Kamiakin wallops Walla Walla 44-14 in MCC football

The key to a wake-up call is not the call itself. It’s how well you wake up once you hear it.

A week after a humbling loss to Richland, the Kamiakin Braves got another one against Mid-Columbia Conference foe Walla Walla.

When Blue Devils quarterback Mitch Lesmeister broke off a 64-yard screen pass to Noah Porter on their fourth play from scrimmage, it set up the first score of the game — a 3-yard run by Lesmeister — just 2 minutes, 5 seconds into the game.

“We were kind of pumped up on senior night and got caught in the moment,” said Braves senior defensive back/running back Gavin Crow, reflecting on the pregame ceremony that honored Kamiakin’s senior players. “(Walla Walla’s touchdown) was a wake-up call for us. Then we woke up and finished the job.”

The Braves certainly did, rolling up 34 points over the next three quarters to take control en route to a 44-14 MCC win Friday at Lampson Stadium.

Crow was a big part of it, rushing for two scores and hauling in a touchdown pass from Zach Borisch. He carried nine times for 55 yards and would have had a lot more yardage if not for seven Kamiakin penalties for 75 yards. They nullified a good 60 yards worth of real estate on runs from Crow.

“It happens. It’s part of the game,” Crow said.

But Braves coach Scott Biglin wasn’t so accepting of the penalties.

“It’s been an ugly downfall for us. It’s one of the things holding us back,” Biglin said. “The teams we face in the playoffs, if we make those mistakes, it’s going to hurt us. I wasn’t happy with the mistakes, but I was happy with how we responded to them.”

Kamiakin runninng back Jethro Questad returned to form, carrying 18 times for 161 yards. Borisch had an especally strong night, connecting on 9 of 12 passes for 145 yards and four touchdowns. He found Logan Smith twice for scores, and the quarterback showed nice poise under pressure just before halftime, when he escaped pressure in the pocket to hit Darreon Moore down the left sideline for a 53-yard touchdown.

Braves defensive end Austin Crawford forced a Sam Hoe fumble on Wa-Hi’s next offensive play, giving Kamiakin the ball back with 26 seconds left in the first half.

On the Braves’ first play, Borisch found Crow in stride for a 32-yard touchdown strike, putting Kamiakin up 27-6 at halftime.

Walla Walla’s J.C. Wicklund had a close call midway through the first quarter, hyperextending a knee when Crawford caught him for a loss on an end-around handoff. Wicklund left the field with help from trainers but returned in the second half. The Blue Devils have already lost running back Brennan Barberich (back) and Carter Davis (knee) to injuries and can’t afford another big loss.

This story was originally published October 30, 2015 at 11:02 PM with the headline "Kamiakin wallops Walla Walla 44-14 in MCC football."