Big plays pay dividends for Bombers in quarterfinal win

When things need to get done, Adam Weissenfels is your man.

The Richland senior caught a touchdown pass, had two interceptions and forced a fumble with the game on the line to help the Bombers to a 28-21 victory over Gonzaga Prep in the Class 4A quarterfinals.

“That’s his typical Adam Weissenfels thing,” Richland coach Mike Neidhold said. “I got no words for it. I’m not sure what it is. The bigger the game, the bigger the moments, Adam seems to rise up and do those things.”

The Bombers (12-0) move on to the semifinals for the third consecutive season. They will face Central Valley (10-1), a 41-0 winner Saturday over Skyline (details TBD).

“We get to go back,” Richland defensive lineman Jax Lee said with a big smile.

Getting that ticket to the semifinals was no easy task for the Mid-Columbia Conference champions.

With the score tied at 21-all, Parker McCary scored from 1 yard out with 2:23 left in the game to give the Bombers a 28-21 lead after a Weissenfels PAT.

“Our offensive line has improved a ton this year,” McCary said. “They are making big plays and allowing me to do what I’ve been training for. They have been clutch in these moments.”

Devin Culp, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound senior who has signed to play at the University of Washington, took the ensuing kick down the left sideline and had 35 yards of turf behind him when he met Weissenfels at midfield.

“I thought he was going to jump over me so I tried to stay up high,” Weissenfels said. “The ball went into my chest and I took it.”

From there, the Bombers ran out the clock.

“We have this 48-minute mentality around here,” Neidhold said. “You have to play for 48 minutes. We knew that Gonzaga Prep would come out after halftime and put it to us, and they did. There is no quit in (G-Prep coach Dave McKenna’s) kids and their program up here. To our credit, we came back. We had a little adversity and we handled it quite well. When it came to getting the ball to the other end of the the field, we did it.”

The Bombers held a 21-7 lead at the half, but the game was closer than the score.

The Bullpups (9-3) were driving late in the second quarter, and a 37-yard pass from Connor Halonen to Sam Lockett put G-Prep on the Richland 5-yard line.

The Bombers’ defensive line held its ground, stuffing Halonen and Kasey Anthony on consecutive running plays.

On third-and-5, Halonen hit Devin Culp with a short pass, but Culp was hit by Ryan Piper and lost the ball. Josh Mendoza was there there to pounce on it for a turnover and keep the ball out of the end zone.

“Big teams make big plays, an that’s what we ended up doing,” Weissenfels said. “Things were falling our way. In the second half, it started going for Gonzaga Prep, but we stayed consistent, do what we do best, and stuck to our game plan, which won us the game.”

The Bullpups came out with a full head of steam to start the third quarter.

They drove down the field with Culp, Anthony and Halonen chewing up yards. G-Prep finished the drive with Halonen finding Bryden Dodson for a 17-yard touchdown pass.

Richland turned the ball over on its next possession as Jacob Parola intercepted Cade Jensen and returned the ball 20 yards to the Bomber 35-yard line.

On the first play from scrimmage, the Bullpups put a little razzle dazzle in their game as Travis Hojnacki hit a wide open Halonen with a 35-yard touchdown pass to tie the score at 21-21.

“We had a feeling G-Prep would run some funny stuff,” Lee said. “We found a way to come back on top and play Bomber football.”

In the first quarter, the Bullpups found the end zone first as Eric Floyd hauled in an 18-yard pass from Halonen for an early 7-0 lead.

The Bombers answered with a 24-yard hookup from Jensen to Weissenfels. The PAT was blocked, giving G-Prep a 7-6 advantage.

Richland scored twice in the second — Jensen ran the ball in from 1 yard out, then hit Mendoza for a 4-yard score as the Bombers took a 21-7 lead at the half.

“I never doubted our team,” Weissenfels said. “I knew we were going to win. They had a lot of momentum, but I know what our guys bring to the table. I was confident in our guys, even when things didn’t go our way.”

This story was originally published November 18, 2017 at 6:39 PM with the headline "Big plays pay dividends for Bombers in quarterfinal win."