Richland to battle nemesis for WA championship title today

For the ninth time in school history, the Richland High School boys’ basketball team will play in a state championship game.

The Bombers earned that right late Friday night when they held off No. 3 Lake Washington 83-70 in a 4A state semifinal game in the Tacoma Dome.

Richland, now 27-0, will meet a familiar old foe — Gonzaga Prep (21-6) — in the championship game, which is set to tip off at 3 p.m. Saturday.

These two teams have had classic battles over the last 15 years, many coming in the tournaments in the district they share.

“How good is that,” asked Richland coach Earl Streufert. “Good basketball rises to the top.”

And it certainly did in Friday night’s semifinals.

Gonzaga Prep, seeded fifth in the tournament, took down No. 7 Emerald Ridge 52-37 in the first semifinal. The Bullpups used a stifling defense to put the clamps on the Jaguars.

In turn, No. 2 Richland used its high-powered shooting to eventually run off the Kangaroos. Richland shot 48 percent (13 for 27) from the 3-point line.

And it was the Bombers’ so-called third option on offense, junior guard Jackson Woodard, who proved to be the key in the victory.

Woodard scored a career-high 30 points, sinking 7 of 10 treys.

Lance Horntvedt led the Mid-Columbia Conference in scoring this season, averaging 27.4 points. Fellow senior Landen Northrop was No. 2 at 25.8 points. And Woodard is sitting at No. 8 at 16.3 points.

Most opponents’ defensive schemes concentrate on both Horntvedt and Northrop.

On Friday night, Woodard made the Kangaroos pay for that plan.

“I’m super pleased with Jackson,” said Streufert. “That’s what everybody does. They focus on Lance and Landen. They’re thinking that guy (Woodard) is not gonna beat us.

“Jackson made those guys pay for their disrespect,” he said.

Woodard said he gets frustrated when he has trouble hitting his shots.

“I feel I should make them a lot more,” he said. “Tonight, my shot felt good every time I took it. And I feel it puts more pressure on the other team when that happens.”

A few weeks ago, after a dismal shooting night, Streufert found Woodard already out on the floor before the next day’s practice. He was in the midst of putting up 200 shots.

“He just kept working, staying late each night,” said Streufert. “And he’s been getting better.”

Woodard was part of Richland’s key run that started late in the second quarter and went into the third.

Trailing 35-34, the Bombers went on a 16-2 run that gave them enough cushion for the win.

The biggest shot was Woodard’s 4-point play — he sank a 3-pointer while getting fouled, then made the free throw.

“I kind of flopped on the floor to sell it,” Woodard admitted, although replays showed it was a foul.

Now up 50-37 with 5:54 left in the third quarter, the Bombers were able to thwart the many runs the Kangs made to win the game.

Woodard wasn’t the only standout.

Northrop had another big night with 24 points, all while heavily being bandaged on his right wrist and hand after getting scratched. He even had to change out of his bloody No. 1 jersey into a fresh No. 12.

Horntvedt put in 20 points himself, and he grabbed 6 rebounds.

Josiah Scacco led the team with 7 rebounds — of which 3 of them on the offensive end kept the Bombers’ possessions alive and were turned into points.

And now, the Bombers get Gonzaga Prep on Saturday for the state championship. Richland beat Prep 65-53 in the District 5 championship on Feb. 21.

Keeping the team ready

What does the Richland staff do with a group of basketball-playing teenagers all day before a 9 p.m. tipoff?

“We’ve traveled enough with these guys,” said Streufert. “I don’t have to babysit them.”

On Friday, he let the players sleep in — long enough that a few of them missed having breakfast before the scheduled 11 a.m. shootaround.

That shootaround lasted 45 minutes. Then it was a trip to Black Bear Diner, where players could either eat breakfast or have lunch.

“That was over around 1:30,” said Streufert. “So then we took them to a grocery store, so they could get what they needed for snacks before the game. I told them to get what they need, and then we turned them loose for four hours.”

For many of the players, that meant of good nap.

“With our game at 3 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday), we’ll get them up and get them a good breakfast,” said Streufert. “We’ll check out of the hotel and head to the Dome.”

