OLIVER PIERCE
Tri-City Herald Sports Writer

SEATTLE - If a football game had five quarters instead of four, the Richland Bombers may very well have brought home the State AAA high school championship trophy, 

It doesn't and the Foss Falcons, a school in only its third season, claimed the title with a 17-7 win here Friday at Memorial Stadium. 

For three quarters the Fal­con defense dominated the Bombers, who just a week earlier had looked equally impressive against Kennedy in the semifinals. By the time Richland quarterback Kenn Cole started to pick apart the Foss defense, the Falcons were enjoying a 17-0 lead. 

Foss, which has passed just 50 times in 11 games going into the contest, wasted no time in testing its ground game against the usually stingy Bomber defense. The Falcons moved 70 yards in 15 plays, all on the ground, and used 8:50 of the clock after taking the opening kickoff. 

There was one controversial play on the drive, With a se­cond and goal from the 21, the Falcons pulled a double reverse, speedy halfback  Wyatt Baker handing off to Keith Brown, who went to the three. A flag was dropped near the 20, an apparent clip by quarterback Reggie Grant as he tried to assist in the blocking, but the call was nullified after discussion by the officials. 

On the next play, Baker went over from the three for the score with just 3: 10 left in the quarter. 

Richland's only plays in the quarter came following the kickoff, but the Bombers could pick up just three yards on three plays and were forced lo punt. 

On the next Foss series, the Falcons tried to open things up, throwing two passes, one a halfback pass that fell in­complete, and one by Grant that a wide-open Brown couldn't catch up to at the Richland 3O. 

The teams exchanged possessions, and Foss consumed 4:50 on a drive which culminated with Dean Bentley's 34-yard field goal. That came with 3:17 to go in the first half.

The half ended with Foss knocking again at the Richland one. A Grant to Brown pass gained 59 yards before Cameron Mitchell wrestled him down at the three. Grant kept it for two, and then was sacked for no gain. Wilh no timeouts remaining, however, Foss was unable to run another play or get Bentley in for a field goal at­tempt before the clock ran out. 

Perhaps that was only justice considering the way Foss got the ball. Rich O'Malley, who gained just 15 yards on six carries, took a pitch from Cole and was starting to cut up field. 

Ray Bowers was going for the tackle but instead found the ball. O'Malley fumbled straight into his hands.

Foss grabbed its lead early in the third quarter; Mike Durrett recovering a Cole fumble at the Richland 37. Another pass, from Grant to Les McCulley, was good for 34 yards and a touchdown on third clown. McCulley beat Mitchell at the three and stumbled into the endzone. 

Richland finally started moving the ball to start the fourlh quarter, taking over at its 24. A Cole to Dave Muller pass was good for 43 yards, and two plays later Cole hit O'Malley for 12 to the Foss 17. A face mask penalty put the Bombers on the eight. Cole and Lindsey Tucker each kept for two for a second and goal from the four. A no gain, a loss of one and then a Foss offside penally had the bail at he three. Cole hit Mitchell over the middle for the TD with 7:00 to play. 

The Bombers had the ball again in the closing minutes, but a fourth down pass was incomplete from the Foss five, and the Falcons took over with :38 seconds left and ran out the clock.

Cole completed six of 12 passes in the final quarter for 91 yards, but the Foss defense held the Bombers to 25 yards for the game. At the half, Richland had a total offense of minus six yards while Foss had rolled up 182 yards, 115 of it on the ground.

The Bombers also failed to make a first down in the first half.