Game Recap October 16, 2019
In 2009 Richland went into Edgar Brown stadium and lost a close one to Pasco, 21-20. Over the next decade the Bulldogs never got close to winning again, while the Bombers registered five shutouts and two games where Pasco scored only once. Pasco was always a gimme game, but the Bulldogs are a gimme no more. In an ugly game fraught with penalties and miscues, the Pasco Bulldogs pulled off a stunner and recorded a win against the Richland Bombers, 16-14.
The game began in the normal manner as Pasco tried to run the ball against the Bomber defense but came up short on fourth down when Camron Ball torpedoed the runner. A quick pass to Ben Fewel went for 17 yards, and then a huge run by Kainoa Steward was called back for holding.
In literature this is called foreshadowing.
The rest of the game followed that pattern, with what could be a potent Bomber offense stymied by penalties and what looked like self-imposed confusion. The first offensive series lasted thirteen plays and featured nearly as many penalties against Richland (2) as Pasco would be called for the entire game (3). Richland used those thirteen plays to get to the Pasco 8 yard line but couldn't produce any points for the effort.
Red zone troubles have plagued the Bombers consistently so far this season, and this game is a prime example.
Although a crew of talented receivers means the Bombers are always within scoring range, putting points on the board from close range helps pad the win column. Both touchdowns this game came from receptions inside the 20. One in the first half as an isolated Ben Fewel zipped past his defender to make the catch in the end zone, and one late in the second half when Matt Robinson came back to the pass and dove backward over the line to keep Richland in the game.
The trouble in this game, aside from a 5:1 penalty ratio in favor of Pasco, was a flat offense. The Bomber D held Pasco to -7 yards on the ground on 30 attempts but allowed over 200 yards passing. The secondary saw a heavy rotation of players and struggled periodically to prevent big gains. Marshaun Davis-Copeland, one of the top cornerbacks in the MCC, did not play much defense this game, and the league's second leading receiver, Des Licon, caught 10 passes for just over 100 yards. Defensive linemen Sam Stanfield and Josh White each had a couple sacks along with plenty of tackles for loss, and the defense as a whole limited the Bulldogs to one touchdown on a broken play and QB scramble.
While the defense fought hard and the offense struggled, the game was still winnable if not for the quirks of fate. After a high snap in the second half slid into the endzone for a safety, putting the score at 9-7, the following kick went right to the speedy and determined Licon, who merely ran 70 yards down the visitor's sideline to make it 16-7 with only a few minutes to play. Robinson put his points on the board to get within 2, but a noisy Pasco crowd (including the marching band, which was playing as the Richland offense attempted to run plays) kept the Bombers from getting it together enough to pull off a comeback.
Fewel, the leading receiver in the MCC, had over 100 yards for the fourth straight game, the D line stuffed the run game again despite constant double teams on Stanfield and only one holding call against Pasco, and Robinson finished with 75 yards in catches and plenty of good plays at corner, but it wasn't enough to prevent the long-awaited miracle win by Pasco, handing the Bombers only their second loss at Edgar Brown since 2014.
The loss puts Richland in a bad position for the playoffs, depending on future Pasco losses to other 4A teams to secure one of only two postseason spots. We'll see how the Bombers fight back against Walla Walla at Fran Rish next week.
Go Bombers!
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September 27, 20191234Final
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- News/Media
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Key week 4 prep football matchups
Tri-City Herald: Friday September 27, 2019
Weekly preview of the Friday MCC games by Jeff Morrow in the Friday, September 27, 2019 edition of the Tri-City Herald.
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Kennewick rolls over Kamiakin; Pasco stops Richland in MCC
Tri-City Herald: Sunday September 29, 2019
Prep Roundup article by Jeff Morrow in the Sunday, September 29, 2019 edition of the Tri-City Herald.
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