Week 7: Central WA football playoff picture clears as 1B powerhouses keep winning

Yakima’s East Valley High School has the inside track to the Class 2A Central Washington Athletic Conference football title as teams enter Week 7 of the regular season.

The Red Devils can pretty much clinch the title Friday by beating visiting Selah.

It’s one of two major CWAC matchups, the other being Othello at Prosser, also on Friday.

Kickoffs for both games are at 7 p.m.

Prosser v Royal

The Prosser Mustangs lost 50-3 to 1A powerhouse Royal on Oct. 9 in a non-league game. But they’re still alive for a postseason playoff berth.

Prosser scored the game’s first points with a field goal, but the visiting Knights scored the next seven touchdowns

For Royal, quarterback Grant Wardenaar had three touchdown passes, completing 14 of 20 attempts for 223 yards. Shea Stevenson caught 6 passes for 109 yards and two TDs.

Senior Brody Bishop had a big game for Royal, which is ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 1A.

At linebacker, Bishop had 10 tackles (1 for loss). On offense, Bishop rushed seven times for 48 yards and a score; and he caught a 15-yard TD pass.

Connell v Ki-B

Also in 1A SCAC play, Connell quarterback Hunter VanHollebeke had six touchdown passes, going 22-for-36 for 369 yards, as he led the Eagles to a 69-6 rout of Kiona-Benton.

Benjamin Naef caught 4 passes for 112 yards and three touchdowns, while Max Andersen added 7 receptions for 97 yards.

Joshua Forsyth added three touchdowns and had 96 yards of total offense (5 rushes for 49 yards, and 5 catches for 47 yards).

Noteworthy

• Despite losing 40-0 to Selah in CWAC play, Grandview’s Dutch Graf carried the football 28 times for 142 yards rushing.

• We’re still a few weeks away from the big Southeast 1B Grape Division showdown, when Liberty Christian visits DeSales (7 p.m., Oct. 24), and both teams continue to win.

• They’re also both state ranked, with LC the No. 1 team.

Patriots v Odessa

The Patriots beat Odessa 50-6 last week, as Silas Bjur rushed for 143 yards on 14 carries. As a linebacker, Bjur led the Pats with 10 tackles (2 for loss) and a forced fumble.

QB Trent Ralston had 115 passing yards and tossed four TD passes, and he rushed for 40 yards and another score.

Dax Mercure had 3 catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns.

Meanwhile, DeSales beat Sunnyside Christian 54-18, as Irish quarterback Cohen Wood passed for 198 yards and three touchdowns, and he ran 4 times for 98 more yards and three more TDs.

Teammates Caleb Bingham (9 carries for 153 yards and a TD) and Jason Guest (4 catches for 153 yards and three TDs) also contributed on offense. Guest was in on 24 tackles.

2A CWAC FOOTBALL STANDINGS

East Valley-Yakima 5-0 CWAC, 6-0 overall

Othello 4-1, 5-1

Selah 4-1, 5-1

Prosser 4-1, 4-2

Toppenish 3-3, 3-3

Ephrata 2-3, 3-3

Ellensburg 2-4, 2-4

Quincy 0-5, 1-5

Grandview 0-6, 0-6

Oct. 9 — Royal 50, Prosser 3

Oct. 10 — East Valley-Yakima 56, Toppenish 6; Ellensburg 28, Quincy 14; Othello 33, Ephrata 21; Selah 40, Grandview 0

Oct. 17 — Ellensburg at Zillah, 7 p.m.; Grandview at Quincy, 7 p.m.; Othello at Prosser, 7 p.m.; Selah at East Valley-Yakima, 7 p.m.; Toppenish at Ephrata, 7 p.m.

1A SCAC Football Standings

Royal 5-0 SCAC, 6-0 overall

Cashmere 5-1, 5-1

Zillah 4-2, 4-2

Naches Valley 3-2, 4-2

Connell 3-2, 3-3

Wahluke 2-3, 2-4

Wapato 2-3, 2-4

College Place 0-5, 0-6

Kiona-Benton 0-6, 0-6

Oct. 9 — Royal 50, Prosser 3

Oct. 10 — Cashmere 35, Zillah 6; Connell 69, Kiona-Benton 6; Naches Valley 27, Wapato 6

Oct. 11 — Wahluke 21, College Place 14

Oct. 17 — Cashmere at Connell, 7 p.m.; College Place at Naches Valley, 7 p.m.; Ellensburg at Zillah, 7 p.m.; Wahluke at Royal, 7 p.m.; Wapato at Kiona-Benton, 7 p.m.

2B EWAC Eastfootball Standings

Tri-Cities Prep 3-0 EWAC East, 6-0 overall

Columbia-Burbank 2-1, 3-3

Warden 1-1, 5-1

Granger 0-2, 2-4

River View 0-2, 2-4

Oct. 10 — Columbia-Burbank 28, Granger 8; Tri-Cities Prep 54, River View 6; Warden 12, Lind-Ritzville-Sprague 7

Oct. 16 — Granger at River View, 6 p.m.; Tri-Cities Prep at Warden, 7 p.m.

Oct. 17 — Columbia-Burbank at Newport

SE 1B Grape Division Football Standings

DeSales 2-0 SE 1B, 6-0 overall

Liberty Christian 1-0, 4-0

Touchet 1-0, 1-1

Mabton 1-1, 1-4

Sunnyside Christian 1-2, 1-4

Yakama Tribal 0-3, 0-5

Oct. 10 — Liberty Christian 50, Odessa 6

Oct. 11 — DeSales 54, Sunnyside Christian 18; Mabton 44, Yakama Tribal 13

Oct. 17 — DeSales at Mabton, 7 p.m.; Touchet at Sunnyside Christian, 7 p.m.; Yakama Tribal vs. Liberty Christian, at Kamiakin High School, 7 p.m.

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