2014 MCC All-Conference Football Team
The Richland Bombers landed three players (Griffy March was selected twice on offense/special teams) on the first team, six on the second team, and five honorable mentions on the 2014 Mid-Columbia Conference All-Conference Football team.
Game 10: Ferris 42, Richland 35
 |
Ferris Saxons |
42 |
 |
Richland Bombers |
35 |
November 7, 2014
If you want to get the most of your season finale, make sure you take it down to the very last play.
The Richland Bombers took on the Ferris Saxons in a Greater Spokane League Crossover game involving two teams on the outside looking in. Unlike their playoff bound bretheren, though, one of these two teams was guaranteed a victory in their last game of the 2014 season.
The Bomber defense came out firing in the first quarter, shutting down the Ferris running game and making it look easy. On the Saxons second drive, Griffey March intercepted Mitch Pike's swing pass and ran it in for a touchdown and Richland lead 7-0.
On the next series, though, Ferris started finding the seams in the Bomber defense. Starting at their own 31 yard line, the Saxons drove 10 plays with Jalen HIcks doing most of the damage on the ground. Pike connected with HIcks on a six-yard pass for the touchdown. Ferris' kicker, though, experiencing a grass field for the first time all year, shanked the PAT and the Bombers still held the score at 7-6.
The Bomber offense had been similarly stymied, having ended both of their first two drives inside Ferris territory. Relying mostly on Rhett Levin to chew up the yardage, Taylor O'Toole made first downs on passes of 11 and 8 yards to get inside the Saxon 30, and Jacob Heinen for another 11 down to the 18 yard line. After enduring an ineligible player penalty and a 6 yard sack, O'Toole again found Levin who ran untouched into the endzone from 25 yards out. Bomber 14, Ferris 6.
Ferris fired right back. At the Bomber 41 yard line, Pike connected with Keegan Bray for 21 yards but an unsportsmanlike conduct call at the end of play added another 15 to place the ball at the 10 yard line. Jalen Hicks then found the final 10 yards and then tacked on the 2-point extra point to tie the score at 14-14. Unfortunately, it was the last time the Bombers would see the lead.
Unable to make any headway on offense including a false start penalty and a sack, the Bombers punted away their next posession. Jalen Hicks then found his gas pedal and blew past the Richland defense for 57 yards and a 21-14 lead.
With just about two minutes remaining in the first half, the Bomber got the ball on their own 18 yard line hoping to keep the momentum pointing forward. O'Toole found Alex Champman who ran the ball 43 yards to the Ferris 35. On third and ten, O'Toole found Matthew Woodman for another 18 yards to get inside the 20, and then Chapman struck again for another 8 yards to put the Bombers at the Ferris 8 yard line. But as luck would have it, two consecutive runs turned into -1 yards and the Bombers lost the ball on downs as time ran out in the first half.
Ferris opened up with the ball in the second half and quickly moved to extend their lead. Jalen Hicks ran for 22 yards and Pike connected with Tim Kirby for 16 and Kirby again for 12 yards to extend their lead to 28-14.
After trading posessions the Bombers got the ball with excellent field position at the Ferris 37 yard line. Taylor O'Toole found Rhett Levin for 28 yards to get it inside the 10 and on 4th and 1 from the 1 yard line, Josh Phillips bolted across the goal line to get the Bombers back within a score at 28-21 Ferris.
The Ferris offense kept on clicking, first with Pike hitting Lamar Speights for 43 yards to get deep into Bomber territory, then Jalen HIcks got the final 26 yards on four carries, finishing the job from 3 yards out to extend the lead to 35-21.
But the Bombers never quit. Three plays later, Josh Phillips took the ball at the 50 yard line and almost literally ran out of the stadium to get them back to 7 points at 35-28.
The Bomber defense then stiffened up and force the Saxons to punt, getting the ball back on their own 42 yard line, excellent field position and plenty of time left to get back into a tie. O'Toole connected with Woodman on passes of 11 and 26 yards to quickly get the Bombers to the Ferris 16, but the Saxons once again found their footing and forcing the ball over on downs.
On the next play, Jalen Hicks picked up 77 of his game high 257 yards bolting from his own 16 yard line to the Bomber 7. Two plays later he bounced in from the 1 yard line to extend the lead to 42-28 and dismissing a good portion of the Bomber faithful into the cold night.
