Game Recap September 25, 2017

The Southridge Suns came to play, fully intending to make the best of their game with the 3-0 Bombers. After what looked like a long kickoff return was cut short when Cody Sanderson slipped at midfield, the Suns wasted no time in turning the game their way by causing and recovering a fumble, which they used to get within scoring range with a short catch and long run by their star receiver Eric Stayrook. Although they ended up scoring on a short run to take an early lead, let's dispense with the suspense and make it known it was the Suns' only lead of the game.

Richland scored 63 points after that, all in the first half. The first Bomber touchdown came after just three plays from scrimmage (and a penalty, of course), when Parker McCary took the ball to the left from 13 yards out, dodged a few defenders, and put his team up for good. That short possession was representative of the entire game. Richland didn't need to grind out long, clock-eating drives full of heroics, they just executed and put points on the board quickly.

Very quickly.

When was the last time you saw a team score 42 points in one quarter? That's not to say it was easy or the game was without great plays. There were plenty of those, but Richland's offensive possessions were quick and efficient, which left the defense on the field to fend off the Suns. The Bomber D obviously didn't want to be left out of the fun, because the last Richland score came from them. Senior defensive end Cubby Stanfield blew past his man on the left and was in the process of tossing the Southridge QB to the ground when the ball popped into the air right into the arms of a trailing Geoffrey Robinson, who rumbled the remaining 25 yards for the cherry on top, and to ensure a running clock when the second half started. Yes, this was the ninth touchdown by Richland in the first half.

It should be noted that the Bombers did display good sportsmanship by rotating in second-string players all through the second quarter, and any starters who stayed in the game were just as likely to be playing out of position as they were to be playing in their regular spots, and the second half featured no starters at all, along with plenty of the JV squad. This was definitely not an attempt to run up the score. Starting running back Parker McCary came away with two touchdowns in the first quarter, QB Cade Jensen kept a short one for himself, RB/DL Jared Whitby bashed his way to three (and provided his would-be tacklers with severe memories of the event as well), and Adam Weissenfels and Josh Mendoza caught one TD pass each.

Mendoza's TD catch was a simple play, a slant to the middle, but the safeties played too high and Mendoza easily outran his man for a 90 yard score. The reason Richland was backed up to their own 10 yard line is a bit more interesting. Southridge punted from their 35, and Weissenfels went left after he gathered the ball at the Richland 35. Seeing no space he spun around and drew the coverage team to the right, aided by good blocks from Sanderson, Steele Roberts, and Drew Daves. Drawing the tacklers right opened up the left, and Weissenfels raced down the sideline, Sanderson and several other Bombers still fighting off tacklers. Weissenfels was eventually dragged down at the one as he tried to side-step the last defender. Meanwhile a flag had been thrown near one of the initial blocks by Drew Daves, a textbook block that leveled the defender as he was bearing down on Weissenfels. This was a key block that allowed the rest of the play to happen, but was interpreted by the official as a violation of a new rule regarding how "defenseless" players can be blocked, and the play was brought back 15 yards from the spot of the foul to the Richland 10. The whole return was a clinic on how return teams should read and respond to changes in a punt return, except that one flaw. The next play, Mendoza's TD catch, was a great example of how a team should respond to a penalty, warranted or not, and wind being taken from their sails.

The Bombers showed several of their strengths in this game. Southridge tried to avoid the brutal D line by making quick passes, but the coverage was too tight to make that happen. Longer pass attempts were thwarted by the D line collapsing the pocket, and the run game was stuffed by the line as a matter of course. Richland showed they hadn't lost their propensity for big plays, and showed plenty of depth as well. The Southridge starters struggled to score against non-starters and JV players in the second half, chalking up one more touchdown and a technical safety to bring their total to 14. The O line also featured a new starter, Kristian Mijic, in for Stanfield, who had been playing both ways up to this point in the season. The chemistry was good as a multitude of players got playing time, learning how to adapt to new personnel and play together in what would be the third straight running clock game this season.

After sealing their ninth consecutive victory at Lampson stadium and fifth straight against Southridge, the Bombers will attempt to make it eight in a row against the Pasco Bulldogs next week at Fran Rish Stadium.

Go Bombers!

