Gridiron Roundup: Othello, Royal remain unbeaten
IAN BIVONA | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 month, 2 weeks AGO
Ian Bivona serves as the Columbia Basin Herald’s sports reporter and is a graduate of Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. He enjoys the behind-the-scenes stories that lead up to the wins and losses of the various sports teams in the Basin. Football is his favorite sport, though he likes them all, and his favorite team is the Jets. He lives in Soap Lake with his cat, Honey. | October 1, 2024 1:30 AM
MOSES LAKE — With three previously unbeaten teams taking their first losses last week, only Othello and Royal still post undefeated records through the first month of the football season.
Almira/Coulee-Hartline (3-1, 2-0 NE1B)
50-30 win at Curlew
The Warriors scored 42 first-half points in Friday’s road win over Curlew, eventually holding on for a 50-30 win over the previously undefeated Cougars.
Junior Harvest Parrish led the team in rushing with five carries for 130 yards and two touchdowns, followed by senior Carter Pitts who ran for 103 yards and two scores on seven carries. Junior Caden Correia also reached the end zone with 47 yards on seven carries.
Senior Jameson Conley brought in three receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown. Junior Brady Roberts caught one pass for 10 yards and a touchdown.
ACH hosts Mary Walker on Friday at 7 p.m.
Ephrata (3-1, 3-1 CWAC)
40-7 loss at East Valley (Yakima)
The Tigers suffered their first loss of the season Friday night, trailing 19-0 on the road against East Valley (Yakima) through the first quarter before eventually losing 40-7 to the Red Devils.
East Valley scored five touchdowns in the first half Friday night, adding another score in the third quarter. Ephrata got on the board in the fourth quarter on a 12-yard touchdown reception by senior Coltyn Klingeberg.
Defensively, Ephrata allowed 204 Red Devil rushing yards on Friday night. The Tigers also turned the ball over three times in the loss.
Ephrata hosts Davis in a non-league matchup Friday at 7 p.m.
Lind-Ritzville/Sprague (3-1, 2-1 NE2B)
34-13 win vs Reardan
Bronco senior Brody Boness had a big night carrying the football on Friday against Reardan, rushing for 286 yards and five touchdowns on 35 carries in a 34-13 win over the Screaming Eagles. Boness scored on carries of 17, 72, 13, 10 and 2 yards in the win.
Reardan tied the game at 13 in the second quarter with a 57-yard touchdown pass, though the LRS defense shut out Reardan in the second half. Behind Boness in the run game was senior Zach Klein (three carries for 29 yards) and sophomore Cole Rouleau (five carries for 28 yards).
LRS travels to Jenkins (Chewelah) on Friday at 7 p.m.
Moses Lake (3-1, 2-0 CBBN)
48-27 win vs Wenatchee
Since opening the season with a loss against Rigby (Idaho), Moses Lake has rattled off three consecutive wins with its most recent coming Friday against Wenatchee, winning 48-27 at Lions Field.
Junior Brady Jay completed 38-of-45 passes for 436 yards and six touchdowns in the win, adding another 46 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Junior Grant Smith hauled in nine catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns, with senior Isaiah Moreno-Jackson also catching two touchdowns and 132 yards on seven receptions. Sophomore Elijah Burns and junior Carter Anderson also caught touchdowns in the win.
Defensively, Moses Lake held the Panthers to just 2.6 yards per carry in Friday’s win.
Moses Lake travels to Eisenhower on Friday at 7 p.m.
MLCA/CCS (1-3, 0-1 CWB)
62-36 loss vs Entiat
The Lions fell to 1-3 with Saturday’s home loss to Entiat, which began the Central Washington B schedule of games for MLCA/CCS.
Junior Johnny Ferguson completed eight-of-17 passes for 84 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions on Saturday. Five of those receptions went to sophomore Treyson Kast, who went for 51 yards and a touchdown. Micah Fountain caught three passes for 44 yards.
Ferguson led the Lions in the run game with eight carries for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Kast can for 43 yards and a score on six carries. Senior Jacob Journey returned an onside kick for a touchdown in the loss.
MLCA/CCS is off this week and returns to the field Oct. 11 on the road against Pateros.
Othello (4-0, 3-0 CWAC)
10-3 win at Selah
The Huskies remained unbeaten through the first month of the season, having picked up a 10-3 win over Selah in a defensive battle against the Vikings.
The lone touchdown of Friday’s game came on a short run by senior Jordan DeLeon in the second quarter, with junior Andrew Sorenson adding a field goal to get Othello to 10 points on the day.
Othello’s defense shut out the Vikings until midway through the fourth quarter, surrendering a Selah field goal. The Huskie defense held Selah to under 150 yards of total offense.
Next on the schedule is a home game against East Valley (Yakima) on Friday at 7 p.m.
Quincy (1-3, 0-3 CWAC)
24-12 win vs Wapato – statistics not available
The Jacks earned their first win of the season Friday night, beating visiting Wapato 24-12 on their home field to end a three-game skid.
Quincy travels to Prosser on Friday night at 7 p.m.
Royal (4-0, 4-0 SCAC)
49-21 win vs Zillah
The Knights jumped out to an early 28-0 lead in Friday’s league game against Zillah, though the Leopards managed to cut the lead to two scores in both the second and third quarters. However, Royal held on for its eventual 49-21 win Friday night.
Senior Lance Allred completed 16-of-27 passes for 192 yards, four touchdowns and an interception Friday night, with all four of his touchdown passes going to junior Shea Stevenson; the junior finished the game with seven receptions for 101 yards and four scores.
On the ground, senior Ethan Ellis rushed eight times for 97 yards and a touchdown. Senior Kevin Gutierrez ran for 63 yards on eight carries and junior Brody Bishop had 60 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries in the win.
Royal travels to Cashmere on Friday at 7 p.m.
Soap Lake (2-1, 0-0 CWB)
46-12 loss vs Wellpinit
The Eagles took their first loss of 2024 on Thursday night, hosting a non-league matchup against Wellpinit.
The Redskins scored first in the game, which was quickly answered by the Eagles two drives later; however, Wellpinit scored 32 unanswered to go into halftime up 40-6 over Soap Lake.
Senior Jairo Lopez completed eight-of-15 passes for 116 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the loss. Lopez also led the Eagles in rushing with 27 yards on two carries.
Senior Ruvim Goloborodko hauled in two catches for 36 yards in the game and senior Robby Fisher caught two passes for 22 yards and a touchdown.
Soap Lake travels to Pateros on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Wahluke (2-2, 2-2 SCAC)
45-0 loss vs Cashmere – statistics not available
The Warriors suffered their second straight loss on Thursday night, falling 45-0 to SCAC newcomer Cashmere at home. With the loss, Wahluke falls to 2-2 overall and in the SCAC.
Wahluke travels to Granger in a non-league matchup Friday at 7 p.m.
Warden (3-1, 0-1 EWAC)
24-0 loss at Columbia (Burbank)
Warden’s first loss of the season came on the road against Columbia (Burbank) Friday night, falling 24-0 to the Coyotes in its first Eastern Washington Athletic Conference game of the season.
The Cougars were held to under 200 yards of total offense, throwing for 143 while gaining 35 yards on the ground in the loss. Defensively, the Cougars recovered two fumbles and intercepted a pass.
Both teams were tied at zero at halftime, but Columbia scored late in the third quarter and followed things up with a safety against the Cougars.
Warden hosts River View on Friday at 7 p.m.