But those who left missed a heck of a show. Josh Phillips returned the Ferris kickoff 45 yards to the Saxon 40 yard line. Aided by a pass interference call and 12 yard pass from O'Toole to March, Phillips scored from 1 yard away and with 3:18 left in the game, the Bombers were back in business down only 42-35.
The defense really got on their game, quickly dispatching the Saxons and forcing another punt. But Ferris got the ball right back when Lamar Speights intercepted an O'Toole pass with only 1:50 remaininng in the game.
But as luck would have it, the Bomber defense was stiffer than ever and the coaches had all three of their timeouts remaining and Ferris was forced to punt the ball away instead of running down the clock and with 44.8 seconds left, the Bombers had the ball at the Ferris 29 yard line.
Swapping between passes and spikes, Taylor O'Toole deftly passed his way down to the Ferris 31 yard line with 4.7 seconds remaining in the game. He then threw a beautiful ball into the arms of Mattew Woodman and for a brief second it looked like the Bombers had pulled out the miracle, but instead of raising his arms for a touchdown the referee called him out of bounds and just like that, the 2014 season came to a close.
It has been a fun season of Bomber football, if not a little frustrating considering the early mathematical exit from the playoffs. Overall, though, this team fought hard especially against the Greater Spokane League teams, but as the Chicago Cubs say, there is always next year.
Once again, thank you for reading my stories. I will keep you posted of any post-season awards. Congratulations to the coaching staff for another fine year of Bomber football. The record might not indicate it but the players kept playing hard all the way to the end and you really can't ask for much more than that.
Tri-City Herald Sunday Prep Roundup
Go Bombers!
Game 9: Richland 14, Southridge 3
 |
Southridge Suns |
3 |
|
Richland Bombers |
14 |
October 31, 2014
Let's see, Halloween night, Senior night, and Homecoming rolled into one game and it is bound to make things interesting. The Bombers scored on their first posession of the game and their last posession of the game and pulled out a hard-fought 14-3 victory over the visiting Southridge Suns.
The Bomber faithful were promised a post-game firework show and were hoping to get one during the game as well. Instead, it turned out to be a physical, defensive battle. The fireworks? Well, those went off at halftime instead. I told you, it was an interesting game.
Southridge won the coin toss and elected to give Richland the ball. The Bombers got the ball on their own 33 yard line and methodically marched down the field. Jacob Heinen bore the majority of the load, but McKlane Elgin and Josh Phillips also got in the act taking the Bombers just inside the Suns 40 yard line.
Taylor O'Toole then connected with Savon Guajardo for ten yards, and Lakota Wills for another 16. O'Toole's last pass found Rhett Levin who sprinted past the Southridge defense for 18 yards and a 7-0 Bomber lead.
The Bomber defense, though, was the star of the game. The Suns first two posession ended on a fumble at the Richland 11 yard line and their second ended after one play when Griffey March intercepted a Jair Ealy-Thomas pass at the Southridge 27.
The Southridge defense, though, was equally up to the task. Taylor O'Toole was intercepted by Trenton Nett and returned it 41 yards to the Bomber 38 yard line. But as most of the evening the Suns were forced to punt and end the threat.
On their next posession, the Suns were again forced to punt but March lost the handle on the punt at the 10 yard line and Southridge recovered the ball at the Bomber three. But the Bomber defense held in a very impressive goal line stand, leaving the Suns with only 3 points on a Nate Newbry 20 yard field goal. Halftime came with the Bombers leading the Suns 7-3.
Homecoming always brings an extended halftime with a band performance, and the introduction of the Homecoming court being paraded around the track in Tim Bush BMWs. But the extra rest didn't help the offense on either side of the field.
Southridge opened up the second half determined to take the lead but the Bomber defense and their own penalties dashed their hopes. The dagger in the Suns heart came on a pass interference penalty that negated an Ealy-Thomas to Andrew Stayrook pass that would have delivered them to the Bomber 3 yard line. A bad snap on the next play finished their drive and they were forced to punt.
The next three drives for each team stalled on downs, the last of which gave the Bombers a first down on the Southridge 38 yard line. Jacob Heinen shouldered the majority of the load and 8 plays later he finished the job with a modified rugby scrum 2-yard touchdown that gave the Bombers the final score of 14-3.
