Game Recap May 18, 2022
Rene Ferran; Herald staff writer
The Richland assistant coaches watched in horror as four Bombers linemen swarmed Marcelino Morales as he walked off the Lampson Stadium turf Friday night after their 15-13 come-from-behind victory over Kamiakin.
Their cries of "Be careful with him!" were drowned out by a raucous locker room ready to greet their newfound star.
Morales, a junior who transferred from Pasco over the summer, had 202 all-purpose yards, including a pair of momentum-changing returns, and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 3-yard run with 1:26 to play.
"Coach finally called my number on the goal line," a smiling Morales said. "He asked whether we wanted to run "34' or some other play, and I said "34' because I wanted to win the game in my debut in green and gold."
Morales admitted he was frustrated the first 31/2 quarters as Richland's offense struggled to get untracked. The Bombers had minus-6 yards total offense at halftime, and until their final two drives had just 56.
But trailing 13-3 with 8:18 left, Morales returned a punt 29 yards to the Kamiakin 38. Three plays later, Nick Leid hit Isaac Butts on a 10-yard slant to cut the deficit to 13-9.
"High school is all about momentum, and that return was a huge swing," said Leid, who was 9-of-10 passing in the fourth quarter. "This was my first start, and any positive thing was a huge confidence boost."
The Bombers then forced a three-and-out from Kamiakin and got the ball back at their own 25 with 6:34 left. Leid converted a thrd-and-26, lofting a perfect ball to Butts for a 31-yard gain, and got bailed out when the Braves were called for illegal helmet contact after stopping Morales for a 3-yard loss.
Richland got one final piece of good fortune when Jordan Conley recovered Robert Jacobs' fumble as he struggled for extra yardage after a completion. Conley fell on the loose ball at the Braves 8, and three plays later Morales leaped over the pile at the line of scrimmage and landed in the end zone.
"Marcelino adds a little bit of excitement to the game, some burst, some shiftiness," said Bombers coach Garrick Redden, who beat his alma mater for the second straight year. "We didn't play very well offensively in that first half, but the kids were resilient and I think learned a lot about themselves tonight."
Kamiakin coach Craig Beverlin, meanwhile, was as distraught about this loss as perhaps any regular-season defeat in his 23-year career. His team followed the game plan to perfection for 31/2 quarters, controlling time of possession - 23:10 to Richland's 16:32 - and amassing 137 yards on the ground.
But mistakes cost the Braves at critical times. An illegal formation killed one first-half drive, forcing them to settle for a 43-yard Steve Gilbert field goal, and a fumble deep in Richland territory ended another.
Then in the second half, an illegal motion penalty cost them a first down and they had to settle for another Gilbert field goal, and twice they had penalties that helped Richland on its touchdown drives.
"I said at halftime I had a feeling about this game, that it was going to haunt me, and unfortunately I was right," Beverlin said. "We had a laundry list of mistakes, and all of them were focus errors. But I think people saw tonight that we've got some potential."
Butts, who had four catches for a team-high 56 yards, suffered a high left ankle sprain on his 31-yard catch and was on crutches after the game. He dismissed the injury, though, and said he should be fine for next week's game against Southridge.
Aaron Sevigny led the Bombers with nine tackles. Jacobs added five, 21/2 for loss. Mike McAloon had 21/2 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery for Kamiakin.
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September 1, 20061234Final
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Richland Bombers0301215
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Kamiakin Braves733013
- 1st Quarter
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Touchdown: Alex Smarton 3 Yd Run (Steve Gilbert Kick)
Kamiakin 7, Richland 0 - 2nd Quarter
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Field Goal: Gilbert 43 Yd Kick
Kamiakin 10, Richland 0 -
Field Goal: Norland 27 Yd Kick
Kamiakin 10, Richland 3 - 3rd Quarter
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Field Goal: Gilbert 39 Yd Kick
Kamiakin 13, Richland 3 - 4th Quarter
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Touchdown: Issac Butts 10 Yd Pass from Nick Leid (kick failed)
Kamiakin 13, Richland 9 -
Touchdown: Marcelino Morales 3 Yd Run (kick failed)
Richland 15, Kamiakin 13