  • September 22, 2017
    1
    2
    3
    4
     
    Final
  • Richland Bombers
    21
    42
    0
    0
     
    63
  • Southridge Suns
    6
    0
    2
    6
     
    14
  • 1st Quarter
  • Touchdown: Mason Bond 2 yard run (kick failed)
    Southridge 6, Richland 0
  • Touchdown: Parker McCary 13 yard run (Adam Weissenfels kick)
    Richland 7, Southridge 6
  • Touchdown: McCary 1 yard run (Weissenfels kick)
    Richland 14, Southridge 6
  • Touchdown: Cade Jensen 5 yard run (Weissenfels kick)
    Richland 21, Southridge 6
  • 2nd Quarter
  • Touchdown: Adam Weissenfels 2 yard pass from Jensen (Weissenfels kick)
    Richland 28, Southridge 6
  • Touchdown: Josh Mendoza 87 yard pass from Jensen (Weissenfels kick)
    Richland 35, Southridge 6
  • Touchdown: Jared Whitby 4 yard run (Weissenfels kick)
    Richland 42, Southridge 6
  • Touchdown: Whitby 3 yard run (Weissenfels kick)
    Richland 49, Southridge 6
  • Touchdown: Whitby 2 yard run (Weissenfels to Sanderson)
    Richland 57, Southridge 6
  • Touchdown: Geoffrey Robinson 23 yard rumble return (kick fail)
    Richland 63, Southridge 6
  • 3rd Quarter
  • Safety: Richland intentional grounding in the endzone
    Richland 63, Southridge 8
  • 4th Quarter
  • Touchdown: Eric Stayrock 14 yard pass from Mason Perez (kick failed)
    Richland 63, Southridge 14

Saturday September 21, 2024 Fran Rish Stadium

    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 21
    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 49
  • Head Coach: Josh Jelinek

Saturday September 2, 2023 Neil F. Lampson Stadium

    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 35
    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 14
  • Head Coach: Mike Neidhold

Saturday September 3, 2022 Fran Rish Stadium

    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 16
    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 17
  • Head Coach: Mike Neidhold

Saturday October 23, 2021 Neil F. Lampson Stadium

  • Richland home game played at Lampson Stadium due to the start of construction at Fran Rish Stadium.

    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 24
    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 40
  • Head Coach: Mike Neidhold

Friday March 12, 2021 Fran Rish Stadium

    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 7
    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 48
  • Head Coach: Mike Neidhold

Friday October 11, 2019 Neil F. Lampson Stadium

    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 44
    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 7
  • Head Coach: Mike Neidhold

Friday October 5, 2018 Fran Rish Stadium

    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 7
    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 55
  • Head Coach: Mike Neidhold

Friday September 22, 2017 Neil F. Lampson Stadium

    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 63
    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 14
  • Head Coach: Mike Neidhold

Friday September 23, 2016 Fran Rish Stadium

  • Homecoming 2016

    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 10
    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 26
  • Head Coach: Mike Neidhold

Thursday October 29, 2015 Neil F. Lampson Stadium

    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 28
    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 2
  • Head Coach: Mike Neidhold

Friday October 31, 2014 Fran Rish Stadium

  • Halloween

    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 3
    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 14
  • Head Coach: Mike Neidhold

Friday September 6, 2013 Fran Rish Stadium

    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 7
    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 27
  • Head Coach: Mike Neidhold

Friday August 31, 2012 Neil F. Lampson Stadium

    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 7
    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 9
  • Head Coach: Mike Neidhold

Friday September 7, 2007 Neil F. Lampson Stadium

    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 12
    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 7
  • Head Coach: Garrick Redden

Friday September 8, 2006 Fran Rish Stadium

    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 20
    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 21
  • Head Coach: Garrick Redden

Thursday October 13, 2005 Neil F. Lampson Stadium

    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 3
    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 28
  • Head Coach: Garrick Redden

Thursday October 14, 2004 Fran Rish Stadium

    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 42
    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 7
  • Head Coach: Lonnie Pierson

Saturday October 13, 2001 Neil F. Lampson Stadium

    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 31
    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 16
  • Head Coach: Lonnie Pierson

Thursday November 2, 2000 Fran Rish Stadium

    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 14
    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 53
  • Head Coach: Lonnie Pierson

Friday November 5, 1999 Neil F. Lampson Stadium

    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 31
    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 7
  • Head Coach: Lonnie Pierson

Thursday November 5, 1998 Neil F. Lampson Stadium

    • Richland
      Bombers
    • 38
    • Southridge
      Suns
    • 35
  • Head Coach: Lonnie Pierson

Southridge High School
Southridge High School
3320 Southridge Boulevard
Kennewick, WA
Mascot: Suns
  • Bombers v. Suns
  •  
    Games
    Bombers
    Suns
  • Wins
    18
    632
    231
  • Losses
    3
    17
    79
  • Overall
    21
    649
    310
  • Records by Head Coach
  •  
    Wins
    Losses
    Ties
  • Mike Neidhold
    11
    1
    0
  • Lonnie Pierson
    4
    1
    0
  • Garrick Redden
    2
    1
    0
  • Josh Jelinek
    1
    0
    0
Neil F. Lampson Stadium