Game Recap October 8, 2017
"No one hits like the Green & Gold" is a phrase the Kamiakin Braves probably have running through their heads as they wake up the day after a big loss to the Richland Bombers. Kamiakin brought their undefeated record and some swagger to Fran Rish—swarming at mid-field before kickoff to chant "our house"—but left with a 33-0 drubbing and some serious bruises. It was the third consecutive defeat of Kamiakin by Richland and the Bombers' first shutout of the season, also the first shutout of Kamiakin since 1981.
The first quarter started like a continuation of last year's game, with both defenses frustrating the offenses and keeping zeros on the scoreboard. Adam Weissenfels grabbed a low pass for an interception on third down, but it only lead to another punt. The Braves seemed to have the upper hand for most of the quarter, completing passes and getting first downs, and even pinned Richland on their own five after a short punt.
What looked like bad field position only served to wake the beast. Completing passes to Sammy Cervantes, Cody Sanderson, and Weissenfels, Cade Jensen to the offense to mid-field. Parker McCary took the ball and ran 20 yards down the right sideline before being pushed out of bounds at the 25, and Sanderson got open in the left side of the endzone for a lob from Jensen to break the ice. It took nearly the entire first quarter, but the Bombers found their groove. The defense wasn't about to be outdone though. Attempting to run up the middle, the Kamiakin running back appeared to slip past the D line, but defensive tackle Jax Lee had one hand on the back of the runner's jersey. Legs churning but going nowhere, the back suddenly found himself flung backward, where he met a brick wall in pursuit of the play, defensive end Cubby Stanfield. The resulting collision was memorable, and the runner was assisted to his feet by teammates. The same runner fumbled on the next play, giving Richland the ball just inside the 50. McCary played like a man on fire on both sides of the ball, and his run on this three play drive gave a glimpse of that. As a tackler was attempting to drag him down from behind, the safety came up to finish it off but got an unhealthy dose of McCary's right shoulder pad to the face instead. A pass interference penalty put the ball on the 20, where Weissenfels took an easy five yard crossing route the remaining 15 yards, dove to the left pylon, and made the score 14-0 with time almost gone in the first quarter.
The second quarter brought more of the same. The quick Kamiakin secondary made deep bombs difficult, and the switch from a three man to a four man front on the D line made the Richland O line work for yards on the ground, so each touchdown was well earned. The Kamiakin offense was able to make some plays, most of their yards coming in the air on catches for big yardage. They attempted short passes but were thwarted on the edges by Richland's defensive ends and secondary, and short passes in the middle were fraught with danger. Several times during the game Ryan Piper steamed in from his safety position to lay thunderous hits on the visiting receivers, causing them to drop more passes than they caught. The Bomber D line kept the Braves' ground game in check, limiting the starting running back to a total of 24 yards, and kept the passing pocket in a state of continual collapse. The Kamiakin QB avoided being sacked most of the game but took his share of hits just after releasing a pass.
Richland's first possession of the quarter lasted only three plays and turned the bleachers on the visitor's side from elation to stunned silence. After taking a sack due to a missed blocking assignment, Jensen threw a short pass to Cervantes for a short gain to the 45 yard line. In to spell McCary in the backfield, Jared Whitby took a handoff on the right hash mark and breezed through a gaping hole where the center and right guard used to be. With the Kamiakin D line tied up with blockers or on the ground, Whitby's center and guard tore into the linebackers. Still untouched, Whitby's first encounter with the defense was a pathetic arm-tackle attempt by the safety. Whitby is listed at 195 pounds and runs like an angry bobcat, so an arm-tackle isn't going to cut it if you want to bring him down. The cornerback caught up with Whitby at the 20 but essentially jumped on his back, another unwise tactic. Whitby spun in an unsuccessful attempt to shake his passenger but only collected another one on the front side. Undeterred, he spun again toward the endzone and kept barrelling, two more defenders piling on to make the spectacle that much more amusing. Whitby used his considerable momentum to carry the pile in for another TD. At 21-0 with plenty of time left in the half, it began to dawn on the visitors that the game may not turn out the way they hoped it would. It took a while to get to the next score. A bomb to the endzone on fourth down went incomplete, giving Richland the ball at their own 30. After a short completion to Christian Matheson, Jensen saw junior receiver Nathan Mitchell running an out pattern to the right sideline. Catching the ball near the 40, Mitchell sped past three defenders, stumbled through a diving ankle tackle, and beat everyone to the endzone for a 68 yard score. Kamiakin found a small bright spot by blocking the ensuing kick. 27-0 Bombers, two quarters to go. Richland wouldn't score again until the fourth quarter on a Casey Perryman 5 yard run.
