Bombers Take Heartbreaking Loss in Last Seconds, Head to Playoffs - By Hunter Graney

    The Richland Bombers and the Mountain View Thunder face off in the last game of the regular season with an out-of-conference match-up. Mountain View came out on top 45-44 in a game down to the wire.

Coach Neid on the sidelines against Mt. View. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    Mountain View came into this game with a 4-4 record, with all four losses being one-possession games. Richland (5-3), just coming off a 28-32 loss against Kamiakin, looked to gain some confidence on 'Senior Night' with a win heading into the postseason. Bomber receiver Seth Shook shared, "I just wanna put on a show," when asked how he feels about his last regular season game. Richland's coach Mike Neidhold commented on what it's like facing an out-of-conference team, "It's like the playoffs; you don't know what you're gonna get. It's hard to judge a team just off of the film." Mountain View ran a different defensive scheme each game of the season, making it even more difficult for the Bombers to know what was coming. 

    Richland started the game with a quick three-and-out. Mountain View capitalized with an impressive drive that went inside the red zone, where they were forced to take their field goal due to penalties. The Bombers were unable to produce anything offensively, and Mountain View struggling to finish their offensive drives left the score 3-0 at the end of the 1st quarter. 

The boys getting ready for the last game of the regular season. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    The Bombers turned things around when QB Josh Woodard let it fly into the hands of Seth Shook for a 60-yard TD. Richland's PAT would be bobbled and not allow kicker Jason Slack to get a chance on the PAT, leaving the score 6-3. Following the touchdown, Mountain View's Akili Kamau took the kickoff to the house with a shifty 85-yard kick return eluding multiple tackles and putting the Thunder back on top 10-6. The Bomber offense began to heat up as QB Josh Woodard threw a 30-yard pass into the cookie basket of senior receiver Tanner Schuster. After almost being picked off on the goal line, Woodard couldn't find a target, so he scrambled up the gut and dove into the end zone for a TD, showing off his dual-threat capability. Richland regained the lead 13-10 with five minutes left in the half.  

    Right after Woodard's impressive TD, Mountain View's 3-star recruit, Kyle Chen, took the kick all the way to midfield to give the Thunder excellent field position. After a poor three plays, QB Mitch Johnson stayed on the field to deliver a crucial 4th down conversion to the junior receiver, JJ Thompson. Not long after the conversion, Mitch Johnson throws a 15-yard touchdown pass with an acrobatic catch by running back Porter Drake. Thunder had retaken the lead 17-13 with 2:30 remaining in the half. 

Tanner Schuster (7) celebrates with Seth Shook (5) on Seth's second touchdown. Shook would go on to score three times in this game. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    As if we hadn't seen enough in good returns, Landon Charlton took the kickoff 70 yards down to the 30-yard line. As the Bombers looked to take advantage of the prime field position, Woodard took a sack that made it 3rd and 13. Woodard dropped back to pass and had Seth Shook open in plenty of space in the end zone. Shook's 2nd TD of the day gave the Bombers a 20-17 lead heading into halftime. 

    To begin the half, Richland's defense came out strong, forcing a punt after only one 1st down. Immediately after forcing a punt, Woodard's low pass to Tanner Schuster bounces off the chest pads into the hands of Mountain View's JJ Thompson, who took the interception 45 yards to the crib. Another lead change puts Mountain View up 24-20. 

    As what seemed like a kick nobody would try to return, Landon Charlton took the kick 60 yards to Mountain View's 35-yard line, where he was taken down by the kicker. Woodard, wasting no time, threw a 35-yard pass perfectly placed to freshman Brady Bocek, the only freshman on a 4A varsity roster in the state, for a touchdown. The Bombers now led the Thunder 27-24 with 9 minutes left in the 3rd. The Thunder easily marched down the field after a couple of big runs from Kedyn Bolds and a big run from Porter Drake. After a wide-open dropped pass, the Bomber defense was able to get out of it and force the Thunder to try a 41-yard field goal. The 41-yard field goal try from Owen Purvis had the distance but missed left. Bombers still lead 27-24. The Bombers were now looking to take a two-possession lead. It didn't look promising as the ball was snapped over Woodard's head and rolled down to the 1, where he recovered it and was able to throw a 50/50 ball to midfield, where Seth Shook snagged it and won the foot race to the end zone for an 80 yard TD, Seth Shook's 3rd TD of the day. Shook, wanting to "put on a show," most certainly was, giving the Bombers a two-possession lead 34-24 with 5 minutes left in the 3rd. 

The offense huddles during the fourth quarter of the game. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    After getting a break with a penalty, the Thunder give the ball on a screen route to Porter Drake, who takes it inside the red zone. Next play, Jacob Martin catches an over-the-shoulder TD, 34-31 Richland still ahead. The Bombers reach the red zone after a big 3rd down conversion on a pass from Woodard to receiver Colson Mackey. Woodard takes a lousy snap, can't find a receiver, scrambles for a first down, and ends up inches short of the goal line. The Bombers use Kalani Steward's size and feed him the ball as he punches it into the end zone, 41-31 Bombers ahead at the end of the 3rd. 

    To start the quarter, QB Mitch Johnson launches the ball down the field into the hands of defender Torin Belliston. Richland's offense keeps the momentum going as Woodard connects to senior receiver Mikah Burch for 35 yards into Thunder territory. After multiple Kalani Steward runs to set the Bombers up inside the 10, the Thunder defense comes up big to force a 25-yard field goal from Jason Slack to extend the lead 44-31. 

    With only 7 minutes remaining, QB Mitch Johnson was sidelined after a body slam from linebacker Isaya Galvez. Backup QB Cash Cook shows no fear and rifles a pass to Kyle Chen for 17 yards. Cook continues to tear apart the Bomber defense with a lazer to create a first and goal. Kedyn Bolds takes a handoff into the end zone to cut the Bombers' lead to 6. Richland would receive the ball at the 6 with 5 minutes left. Mountain Views's defense only allowed one first down on a pass to Tanner Schuster but then forced a punt.

Tanner Schuster's poster made an appearance in the pink game crowd (breast cancer awareness). Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    Two minutes remain in the game. The Thunder offense, with starting QB Mitch Johnson back in the game, needs a TD and PAT to take the lead. QB Johnson steadily leads the team down the field into Bomber territory, but Bombers force a 4th and three with 52 seconds left. QB Mitch Johnson completes a huge 4-yard pass to get the first down followed by a connection to Akili Kamau put them inside the 15. 3rd down and 13 with 27 seconds left,  Johnson and Kamau connect again for a TD. The PAT is good, and the Thunder silence the crowd as they go up 45-44 with only 16 seconds left in the game. 

    If the Bombers were able to execute the PAT on their first TD, they would have been headed to overtime. Instead, the Bombers failed to score, take a tough loss, and move to 5-4. The Mountain View Thunder also move to 5-4 with an impressive 7-minute, 13-point comeback. 

    Some impressive players of the game were the Bombers receiver Seth Shook who recorded 6 receptions for 208 yards and 3 touchdowns. Mountains Views QB Mitch Johnson went 21/29 with 276 yards in the air and 29 on the ground for 3 touchdowns. 

    The Bombers go into playoffs with a two-game losing streak and will face Eastmont on November 4th.