90th Football Season Starts With A Win - By Hayden Galloway
The Richland Bombers began their 90th season by winning 28-7 at Hermiston Bulldogs, which marks the 8th year of victory against the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs organized a Salute to Service ceremony before the game to recognize both veterans and active-duty service members from the local area. The military flyover served as the closing tribute to create a patriotic atmosphere during the event. The first quarter of the game brought challenges for both offenses due to both teams having to punt because their defenses got stops. But early in the second quarter, Richland Sophomore running back Micah Mayer broke through and scored the first touchdown of the game on the 1-yard line to put the Bombers on top 7-0.
The score became the tipping point, which flipped a switch for Richland to gain the momentum. The running game became the key to the Richland win. Mayer completed the game with 7 carries for 88 yards with a touchdown. Sophomore Finn Bunnage ran for 47 yards and also scored a touchdown later in the game. Richland's running game came from 5 different running backs and also Quarterback Jakson Woodard, who had to avoid sacks, scrambling for only 2 yards.
The Bombers managed to make important plays despite their lack of passing throughout the game. Key receivers for the Bombers were Senior Hayden Galloway with 4 catches for 54 yards and a touchdown, including a 28-yard touchdown right before halftime to put the Bombers up 14-0, and Senior Tight End Jack Kirkham caught a 26-yard touchdown early in the 4th quarter. Senior Kyien Williams also had 3 catches for 36 yards.
The Bulldogs' offense began the game with success when Hayden Larson achieved 68 yards with 9 carries and scored a touchdown while running 38 yards, which brought the home crowd to their feet. Quarterback Brayden Medelez finished 9-18 for 87 yards, which included an interception, but was unable to consistently crack the Bombers' defense. Hermiston reduced the deficit during the second half by scoring in the 2nd quarter, which cut the score to one score. Richland's defense stepped up late, with Middle Linebacker Sylen Kiesal-Kauhane getting 2 sacks and Matthew Stainfield delivering a clutch tackle for loss in the 4th quarter to shut down a late Hermiston drive.
Richland’s Defense bent but did not break. Señor Gavin Walther led the defense with 5 tackles and 4 assists, while Kiesel-Kauhane added 9 assists, 4 tackles, and 2 sacks. Galloway contributed to both slides of the ball, tallying a sack and tackling for loss to go along with his offensive production. The defense of Hermiston received support from senior Tabor Mills, who made 5 tackles and 3 assists, while Kole Mikami accumulated 11 total tackles.
With the Bombers' win despite their performance, which began their important season well. The team will use their offensive expansion and defensive success in crucial situations to build their win. They will play at home against the Hanford Falcons next week at 7:00 pm at Fran Rish Stadium.
I had the opportunity to talk to Senior Wide Receiver Brody Bocek, who had an off game but was still productive during the win. Bocek said, “Despite the win, we are looking forward to Hanford. Most of the guys on the team know guys from the Falcons, and we are going to practice for fearly and not talk to or about them and just play our game.” The Falcons lost their home-opener to the Keenewick Lions 35-7. The Falcons are looking to bounce back after the loss. Richland’s Head Coach Josh Jelinck told the team, “All we have to do to beat Hanford is to keep our mouths shut and play our game”.
