Senior Showdown - By Chris Daniels
What a show the Lady Bombers put on Thursday night. After a big win against Southridge last week, a win would help them tie with Chiawana for the district title. Senior night was the main focus of Thursday's game. The Bombers have a talented group of 8 seniors graduating. Leading the core for the Bombers are senior captains Tiffany Turner, Bella Bunnage, Lucy Howard, and Alyssa March. I got the chance to catch up with the senior defender Tiffany Turner on what Richland brought to her as a player. “Bomber soccer has taught me some great life lessons. Our motto, “RTB,” stands for row the boat. Our Coach, Justin, gives us a lesson every year on how we need to row the boat as a team, but he also makes it clear that it applies to our personal lives, too. Sometimes people will be in our boat causing chaos and affecting how the boat goes, and we have to kick them off to keep our life on the right path.” I also got the chance to speak with Tasha Bunnage, the senior forwards' mom, about how High school soccer is from a parent's point of view. Bunnages states, “The best part of high school soccer is being able to see Bella play in front of her peers. There's always energy among the students and parents. High School soccer is also way less stressful and relaxed than club soccer. ” Bunnage also states that “it sucks having a senior athlete because you know every game, every goal, every victory is one of the last. Time flies by, and the season will end in the blink of an eye”. As the season is flying by, some of the seniors' favorite memories include waking up the team at 5:00 a.m. for team breakfast and beating Chiawana and Kamiakin all four years.
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| Photo: Metcalf Media (@metclafmedia_) |
Hailey Summers, a senior defender, made her way back this year after an ACL tear last year. Summers, as well as Senior Alex Billings, had a significant role in the first half, helping March stop Walla Walla’s forceful offense. The Blue Devil sophomore forward Bridget Bond had a huge first half, taking 5 shots on goal for Walla Walla. Bond scores a banger 35 yards out in the 17th minute to put Walla Walla ahead 1-0. The Bombers had lots of action, shooting eleven shots on goal, but senior goalkeeper Ally Beuck came up clutch, not letting one through the net. Senior Defenders Emily Rogers and Lucy Howard also made an impact early in the half, helping the Bombers stay in control of the game.
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| Photo: Metcalf Media (@metcalfmedia_) |
The Bombers played a little bit tense but were still able to control the ball for the majority of the half. Leading right into the second half, the Lady Bombers came out of the locker room with a different mindset. Sophomore forward Kylee Kukes gets off to a hot start, scoring quickly from a corner assisted by Turner in the forty-second minute. The Blue Devils also came out firing with an early shot of goal as well. Senior Alyssa March makes a diving save and keeps the Bombers in step. Bryan Gaumer, the sophomore midfielder, and Senior Madeleine Morasch also keep the Bomber momentum going with multiple runs.
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| Photo: Metcalf Media (@metclafmedia_) |
The Bombers took 13 shots on goal but can't seem to get one through the net. Walla Walla had little action in the second half and couldn't keep the ball away from the Freshman Forward Bella Arroyo. Arroyo had a big half helping the Bombers push forward putting pressure on the Blue Devils. Anderson also had a big half, taking multiple shots on goal.
Continuing forward, the Bombers and the Blue Devils go back and forth until late in the game. Anderson makes a big run, taking a shot on goal, but is deflected off of the goalie, leading to a corner kick. With four minutes left, number 10 Niyah Gallegos takes the corner, crossing it to Bunnage for a tap-in goal. The Bombers lead the Blue Devils 2-1 with 3 minutes left in the game. The Blue Devils were struck and had to speed up their offense. With time running out, Walla Walla only gets 1 shot on goal, but again, March comes up with a huge save. The Lady Bombers came out on top and clutched the tie with Chiawana for the MCC conference title. This makes the Lady Bombers the 4 times MCC conference champions.