Despite the weirdness of the evening it was a very fun game to watch. The Bomber defense only allowed 36 yards rushing and 80 through the air for a total of only 116 yards. Meanwhile, Taylor O'Toole led the Bombers going 21 of 31 for 240 yards and a touchdown. Griffey March caught nine of those balls for 92 yards and Jacob Heinan ran for 55 yards to give the Bombers 346 yards of total offense.
Next week is the final game of the 2014 Bomber football season. Due to their win tonight, Richland gets to play host to the Greater Spokane League. The Bombers will be taking on the Ferris Saxons in the Crossover Series. Richland knocked off the Saxons 35-7 in the first round of the playoffs last year. This year's contest, though, is for bragging rights only.
See you next week!
Tri-City Herald: Bombers win in MCC Finale
Go Bombers!
Game 8: Kamiakin 21, Richland 14
|
Richland Bombers |
14 |
 |
Kamiakin Braves |
21 |
October 24, 2014
The Richland Bombers were facing a win-or-else situation against the depleted Kamiakin Braves team but were not able to overcome a host of penalties or TJ Faamausili and fell to the Braves 21-14.
Kamiakin struck on their very first play from scrimmage when Faamausili took the ball at the 29 yard line and didn't stop until the endzone, giving the Braves a 7-0 lead.
After that, the Bombers took over the first half. The Braves were missing several key players including their starting quarterback so Austin Gutierrez was installed as the emergency option. The Bomber defense focused soley on stopping the run and were quite successful.
Richland got on board at the end of the first quarter when Jacob Heinen scored from three yards out to tie the game at 7-7. Heinen came back later in the second quarter and scored on a 28 yard touchdown run to give the Bombers the lead at 14-7.
In the second half though, the Bombers could just not get traction on very tough Kamiakin defense. Taylor O'Toole will be seeing Kamiakin's #63 in his nightmares. The Bombers also could not overcome penalty flags which hounded them all night. Specifically, Ryan Wolski performed a perfect fake punt that would have taken them close to the Kamiakin 20 yard line but wiped out their progress and they were indeed forced to punt. That was as close as they would come.
Austin Gutierrez found his throwing stroke in the third quarter and engineered a touchdown drive, connecting with Zendejas for a 9-yard touchdown, tying the game at 14-14.
Late in the fourth quarter, Kamiakin received the ball after a Bomber punt and handed the ball to Faamausili who broke two long runs, taking the ball down to the five yard line. Two plays later, Austin Gutierrez found the goal line and a 21-14 lead, and ultimately the win.
Unfortunately for the Bombers, the loss to Kamiakin broke their last hope of making the playoffs. That, and the fact that Walla Walla beat Hanford. The Bombers played well tonight but just didn't have enough to overcome the Braves defense in the second half.
Next week, the Bombers play host to the Southridge Suns in the last scheduled home game of the season. So set your clocks for next Friday at 7:00PM at Fran Rish Stadium.
See you there.
Tri-City Herald: Braves find a way to victory
Go Bombers!
Game 7: Richland 49, Pasco 12
|
Richland Bombers |
49 |
 |
Pasco Bulldogs |
12 |
October 17, 2014
The Richland Bombers may not be sitting at the top of the MCL standings but you can't tell by the last two weeks. The Bombers came into Edgar Brown Memorial Stadium and systematically dismantled the Bulldogs 49-12.
Pasco won the coin toss and elected to let Richland recieve. Starting on their own 35 yard line, the Bombers made first downs on four of their first five plays and scored a touchdown on the sixth when McKlane Elgin scored on a one-yard run to make it 7-0.
Pasco's Kendal Lee stopped the Bombers second drive when he intercepted a Taylor O'Toole pass but defense stuffed the Bulldogs again and the offense was back in business. Behind the running of Jacob Heinen and Kyle Whitby the Bombers went 66 yards on 8 plays, scoring when Heinen ran 24 yards for the touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
Pasco was able to get their offense going, getting their first first down and starting to make some headway but Ryan Wolski intercepted a Kolby Killoy pass and returned it 45 yards to the Bulldog 20 yard line. Elgin ran for the first seven yards and O'Toole found Heinen for the last 13 and the Bombers led 21-0 with 2:01 left in the first quarter.
The Bomber defense again forced Pasco into their third punt of the quarter. Taking over on their own 44 yard line, the Richland offense started off fast when O'Toole connected with Griffey March on a 34 yard pass. Eight plays later O'Toole found Lakota Wills near the endzone for an eight yard touchdown. 28-0 Bombers.
