Game Recap May 18, 2022
Ben Reynolds; Herald staff writer
In Greg Kittrell's 20-plus years at Moses Lake, he - and the program for that matter - have had little success at Fran Rish Stadium.
"I beat Hanford here once," the coach said, smiling.
And that smile stretched from ear to ear Friday night as his Chiefs finally managed to break through against Richland.
Moses Lake beat the Bombers 41-12 for its second-ever win over Richland at Fran Rish, and in doing so gained the inside track for a Columbia Basin 4A League playoff spot.
The Chiefs improved to 4-1 in the CBL and are in second place by themselves, a game ahead Eisenhower (3-2) and 1 1/2 games in front of Richland (2-2).
"We knew we had to have this win if we wanted the No. 2 spot," Kittrell said of Moses Lake, which has won just six times in the 42-game history between the two schools.
The Chiefs can clinch that No. 2 spot with a win at home against Davis (0-4) in two weeks.
Meanwhile, Richland's playoff hopes took a big hit. The Bombers must win their final two games - against Davis next week and Pasco (4-0) the following week - to have a chance for one of the three regional spots.
"We just have to do the fundamental things, like wrapping up and finishing plays," said Richland coach Garrick Redden.
And those were a struggle for the Bombers.
Moses Lake racked up 400 yards on the ground on 54 carries and by the second half wore down the Bombers defensive front.
Ryan Carpenter, the league's second-leading rusher, carried the ball 25 times for 201 yards, while quarterback Ben Waites had 11 carries for 130 yards and three touchdowns.
"They've got speed and they run hard," Redden said.
Meanwhile, the league's leading rusher, Richland's Marcelino Morales, managed just 80 yards on 16 carries against the league's top-rated run defense that allowed just 60 yards per game coming in.
Morales had been averaging over 140 yards per game, but struggled to get into a rhythm in the second half and had just five carries after halftime.
"They shut down (Marcelino) pretty good and we had to go to the air," said Richland receiver Jamison Rowe, who caught seven passes for 118 yards and a touchdown.
Richland, which was fighting from behind all night, looked like it got back in the game late in the first half when Morales scored on an 8-yard run to make the score 14-12.
But just two plays later, Waites scored the first of his three touchdowns when he slipped out of the grasp of a handful of Richland defenders down the sideline for a 67-yard score with 43 seconds left before halftime.
"That's our version of the 2-minute offense," Kittrell said. "Run the option."
Richland could never get back on track after that. Its offense sputtered as the Moses Lake defensive line - led by WSU-bound B.J. Guerra and John Fackrell -dominated.
Richland had just 60 yards of offense in the second half and crossed into Moses Lake territory just twice, getting as far as the 37-yard line.
"We wore them down a little bit and could tell they were getting a little beat up," Carpenter said.
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October 13, 20061234Final
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Moses Lake Chiefs71371441
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Richland Bombers660012
- 1st Quarter
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Touchdown: Billy Brice 35 Yd Pass from Ben Waites (Mick Aney Kick)
Moses Lake 7, Richland 0 -
Touchdown: Marcelino Morales 8 Yd Run (kick failed)
Moses Lake 7, Richland 6 - 2nd Quarter
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Touchdown: Ryan Carpenter 11 Yd Run (Aney Kick)
Moses Lake 14, Richland 6 -
Touchdown: Jamison Rowe 23 Yd Pass from Nick Leid (pass failed)
Moses Lake 14, Richland 12 -
Touchdown: Waites 67 Yd Run (kick fail)
Moses Lake 21, Richland 12 - 3rd Quarter
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Touchdown: Waites 39 Yd Run (Aney Kick)
Moses Lake 28, Richland 12 - 4th Quarter
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Touchdown: Carpenter 3 Yd Run (Aney Kick)
Moses Lake 35, Richland 12 -
Touchdown: Waites 3 Yd Run (Aney Kick)
Moses Lake 42, Richland 12
