Game Recap September 26, 2023
Kevin Anthony; Herald staff writer
MOSES LAKE - The Richland Bombers found their quarterback. For that matter, they found a pretty good defensive back, too.
Jake Haworth splashed onto the Columbia Basin 4A League scene in a big way Friday night, throwing two long touchdowns and returning an interception 97 yards to put the game out of reach - all in the second half - as Richland downed Moses Lake 35-14 at Lions Field.
Haworth, who saw a bit of action in last week's win over Hanford, threw for 185 yards, ran for 50 more and handed Moses Lake quarterback Josh Loera two of his three interceptions.
"He's a heck of an athlete, isn't he?" Richland coach Garrick Redden said of Haworth, who started the year at 1A Columbia (Burbank) but left there for disciplinary reasons.
He's been practicing with the Bombers for four weeks now, but Friday was his first extended playing time.
"It takes a while, but the guys were helping me out," Haworth said of getting up to speed and getting used to 4A play. "It's a lot faster. Guys are very, very quick and a lot bigger."
Haworth's play, particularly his long TD plays to Marco Nicacio for 49 yards and 75 yards to Jamison Rowe, helped alleviate the defensive pressure that Marcelino Morales has become used to.
Morales, who entered the game with a CBL 4A high of 1,017 yards rushing, finished with 112 hard-fought yards on 30 carries, including two touchdowns to bring his season total to 11.
"A lot of people have been focused on Marcelino for quite a while now - for a couple years, actually," Redden said. "This takes a little of that off and a little of the pressure off our offensive line."
Both of the TD throws came after Haworth bought time scrambling out of the pocket. Rowe said the receivers know exactly what to do when the quarterback begins improvising.
"That's when the safeties and corners come up, and I gotta find a little hole," said Rowe, who finished with 112 yards on just two catches.
The win gives Richland the inside track on the league's second seed into the postseason and playing host to a regional game.
Both teams opened the game moving swiftly down the field, Richland scoring on Morales' 13-yard run and ML on Billy Brice's 8-yard pass from Loera.
But they each ran into trouble the rest of the way when they neared the end zone.
First, Richland had a field goal blocked by Taylor Stout and returned 75 yards for the go-ahead score by Randy Koon.
Moses Lake was bitten in the third quarter by Rowe's interception in the end zone that led to Richland's tying score and then Haworth's pick with 4:52 left that put the game away.
Loera finished with 175 yards on 16-of-33 passing, and the Chiefs played well defensively -aside from getting beat on the two long scores.
"Our kids did a good job up front," Moses Lake coach Greg Kittrell said. "Marcelino's a good back. He's slippery, he has good patience, and their O-line is strong."
-
October 12, 20071234Final
-
Richland Bombers35
-
Moses Lake Chiefs14