The Bombers next drive ended at the Pasco 27 yard line with a loss on downs but that didn't keep Richland from scoring. On their first play from scrimmage Kolby Killoy had his pass deflected at the line of scrimmage. Gage Allen then did his best Franco Harris and returned the unlikely interception 27 yards for the touchdown. 5:13 left in the first half and the Bombers led 35-0.
Pasco's next drive took them all the way to the Richland 16 yard line but Lakota Wills was able to intercept another Killoy pass and the Bomber offense had the ball once more. Aarek Walters then made an unbelievable catch on a 41 yard pass from Taylor O'Toole. Mason Jackson was then given the ball and ran for 21, 2, and 5 yards to finish the scoring for the Bombers in the first half, making it 42-0 with 2:31 remaining.
Just a few minutes later, though, Pasco was able to get their best athlete the ball when Killoy got the ball to Eric Orange who sprinted past every Bomber defender on his way to an 80 yard touchdown. The extra point went awry but the Bulldogs were on the board going into halftime down 42-6.
Pasco's hopes to make the game interesting in the second half started well when they were able to force a fumble to stop the first Bomber drive. They then went 55 yards on six plays scoring on a Killoy to Kendal Lee 9 yard touchdown pass but the extra point failed on a bad snap.
The Bombers scored their last points when Jacob Heinen scored his third touchdown of the game catching a 3 yard pass from O'Toole to round out the scoring at 49-12.
There were some fireworks in the second half, though, caused by a late hit out of bounds by the Bombers near the Bulldog benched started a mini-brawl but the referees, players and coaches did a good job of quelling the unrest. After doling our 45 yards in penalties, the action reverted back to the field and finished quietly.
Next week, the Bombers travel to Neil F. Lampson Stadium in Kennewick to take on the Kamiakin Braves, the best of the 3A schools in the MCC. The Bombers have averaged over 42 points in their three wins and need to make sure they stay on a roll agains the Braves. Richland has some good momentum built up so it should be a very entertaining game.
Tri-City Herald boxscore
Go Bombers!
Game 6: Richland 44, Kennewick 7
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Kennewick Lions |
7 |
|
Richland Bombers |
44 |
October 10, 2014
After a very rough 1-4 start against some of the best competition east of Snoqualmie Pass, the Richland Bombers were understandably a little fed up and took out a season's worth of frustration on the Kennewick Lions in a 44-7 blowout that was really not as close as the scoreboard indicated.
The Richland defense, save for one play, manhandled the Lion offense forcing numerous three and out drives, eight punts, and a safety. Kennewick only experienced two plays in Bomber territory in the first half and fourteeen total for the game, eight of which occurred on the very last drive as time ran out. Of the 135 total yards earned by the Lions, 58 were on the ground as the Bomber line swallowed up anything that came near, and the secondary only allowed 77 total, 50 of those yards occurring on one play in the first quarter that gave Kennewick a 7-7 tie.
As formidable as the Bomber defense was, the Richland offense was in almost perfect sync for the first time this season. Taylor O'Toole was 23 for 33 in the air for 310 yards and two touchdowns. O'Tooles main targets were Matthew Woodman with nine catches for 110 yards and a touchdown, and Griffey March who caught six passes for 80 yards and also contributed 87 return yards to put the Bombers in great field position on several occasions. The Bombers leading rusher was Jacob Heinan with 73 yards on 16 carries.
The only real hiccup on the night occurred before the game when I tried to get a game program and found out that none were printed! Besides that, the game was almost perfect and Richland crowd was pretty good considering the PAC-12 had the audacity to schedule a game on a Friday night involving the WSU Cougars.
Next week, the Bombers travel back to Edgar Brown Memorial Stadium to take on the Pasco Bulldogs. Pasco started off hot but has run into problems the last couple weeks so it should be a fun night of football next week at 7:00. We hope to see you there.
Tri-City Herald: Richland blows past Kennewick
Go Bombers!
Game 5: Walla Walla 34, Richland 0
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Richland Bombers |
0 |
 |
Walla Walla Blue Devils |
34 |
October 3, 2014
The Richland Bombers were hoping to keep up the momentum from last week's win over Hanford, but the Walla Walla defense had other ideas as the Blue Devil's throttled the Bombers 34-0.
