Bombers Spoil the Blue Devils Senior Night - By Jalen Brightful

     After a tough, competitive road win against Kamiakan, Richland is back facing the Walla Walla Blue Devils. Heading into this game, the Walla Walla Blue Devils are 10-5 in league play, while the visiting Richland Bombers are standing at an undefeated 15-0 in league play, 1st in the MCC vs 3rd in the MCC matchup. The Blue Devils are looking to get a victory after losing to an 8-11 Kennewick Lions team. These two teams are constantly battling against each other to the very end of the buzzer. The last time they faced each other was on Jan 23rd on a makeup game due to the weather. Richland and Walla Walla were battling early into the 1st quarter until Richland took control and never gave the Blue Devils a chance to get back in the game. The Bombers won the previous match 91-60 as a team, shooting 55% from the field and 52% from the three.

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    The Richland Bombers team is looking to break a program record for the most consecutive MCC wins after an ups-and-downs team earlier in the season figuring each other out. The Bombers have grown over the season with a relatively young squad minus the three returning senior starters, Luke Westerfield, Jack Forbes, and Josh Woodard, who have performed well through the early season kinks to lead this bomber squad to a victory for the last regular season game of the year and stay hot leading into the district playoffs. I was able to talk to Senior starter Jack Forbes before the game. Jack said this about going into the game: “ I wanted to take in the atmosphere of the game, making it this far in my last regular season game of my high school career playing with my teammates I’ve played with my whole life.”

    Walking out on the court, the Blue Devils had a different lineup than the first time these two teams faced against each other. In honor of Senior Night, Walla Walla’s coach, Adam Berg, started five seniors to start the game. The game finally began, Walla walla was able to strike first with a quick bucket, but Josh Woodard came off a screen and hit a quick Three to put Richland up one. It was a tight, back-and-forth, fast-paced game with some tough physical paint defense from the presence of Luke Westerfield, who had three blocks in the 1st quarter with the ending score of the quarter at 22-16 Richland.

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    At the start of the 2nd quarter, the Bombers started putting pressure on the Blue Devils and building a comfortable lead. Richland put themselves into a diamond press where Walla Walla didn’t feel comfortable and started to turn the ball over. The Blue Devils weren't out of the mix, though, as they were able to strike back with some fast break points and some spot-up threes, ending the 1st half to 40-30 Richland, who were able to execute their transition baskets and work inside out. They will look to capitalize on and continue their success to make this game unobtainable. 

    Josh Woodard started the Bombers with two back-to-back threes to start the second half. The Blue Devils weren't backing down from the bombers after the two threes to start the third quarter, with them causing two turnovers back to back to start confidence in the gym for the home team. With a good game going on with bombers still in the leave, the Blue Devils weren't backing down and still being pests for the ball and hustling whenever the ball hit the ground. The Bombers are still trying to find a way to put this game away at the end of third being up 62-48. 

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    This is where it all begins, with the bombers running away with it in the fourth quarter, where the Richland starters could put up points with Sophmore Lance Hornvedt to put up big points from beyond the arc. As the lead started to pile, Richland was able to give their starters a rest while the bomber’s rotation players could keep on the pressure and put up points. This game was put to rest with a Richland win 83-60. Key contributors were Jack Forbes, able to use his height and athleticism to get into the paint and have ten free throw attempts and make eight of them; Josh Woodard, able to shoot five for nine from three; Luke Westerfield, towering over the competition and rim protecting, and Lance Hornvedt to get on a streak late in the third carrying on to the fourth after a slow first half.

    Standing next to student Talon Jones from Richland High School, I was intrigued to hear him talk about how the team was looking at the end of the season. This is what he said: “ This team can be really scary going into the playoffs on a hot streak and clicking well as a team.” This game came down to who wanted it more in a very athletic battle between the players to where it was neck and neck until it got out of reach. The Richland Bombers are ending their regular season with an undefeated conference record, and they will now host the District 8 playoffs through Art Dawald Gymnasium.

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