3 Tri-Cities area teams clobber their opponents to head to WA state football semifinals

Chiawana’s Cooper MacPherson and Braxton Feldmann showed why they’re among the best football players in the state.

So did Liberty Christian’s Charlie Branning. And the Royal Knights continue to dominate their competition.

All three football teams — Chiawana, Liberty Christian and Royal — continued their winning ways last weekend in the WIAA state football playoffs, each taking down their opponents in the quarterfinals.

So now each of them advance to the state semifinals this coming Saturday, just one win away from playing for the state championships.

Here is Saturday’s semifinal schedule:

• Class 4A: (3) Chiawana (11-1) at (2) Sumner (11-1), Sunset Chev Stadium, 4 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 30;
• Class 1A: (4) Cashmere (11-1) at (1) Royal (11-0), Lions Field, Moses Lake, 4 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 30
• Class 1B: (4) Almira-Coulee-Hartline (10-2) vs. (1) Liberty Christian (12-0), Fran Rish Stadium, Richland, 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 30.

Meanwhile, Kennewick, Tri-Cities Prep and DeSales all saw their seasons end last weekend in the quarterfinals.

Here’s a look at what happened with all of the Mid-Columbia teams:

CHIAWANA 48, LAKE STEVENS 21: The host Riverhawks needed a find way to keep the No. 6 Vikings from winning a third consecutive state championship, and it all happened in 4 minutes and 50.3 seconds.

With the game tied at 14-14 in the final minute of the first half, Chiawana had two short rushes at midfield that netted almost nothing.

Some of the Riverhawks were pleading to head coach Scott Bond to throw the ball — to at least try to score — before halftime.

Bond called a timeout with 1.3 seconds remaining with the ball at the Vikings 45.

“I knew what we were doing,” said Bond. “I only wanted one try there at the end. If we fumbled, we could get the tackle in plenty of time.”

What happened instead was Chiawana quarterback Julian Martinez launching a bomb down the right sideline to Cooper MacPherson — who sneaked by two members of the Lake Stevens secondary to catch the pass for a touchdown as time expired.

“My quarterback, I’ve played with him since we were in grade school together,” said MacPherson. “He told me he was going to throw it far. I said OK.”

Replays showed that MacPherson caught the bottom half of the ball — something exceptionally hard to do.

“I don’t know if I did that,” said MacPherson after the game. “I was just really concentrating on catching it.”

The Vikings came out in the third quarter and marched 53 yards downfield in four plays — keyed by a 53-yard Kolton Matson to Blake Moser pass play. But MacPherson — the two-time Defensive Player of the Year in the Mid-Columbia Conference — then made another key play on the fifth play of the drive.

On a third-and 8 from the Chiawana 13, MacPherson bull rushed the blockers and closed in on Matson, who fell backwards but lofted a pass to the left side near the end zone.

Waiting was Chiawana’s Braxton Feldmann, who gathered in the pass and raced through a number of would-be tacklers for a 96-yard touchdown return.

“That was all Cooper,” said Feldmann, whose eyes got really big with all of that real estate ahead of him. “He made that play. I was just running as fast as I could. It was awesome.”

Chiawana wasn’t done yet.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Vikings had a tough time handling the squib kick and the Riverhawks’ Andre Mehrer recover the loose ball at the Lake Stevens 34.

Six plays later Gage Williams — who comes in as quarterback for Chiawana in a rushing offense — rolled into the end zone from 5 yards out. It was Williams’ fourth touchdown of the game, and the Riverhawks coaching staff has gotten to calling him The Closer.

“I feel we have the best defense in the state,” said Williams, who rushed 11 times for 60 yards, completed a pass for 49 more yards, and on defense he had two sacks of Matson. “I also think our offensive line is the best in the state.”

For Tom Tri’s Lake Stevens team, it was the end of a great run. The Vikings had won the 4A state title in 2022 and 2023, and in 2021 placed second in the state playoffs. Altogether, Lake Stevens compiled a 42-9 record these past four years.

“I thought we had a good chance,” said Tri in a quiet locker room after the game. “We had a lot of seniors back, and some talented young guys. We had a lot of injuries this season, and in no way am I making excuses. But those certainly didn’t help us. Today, we just go out-physicalled.”

Indeed.

Bond has said this year’s edition is one of the most physical teams he has ever had — either as head coach at Chiawana, or in his assistant coaching days at both Chiawana and Pasco that encompass over 20 years.

Especially that defense, which has surrendered an average of 6 points a game in the last 11 weeks.

“I have to give a lot of credit to our defensive coaches,” said Bond. “(Defensive coordinator) Don Hogue, Troy Sommerville, Trent Simpkins, Kevin McCallum, Kenton Alford and Doug Vincent.”

BELLEVUE 42, KENNEWICK 6: In Bellevue, Lions senior Alex Roberts returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown and a 6-0 Kennewick lead.

Unfortunately, the top-ranked Wolverines scored the next 42 points for the victory.

Rylan Moon led Bellevue with 191 rushing yards and three TDs. Bellevue had 476 yards of total offense, while Kennewick had 159.

Canaan Hays rushed 13 times for 48 yards, while Roberts had 13 carries for 39 yards.

Randy Affholter’s team finished the season with a 9-3 record and another top 8 finish in the 3A state playoffs.

ROYAL 56, LYNDEN CHRISTIAN 12: Wiley Allred’s Knights continue their quest for another 1A state title, as they beat visiting Lynden Christian easily.

Royal takes on South Central Athletic Conference foe Cashmere in the semifinals.

The two teams met in Cashmere on Oct. 4, with Royal winning 55-14.

This will be the ninth consecutive year that the Knights will play in the state semifinals.

OKANOGAN 48, TRI-CITIES PREP 8: The visiting Jaguars, playing up in Wenatchee, ended its postseason run by falling to the top-ranked Bulldogs in the quarterfinals.

Prep had advanced to this game after beating Toledo 13-10 in the first round of the state playoffs, when Jake Sherfey scored on the final play of the game.

LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 56, DESALES 20: Patriots head coach Craig Lukins decided this season not to overwork star running back Charlie Branning.

Branning has been a workhorse the previous two seasons, basically being LC’s major offensive weapon.

But this year, with Perry Pottle — a strong-armed senior quarterback — a few outstanding receivers, and a couple other decent running backs, Lukins lightened Branning’s load with less touches.

Come playoff time, though, the stars come out to shine.

For Branning, that meant five rushing touchdowns, and him carrying the ball 17 times for 240 yards.

But it wasn’t all Branning.

Pottle passed for 121 yards and two touchdowns. Hunter Cole caught 3 passes for 87 yards and a score.

Defensive end Ryan Powell led the defense with 6 tackles (2 for loss), a batted down pass, and a hurry. Linebacker Ashton Hardenbrook added 6 tackles (1 for loss) and two hurries.

It’s why Branning loves this team.

“I like that we’re all together all of the time,” said Branning. “There is a deep brotherhood love for this team.”

Lukins, whose team is ranked No. 1 in the 1B tournament, says the key for his team is that it comes down to depth on his 27-man roster.

“That wasn’t the case last year,” he said. “But this year, we have a lot of weapons.”

Now the Patriots meet Almira-Coulee-Hartline in the semifinals on Saturday at Fran Rish.

The two teams met on Sept. 20 in the Tri-Cities, with the Patriots winning 50-36.

SIDE NOTE: For those who love extra high school football, No. 2 seed Asotin (12-0) will play No. 3 Napavine (10-2) at Fran Rish Stadium on Saturday at 4 p.m., right after the LC-ACH game.

It pits two Class 2B semifinalists in a game that cuts down on the travel for Napavine.