Game Recap October 22, 2017
Richland's game against Kamiakin got a lot of hype as the biggest test of the season, but the Chiawana Riverhawks showed the hype to be just hype after all. The Bombers started out fast, completing passes and running easily on the first drive, getting from their own 20 to the red zone in five plays. Spectators began to wonder if it could really be that easy all night. The answer was obviously no. Richland's offense stalled out inside the 20, as has been their habit lately, and a pass to the wrong side of Josh Mendoza in the endzone on fourth down gave Chiawana their first defensive stop of the game. Undeterred, Adam Weissenfels intercepted the pass on the very next play, beginning a roller coaster that wouldn't stop until the very end. It took only two plays for the next reversal, as a Chiawana linebacker dropped into coverage a picked Cade Jensen's pass out of the air and returning it to the 25.
The Riverhawks took advantage of the opportunity by breaking off a 35 yard run on their first real offensive play, and it didn't hurt that defensive linemen Jax Lee and Aric Davison were flat out tackled at the line of scrimmage, but they tempted fate on the next snap by taking to the air. Under pressure by defensive end Braden Powell, the QB hurried a throw down the center of the field. Safety Ryan Piper was the only one around to receive the pass, so he did. Using Parker McCary and Jared Whitby to plow their way to their own 45 yard line, Jensen went back to the pass. Cody Sanderson was open on a deep slant from the right, caught the ball at the opposing 35, and left Riverhawk defensive back Josiah Richardson face down in the wet grass as he turned up field and ran alone into the endzone. With three minutes left in the first quarter, it was the latest the Bombers had drawn blood since week one against Bellevue.
On a punt trade to start the second quarter, a Riverhawk got a hand on the ball and gave his team great field position. Seeing interior lineman Jax Lee out of the game, the Riverhawks used the opportunity to run it up the middle behind their sizable O line, and eventually punched it in from the one to tie the game. Riding a 30 yard completion to Sammy Cervantes, the Bombers made their way to the five yard line. Jensen caught Weissenfels cutting left from the right slot position and a dive for the pylon made it 14-7.
The defense got tough on the next series and forced another punt. Throwing with the wind, a long pass to Cervantes in single coverage went a little inside and Chiawana avoided one of Richland's famous big play scores. Ryan Kriskovich snagged a pass down the middle for a 30 yard gain on the next play. Again using McCary to get inside the 10, Jensen gave Piper a chance to flash his Randy Moss moves on a short out route. Grabbing the ball over the diving defender's head, he leaped into a swan dive over another defender, landing head first in the endzone. 21-7 with less than four minutes left in the half.
Chiawana continued to take advantage of the cold Bomber linebacking crew by running up the middle, and then inexplicably left that again to try the passing game. As Lee and Cubby Stanfield put pressure on the QB, Kriskovich defended the long pass with the receiver taking a free ride on Krisko's back. With no pass interference call, Chiawana tried again. On fourth down and 9 yards to go, the QWB rolled out to his right with Stanfield in close pursuit. Linebacker Douglas Smith made his presence known by zipping past the occupied O line and nailing the passer as he threw the ball harmlessly away.
Up 21-7 at the half, the Bombers seemed to have the game relatively in hand. It wasn't the 50 point lead they usually have, but it was a decent cushion. Apparently the Chiawana coaching staff made some adjustments. On the second play of the half, receiver Sisay West blew past his coverage, pulled the ball away from the help defender, and raced down the left sideline for a 60 yard TD. Suddenly it was 21-14 and Chiawana had found a new weapon. Spoiler alert: West would make the same play four minutes later, getting his 105 yard total on those two catches. The Bombers spent the rest of the quarter helping McCary roll up 140+ yards and burning the clock. Jensen threw his second interception, on third down from the Chiawana 20, to Richardson, who made his way down the left sideline to the 50. Jensen exacted his revenge by taking a swing at Richardson's arm, popping the ball out where a pursuing Lee fell on it. Jensen threw his third interception six plays later, and it was that offensive series that Chiawana used to send West into the endzone again. Having just been beat on the previous play (hey, wet grass is slippery), Weissenfels was extra motivated on the PAT, blazing in from the right end for a full-body block. 21-20, Bombers.
The remainder of the game featured the Bomber D stepping up and compensating for Chiawana's key on the linebackers. Piper and Stanfield teamed up to bury the ball carrier on fourth and 1 near mid field that turned out to be Chiawana's last chance. McCary plowed defenders for first downs to burn the last minutes off the clock, and the Bombers came through in their lowest scoring game of the season, making Richland the leader in the all-time series and the first school to win three in a row.
The Hanford Falcons come to the Bomber Bowl for the final regular season game with a 5-3 record and a four game losing streak in the cross-town series. Join us on the visitors side to cheer on another undefeated regular season.
Go Bombers!
- Atomic TV Highlights: Chiawana Riverhawks v. Richland Bombers
-
October 20, 20171234Final
-
Chiawana Riverhawks077620
-
Richland Bombers7140021
- 1st Quarter
-
Touchdown: Cody Sanderson 55 yard pass from Cade Jensen (Adam Weissenfels kick)
Richland 7, Chiawana 0 - 2nd Quarter
-
Touchdown: Ethan Garcia 1 yard run (Ryan Lowry kick)
Richland 7, Chiawana 7 -
Touchdown: Weissenfels 7 yard pass from Jensen (Weissenfels kick)
Richland 14, Chiawana 7 -
Touchdown: Ryan Piper 6 yard pass from Jensen (Weissenfels kick)
Richland 21, Chiawana 7 - 3rd Quarter
-
Touchdown: Sisay West 60 yard pass from Enoch Vargas (Lowry kick)
Richland 21, Chiawana 14 - 4th Quarter
-
Touchdown: West 44 yard pass from Vargas (kick blocked by Weissenfels)
Richland 21, Chiawana 20
- News/Media
-
-
Richland will test Chiawana's pass attack
Tri-City Herald: Friday October 20, 2017
Preview of Richland versus Chiawana by Dustin Brennan in the Friday, October 20, 2017 edition of the Tri-City Herald
-
-
-
Seattle Times Top 10 and State Results - October 21, 2017
Seattle Times: Saturday October 21, 2017
Seattle Times results by state ranking and scores from around the state. Saturday, October 21, 2017.
-
-
-
Block and Tackle - Bombers Pulley'd Ahead Early
Tri-City Herald: Saturday October 21, 2017
Photo by Noelle Haro-Gomez of Ryan Piper in the Saturday, October 21, 2017 edition of the Tri-City Herald.
-
-
-
Bombers hold on to win another wild one
Tri-City Herald: Sunday October 22, 2017
Tri-City Herald game story by Dustin Brennan in the Sunday, October 22, 2017 edition.
-
-
-
Greater Spokane League Standings - October 26
Spokane Spokesman-Review: Thursday October 26, 2017
Current standings for the Greater Spokane League and Washington State AP polls from the Thursday, October 26, 2017 edition of the Spokesman-Review.
-
-
-
Seattle Times high school football rankings - October 26
Seattle Times: Thursday October 26, 2017
The Richland Bombers remain No. 2 in the Seattle Times State Football Rankings from the Thursday, October 26, 2017 edition.
-
-
-
Undefeated Richland No. 3 in 4A poll
Tri-City Herald: Thursday October 26, 2017
Tri-City Herald article by Annie Fowler in the Thursday, October 26, 2017 edition.
-