The Blue Devil defense held the Bomber offense to 91 yards total, only letting them cross the 50 yard line three times in the game.
This was the biggest win over Richland since a 42-0 win in 1982.
Hopefully the boys in green can get back on track when the Kennewick Lions visit Fran Rish Stadium next Friday night at 7:00PM.
Tri-City Herald; Walla Walla scores big win over Bombers
Go Bombers!
Game 4: Richland 42, Hanford 12
 |
Hanford Falcons |
12 |
|
Richland Bombers |
42 |
September 26, 2014
The Richland Bombers and Hanford Falcons came into tonight's contest with identical 0-3 records and looking to get their houses in order. After getting beat up by three of the best teams in the state, the Richland Bombers decided it was time to take out their frustration on the crosstown Falcons with a 42-12 victory.
It didn't take long for the Bombers to get started, either. After winning the coin toss and electing to receive, Richland went 68 yards in seven plays to take the lead. Taylor O'Toole connected with Griffey March for 19 yards, then again for another 9 to the 38 yard line. O'Toole then hit Savan Guajardo for another 23 yards. Josh Phillips then scored his first of four touchdowns with a 12 yard run and the 7-0 lead.
Alex Chapman then made sure the Falcons had no breathing room, intercepting a Desmond Samples pass to give the Bombers the ball inside the Hanford 50 yard line. O'Toole again connected with March for 20 yards and two plays later for the touchdown to Lakota Wills for 18 yards and a 14-0 lead.
The Bomber defense was absolutely dominant in the first half never letting the Falcons develop any rhythm. The Falcons went three and then tried a fake punt near mid field. Samples, now punting, ran for the first down, but was cut just a yard short giving the Bombers excellent field position. Seven plays later Josh Philips made it 21-0 after a three-yard touchdown run.
After a short, promising drive a bad Falcon snap was recovered by Brecken Galliher at their own 35 yard line. Josh Phillips quickly made the game a rout after scampering 48 yards for his third touchdown of the first quarter and the Bombers lead was extended to 28-0.
The Falcon defense was able to stiffen on the next drive forcing the Bombers to turn the ball over on downs. The Falcon offense barely got on the field when Ryan Wolski intercepted another Samples pass to give Richland another possession at the 25 yard line. Three plays later, Josh Phillips scored his fourth touchdown of the half on a three yard run and Richland was leading 35-0 with well over eight minutes remaining in the first half.
Griffey March scored the final Bomber points in the fourth quarter on an impossible acrobatic catch in the endzone to give the Bombers their final points in the 42-12 Bomber win. The Falcons only highlight of the game went to Desmond Samples 87 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Statwise, Taylor O'Toole ended the night 17 of 32 for 223 yards passing. Griffey March led all receivers with 8 catches for 112 yards and Savon Guajardo had 6 catches for 74 yards, but the offensive star for the Bombers was Josh Phillips who had 157 yards on 18 carries and four touchdowns. In total, the Bombers had 187 yards on the ground and 283 yards passing for a total of 470 yards of total offense while holding the Falcons to 235 yards of total offense only 6 of which were through the air.
Overall, it was an excellent game for the Bombers on both sides of the ball and hopefully they can carry that over to next week's game against the Blue Devils in Walla Walla at 7:00PM on Friday night.
Go Bombers
Tri-City Herald September 27, 2014 "Bombers break into win column"
A little history...
The Richland Bombers' 41 point shutout defeat at the hands of the Chiawana Riverhawks brought a question from a bomberfootball.org reader. Was this the biggest shutout in Bomber history.
Not to add salt to the wound from Friday night but it was an interesting question so I started to do some digging into the Bomber history file.
Research revealed that shutouts are rare occurrences. In fact, the last time Richland failed to score was in 2009 at the hands of the Eisenhower Cadets (20-0) and is the only other shutout in Coach Mike Neidhold's head coaching tenure. In fact, it is only one of five since the year 2000.
So, is it the largest shutout score? The answer is no. The most recent game that came close was a 34-0 loss to the Kamiakin Braves in 2007, but you have to go back to the 1982 season when the Walla Walla Blue Devils posted a 42-0 score which was also matched by the Wenatchee Panthers in 1969.
The crown of the most lopsided defeat in the "modern" Bomber era goes to Eisenhower when the Cadets posted 60 point shutout in 1964. That was part of a bad pair of weekends as the Bombers had also lost the previous week to the Borah Lions, a legendary Idaho football power school 53-0.
