47 years in the making. Richland seizes WA state championship

Move over Brian Kellerman. You too Bob Kennedy. And Mark Hoke, Dennis Soldat, and the late Steve Chalcraft.

And yes, you too, Mr. Phil Neill.

It’s time to give the spotlight to the most recent Richland boys basketball starting five: Braylon Edwards, Lance Horntvedt, Landen Northrop, Josiah Scacco and Jackson Woodard. And, of course, head coach Earl Streufert.

For decades, Bombers basketball fans had no problem listing from memory the Richland High starting five and coach who won the last state high school basketball championship.

Neill, Kellerman and team won the 1979 state title — against neighborhood rival Pasco, no less.

That team has stood in the spotlight for 47 years. Until Saturday afternoon.

That’s when this latest version of Bombers beat Spokane’s Gonzaga Prep 63-49 on the floor of the Tacoma Dome, earning the Class 4A title.

It was the Bombers’ third consecutive victory in as many days at the tournament.

And they did it in grand fashion: never losing a game, going 28-0, and becoming the first Richland boys basketball team to get through a season undefeated.

To earn that big, golden basketball trophy, Richland first had to get by a talented Gonzaga Prep team.

“They are just so disciplined,” said Streufert of the Bullpups. “They’re good defenders, and they’re very physical.”

The Bombers have been known all season for their lights out shooting and high scoring defense.

This time, Streufert and his staff wanted special emphasis on the team’s defense.

“We didn’t shoot particularly well,” said Streufert. “Defensively, we were trying to force them into some tough 2’s. We wanted to speed up their point guard too.”

That would put the Bullpups’ offense out of sync.

Prep shot a dismal 48% (16 for 48) from the floor.

Only Jack Pierce scored in double figures with 24 points.

Meanwhile, Richland had three guys in double figures: Horntvedt with 24 points, Northrop had 17, and Scacco — who played an inspiring game with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

The Bombers led 28-17 at halftime, and they never looked out of control the rest of the way. The Bullpups got within 6 points late in the game, but the Bombers responded each time they got close.

It only seemed fitting that Horntvedt — headed to Eastern Washington University to play basketball, and one of the top players in the tournament — picked up a loose ball and dunked it as time expired.

There was nothing left to do but celebrate.

“I can’t even explain how it feels,”said Scacco. “We had to get it done on defense. This is what these four years were about.”

Horntvedt agreed.

“Especially when you go undefeated in our senior season,” he said. “I’m excited for what’s to come.”

Back to that 1979 state title team.

After finished fourth at the 1978 state tournament, that group of Bombers — who had felt they should have won that ’78 tourney — came back to the Tri-Cities determined that the 1979 tournament would definitely be theirs for the taking.

Players worked daily on their individual games. And they won.

This current team followed that pattern after the 2025 tournament, in which they, too, placed fourth at a tournament they felt they should have won.

And for some, that chip on their shoulder may have gone back even further when Richland lost in the 2024 state title game to Mount Si.

“We came short two years ago,” said Northrop. “I had something inside of me that wanted to win this one.”

Streufert saw the work his guys put in since last March.

“It was interesting,” said Streufert. “Those guys were hungry to get back into the gym right after last year’s tournament. They put in the time. It’s no secret. They just put in the hard work.”

So what happens now?

Hopefully some type of celebration.

When Streufert was an assistant for Jim Thacker in Walla Walla, when the Blue Devils won the state title in 1999, there was a parade through downtown.

Burbank had one last year when the Coyotes won the 2B boys state title.

Some type of celebration has to be done, whatever it is. State basketball championships don’t happen that often.

So to the 1979 team: 47 years later, it’s time to share that spotlight with these young men.

“It’s been special,” said Streufert. “These guys have been great ambassadors for our school. That was a community win. That was a program win.”

Northrop mentions that win was for somebody else: Streufert.

As he talked to members of the media, he was asked how special it was to win a state title.

As he talked, he turned and watched Streufert atop the ladder, making the final snips on the last net.

Northrop stopped, looked at Streufert, and said, “He deserves one.”

-Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.

This story was originally published March 7, 2026 at 6:35 PM.