The Bombers again displayed dominance on both sides of the ball, even in aspects they were supposed to give up to the Braves. On consecutive plays in the first half, the Kamiakin QB threw to the deep corner of the endzone to one of their widely praised receivers. Defended by a much shorter Ryan Kriskovich, the first pass was deflected and the receiver was forced out of bounds by tight coverage on the second. The defense held the Braves' rushers to less than 100 yards, and the D line applied continuous pressure and provided a steady supply of pain up front. Jax Lee came away with a couple of sacks, Stanfield had two tipped passes, and Aric Davison, Caleb Chapman, and Braden Powell rounded out an impressive performance by the line in general. The secondary and linebackers kept the passing game at bay, allowing a few big plays but never allowing Kamiakin to put together a steady drive. Offensively, it was obvious that their 33 points didn't come as easily as they had in previous games, and their were some missed assignments and wrong routes, but when it came down to it, Jensen performed well under pressure against what was assumed to be the best defense in the conference. McCary gained 110 yards despite not getting a touchdown and dished out big hits on offense and defense. Many great individual performances contributed to a great team win that put them at the top of the standings as the only undefeated team in the conference.
Next week the Bombers travel to Walla Walla for the first time since 2014. The Blue Devils are 2-4 and starting to get their offense going after a rough start. Borleske Stadium always provides an interesting game, so come down and see how it turns out.
Go Bombers!
- Atomic TV Bombers v. Kamiakin Braves Highlights
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October 6, 20171234Final
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Kamiakin Braves00000
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Richland Bombers14130633
- 1st Quarter
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Touchdown: Cody Sanderson 14 yard pass from Cade Jensen (Adam Weissenfels kick)
Richland 7, Kamiakin 0 -
Touchdown: Weissenfels 18 yard pass from Jensen (Weissenfels kick)
Richland 14, Kamiakin 0 - 2nd Quarter
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Touchdown: Jared Whitby 44 yard run (Weissenfels kick)
Richland 21, Kamiakin 0 -
Touchdown: Nathan Mitchell 58 yard pass from Jensen (kick failed)
Richland 27, Kamiakin 0 - 4th Quarter
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Touchdown: Casey Perryman 5 yard run (kick failed)
Richland 33, Kamiakin 0
- News/Media
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Richland, Kamiakin set for an epic clash
Tri-City Herald: Friday October 6, 2017
Tri-City Herald preview article by Dustin Brennan in the Friday, September 6, 2017 edition.
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Seattle Times Top 10 and State Results - October 7, 2017
Seattle Times: Saturday October 7, 2017
Seattle Times statewide high school football results and how the top 10 fared on Friday night.
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Battle of Unbeatens in MCC
Tri-City Herald: Saturday October 7, 2017
Picture by Noelle Haro-Gomez in the Saturday, October 7, 2017 edition of the Tri-City Herald. Game stories are posted on Sundays.
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Richland shuts out Kamiakin in MCC test
Tri-City Herald: Sunday October 8, 2017
Sunday, October 8, 2017 article by Dustin Brennan in the Tri-City Herald.
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Seattle Times high school football rankings - October 12
Seattle Times: Thursday October 12, 2017
Seattle Times football rankings and AP Football poll from Thursday, October 12, 2017
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Richland climbs to No. 3 in 4A football poll
Tri-City Herald: Thursday October 12, 2017
Tri-City Herald article by Annie Fowler from Thursday, October 12, 2017.
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