Finally, I took a look at the 1919 Richland High School football team. During that season, Richland played three games with results as follows: Kennewick 69, Richland 0; Sunnyside 66, Richland 0; and Pasco 55, Richland 0. It only got worse after that when the team disbanded for lack of competitive teams. Their last game forfeit provided a fairly respectable score of Kennewick 1, Richland 0. Richland High School did not play another football game until the Richland Colts took the field in 1925.
Again, I am not trying to embarrass anyone or point fingers because shutouts happen and sometimes the wheels just come off and there is nothing you can do about it. Looking back at history can provide some needed perspective, especially when you realize that the Bombers have faced three of the top teams in the state to open the season.
As Mariner's manager Lloyd McLendon often says after a bad outing, "that's just baseball, now ice cream for everyone and let's move on." That is pretty good advice to follow.
Game 3: Chiawana 41, Richland 0
|
Richland Bombers |
0 |
 |
Chiawana Riverhawks |
41 |
September 19, 2014
The Richland Bombers ran into a buzz saw against an emotional Chiawana team in a 41-0 loss to the Riverhawks at Edgar Brown Memorial Stadium.
I was not able to attend the game so I have included the account from the Tri-City Herald. Even though the Bombers lost, their support of Chiawana's Mac Graff should make any Bomber proud.
Tri-City Herald: Riverhawks rise up in Victory
Next week the Bombers are at home against the Hanford Falcons. This will be the first meeting in which each team is looking for their first win so it should be a great game. Please join us on Friday, September 26, 2014 at 7:00.
Go Bombers!
Game 2: Shadle Park 36, Richland 24
 |
Shadle Park Highlanders |
36 |
|
Richland Bombers |
24 |
September 12, 2014
The Richland Bombers entertained Spokane's Shadle Park for the first time since 1999 and turned out to be very generous hosts enroute to a 36-24 loss to Brett Rypien and the Highlanders.
After a moment of silence for Bomber legends JD Covington and Ken Olson, the Bombers won the coin toss and elected to receive, taking posession of the ball on the 35 yard line. Right out of the blocks, Josh Phillips found a seam on the outside and rumbled 65 yards for a touchdown. As luck would have it, a personal foul penalty nullified the touchdown and put the clamps on the opening drive.
Brett Rypien took over at the 50 yard line and decided to show the audience that the hype was real. The Boise State-bound quarterback carved up the Bomber defense in seven plays, connecting with Darius Savick Batters for three yards and the touchdown. Keenan Matt ran in the extra point and Shadle Park led 8-0.
Richland got the ball back again on the 35 yard line and drove the field with strong running from Jacob Heinan and Taylor O'Toole's passes to Griffey March but the drive ultimately stalled at the 20 yard line and the Bombers settled for a 37 yard field goal from Ryan Wolski to tighten the score at 8-3 Highlanders.
On the ensuing kickoff, Wolski executed a perfect pooch kick and March recovered the ball on the Shadle Park 42 yard line. The excellent opportunity was negated three plays later when Cameron Duty intercepted an O'Toole pass and ended the threat.
After exchanging drives, Shadle Park got the ball on their own 42 yardline to start their third drive. Rypien used passes to Savick Batters and Sam Stratton and his own feet to get the Highlanders to the 24 yard line but pass interference penalty on the Bombers got them to the 12 yard line. Rypien hit Duty for the final yardage and a 15-3 lead.
The Bomber offense was clicking in the middle of the field but their next two drives fizzled in Shadle Park territory, the latter ending on the 10 yard line. The Highlanders then connected on 8 passes in succession to get inside the Bomber 25 yard line. Richland held well but on 4th and 10 Rypien connected with Duty for 11 yards and Mike Morris finished the drive running 9 yards for the touchdown and the Highlanders went into halftime with a commanding 22-3 lead.
Richland's defense started off the second half in fine fashion holding Shadle Park to a four and out but the Bomber offense could not take advantage and returned the favor. Taylor O'Toole pinned the Highlanders with a nice punt that was downed on the 6 yard line. Unfortunately for the Bombers, Shadle Park engineered a 94 yard drive with Rypien connecting on passes of 13, 15, 19, and finally 25 yards to George Pilimai for a backbreaking 29-3 lead.
