Week 4: Hanford football earns first victory under new coach. 1 team still undefeated
While the usual suspects atop the Mid-Columbia Conference football standings went about their business last weekend with victories, the Hanford Falcons also earned their first MCC victory under head coach Nick Baker.
Baker, who was hired in 2020 from O’Dea High School, led the Falcons to a 28-27 win over visiting Southridge at Fran Rish Stadium on Friday.
Under Baker, Hanford went 1-4 back in the spring, with the win coming over Davis.
Kevin Hester scored on a 3-yard run with 5:07 remaining in the game to give the Falcons the lead for good. Hester had a monster game, rushing 28 times for 148 yards and three TDs, as well as catching 4 passes for 62 more yards.
Lucien Cone led the Suns with 5 catches for 99 yards, and 5 rushes for 35 yards. He scored three of Southridge’s touchdowns.
Suns teammate Brad Harris also rushed 8 times for 99 yards.
▪ KAMIAKIN 35, WALLA WALLA 0: Meanwhile, host Kamiakin stayed atop of the MCC standings with a shutout of the visiting Blue Devils.
The Braves were led by quarterback Henry Mercado, who was 15 for 20 for 218 yards and four touchdowns passes.
Three of those TD passes went to E.J. Hawkins, who finished with 4 catches for 75 yards. Payton Graham caught the other TD pass. He had three catches for 51 yards, and also scored on a 23-yard run.
Luis Salgado added 73 yards rushing on 9 carries, while catching 5 passes for 55 yards.
▪ KENNEWICK 41, PASCO 0: The visiting Lions stayed unbeaten in MCC play with a shutout at Edgar Brown Stadium.
Dayton Davis led the way, passing 10 for 13 for 124 yards and three TD’s. He also rushed seven times for 62 yards.
Kennewick teammate Myles Mayovsky rushed 17 times for 101 yards and two touchdowns; David Wacenske caught two passes for 40 yards and two TDs; and Austin Stoddard added four catches for 75 yards and a score.
▪ RICHLAND 48, HERMISTON 0: Visiting Richland got back on track after losing to Kamiakin the previous week.
Bombers quarterback Cameron Kitchens passed for 280 yards and tossed five touchdowns passes.
Three of those TD passes went to Dean Boyce, while Seth Shook had 6 catches for 88 yards.
▪ UNION 42, CHIAWANA 19: JP Zamora rushed for a 10-yard touchdown and passed for another, but it wasn’t enough as visiting Union beat Chiawana in a non-league game on Thursday.
Zamora’s TD pass was for 1 yard to Darion Johnson.
Michael Kot also kicked two field goals for the Riverhawks.
MCC standings
- Kamiakin 4-0 MCC, 4-0 overall
- Kennewick 3-0, 4-0
- Richland 3-1, 3-1
- Chiawana 2-1, 2-2
- Southridge 1-2, 2-2
- Hanford 1-3, 1-3
- Pasco 1-3, 1-3
- Walla Walla 1-3, 1-3
- Hermiston 0-3, 0-4
Thursday, Sept. 23
- Union 42, Chiawana 19
- Friday, Sept. 24
- Hanford 28, Southridge 27
- Kamiakin 35, Walla Walla 0
- Kennewick 41, Pasco 0
- Richland 48, Hermiston 0
Friday, Oct. 1
- Chiawana at Richland, 7 p.m.
- Hanford at Kennewick, Lampson Stadium, 5 p.m.
- Hermiston at Walla Walla, Borleske Stadium, 7 p.m.
- Kamiakin at Southridge, Lampson Stadium, 8 p.m.
- Post Falls at Pasco, Edgar Brown Stadium, 7 p.m.
Other games
▪ SUNNYSIDE 41, WEST VALLEY-YAKIMA 35: Logan Rodriguez passed for 338 yards and five touchdowns — the last one with 10 seconds remaining — to lead the host Grizzlies over the Rams in the Big Nine Conference opener for both schools.
Myles Newhouse had another big game for Sunnyside, rushing 35 times for 176 yards, and catching 5 passes for 46 more yards.
Noah McNair (7 catches for 138 yards) and Brent Maldonado (9 catches for 128 yards) were Rodriguez’s main targets.
▪ PROSSER 21, GRANDVIEW 3: Jo Sonnichsen stepped in for a sidelined Kaiden Rivera at quarterback, tossing two touchdown passes over Grandview in a CWAC contest on Friday.
▪ NACHES VALLEY 52, COLLEGE PLACE 20: Nicholas Josifek passed for 198 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough, as the Hawks lost a non-league game to the Rangers.
▪ ROYAL 73, LA SALLE 0: Host Royal’s defense surrendered negative-8 yards to the Lightning in the non-league game.
The Knights were up 49-0 after the first quarter, and had three interceptions returned for touchdowns in the game: 45 yards by Luke Bergeson, 24 yards by Derek Bergeson, and 48 yards by Gage Jenks.
Offensively, Avery Ellis rushed five times for 74 yards, and he scored four touchdowns.
▪ RIVER VIEW 28, GRANGER 0: Ajani Fornas threw three touchdowns passes and ran for another, as the visiting Panthers won the non-league game.
Miguel Farias rushed for 138 yards on 22 carries, while Panthers teammate Pio Guzman caught 5 passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns.
▪ GOLDENDALE 55, TRI-CITIES PREP 35: Host Prep had no answer in how to stop Timberwolves running back Caleb Smith in this non-league game.
Smith carried 35 times for 262 yards and three touchdowns.
Jaguars quarterback Caleb Sherfey passed for 272 yards and five touchdowns, while receiver Adam Baerlocher caught seven of Sherfey’s passes for 110 yards and three scores.
▪ CANCELLED GAMES: The following contests were canceled due to covid protocols — Brewster at Kiona-Benton, Zillah at Connell, Columbia-Burbank at Cle Elum-Roslyn, and Liberty Christian at Yakama Tribal.