What to watch for in the biggest Week 8 matchup around the Mid-Columbia
Here we are in Week 8 of the high school football season, and this week the big matchup will be Kennewick at Chiawana (7 p.m. Friday) at Edgar Brown Stadium.
The two teams are still battling for second place in the Mid-Columbia Conference standings, with the visiting Lions sitting at 5-1 in MCC play (6-1 overall) and the host Riverhawks at 4-2 (4-3).
For Kennewick, outside of pride, it’s situation is pretty set.
Head coach Randy Affholter’s team is the top Class 3A squad out of the MCC already. But Affholter realizes his team needs good games this week and next (against Richland) in order to stay up high in the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s Ratings Percentage Index (RPI).
The Lions are currently sitting 12th in the RPI, which would likely put them on the road in the first round of the state playoffs. But wins over Chiawana and Richland could move them up and get them a first-round home game.
Meanwhile, Chiawana — with losses to Kamiakin and Richland — is likely locked in as the No. 3 Class 4A seed in the MCC, and the Riverhawks would play the Greater Spokane League’s top seed in the regional crossover games, set for Nov. 4-5.
Other football news
▪ Connell lost its Friday contest against Kiona-Benton, which has covid problems.
The Eagles put out a request this week for an opponent — any opponent — to give the kids another game.
On Wednesday, Redmond, Ore., answered the call, and will travel to Connell for a 6 p.m. kickoff on Friday.
It’s the new way of doing things this year: games being canceled and teams putting together another matchup on the fly.
It’s forced athletic directors and coaches to be flexible, as they try to find enough contests for their kids.
It’s not optimal, but it sure beats sitting at home on Friday nights for these kids.
▪ In the We-Missed-This-Stat Department, when Richland held on to beat Mead 14-12 a few weeks ago on the road in Spokane, one of the key elements in the Bombers’ win was the kicking game.
Mainly, Richland punter Joey Weissenfels essentially flipped the field late in the game with an 80-yard punt. Pretty impressive.
Other sports notes
▪ Former Richland High softball standout Emily Garza has transferred from South Carolina Upstate to Coastal Carolina. Garza spent one season at SC Upstate, but she’ll have four seasons of eligibility remaining at Coastal Carolina.
▪ Breanna Shaffer (Kennewick) had 11 kills in Tuesday’s 3-0 Eastern Oregon University women’s volleyball victory over the College of Idaho.
Shaffer, a junior, is second on the team in kills with 218 this season, and is third on the squad with 248 digs.
EOU is now 19-5 overall this season.
▪ Richland High grad Eric Yardley spent most of his season pitching for Nashville, the Milwaukee Brewers’ Triple-A franchise.
Yardley, a right-handed submarine relief pitcher, appeared in 39 games this season with the Sounds, surrendering a 3.22 earned run average, while going 4-1. In 36.1 innings pitched, Yardley struck out 30 batters.
Yardley also pitched in 17 games this year for the Brewers. In 18.2 innings pitched, Yardley had a 6.75 ERA.
▪ Western Oregon University’s Keanu Daos (Southridge) ran the men’s 6,000 meters course at the Ash Creek Invitational in Monmouth, Ore., a 10-team event on Sept. 10.
Daos, who spent a few years after high school competing at Spokane Community College, covered the course in a top time of 18 minutes, 22 seconds, to win the event.
▪ More NWAC signings: Othello High grad Oriana Vasquez is playing softball for Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake. … Rayle Wardenaar, a Royal High grad, will play women’s basketball for Edmonds Community College. … Kamiakin graduate Kyle Wright is playing baseball for Walla Walla Community College. … Chiawana grad Elsa Young will play women’s soccer for Highline Community College.
▪ Southridge High grad Haley Thomas spent most of her college career playing women’s soccer at Weber State University. And she did it well, being named first-team defender on the Big Sky Conference team as well as co-Defensive MVP in the Big Sky last season.
But Thomas is now a grad student at Boston College, and has been playing for the Eagles’ women’s team with her final year of eligibility.
She has started all 15 games for the 7-7-1 Eagles as a defender, and is credited with two assists this season.
▪ Thomas left behind two Tri-Citian teammates at Weber State in junior midfielder-forward River Holle (Kamiakin) and senior midfielder Sadie Newsom (Hanford).
Those two have helped the Wildcats to a 9-6 record so far this season.
▪ Richland High pitcher-outfielder Joey Pearson recently announced that he will be playing for Lower Columbia Community College’s baseball team in Longview.