Being a tad flustered at this point, the next two Bomber drives were ended prematurely by fumbles. That didn't deter Richland's comeback hopes, though, Brecken Galliher intercepted a Rypien pass at the Shadle Park 30 yard line and returned it to the 8 yard line. Tayolor O'Toole immediately connected with Matthew Woodman for the touchdown and the Bombers showed some life down 29-10.
Richland was able to get the ball back quickly when John Hardy scooped up a HIghlander fumble, but the drive was short-lived when the Bombers were snake-bitten by a second errant snap and Shadle Park recovered another fumble.
Shadle Park finished their scoring at the start of the fourth quarter when Brett Rypien again connected with Darius Savick Batters for an 8 yard score, now leading the game 36 to 10.
As has been the hallmark of the Mike Neidhold era, though, these Bombers never give up. Josh Phillips was finally able to get some breathing room on the outside and outraced a pack of Highlanders enroute to a 53 yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 36-17.
After forcing Shadle to punt, Richland sustained a 12 play drive that resulted in a touchdown when O'Toole connected with McKlane Elgin for a 27 yard touchdown and the Bombers were making it very interesting at 36-24 Shadle Park.
Ryan Wolski then kicked a beautiful onside kick that rattled around quite a few players and was seemingly recovered by the Bombers at the Shadle Park 40 yard line. Unfortunately, the ball had hit a Bomber player before the required 10 yards and the posession was awarded to the Highlanders. Again, the Bombers never gave up but just came up a little short on this day.
Well, it doesn't get any easier from here. After playing two of the best teams in the Greater Spokane League to start the season, the Bombers are running headlong into the best of the MCC and last year, the best in the state when they travel to Edgar Brown Memorial Stadium to take on the Chiawana Riverhawks. Chiawana is 1-1 and coming off an impressive 42-7 win over the Wenatchee Panthers so for the third week in a row, Richland will have it's hands full.
Just like Gonzaga Bulldog Basketball, though, the tough games at the start of the season really help you out with the tournements at the end.
Hope to see you next week at Edgar Brown at 7:00 on Friday, September 19th.
Tri-City Herald: Bombers fall short vs. SP
Go Bombers!
Tri-City Herald article on Bomber Defense
There is a nice article in the Tri-City Herald today on the Bomber defense and how they will try to stop Shadle Park quarterback Brett Rypien.
Tri-City Herald: The Bomber Defense is in the Line of Fire
Game 1: Gonzaga Prep 24, Richland Bombers 21
|
Richland Bombers |
21 |
 |
Gonzaga Prep Bullpups |
24 |
September 5, 2014
The Bombers came out firing in the first quarter and drove the field for the score and a 7-0 lead.
The defense held the Bullpups and the offense again drove the field but were stopped on a turnover at the Gonzaga Prep 2 yard line.
Gonzaga had a good drive going but ended up punting and downed the ball at the Bomber 2 yard line. The Bullpup defensive line blew through and caused a safety to cut the lead to 7-2.
Gonzaga got the ball after the safety and drove the field on two runs by Jack Bamis turned into a touchdown and Prep had the lead at 9-7.
After a 3-out effort by the Bomber offense, Gonzaga Prep blocked the punt and got the ball inside the 20 yard line. Bell then connected with Nick Wood on a 16 yard touchdown pass and the Bullpups had roared back with a 16-7 lead.
Richland was finally able to get back on track at the end of the half and drove 85 yards with a big pass from O'Toole to Griffey March and Josh Phillips making good ground finishing with a 7-yard touchdown run to cut the Bullpup lead to 16-14 as the half was ending.
Richland kicked off to start the second half and the Bombers recovered the pooch kick for the second time in the game. The Bombers drove immediately and scored on Taylor O'Toole's 7 yard pass to Griffey March for the touchdown and a 21-16 Bomber lead.
Bombers forced a fumble at the 49 yard line but the drive sputtered on the 31 yard line of G-Prep for a turnover on downs.
After exchanging punts, Richland tried for 4th and one on the 41 yard line but Gonzaga stuffed the run. The Bullpups then were able to score when LIam Bell connected with Nick Johnson for a 26 yard touchdown pass and the two point conversion was good. Gonzaga 24, Richland 21.
