Richland’s Wills chosen as MCC football MVP
It was pretty apparent the Richland and Kamiakin football teams were the best in the Mid-Columbia Conference this season.
On Wednesday, the MCC’s coaches confirmed it by awarding 21 of the available 27 spots on the all-conference first team to someone from either the Bombers or the Braves.
And the major awards?
Most of those went to Richland or Kamiakin, too.
Lakota Wills, Richland’s standout two-way player at running back and defensive lineman, was named the MCC Most Valuable Player.
Other Bombers to receive honors were: Brecken Galliher (Defensive Player of the Year); Griffey March (All-Purpose Player of the Year); and Mike Neidhold (Coach of the Year).
The Braves’ Gavin Crow shared the Offensive Player of the Year award with Chiawana running back Andrew Vargas, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards this season.
Kamiakin also was honored with the Offensive Line of the Year, but Kennewick’s DJ Dyer was named the Offensive Lineman of the Year.
Kamiakin’s Crow (DB-WR) and Richland’s Galliher (LB-TE), Hunter Grade (OL-DL) and March (DB-WR) were all named first-team all-MCC on both sides of the ball.
Most Valuable Player: Lakota Wills, sr., Richland. Offensive Players of the Year: Andrew Vargas, jr., Chiawana; Gavin Crow, sr., Kamiakin. Offensive Lineman of the Year: DJ Dyer, sr., Kennewick. Offensive Line of the Year: Kamiakin. Defensive Player of the Year: Brecken Galliher, sr., Richland. All-Purpose Player of the Year: Griffey March, sr., Richland. Coach of the Year: Mike Neidhold, Richland.
First team
DB: Gavin Crow, sr., Kamiakin; Darreon Moore, jr., Kamiakin; Griffey March, sr., Richland; Alex Chapman, jr., Richland. DL: Austin Crawford, sr., Kamiakin; Lakota Wills, sr., Richland; John Hardy, sr., Richland; Hayden Larson, jr., Kamiakin; Hunter Grade, sr., Richland. LB: Alex Bayuk, jr., Kamiakin; Brecken Galliher, sr., Richland; Tait Gillespie, sr., Richland; Austin Dreyer, sr., Hanford. OL: DJ Dyer, sr., Kennewick; Korbin Sorensen, sr., Kamiakin; Hunter Grade, sr., Richland; Kameron Silvers, sr., Chiawana; Nick Little, sr., Kamiakin. QB: Paxton Stevens, jr., Richland. RB: Andrew Vargas, jr., Chiawana; Jethro Questad, jr., Kamiakin. TE: Brecken Galliher, sr., Richland. WR: Griffey March, sr., Richland; Gavin Crow, sr., Kamiakin; Roman Ruiz, sr., Chiawana. P: Garret Werner, jr., Hanford. K: Ryan Wolski, sr., Richland.
Second team
DB: Derrick Gillespie, jr., Southridge; Roman Ruiz, sr., Chiawana; Sam Hoe, jr., Walla Walla; Devyn Edward, sr., Kennewick. DL: Ryan Rogel, sr., Walla Walla; Cody Sturdefant, sr., Southridge; Drezdyn O’Daol-Lyons, so., Hanford; Lucas Rassbach, sr., Walla Walla. LB: Noah Porter, sr., Walla Walla; Caleb Weber, jr., Chiawana; Rogelio Guizar, sr., Kennewick; Andrew Fridley, jr., Kennewick. OL: John Hardy, sr., Richland; Blake Thomas, sr., Southridge; Brendon Villasenor, jr., Kennewick; Dontae Powell, jr., Richland; Josh Alvarez, so., Chiawana; Isaiah Zavala, sr., Hanford. QB: Zach Borisch, jr., Kamiakin. RB: Lakota Wills, sr., Richland; Kaleb Ash, sr., Pasco. TE: Cody Sturdefant, sr., Southridge. WR: Rhett Levin, sr., Richland; Blake Loftus, jr., Kennewick; Darreon Moore, jr., Kamiakin. P: Andrew Vargas, jr., Chiawana. K: Matt Winn, sr., Chiawana. R: Sam Hoe, jr., Walla Walla.
Honorable mention
DB: Jace Navejas, sr., Kamiakin; Trent Simpkins, jr., Chiawana; Kevon Skinner, sr., Hanford; Kyle Whitby, sr., Richland; Ryan Piper, so., Richland. DL: Mike Jones, sr., Kamiakin; Austin Penny, so., Chiawana; Misael Estrada, sr., Pasco. LB: Brandon Searls, sr., Kamiakin; Daniel Masterson, sr., Southridge. OL: Wyatt Musser, jr., Kamiakin; Reed Bond, jr., Walla Walla; Manuel Rodriguez, sr., Pasco. QB: Mitch Lesmeister, jr., Walla Walla. RB: Zayid Al-Ghani, jr., Southridge; Tayvonne Miller, so., Hanford. WR: Gavin Slack, jr., Hanford; Alex Chapman, jr., Richland. R: Tayden Jenkins, so., Pasco.
▪ The Herald will run more all-league teams this week.
This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 8:43 PM with the headline "Richland’s Wills chosen as MCC football MVP."