Kennewick holds off Richland in nail-biter game. Chiawana stays unbeaten
Chiawana maintained its lead in the Mid-Columbia Conference football standings, while Kennewick beat Richland in a key victory that gave the Lions second place all alone.
Kamiakin keeps rolling toward a showdown with Richland, Hanford looks like it may have got into the playoffs, and Southridge’s Lucien Cone had an out-of-his-mind game against a Spokane school.
We’re two-thirds of the way through the MCC regular season, as teams are looking to solidify a postseason playoff berth.
Let’s start with the game of the weekend:
KENNEWICK 19, RICHLAND 7: David Wacenske was asked how football practice was this past week, after the Kennewick Lions had fallen 24-13 the previous week to Chiawana after turning the ball over seven times in that game.
“It was rough. Tough. Discipline, discipline, discipline,” said Wacenske.
That discipline was needed Friday night for the Lions to beat the host Richland Bombers in a Mid-Columbia Conference football game.
“I told our guys this was an RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) game,” said Kennewick Coach Randy Affholter, who team improves to 4-1 in MCC play, 5-1 overall). “Richland was 4-1 going into this game.”
The RPI is used to help seed teams for the postseason.
While the Kennewick offense wasn’t lights out, it was the Lions defense that became the key element of the contest.
The Lions held the Bombers — a team that had been averaging 30 points a contest coming in — to just 7 points.
And it was Wacenske who provided some of the key plays.
The biggest came early in the second quarter, with Kennewick already up 6-0 thanks to a 1-yard touchdown run by Andre Breedlove.
Richland had the ball deep in its own territory, when Bombers quarterback Josh Woodard and running back Landon Charlton mishandled a handoff.
The ball popped up in the air, and without missing a beat, the 6-foot-4, 205-pound Wacenske swooped through at full speed to pick the ball off in the air and run it back 16 yards for a touchdown and a 13-0 lead.
“I saw they were running a read-option play,” said Wacenske. “When (Woodard) tried to pull it, it just popped up. That was a gimme play. You’ve got to have those.”
Wacenske also sacked Woodard hard enough on another play to force a fumble that was recovered by Lions teammate Dylin McIntyre.
For the game, Richland outgained Kennewick 251-229.
But the Bombers just couldn’t convert that advantage into points when they needed it most.
It happened only once, when Richland QB Josh Woodard found an open Seth Shook for a 35-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.
That cut Kennewick’s lead to 13-7.
The Bombers’ final two offensive drives had them knocking on the door in the Red Zone.
But both times, the Lions defense turned them away.
In the first instance, Richland marched 11 plays from its own 18, taking what Kennewick would give them at 7 to 11 yards at a time.
But on a 3rd-and-1 from the Lions’ 23, Woodard fired a pass toward the end zone that was tipped once by a Kennewick defender. It ended up in the hands of Dane McClure — a Lions defensive back who dropped down on all fours for a touchback.
About a minute later, with 59.1 seconds left, Richland got another shot.
The Bombers marched from their 49 down to the Lions 3 — aided by two Kennewick pass interference calls.
With 5.8 seconds left, Woodard had two cracks at finding a receiver in the end zone.
But McClure broke up one pass play, and Aiden Garcia broke up the other.
“That was big (on those defensive stands),” said Affholter, who was glad to see his team turn things around after the loss to Chiawana. “Last week — and I want to give Chiawana credit — but we shot ourselves in the foot with all of those turnovers.”
Wacenske said the pass defense Friday night was key.
“We had to stop them with their pass play,” he said. “Our run defense is always there.”
It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that Kennewick added another touchdown, which was set up by a 20-yard run by Lions sophomore Alex Roberts (who finished the game with 113 yards on 17 carries) down to the Bombers 10.
From there, Breedlove took it in for a score and a 19-7 lead.
The loss for Richland (4-2, 4-2) likely sets up an Oct. 20 matchup against Kamiakin which could be for the MCC’s No. 2 Class 4A regional playoff berth, with the loser get the No. 3 berth.
