Bombers Dominate Bulldogs - By Maddex Aguilar

    Coming off the first loss of the season against the Chiawana Riverhawks the previous game, the Bombers came into Friday night against the Pasco Bulldogs in search of a dominant bounce-back win. When asked about the matchup, Coach Neidhold said they were taking it one game at a time, focusing on the Bulldogs and blocking out the glamor and lights of the homecoming Kennewick Lions game next Friday. They did just that and came away with a 49-0 win over the Pasco Bulldogs. 

Nathan Ruelas (18) and Axel Luther (33) celebrate in the endzone Friday night. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook). 

    Previously in their last two matchups, the Bombers have outscored the Bulldogs 114-0. Sadly for the Bulldogs, this has been the story since the construction and opening of Chiawana High school, as they haven’t been able to string together a winning season since the 08-09 season and have a 19-114 record during that stretch. The Bombers fell victim to the Bulldogs in 2019, losing 16-14; this is the only loss the bombers have suffered to the Bulldogs since the 08-09 season. The Pasco Bulldogs used to be a team to fear as they won three state championships in a 5-year span (99, 00, and 03). Since then, the Bulldogs have seen a historic fall from grace. 

Garrett Mills (63), Ukiah Jones (56), and Davis Robertson (60) keep the Bulldog defense on a leash. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    The game came underway with the Bulldogs receiving the football but amounted to nothing with a quick three and out and got the packed Bomber student section cheering. The Bombers took over at the Pasco 26 after a great return by Landon Charlton. On the first play of the game for the Richland offense, Josh Woodard threw a 26-yard touchdown to Tanner Schuster, which caused the Richland student section to roar and chant. The tone of the game was set with the first play.

Richland's offense lines up for another touchdown against Pasco. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    The Bulldog’s second drive of the game was a near repeat of the first. The Bombers’ defense was suffocating and forced another three and out. Richland fans felt a little deja vu when the Bomber’s second offensive play was a 52-yard touchdown pass and Josh Woodard’s second. 

    The Bomber’s dominance continued as the defense never allowed the Bulldogs to get into the red zone in the first half; the offense showed no signs of slowing down, and Brody Bocek, a freshman, hauled in a touchdown pass to make the score 21-0 and got the honorary “He’s a freshman chant.” This would be his second game in a row pulling in a touchdown pass, having one against the Chiawana Riverhawks last week.

Nyzaiah Gladney (77) bull-rushes the Pasco offense. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    Richland’s offense took over again after another great defensive stop. Landon Charlton would get the ball and fight his way down the sideline as the Bomber crowd went ecstatic, breaking free on a would-be 50-yard touchdown. But the run was called back for holding. The Bombers quickly made up for it as Josh Woodard would throw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Mikah Burch for a score of 28-0. The crowd got just as loud; they cheered and chanted as if every score was a game-winning one.

    The fans could get loud once more as Rayce Reeves picked a ball off and took it to the endzone for a pick-six to make the game 35-0 at the end of the first quarter. A possession later, Brody Bocek hauled another touchdown pass to make it 42-0, his second of the night. The crowd’s freshman chants would be heard throughout Pasco. The crowd was loving the domination that the Bombers had on the Bulldogs after so many close games earlier in the season. The second quarter would wind down to halftime after Pasco took over with 48 seconds left on the clock. 

500 wins later, the Bomber fans are still the best in the business. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

   Richland fans still buzzed with excitement as the second half came underway. The Bulldogs attempted an onside kick right out of the gate, which the Bombers recovered; the onside kick showed that the Pasco Bulldogs were not going to lay down but keep fighting even when they were mismatched. The Bombers took over with good field position again and were piecing a drive together. Richland’s offense would fight for every extra yard they could get. That fight led Axel Luther to break a few tackles and make his way into the end zone after a 10-yard rush leaving the score 49-0. The last scoring play for the game.

Jakob Brannon (24) rushes the ball for the Bombers. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    The game slowed down each team’s defense, stringing multiple stops to hold the score at 49-0. Ethan Vanbeck stood out on the defensive line pressuring the Bulldog quarterback on multiple plays and coming away with a sack in the fourth quarter, and the crowd still roared even as the game was coming to a close. 

    This was a historic game for the Bombers as it was their 500th win in school history. The Bombers continue solidifying their legacy as three of those wins come from state championships won in ’81, ’99, and 2017. It was also another win in the book for Coach Neidhold as he chases down Lonnie Pierson as the Richland Head coach for the most wins of all time. 

The Bomber tackle football team celebrates with the fans after the 49-0 victory. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).