Kennewick runs over Hanford to open Mid-Columbia Conference football season

It always happens this time of year.

The heat of a late summer takes it toll on at least one player, if not more, during opening weekend of high school football. The leg cramps hit a player hard, then they get to the sideline — drinking pickle juice or whatever concoction there is — to get leg relief.

Eventually, that player or players get back out on the field, but they lose a lot of playing time.

In Friday night’s Kennewick game against visiting Hanford — which was a 42-7 Lions victory — that player was senior Alex Roberts, who just happens to be one of the best 3A players in the state.

Roberts took the opening kickoff 71 yards to get the Lions going. He also ran a few plays — either taking handoffs from Kennewick quarterback Dominic Driver, or taking the snap himself out of the Wildcat formation.

The leg cramps then took over, and Roberts spent the rest of the first half trying to stretch himself out.

Here’s the thing about Kennewick: the Lions may just have the best 1-2 backfield punch in the state, because fellow senior Canaan Hays stepped in and the team never missed a beat.

Hays scored three touchdowns — runs of 9 and 15, and a 5-yard pass reception from Driver.

Together, Roberts and Hays combined for 11 carries for 118 yards. They know they’re sharing the football this season on offense (again), and they’re fine with it.

“We just want to be successful,” said Hays. “There is nothing selfish here. We knew tonight we were coming out to play, and we played hard.”

Besides, they say, by spelling each other on offense, that allows them both to play on the defensive side too.

“We went to the same elementary school together,” said Roberts. “We played against each other in Kennewick Grid Kids. But we were high school teammates early. (With us sharing the ball) I think that’s what helps us as a team.”

Kennewick coach Randy Affholter is trying to do what the legendary Ed Troxel did back in the 1980s with the Lions.

“Our goal is to try and play our kids one way,” Affholter Said. “We’re down to four kids playing two ways. We want to get to the point where Alex and Canaan are the only ones playing both sides. And they share the ball on offense.”

The game was the first for Joe Powers as head coach at Hanford. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy coming into Lampson Stadium playing Kennewick.

“We talked about staying together. This is Year 1, Game 1 of a new regime,” said Powers. “We played together the entire time, and we didn’t quit.”

KENNEWICK 42, HANFORD 7

Hanford 0 0 0 7 — 7

Kennewick 21 21 0 0 — 42

SCORING PLAYS

K — Dierks Chavez 6 pass from Dominic Driver (Tanner Chavez kick)

K — Dawson Gebers 1 run (T. Chavez kick)

K — Canaan Hays 9 run (T. Chavez kick)

K — Alexander Pursley 48 punt return (T. Chavez kick)

K — Hays 15 run (T. Chavez kick)K — Hays 5 pass from Driver (T. Chavez kick)

H — Jaxon Niemi 23 pass from Troy Jensen (Elijah Leader kick)

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

RUSHING — Han, Cael Carpenter 6-9, Jensen 1-8, Asa Perkes 2-4, Kulisitofa Nuku 3–0, Brayden Christensen 2-minus 6, Totals 14-15. Kenn, Alex Roberts 5-60, Hays 6-58, Gebers 4-19, Brady Mattson 4-8, Jax Wright 2-minus 6, Driver 2-minus 18, Totals 23-121.

PASSING — Han, Jensen 13-29-1-145. Kenn, Driver 10-16-0-165.

RECEIVING — Han, Niemi 4-65, Isaac Ngugi 1-41, Sione Nuku 2-13, Perkes 2-12, Kai Carvo 2-8, Bate Sadler 1-6, Carpenter 1-0. Kenn, Roberts 2-67, D.Chavez 3-35, Chase Taylor 2-27, Hays 2-25, Dane Chavez 1-11.

FIRST DOWNS — Han 8, Kenn 14. FUMBLES-LOST — Han 1-1, Kenn 2-1. PENALTIES-YARDS — Han 7-55, Kenn 6-76.

DEFENSE — Han, LB Carson Mullins 3 tackles (2 for loss); LB Nuku 4 tackles, QB sack; DB Grayson Jones 4 tackles; LB Brennan Knotts 4 tackles. Kenn, DB Chase Taylor 6 tackles; DL Collin Willborn 2 tackles (2 for loss), hurry; LB Gebers 2 tackles, pass breakup, hurry; LB Cooper Neer 2 tackles, fumble recovery.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN 42, CHIAWANA 8: Idaho power Rocky Mountain jumped out to a 42-point lead and never looked back in a non-league win over visiting Chiawana.

Braxton Feldmann led the way for the Riverhawks, rushing for 65 yards on 13 carries. Feldmann also was in on 9 tackles, 2 of them for loss.

Fellow Chiawana senior Cooper MacPherson totaled 77 yards of offense, catching 2 passes for 51 yards and a score — a 43-yard pass to him from Chiawana quarterback Julian Martinez — and 4 rushes for 25 more yards.

Martinez finished with 112 yards passing.

Cooper Cissne added 6 tackles and an interception for the Riverhawks, who open Mid-Columbia Conference play this coming Thursday against Kamiakin. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Lampson Stadium.

RICHLAND 60, HERMISTON 0: Host Richland honored recently retired head coach Mike Neidhold before the game, then began the Josh Jelinek era with a rout of the visiting Bulldogs on Friday.

The Bombers led 48-0 at halftime, as sophomore Jackson Woodard — taking over the offensive reins at quarterback from his recently graduated brother Josh Woodard — passed for 177 yards and four touchdowns.

That include two TD strikes to senior Preston Bryant, who transferred last spring to Richland from Hanford. The 2023 first-team Mid-Columbia Conference wide receiver caught 5 passes for 67 yards.

Running back Jakob Brannon added 49 yards rushing on 9 carries.

Defensively, Richland held Hermiston to just 115 yards of offense and forced the Bulldogs into six turnovers.

Cannon Weikum had 6 tackles and two interceptions for the Bombers; Zach Rose added two interceptions, with one returned for a touchdown; Matthew Stanfield added 4 tackles, a quarterback sack and a tackle for loss; while Sylen Kissel-Kauhane had 6 tackles (1 for loss).

KAMIAKIN 41, WALLA WALLA 0: The visiting Braves rolled to a 20-0 halftime lead and never looked back with a win at Borleske Stadium.

Trent Woodhouse fired two touchdown passes to David Kuku, another to Ty Farias, and another to Micheal Kori en route to the win.

Riley Stevens added a rushing touchdown as Kamiakin is 1-0 in MCC play.

SOUTHRIDGE 60, PASCO 14: The visiting Suns ran the Wing-T offense to almost perfection on Friday at Edgar Brown Stadium.

Southridge rushed 40 times for 461 yards and didn’t throw a pass.

Gabe Borisch led the way, rushing 16 times for 248 yards and three touchdowns; while Taylor Jackman added 11 carries for 123 yards.

Koven Burke was equally impressive, rushing 8 times for 80 yards and three touchdowns.

Elijah Henderson led Pasco with 109 yards of rushing on 11 carries. He scored on an 11-yard run.

Bulldogs quarterback Junior Olvera added 164 yards passing with a TD pass.