevas 85 kickoff return (Cuevas kick)
KB--Morgan 4 run (Zach Metcalf kick)
W--Cuevas 52 run (kick failed)
KB--McCallum 56 pass from Cortez (Metcalf kick)
KB--FG Metcalf 27
W--Cuevas 9 run (kick failed)
KB--Cortez 1 run (kick failed)
W--Cuevas 14 run (Cuevas kick)
W--Cuevas 14 run (Ricardo Silverio run)
KB--Cortez 1 run (Metcalf kick)
KB--Morgan 31 run (Metcalf kick)
STATISTICS
RUSHING--KB, Morgan 23-138, Cortez 13-67, McCallum 1-9. W, Cuevas 28-183, Silverio 8-55, Sabin 2-(minus 10), Jonathan Abarca 1-0.
PASSING--KB, Cortez 14-24-0-225. W, Jared Sabin 3-15-2-23.
RECEIVING--KB, Morgan 1-16, Cruz Del Angel 2-27, Christian Aguilar 7-87, McCallum 3-95. W, Oscar Jimenez 1-8, Rafael Mendoza 2-15.