NOTES: Woodard had a strong game for Richland, going 23 for 39 for 209 yards, with a TD pass and two interceptions. … Tanner Schuster caught 7 passes for 75 yards; while Charlton rushed 15 times for 50 yards. … Kyler Witkowski caught 2 passes for 58 yards for the Lions. … Kennewick defensive leaders: DL McIntyre had 8 tackles and a fumble recovery; McClure had 6 tackles, an interception and a pass breakup; Wacenske finished with 4 tackles, a QB sack, a forced fumble, and the fumble recovery for a TD. … Richland defensive leaders (all Bombers linebackers): Zane Weikum had 7 tackles (1 for loss) and two QB sacks; Isaya Galvez added 7 tackles (1 for loss); and Kelani Steward had 7 tackles (one for loss).
The rest of the MCC
Chiawana wasted little time on the road Thursday night, jumping out to a 46-0 lead en route to a 53-14 win at Hermiston.
Riverhawks quarterback DJ Duran was 12 for 20 for 196 yards passing, with three touchdown passes.
Receivers Hunter Azure-Price (5 catches, 95 yards and a TD) and Kade Smith (5 catches, 72 yards and two TDs) led the way for the receiving corp.
Ian Mohl rushed for two more TDs.
Hermiston’s Jaime Ramirez-Ortega caught TD passes of 75 and 80 yards from Isaac Corey.
▪ Kamiakin rolled to a 44-0 Homecoming win over Walla Walla on Friday, as the Braves defense picked up its first shutout of the season.
Braves QB Carter Poland was 10 for 15 for 193 yards passing and a touchdown. Poland also rushed for another score.
Gabe Tahir caught 5 passes for 93 yards for Kamiakin.
The victory also sets up a showdown on Oct. 20, when Kamiakin hosts Richland in what should be a battle for the MCC’s No. 2 Class 4A regional playoff berth, and with the loser earning No. 3.
▪ The Suns’ Cone had over 300 yards in total offense, scoring five touchdowns, to lead Southridge over visiting Lewis & Clark 49-14 in a non-league game Friday.
Cone rushed 10 times for 254 yards, caught 2 passes for 59 more yards, and opened the game with a 64-yard punt return for a touchdown.
He also had TD runs of 92 and 74 yards.
Jimmy Rush added 99 yards rushing on 16 carries, and two touchdowns.
▪ Hanford outscored Pasco 27-12 in the second half to pull away for a 33-6 win at Edgar Brown Stadium on Friday.
It was Hanford’s first MCC win of the season.
Eli Perkes had two TD passes, and scored another himself, for the Falcons. Perkes finished with 119 yards passing.
Hanford rolled up 382 rushing yards as a team, led by Colton Whitmore (14 carries, 165 yards) and Kevin Hester (13 for 103).
The victory gives the Falcons the inside track for a 4A play-in game in Week 10 against the Greater Spokane League No. 3 team.
MCC STANDINGS
Chiawana (Class 4A) 6-0 MCC, 6-0 overall
Kennewick (3A) 4-1, 5-1
Richland (4A) 4-2, 4-2
Kamiakin (4A) 3-2, 4-2
Southridge (3A) 3-2, 4-2
Hermiston (3A) 2-3, 2-4
Hanford (4A) 1-4, 2-4
Walla Walla (3A) 1-4, 1-5
Pasco (4A) 0-6, 0-6
Scores
Oct. 6 — Chiawana 53, Hermiston 14
Oct. 7 — Hanford 33, Pasco 12; Kamiakin 44, Walla Walla 0; Kennewick 19, Richland 7; Southridge 49, Lewis & Clark 14.
Schedule
Thursday, Oct. 13 — Kennewick at Hanford, Fran Rish Stadium, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 14 — Hermiston at Kamiakin, Lampson Stadium, 7 p.m.; Pasco vs. Ferris, Ridgeline Stadium, 7 p.m.; Richland at Walla Walla, Borleske Stadium, 7 p.m.; Southridge at Chiawana, Edgar Brown Stadium, 7 p.m.