Game Recap October 10, 2015
Richland and Kennewick have a long history of football animosity. Ask a fan (or a player) of any age from either school and you'll hear stories of miraculous plays, sketchy ball spots, questionable on-field antics, and possibly even bench-clearing brawls. It's our own local version of Chicago-Green Bay, and there is never any love lost during a guaranteed tough game.
This game was no different, but at the risk of sounding like a skipping CD, the Bomber defense was determined to prove its dominance. Kennewick came into the game with the conference's fifth leading rusher and fifth leading receiver, and seemed to be an offensively capable team. Spoiler alert: Kennewick had no offensive scores in the game and only one first down in the first half, and that came when most of the starters were on the sideline. The Lions had nowhere to go for the duration of the game, and despite a handful of first downs in the second half, no real scoring opportunities. It was defensive dominance by the Bombers throughout.
Richland's offense shined in this game as well. It took only three plays after kickoff for Lakota Wills to fake right, cut left, and run untouched 42 yards for a touchdown. With only a minute and a half gone from the clock, Kennewick was in for a long night. After tough runs by Kyle Whitby and Wills to get to the Kennewick 40, quarterback Paxton Stevens saw Alex Chapman running an unopposed straight line down the middle. Catching the ball at the five, Chapman scored for the eighth time this year. After a few back and forth punts, the Bombers found themselves at fourth down and 15 yards to go from their own 45. Punter Ryan Wolski didn't punt. Instead, he ran down the right side to the Lion's 35. After several runs by Whitby, Wills, and even a keeper by Stevens, Wills finally forced his way in for another six. Kennewick, absolutely throttled on all sides, hadn't seen the last of Wills yet. On a punt from their own 25, Wills, surprisingly unblocked, hit the ball as it was leaving the punter's foot. Senior Brad Anderson scooped it up and ran 15 yards to make it 28-0. A few meaningless plays later, including Kennewick's only first down of the half, and halftime gave the Lions a break from the onslaught.
The Kennewick offense saw a swarm of green helmets everywhere they went in the first half, and they should not have hoped for anything better in the second. With a good number of the defensive starters on the sideline, including Wills—who didn't play at all after halftime—the Lions were able to collect a handful of first downs but were unable to turn those into points. They did get down to the Richland five (with the help of some penalties resulting from a grudge match taking place in the trenches), but turned it over on downs. Their lone bright spot came when Richland tried to pass themselves away from the end zone. Stevens fired a low pass to Rhett Levin, who popped it up in the air trying to save the play. An orange jersey was there to pick it for an easy touchdown.
The final touchdown came after a 31 yard Wolski reception to the seven, and Stevens scrambled in from there. His poise allowed for a good offensive game, with good catches from Griffey March and Levin, along with Chapman and Wolski. Grinding out the fourth quarter, the second string offense provided some good runs by sophomore running back Victor Strasser, while the defense continued to force Kennewick punts.
It was a showing that should provide very little confidence for the next opponent, the Pasco Bulldogs, who pulled off a last second win over Kennewick last week.
Tri-City Herald: Bombers roll to victory
Go Bombers!
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October 9, 20151234Final
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Richland Bombers14140735
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Kennewick Lions00707
- 1st Quarter
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Touchdown: Wills 42 yard run (Wolski kick)
Richland 7, Kennewick 0 -
Touchdown: Chapman 39 yard pass from Stevens (Wolski kick)
Richland 14, Kennewick 0 - 2nd Quarter
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Touchdown: Wills 1 yard run (Wolski kick)
Richland 21, Kennewick 0 -
Touchdown: Brad Anderson fumble recovery in endzone (Wolski kick)
Richland 28, Kennewick 0 - 3rd Quarter
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Touchdown: Loomis 10 yard interception return (Mercado kick)
Richland 28, Kennewick 7 - 4th Quarter
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Touchdown: Stevens 6 yard run (Wolski kick)
Richland 35, Kennewick 7
- News/Media
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Top MCC teams look to stand pat
Tri-City Herald: Friday October 9, 2015
Tri-City Herald football preview article from October 9, 2015 ahead of the Bomber's matchup with the Kennewick Lions.
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Bombers roll to victory
Tri-City Herald: Saturday October 10, 2015
Tri-City Herald article by Todd Goodenough from the October 10, 2015 edition. Richland starts fast, spoils Kennewick homecoming 35-7.
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