Richland runs past Lewis & Clark 42-20
Rhett Levin has been waiting all year to score his first touchdown. Richland’s 6-foot senior finished fifth in the Mid-Columbia Conference with 25 catches yet was the only receiver in the top 14 without a score.
Undoubtedly, Levin will get kidded by the coaching staff about that.
“There’s several things we rib Rhett about, but he gives it right back to us,” Richland coach Mike Neidhold said.
That all changed during the sixth-ranked Bombers’ 42-20 win over Lewis & Clark in the Class 4A District 5-8 regional victory Friday night at Fran Rish Stadium.
Levin hauled in six catches for 78 yards, including a 6-yard out route from quarterback Paxton Stevens near the end up the second quarter that put Richland up 21-7.
Stevens had a strong game as well, completing 19 of 30 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns.
But against LC, Richland found a team that would simply not go away. The Bombers looked to control things early, limiting the Tigers offense to just 81 yards in the first half. But in the fourth quarter, LC found some life, chipping into Richland’s 35-7 lead with a Jordan Summers-to-Adam-Thompson touchdown pass — their second connection of the day — and then another score after a David McKinzy interception set the Tigers up at the Bombers’ 7-yard line.
“They won’t quit. I just told their coach they’re always going to give you a 48-minute game whether it’s football, basketball or cross country,” Neidhold said of LC. “I’m proud of our composure. That game could have gotten away from us. LC forced us into some bad decisions, but our kids kind of refocused and recalibrated.”
Lakota Wills finished with 12 rushes for 98 yards and a touchdown, and Kyle Whitby added 38 yards and two scores on 12 carries. Stevens ran in another score.
Offensive play of the game
Alex Chapman hauled in a 27-yard touchdown pass from Stevens with 2:25 left in the third quarter, his second big catch of the night. The other went for 29 yards to extend the Bombers’ previous scoring drive.
Defensive play of the game
Chapman also provided the defensive play of the game, making a great read on a sideline route to intercept a Summers pass after the Tigers had recovered a Richland fumble at the Bombers’ 43.
Special teams play of the game
Wills blocked a Cameron Duncan punt to set up a Richland score in the third quarter. He shot in quickly from the left end and got a piece of the kick, which was covered by the Bombers to end the drive.
Richland scored off their ensuing drive, putting them up 35-7.
Richland’s next opponent
The Bombers will have a tough test against Central Valley, which beat Chiawana 24-13. But they will get to host the game at Fran Rish Stadium.
Lewis & Clark | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 | — | 0 |
Richland | 14 | 7 | 14 | 7 | — | 0 |
SCORING PLAYS
R — Lakota Wills 11 run (Ryan Wolski kick)
R — Paxton Stevens 4 run (Wolski kick)
LC — Adam Thompson 10 pass from Jordan Summers (Nick Davis kick)
R — Rhett Levin 6 pass from Stevens (Wolski kick)
R — Kyle Whitby 4 run (Wolski kick)
R — Stevens 27 pass to Alex Chapman (Wolski kick)
LC — Thompson 16 pass from Summers (Davis kick)
LC — Leo Haghighi 7 pass from Summers (kick blocked)
R — Whitby 3 run (Wolski kick)
STATISTICS
RUSHING — LC, Adam Jacobson 11-22, Cameron Duncan 7-22, Summers 7-(minus 5). R, Wills 12-98, Whitby 12-38, McClain Elgin 7-16, Stevens 3-11, Taiton Gillespie 2-3, Victor Strasser 2-3.
PASSING — LC, Summers 18-31-2-202, Duncan 1-1-0-38. R, Stevens 19-30-1-251.
RECEIVING — LC, Haghighi 8-75, Thompson 6-67, Camryn Schoon 4-88, Jacobson 1-8. R, Levin 6-78, Wolski 2-23, Elgin 1-7, Griffey March 6-58, Ryan Piper 2-17, Chapman 2-56, Brecken Galliher 1-11.
Jack Millikin: 509-582-1406; jmillikin@tricityherald.com; Twitter: @jackbull61
This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 11:01 PM with the headline "Richland runs past Lewis & Clark 42-20."