Both teams cannot get anything going offensively but Gonzaga Prep ran a lot of time off the clock. The Bombers got the ball back with less than two minutes remaining at their own 7 as the Bullpups punter has been pinning the Bombers deep all night long. The Bombers were not able to make any progress on the Gonzaga Prep defense and the Bullpups win the game 24-21.
I love that the Mid-Columbia Conference and the Greater Spokane League are again playing non-conference games. As we have seen the last couple years with the Tri-Cities teams playing each other in season, I believe these games with the GSL will be reflected in the state playoffs.
Well, the Bombers played a great game but just came up short. Next week, the Shadle Park Highlanders and their start quarterback Brett Rypien come to Fran Rish Stadium at 7:00 on Friday night. I hope to see you there.
Go Bombers!
Tri-City Herald Bomber Preview
The Bomber football season opens this Friday night in Spokane against the Gonzaga Prep Bullpups.
The Tri-City Herald has a nice article on the Bombers as they prepare for the opener, check it out:
Richland football will follow where O-line leads
To get ready for the first game, here is another link to the 4A predictions for the Greater Spokane League in 2014
Target on Pups, Saxons
Go Bombers!
Important 2014 Information and Camp Schedule
Time to get ready for football and it all starts on Thursday, August 14, 2014 at 6:00PM in the Richland High School Cafeteria for the Fall Sports Clearance night and leads to the first game of the season when the Bombers face the Gonzaga Bullpups in Spokane at 7:00PM on Friday, September 5th.
Download the August Camp Schedule
Important for Parents: new for this year, the district is asking parents to do all sports paperwork online. You can find this information at the following:
www.familyid.com/richland-high-school
A physical is the only hard copy paperwork you will need to turn into the Richland High School office. Parents and athletes are still asked to attend the Fall Clearance Meeting at 6:00PM on August 14th in the cafeteria.
2014 Bomber Youth Football Camp
This year’s Bomber Youth football camp will take place June 24th, 25th, and 26th. The camp will be at the Richland High School practice fields across Lee Blvd from Fran Rish Stadium.
Our camp with be staffed by the Bomber Football coaches and assisted by current Richland Bomber players.
There will be an emphasis on player safety while teaching sound football techniques. Our staff will be teaching athletic development drills as well.
All equipment and plenty of cold water will be provided! Bring only yourself, dressed in athletic clothing and a set of FB cleats!
Fees are $30 per individual player and $20 for each additional FAMILY member. There will be a $5 charge for walk-up registration.
2014 Bomber Youth Football Camp Brochure
Important Spring Football News
The 2014 Richland Bomber footbal season is just around the corner. Are you ready to be a Bomber?
The Spring Football Parents Meeting will be held May 13, 2014 at 6:00PM in the Richland High School Cafeteria. This meeting is for ALL parents and players who will play football for Richland High School in 2014.
Download the 2014 Richland Bomber Spring Football Packet
This packet includes the following information:
- Boise State University Camp Registration Form
- Summer Camp Participant Expectations Form
- Anti-Hazing Agreement
- Physical Exam form
- Bomber Football Clothing Order form
- Bomber Spring Football Schedule
The Boise State Camp Fee is $350 and all paper work is due before pads will be issued.
IMPORTANT: Your Clothing Order form, located in the packet, needs to be placed by May 3, 2014!
Welcome to Richland Bomber Football!
The passing of a legend...
Today we remember Coach J.D. Covington who passed away on Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at the age of 85.
I remember the first time I met Coach Covington. I was sitting in history class at Chief Jo Junior High and Mr. Flynn asked me if I would like to become an athletic trainer. At first, I didn't know what that was but he pulled me out of class and standing in the hallway was Coach Covington. Coach and I sat on the stairs for about 20 minutes talking about what athletic training was and that he wanted to send me to the Cramer Athletic Clinic in Moscow, Idaho and learn how to tape ankles.
That one conversation shaped the next five years of my life and beyond and cemented my love of sports and Bomber football. Playing and working for Coach Covington demanded discipline and integrity. It was no different in his geometry class either. Being a lazy teenager at the time, I didn't realize that I was learning more about life than I ever learned about football or math.
People often ask about J.D. Covington's coaching secret. That's easy. He treated you with respect, which is something a lot of teenagers don't often receive. He gave you the tools for life, knowing full well he would never receive anything of similar value in return.
Thank you, Coach. We love you and we will miss you.
Well done.
Tri-City Herald: Coaching icon J.D. Covington left his mark on Richland football