Streufert, Robertson trade outfits

Streufert and his top long-time assistant, Bruce Robertson, didn’t plan it the way it turned out.

But they switched outfits on the first two nights of the tournament.

On Thursday night, Streufert wore white Richland basketball pullover, while Robertson wore a black one. On Friday night, Streufert wore black and Robertson donned white.

It wasn’t planned, said Streufert. The two of them have worked together for decades.

“We’re just an old married couple by now.”

Richland’s state championship games

The Bombers have won three state titles in their school history: in 1958, 1972 and 1979.

But they have also finished second five other times: 1973, 1974, 1977, 2014 and 2024.

2A girls

(3) PROSSER 64, (7) ELLENSBURG 42: The Prosser Mustangs finally got over the hump at the state basketball tournament in Yakima.

On their fifth consecutive attempt to get past the semifinals, the Mustangs did so, beating CWAC rival Ellensburg in the SunDome.

The Mustangs will meet top-ranked Lynden in the tournament championship, set to start at 5 p.m.

Prosser dominated the boards, out-rebounding Ellensburg 40-30.

Junior star Herbie Wright led the Mustangs with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists.

Teammates Amelia Chapman and Keelyn Cox each added 12 points.

Jessica Huntington and her Mustangs beat Ellensburg all four times they met this season.

2Aboys

(7) GRANDVIEW 58, (4) PULLMAN 36: Grandview used tough defense to hold down Pullman to just 28 percent shooting from the floor, and Francisco Medina led all scorers with 22 points.

Teammate Braden Santos added 12 points, and Grandview will play No. 5 Tumwater at 9:30 a.m. Saturday for 4th and 6th place.

1A boys

(1) ZILLAH 74, (3) ROYAL 64: Royal’s bid to get into the state championship fell short to league rival Zillah.

Zillah’s Dekker Van De Graaf led all scorers with 34 points. He also had 12 rebounds. Leopards teammate X Castilleja added 12 points.

Grant Wardenaar led the Knights with 25 points and 8 rebounds; while Graham Palmer had 15 points.

It was the fourth time this season Zillah had beaten Royal.

Royal will play No. 6 King’s at 11:15 a.m. today for third and fifth place.

1A girls

(1) KING’S 42, (5) ROYAL 27: The Knights could never get untracked in their semifinal, falling to top-ranked King’s.

Lauren Wardenaar led Royal with 12 points, while Graycie Kast had 6 points and 10 rebounds.

Kaleo Anderson led King’s with 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Royal will meet No. 3 Lynden Christian at 1 p.m. today for third and fifth-place.

2B boys

(5) TRI-CITIES PREP 59, (10) FREEMAN 42: Tri-Cities Prep forced 22 turnovers and turned them into 33 points en route to the loser-out consolation game victory.

Layne McClure and Landen Levy each scored 11 points in a game Prep pretty much led from start to finish.

The Jags will play No. 2 Northwest Christian at 9:30 a.m. today for 4th and 6th place.

(2) NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN 82, (12) COLUMBIA-BURBANK 76: Trent Schumacher scored 36 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as the Coyotes fell to Northwest Christian.

That ended Burbank’s season. It finished with a 16-13 record.

Brody Schumacher added 12 points for the Coyotes.

1b boys

(1) LUMMI NATION 74, (4) DESALES 58: Top-ranked Lummi outscored the Irish 41-26 in the second half to win the semifinal game in Spokane.

Spencer Green led DeSales with 19 points, while Cohen Wood added 18.

Dyson Edwards led Lummi with 21 points.

DeSales will take on No. 2 Almira-Coulee-Hartline at 11:15 a.m. today for the third- and fifth-place trophies.

(6) LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 53, (7) NEAH BAY 50: Ryker Wageman scored 22 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, and Trevor Haak added 15 points, as the Patriots won the loser-out game and will play for a trophy today.

The Richland school will play No. 5 Moses Lake Christian/Covenant Christian at 8 a.m. today for 4th and 6th place.

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

This story was originally published March 7, 2026 at 7:03 AM.