At Richland High, championship math is 2 times No. 1 equals 6

The Richland baseball players found their coach Grant Richardson on the Wall of Fame on Wednesday afternoon at Art Dewald Gymnasium.

Chances are, a couple of them will join him in the future, whether it be for baseball or football.

Seniors Adam Weissenfels, Josh Mendoza, Casey Perryman and Trey Zorich, along with juniors Drew Daves and Taylor Johnson all played on the Bombers' 4A state championship football team in December, and on the championship baseball team last week.

"This is a deserving bunch of guys," Bombers football coach Mike Neidhold said. "They work at it.

"Those things are hard to win. There's a reason there aren't a million of them in the trophy case."

The 2017-18 school year will be one to remember for Richland High School. Along with the football and baseball titles, the boys basketball team made it to the state Final Four before placing fifth.

"This is super special," Weissenfels said. "Goes to show how much hard work our teams have put in. There are bigger, more athletic guys going to bigger schools, but we had each other. It feels good to hold two trophies for our school."

Weissenfels, who was the 4A state player of the year, was a defensive back, receiver and kicker for the Bombers, who finished the season with a 14-0 record. He is headed to Annapolis, Md., and the Naval Academy next month. He also played shortstop on the baseball team and had three hits in his final two games.

Josh Mendoza, a first team all-Mid-Columbia Conference receiver and defensive back, also was a first-team outfielder. He hit a key two-run single in the top of the seventh inning in the title game last weekend, and made a beautiful diving catch in right field in the semifinal game against Federal Way.

"It is a big deal to win one, but to win two is a testament to our culture," Mendoza said. "When you make varsity it's your job to keep the winning culture going. To win two trophies is pretty special."

Johnson threw a complete game Saturday as the Bombers won their first baseball title since 2009. With two outs in the seventh, he walked a batter before getting the final out of the season.

"I tried to throw a strike," said Johnson, an up-and-coming quarterback for the Bombers. "I went numb when he hit it. Then Drew caught the ball. That was crazy. I was giving Drew a hug and everyone piled up on us. We were still holding on to each other with 16 guys on us. It was great. The best."

Daves was patrolling center field when he caught the last out.

"I told Trey if I caught the final out that I was going to keep the baseball," he said. "But I threw my hat, my glove and the ball in the air. I got my glove back, but the wrong hat, and the ball was gone."

As a junior, Daves said he knows what the football and baseball teams did this year was special, and that others will look to him and Johnson for leadership next year.

"It speaks to the foundation they set," said Daves, who plays quarterback, cornerback and receiver in football. "What we have is pretty special. We love each other and have each others' back. Now, it's our our job to carry on and lead by example."

Perryman, a first-team all-MCC linebacker, had shoulder surgery seven weeks ago but still supported the baseball team however he could.

"It was hard not to play," he said. "It great to be a part of it. I went to every practice."

And even with a bum shoulder, he joined the celebration.

"Emotions were running high," he said. "I jumped on the pile."

Perryman hadn't played football since the eighth grade, but with a little prodding from his friends, he joined the Bombers in the fall for one last season. It turned out to be a good one.

"I go from not playing to starting," Perryman said. "It's great to be part of something like this. It's real crazy to do it again. We have been playing baseball together since we were 9 years old. Once we get together, we are hard to stop."

Zorich was another player who skipped out on high school football until his senior year.

"I joined late and played special teams," Zorich said. "My biggest regret of high school is not playing all four years. We all pushed each other to do great things."

The baseball title was the second one for the Zorich family since 2009, when Trey's cousin, Quinn Zorich, was part of the Bombers' fourth title.

"Some of my best memories were watching Bomber baseball with my dad (Vince)," Zorich said. "I didn't take my baseball jersey off for a long time (Saturday). It's tough. You won't wear it again. To bring the baseball tradition back is amazing.

"It's good to go out on top."

This story was originally published May 30, 2018 at 5:25 PM with the headline "At Richland High, championship math is 2 times No. 1 equals 6."