Kennewick 27, Moses Lake 7

KENNEWICK, Wash. — Moses Lake fell behind just 2:31 into Friday night’s Columbia Basin Big Nine Conference opener with Southridge and the Chiefs fell 27-7 on the road.

Moses Lake fielded the opening kick off and began to march down the field at Lampson Stadium in Kennewick, Wash., before a tenacious Southridge defense forced a Chiefs fourth down.

Moses Lake set up in a punt formation to kick possession to Southridge, but the snap from center went over Moses Lake punter Taylor Lagrave’s head. The ball sailed from the 35 yard line and into the end zone. Lagrave fielded the loose ball and attempted to run it out of the end zone.

Lagrave made it out of the end zone to avoid the safety, but Southridge met Lagrave at the Moses Lake two yard line where the Suns would take possession of the football for the first time.

On their first play from scrimmage, Southridge running back Dallin Palmer took the ball and scored his first touchdown of the contest on a two-yard run and Southridge took their first lead of the contest 2:31 in.

Despite giving the Suns a short field to start the contest, Moses Lake responded on their ensuing possession.

The Chiefs took possession of the football for the second time on their own 20 yard line and marched down the field .

Moses Lake turned their second possession of the contest into a 13-play, 80-yard scoring drive to pull even with Southridge at 7-7 following a one-yard run from  running back Randy Moore.

Moses Lake head coach Todd Griffith said his team responded well to Southridge’s first score.

“After Southridge scored, the kids marched right down the field,” he said. 

After the Chiefs pulled even with the Suns, both defenses settled down and seemingly took control of the contest.

With the score tied and Moses Lake driving in the second quarter, senior quarterback Dylan Signorelli dropped back to pass. Signorelli threw the ball on a short pass over the middle, but Southridge linebacker Julian Rojas intercepted the ball and returned it to the Moses Lake two yard line. Palmer then took the ball and found the end zone for the second time Friday night and Southridge led 13-7 heading into the half.

The score remained 13-7 until late in the contest when the Suns broke the game open.

The Suns added 14 points to their lead in less than two minutes Friday night to put the Chiefs away. Palmer scored on a 55-yard touchdown run to give Southridge a 20-7 lead with 4 minutes remaining.

Southridge pulled away late Friday night and Griffith said it was frustrating.

“The score was 13-7 until 4 minutes left,” he said. “Defensively we played super. It is the same thing as last weekend and the weekend before. There are five big plays in a football game and we need to make three of them. We haven’t been doing that.”

Moses Lake took possession of the football after the Southridge score. With the Chiefs looking to respond to the Southridge touchdown, Signorelli dropped back in the pocket in an attempt to move the football.

Signorelli dropped back to pass again, but Austin Graves tipped the ball into the air before defensive lineman Broderick Hirai picked it off at the Moses Lake five yard line.

Just two plays later Southridge quarterback Stephen Garcia threw a touchdown to A.J. Henderson and Southridge iced the game with a 27-7 victory.

Although the Chiefs fell in their conference opener, Griffith is confident his team will bounce back.

“I told them we are so close from being a great football team,” he said. “There is one little piece that we don’t have. We are so close to being really good offensively and defensively.”

Moses Lake fell to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in conference following the loss. The Chiefs host Pasco Friday night at Lions Field.