Basketball Report Card - By Kage Ballard

    The Richland Bomber basketball programs seem to always have themselves in the mix. This year is no different, as both the boy's and girl's teams are at or near the top of the conference standings. Both teams are in the midst of great seasons, and now that we are about halfway through the regular season, I decided to give each basketball team a grade. Information that affects the grade includes expectations, records, MCC ranking, performance etc.

Basketball - Boys
Record: 13-2
Standings: 1st (MCC)
Grade: A

Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    The only thing keeping this grade from being an A+ is the 2 losses the boys took in Utah. They are currently 9-0 in Washington, 8-0 in conference play, and show no signs of slowing down. The Bombers are averaging a league-leading 87 points in the Mid-Columbia Conference, featuring a dominant 106-40 win over their rival, the Hanford Falcons. They have also been exceptional on defense as they have not let their opponents score more than 70 points all season. A key part contributing to the great Bomber defense is senior Jase Vopalensky. He has been tasked with guarding the other team's best player since last year, and consistently shuts down opponents. I spoke to Jase about his defensive responsibilities, he told me, “Guarding the other team's best player is a blessing. Being challenged each night is something I live for…I score sometimes,  but I put pride into my defense and I know the coaches can rely on me 100 percent in that aspect of the game.“ This attitude is one of the main reasons that the Bombers are where they are right now, and the main reason the Bombers were able to bounce back after their early struggles. Regarding the losses at the beginning of the season, Jase added, “I am happy with how the season has gone so far. We had a couple of early losses and it was good to expose our weaknesses and show us what we need to work on”  The Bombers have a phenomenal balance of senior leadership, juniors overperforming, and even 2 freshmen that have stepped up to the challenge that varsity basketball brings. Freshman Landen Northrop has exceeded everyone's expectations, playing prominent minutes for the Bombers thus far. The three players the Bombers look to the most for scoring are all juniors. Josh Woodard, Jack Forbes, and Luke Westerfield have all had standout seasons, which is very promising for the Bomber's future. The sky is seemingly the limit for the Richland Bombers, and they have not shown anything that makes me think they won't make a run at state this year. They recently essentially made the MCC and race for 2nd place, as they took on the Walla Walla Blue Devils. At 5-6, the Blue Devils did not seem scary but a win over the Chiawana Riverhawks and the Kamiakin Braves was certainly not something to look over. The Bombers took care of business and have a commanding lead over the MCC.

Basketball - Girls
Record: 11-4
Standings: 2nd (MCC)
Grade: B

Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    The Richland Bomber girl's basketball season has been full of ups and downs so far this season. The Lady Bombers are 6-2 in conference play and took the undefeated Kamiakin Braves to a one-possession loss. (1st MCC) The Lady Bombers participated in a tournament on the west side of Washington and performed very well placing 2nd place. This showing provides real hope for the Lady Bombers' success this season, especially considering that when the games matter most in the playoffs, you are most likely playing a team from the west side. Relying heavily on the 3-pointer, sometimes they are inconsistent on the offensive side. Someone who has been offensively consistent is junior Macie Milum. She has been lights out this season, one time scoring 17 points in the first half of a game. I spoke to senior Kylee Fox about Macie and she added that “it’s awesome having Macie out there, she is a huge part of the team… she steps up and carries us when we need it most” Kylee is also a huge part of the Lady Bomber success. She is a force on offense and can facilitate very well. The Division 1 commit is a veteran Bomber and leads the team very well. “Being a leader on the team is really important to me and I love all of my girls” Kylee represents what it means to be a Bomber, and hopefully her play on the court in addition to her amazing leadership will be enough for the Lady Bombers to make a run when playoffs come around. Sitting at 2nd in the Mid-Columbia Conference, the final matchup with Kamiakin will surely be a game you won't want to miss. Before getting to that matchup, the Lady Bombers will face the Pasco Bulldogs on Saturday, and hopefully, Kylee Fox and Macie Milum can lead them to a Mid-Columbia Conference victory. As long as the Lady Bombers are able to clean up their mistakes in the paint, and eliminate unnecessary turnovers, the future will certainly be bright.